A TEAM representing Bega has won the Royal Agricultural Society Young Farmer Challenge at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
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The RAS Young Farmer Challenge pits teams of young agricultural workers against one another to find those with the full suite of rural skills.
Bega’s NAB Agribusiness team consisting of Sarah Dreverman, Josh Cochrane and Greg Heffernan were one of 16 competing for the winner’s title on the weekend.
Mr Cochrane and Mr Hefferman are both local dairy farmers, while Ms Dreverman is business manager for NAB Agribusiness Bega.
“We are really excited to have won, it’s good to get involved with RAS Youth Group events,” Ms Dreverman said.
The participants won $500 each as well as a trip to the national finals in 2014.
“The national finals are held at one of next year’s major shows, so we’ll either be travelling to Melbourne, Brisbane or Adelaide, it will be announced later in the year,” she said.
After winning the regional final at the Far South Coast National Show in Bega in February, the NAB Agribusiness team qualified for the state finals in Sydney.
At the Royal Sydney Easter Show, the RAS Young Farmer Challenge consisted of four heats, with the winning team from each heat sent through to the final.
Ms Deverman said there were nine challenges all up, including building an electric fence, putting out a fire with a water pump, catching an alpaca and leading it through a marked course, fitting a back carry all onto a tractor, chain sawing in full safety gear and log splitting.
Emphasis was placed on completing each physically-demanding challenge with in the fastest time, but also with the correct technique and safety method.
The Bega trio had a cheer squad from home in attendance including Kirsty McPaul from the BDN who said the team was “ahead by minutes in every heat, it was exciting to watch”.
The RAS Young Farmer Challenge is designed to promote excellence in farming and showcase the involvement of young people in agriculture aged 18-35 through a display of the skills, equipment and techniques farmers use every day.
Ms Dreverman had a busy time at the Sydney Royal, not only competing in the RAS Young Farmer Challenge, but also in several horse-riding events where she won the Amateur Rider Showjump title.
To learn more about the RAS Youth Group or the Young Farmer Challenge go to www.rasnsw.com.au.