Mr Woodhead claimed the Otago-Southland regional title on Saturday night at an awards ceremony in Roxburgh.
However, the Otago boy was registered in the Southern district because he was busy on the day of the Otago heats.
He studied hard because he knew the competition would be strong, he said.
"It was a tough day at the office. I think any of us would do the area proud in the national final."
Alexandra’s Alan Harvey came second and Knapdale’s Lyndon Wallace third.
Mr Woodhead and his fiancee Leanne Oosthuizen lease and run his parents’ 400ha sheep and beef farm in Milton.
They were getting married next month, he said.‘‘Just in case I wanted any more hard work.
"The wedding will obviously be the most important thing until then, but I’ll also brush up on some of the things I thought I didn’t do too well at."
It was his fourth regional final, and he had twice been runner-up.
The finalists faced practical challenges such as fencing and shearing at the Mt Benger A&P Show on Saturday.
Mr Woodhead received the highest points in the general knowledge quiz and in an interview where the competitors were asked about everything from future hopes to current events.
New Zealand Young Farmer of the Year chairman Dean Rabbidge said general and business knowledge were a huge part of modern farming.
"You’re not just shearing sheep and milking cows. It’s a business and you’ve got to think about things like environmental sustainability."
This area’s event had the tightest competition of any region, he said.
"In the other ones there’s usually a couple of stand-outs, but you couldn’t split these guys."
Mr Woodhead said he would "go to win" when he represented the lower South Island at the 49th national finals in July.
