Fieldays 2023 ute giveaway winner from Gisborne back at Fieldays after tough times

Isuzu Utes New Zealand national sales manager Ross Sommerville, ute winner Callum Thomspon and Enterprise Motor Group sales manager Steven Shields. Photo / New Zealand National Fieldays Society

Gisborne Tairawhiti local Callum Thompson is the lucky winner of this year’s Fieldays Isuzu ute giveaway.

After a special Summer edition in 2022, Fieldays returned to its traditional Winter dates this year and drew more than 105,000 people to Mystery Creek in Waikato.

Thompson said he hadn’t been to Fieldays for a couple of years but wanted to check out what was new in the industry and see the advances in Innovation.

“June 2021 was the last time I was at Fieldays, so it was great to be back... I saw the Isuzu utes at the gate... but never ever thought I would win,” Thompson said.

The news of Thompson winning a brand-new Isuzu D-Max set the town abuzz with excitement, with several of Thompson’s friends thinking he was pulling their leg.

“No one ever knows anyone who has won a prize like this, when I told my mates last week, they all thought I was joking.

Fieldays is the Southern Hemisphere's largest agricultural event.

“Funnily enough, I walk past the local Isuzu dealership every time I head to my post box... I have seen the utes all lined up on display, but never for a minute thought I would ever own one, it’s mind-blowing,” Thompson said.

Thompson works in the finance industry with a number of clients in the Agricultural sector.

“Things have been pretty tough down in Gisborne and the surrounding areas, so it’s great to be able to come to Fieldays and support the sector, catch up with a few people and enjoy a day out,” Thompson said.

To be in the draw to win the Isuzu D-Max LX Double Cab ute, valued over $75,000, Fieldays visitors had to collect a smart band at the entry, register their details, scan it at the Isuzu exhibitor site and drop it into one of the four Isuzu utes at the exit before leaving.

Isuzu Utes New Zealand national sales manager Ross Sommerville said: “Callum sure is a lucky bastard. The D-Max is a tough ute while also being comfy... It’s perfect for New Zealand conditions and he’s going to love cruising Gizzy in it.”

Fieldays, run by the charity New Zealand National Fieldays Society founded in 1968, is based on a 114-hectare site at Mystery Creek 10 minutes from Hamilton. It is the largest agricultural event in the Southern Hemisphere.

Fieldays 2024 is already being planned and will take place from June 11 to June 15. For more information visit the Fieldays website.