Dovedale farmer Bryce Win took on one of the country’s toughest competitions, navigating months of preparation, a relentless week of challenges and the pressure of the Young Farmer national stage. He shares his experience in what was a test of skill, stamina and mindset.
From the moment I qualified for the regional final, I was worried. I learned the regional would be held sometime in February, right around the time I was set to be wed. Luckily, they fell on two different dates.
Then came the preparation. In my mind, this was going to be my last crack at this, no matter the result. So, I studied, trained, and drove my fiancée absolutely crazy. I listened to previous contestants to hear what they would do differently, took it all on board, and then I won. Double fist pump.
From there, it was a whirlwind. I was balancing media interviews with shearing sheep, all while listening to the other finalists’ interviews and realising these guys were at the absolute top of their game. Being flown into Christchurch to meet them and schmooze sponsors was an eye-opener. One of the other finalists said it best: it was like a team-building exercise for people you were about to compete against.
We were given massive tasks to complete before the competition even began, the kind of stuff you do not see on the livestream or social media. We had to design an innovation project, creating a business that was not conventional livestock farming, and produce a three-minute video on community or industry involvement. The due date was right before we had to attend Fieldays.
Fieldays was an experience in itself. Thousands of people were looking for deals, while the contestants and I were once again schmoozing sponsors, speaking after politicians, and filming social media content. It was a bit much for a guy who is not even on Facebook.
We also had to write a four-minute speech and prepare a presentation for our business project. All of this was happening while I was trying to learn how a milking shed actually works, the fastest way to put in a stay post, and studying for the quiz. Needless to say, I was busier than a one-armed bricklayer in Mumbai.
Finally, it was time to head north. A 5.30am wake-up for breakfast with Kane Briscoe, a Farmstrong ambassador. Then it was straight into Technical Day. It began with an HR challenge where I was thrown into a room to roleplay a dispute between my boss and the neighbour after his prized bull got in among our cows following a storm. Add to that a three-hour exam based on a large-scale Canterbury dairy farm, the business presentation, and an interview about our community footprint.
Friday is Practical Day. Heading to Stratford by 6am, getting briefed on our “farmlet” – a small plot of land where we had a mountain of tasks to complete. This year’s farmlet was based on storm recovery.
In just two hours, we had to:
In the middle of all that, we also had seven 25-minute sponsor modules, had to shear a sheep, build a calf feeder, and carve the number 58 into a log.
The day ended with a rapid-fire race against the other six competitors to put on a ram harness, fill a calf feeder, repair a punctured tyre, sort wool, trim a cow hoof, fillet a fish, build a washing line, complete a NZYF puzzle, cut out a picture of Mount Taranaki, drive a tractor carrying a bucket of water, and finally hammer a picture of our own face into the ground.
I was overwhelmed, but I was laughing the entire day and having an absolute blast. I did not perform my best on the practical day, but that is showbiz.
By the time Saturday night’s Grand Final and quiz rolled around, I was pretty relaxed. I knew I had not covered myself in glory on the practical day, so it was all about having a good time. I was sitting in seventh place heading into the quiz. I answered some tough questions correctly and was happy with my performance, ultimately finishing the evening seventh out of seven, just two points behind.
Despite the placing, I had a smile on my face from Thursday morning until the early hours of Sunday. My laugh never stopped, and I walked away having met some of the top blokes in the country. It was an honour to represent the Tasman region, the community of Dovedale, and the Top of the South.
A huge thank you to the ladies in the kitchen and the bar staff. But seriously, thank you to all those who helped me along the way. If you are between 16 and 31, I would encourage you to join Young Farmers and give it a go. Tasman Valley Young Farmers meet on the second Wednesday of each month, and we would love to see some new faces.
I do not have the drive, or even the desire, to go back and try to win it. Not because I did not enjoy. Fewer than 400 people have ever stood on the stage as a New Zealand Young Farmer of the Year grand finalist. I am proud to be one of them.
