A 38-point set of deer antlers, a sheep's internal organs, a wide range of weeds and a seed drill were among the ''props'' for the Otago final of the New Zealand Young Farmer of the Year competition yesterday.
Seventeen competitors spent most of the day at the Ranfurly showgrounds vying for the right to represent Otago in the Otago-Southland final in Wyndham on April 9.
The top four from the Otago event will take part in the regional final.
They are Nigel Woodhead, of Milton, who was top points-scorer yesterday, Logan Wallace, of Clinton, Hamish Gibson, of Teviot Valley, and Ben Gardyne, of Arrowtown.
''We've got a good geographic spread in finalists from both the Otago and the Southland finals,'' regional convener Dean Rabbidge said.
Identifying a sheep's internal organs, calibrating a seed drill, wine-tasting, assessing the merits of merino rams, saddling a horse, fencing, applying a tourniquet to a set of deer antlers and answering questions about velveting were among the tasks competitors faced yesterday.
The national final will be held in early July.
