3 April 2000 Ex-Lincoln contestants keen to uphold honour of alma mater

Two tussles will vie for interest in the Tasman Regional Final of the Wrightson Agmardt Young Farmer Contest in Blenheim on Saturday (8.4.2000).

As last year's winner Andrew Finch returns for another crack at the regional title and a place in the Grand Final, a tense sub-plot will be Lincoln graduates against each other and the rest.

Five of the eight Tasman regional finalists are ex-Lincoln men and four of them are travelling some distance, so they will be hyped for the occasion. The five Lincoln-qualified challengers are – Guy Basset (Diploma of Farm Management) of Darfield, Mid-Canterbury; Tim Cookson (Bachelor of Agricultural Science) of Hororata, Mid-Canterbury; Gary Fleming (Bachelor of Horticultural Science) of Rangiora, North Canterbury; Geoff Spark (Bachelor of Commerce & Management) also of Rangiora; and Justin Stevens (Diploma of Wool Technology) of Seddon, Marlborough.

In the Grand Final, Lincoln degree and diploma holders have won 15 of the 30 winners' titles since the start of the contest in 1969, and seven of the 10 since 1990.

With contestants coming from the West Coast, Nelson, North & Central Canterbury, the Tasman Regional Final is the largest in the competition.

The practical section will be held at the Marlborough A & P Show grounds and the evening session will be at the Marlborough Centre, Blenheim. At stake for the regional winner is a prize package worth $7945. The Grand Final is in Christchurch over 6-8 July.

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