27 April 2000 Ex-Lincoln quartet versus rest a feature of Young Farmer regional final

Lincoln University honour is on the line in the Otago/Southland regional final of the Wrightson Agmardt Young Farmer Contest in Ranfurly on Saturday. (29.4.2000)

Four of the eight Otago/Southland regional finalists are ex-Lincoln and they will be hyped by the knowledge that in the contest's Grand Final Lincoln University degree and diploma holders have won 15 of the 30 winners' titles since the start of the event in 1969, and seven of the 10 titles since 1990.

The four Lincoln-qualified regional finalists for Otago/Southland are – Fred Dodson of Drummond (Diploma in Farm Management), Robert Kempthorne of Invercargill (Bachelor of Agricultural Science), Stan MacGibbon of Gore (Diploma in Farm Management) and Nicola Watson of Invercargill (Bachelor of Commerce in Agriculture).

Nicola Watson, who graduated from Lincoln in 1996, is one of only two women who have reached regional final level this year and after coming third last year she will be keen to put her experience of the contest to advantage this time around.

Fred Dodson is another with regional final experience from last year (runner-up in Tasman) and he too will be putting added pressure on this year's group.

The practical session will be held in the Ranfurly A & P Showgrounds and the evening session will be in the Stadium at the Showgrounds. At stake for the regional final winner is a prize package worth $9095.

The Grand Final is in Christchurch over 6-8 July.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand