Second Grand Finalist Confirmed
Matt Bell is the second Grand Finalist to be named in the 2015 ANZ Young Farmer Contest.
The twenty-eight year old contract-milker took first place at the Aorangi Regional Final in Oamaru on Saturday 28
February.
Mr Bell went home with a prize pack worth over $10,000 including cash, scholarships and products and services from ANZ,
FMG, Lincoln University, Ravensdown, AGMARDT, Silver Fern Farms, Honda, Husqvarna and Vodafone.
Matt placed third in the 2013 Grand Final and is determined to take out top honours in his final bid to become the ANZ
Young Farmer Contest Grand Champion. In his spare time Matt enjoys getting out on his motor-bike, snowboarding and
refereeing rugby.
Mr Bell is off to the Grand Final in Taupo, 2 – 4 July where he will battle it out for the Champion’s title and more
than $270,000 in prizes.
The Aorangi Regional Final was held in conjunction with the North Otago A & P Show where a large, knowledgeable crowd watched the strong group of contestants display the best of their farming
knowledge and skill. The eight contestants were put through their paces in a variety of challenging modules touching on
all aspects of farming from practical hands-on tasks to theory and business components.
Second place went to 29 year old livestock contractor, Sam Bryan, of the Foothills Young Farmers Club. He took home
$2,900 worth of prizes. He also took out top prize in the AGMARDT Agri-Business Challenge and the Silver Fern Farms
Agri-Sport Challenge.
Third place went to dairy farm operations manager Athol New (29) and fourth place went to Caleb Strowger (23), of the
Milford/Clandeboye Young Farmers Club.
Athol New also won both the Lincoln University Agri-Growth Challenge and the Ravensdown Agri-Skills Challenge.
The 2015 ANZ Young Farmer Contest features 7 Regional Finals culminating in the Grand Final.
ENDS