But there was no violence or sleeping in sight on the first day of the World Young Shepherds Challenge, as 20 young shepherds from 10 countries competed in a series of challenges.
Contestants, in teams of two, from France, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, the United States, Uruguay, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand raced the clock and each other to identify cuts of sheep meat, kidneys, testicles, liver, heart and gallbladder, build a permanent fence, control and check quad bikes, and identify, count, draft, drench and shear sheep.
Republic of Ireland representatives Graham Murphy and Richie O'Hara were absent after being stranded in Singapore due to the grounding of Qantas aircraft.
Event organiser Roz Lever said the competition was similar to events held in Europe.
Setting tasks had been difficult due to the differences in farming techniques between countries, and translating instructions into French and Spanish was a further complication, she said.
New Zealand's representatives are Peter Klaasen, of Lincoln University, and Massey's Hamish Best.
The competition, run by Beef and Lamb NZ, aims to foster professional development in young shepherds aged between 18 and 25, and to build strong relationships between the sheep production sectors and the next generation of leaders in each of the countries.
The top prize for individuals is a $15,000 international professional development scholarship, and New Zealand art will be presented to representatives of the winning country.
The competition ends today with the featured shepherd's sprint event at the Oamaru Showgrounds and cross-country challenge at Totara Estate.
