Dark horse takes Aorangi win

He earned the top spot at the Aorangi Regional Final Monday, April 21 in Fairlie.

Davidson admitted he was quite shocked after winning what he says was a rather difficult competition.

"I was hoping to learn from the experience and scope it all out," he says. "My goal was just to make it to the top four, so it was a definite surprise to win."

Nigel Woodhead, of the Pendarves Club and Sam Bryan, Foothills Club, placed second and third respectively. At the district round of competition in October last year, Davidson placed third, behind Woodhead and Bryan.

Rounding out the top four was Cole Harris of the Milford-Clandeboye Club.

Davidson also won the AGMARDT Agri-business Challenge and Woodhead took out the Ravensdown Agri-skills Challenge.

Steven Smit, of the Glenavy-Waimate Club, who placed fifth overall, won Silver Fern Farms Agri-sports Challenge and sixth place getter, Marshall Smith, of the Upper Waitaki Club, won the Lincoln University Agri-growth Challenge.

Davidson says his diverse range of farming experience and university education gave him the edge for the win.

"A lot of the stuff you learn in university that you never thought you would use comes back to you," says Davidson. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Agriculture from Lincoln University.

Davidson currently works as 2IC on a 1400 cow dairy farm in Darfield where he hopes to gain more experience before he takes the next step up in his career.

The ultimate goal, he says, is farm ownership, but, in the meantime Mr Davidson is working on developing his recently purchased 70Ha grazing and silage block at Glentunnel.

For more information visit www.youngfarmers.co.nz