Rural round up – bachelor style

Rural round up – bachelor style

Single rural blokes from around the country have their last chance to enter the Fieldays Rural Bachelor of the Year competition 2006.

Applications close Friday 12 May, with regional semi-finals taking place over the following two weeks. Organisers are hoping that the introduction of regional finals this year will encourage the local communities to really ‘get in behind’ the entrants from their area.

“The rural community in particular tends to be very supportive and competitive when it comes to the local talent” competition coordinator Elysia Shirtliff said.

“Last years winner, Tony Buckingham from Waimahaka, was world famous in Southland and had a fan club that encouraged him throughout the competition” she said.

Incidentally, Mr Buckingham took away both the Golden Gumboot Trophy and the Telecom Peoples Choice Award and his fair share of the $30,000 prize pool.

Eight regions from around the country will send their ‘crème of the crop’ to the NZ National Agricultural Fieldays in June to battle it out for the national title and the prestigious ‘Golden Gumboot’. There, the finalists will be treated like celebrities for a week while they compete in a series of heats that are designed to test their rural skills and bachelor eligibility.

The heats cover all aspects of the typical rural Kiwi bloke’s lifestyle including fencing, cooking, farm fashion, tyre-changing, hay-bail-stacking, digger-driving, chainsawing, making music, dating and a range of industry skills tests.

Organisers are thrilled to introduce an exciting new ‘cutting horse’ heat - an action packed and fast-growing equine sport that is ”sure to give the bachelors a challenge and the crowds a kick,” Miss Shirtliff said.

“However, entrants do not need to do any training or preparation for the competition, they just need to let their abilities shine through from having lived a truly passionate rural lifestyle,” she said.

Eligible contestants will be over 18, work in the rural industry, ooze Kiwi bloke charm and most importantly, be single.

The competition is proudly sponsored by Classic Hits along with supporting sponsors Swanndri, Waikato Draught, Stihl, BBQ Factory, Freedom Air, Accom Gold Coast, Ford, Skellerup and Telecom.

Entry details on www.fieldays.co.nz or by calling 07-843-4499. Entries close 12 May 2006.

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