6 July 2006 Grand Final numbers favour Young Farmer title going to Lincoln graduate

Four out of seven – the odds are stacked Lincoln University's way for one of its graduates to win the National Bank Young Farmer title for 2006.

The three-day Grand Final of New Zealand's iconic Young Farmer Contest started today (6 July) in Greymouth and wraps up on Saturday night (8 July) after three days of intense physical and mental competition.

Seven finalists from seven districts covering the whole of the country are competing for the top prize and title in the 38th Grand Final of this legendary event. Four of the seven finalists hold Lincoln University qualifications.

A prize pool of $146,785 is at stake for the Grand Final part of the competition, and overall this year for the Grand, Regional and District finals the prize list has totalled $326,130.

Competing in the 2006 Grand Final are Ben Allomes, representing Taranaki-Manawatu; Richard Fowler, representing Waikato/Bay of Plenty; John McCaw, Aorangi; Gavin Neumann, Northern; Elliot Scott, Tasman; Callum Thomsen, East Coast; and Paul Turner, Otago/Southland.

The four Lincoln University graduates are – Richard Fowler, John McCaw, Elliot Scott and Paul Turner. John and Elliot were both ‘straight A’ students, both Senior Scholars in their graduating years and both hold Bachelor of Agricultural Science degrees with 1st Class Honours. John was capped in 2000 and Elliot in 2002. Paul Turner holds a Diploma in Wool Technology (1989); and Richard Fowler, has a Bachelor of Agriculture (2003).

Richard is an operations manager for Landcorp Farming Ltd; John helps manage his family’s mixed cropping operation; Paul is a sheep, beef and deer farmer; and Richard is also an operations manager for Landcorp Farming Ltd.

Lincoln University can claim 18 winners out of the past 37, since the competition was established in 1969.

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