Will Gibson is only 15, but this Hakataramea Valley lad's eye for prize-winning ewes is making him thousands of dollars a year and a name for himself across the country as a breeder, exhibitor and farmer.
The no-nonsense John McGlashan College year 10 pupil has had many successes at A&P shows during the past four years - the most recent the Royal New Zealand Show in Christchurch, where he won awards in the supreme champion black and coloured ewe, champion black and coloured ewe (fine) and the ram over 18 months shorn fine wool breed sections.
He was also second in the ram under 18 months shorn fine wool breed, first and fourth in the ewe over 18 months shorn fine wool breed and was second and fourth in the ewe under 18 months shorn fine wool breed.
Sheep are not his only claim to fame.
He also won the junior section of the New Zealand young beef breeders youth show herdsperson competition and received $500 to help him compete in the under 17 junior herdsperson competition at the Auckland Royal Easter Show next year.
"I was really happy with the supreme champion ewe, mainly because I'm really quite new to it all. Some [competitors] have been showing for 20 years."
He was excited about going to Auckland "because it will be a few more days off school and I've only been to the North Island a couple of times."
Will said he entered his first A&P show aged 11, just to get his name out there as a breeder.
"I began breeding sheep when I was about six years old. I had a few pet ewe lambs and I borrowed a ram off dad so I could produce some lambs for sale and get a bit of pocket money."
Since then, he has developed a business generating an income that could pay most of the annual fees of a university degree.
"In 2004, I bought four black merino ewes and one black merino ram using some of the pocket money I had made. And from that, I've been breeding them and it's become quite a successful business.
"I've got wool contracts now with a privately owned clothing business in Christchurch and I've got 26 breeding ewes and four breeding rams, plus about 40 lambs."
Rather than use his hard-earned profit to buy the latest teen desirables, Will ploughs the money back into his parent's Hakataramea Valley farm or uses it to go to A&P shows.
Balancing school work with farm responsibilities was difficult at times, and with NCEA level 1 on his schedule next year, Will said life would become challenging.
"I come home on the weekends and do all the work that I should be doing during the week. Mum and dad help me if I can't come home during a weekend by shifting the sheep into new paddocks, drenching them and crutching them.
"But I'm not worried about NCEA. I'll find a way to work it out. Year 10 school exams were on the same week as the Christchurch show. I made that work. The school has been really supportive as well."
While it is still early days, Will said becoming a vet was a possible career choice, but the call of the farm is stronger.
"It's what I'm really interested in. You're at the centre of the action when you're on the farm.
"If you've been working hard, the sight of the sun going down as you get off the four-wheeler at the end of the day is a pretty good feeling."
