However, she was less than confident during the competition process, particularly during the interview, and was ‘‘shocked’’ when she heard her name announced as the winner.
‘‘I had the phone call to say I got into the top six, and then when we were watching Facebook, I heard my name called and that was amazing.’’
She comes from a sheep and beef farm near Gore, and studied to be a veterinary nurse at Southern Institute of Technology for three years.
While waiting for her job to come up at a veterinary clinic she worked as a casual farm worker in Southland.
While working at the vet clinic she also worked as casual relief milker during the weekends.
‘‘I fell in love with dairying,’’ Ms Dodd said.
‘‘It also provides a range of opportunities to grow.’’
When a full-time dairying job working as a farm assistant for Andrew and Catherine McGregor on their 420-cow, 160ha Gore property came up, she applied and started last June.
‘‘It was a new challenge.’’
The McGregors had encouraged her and helped her to enter the awards.
‘‘I never considered entering the awards before,’’ Ms Dodd said.
‘‘I decided to give it a go and push me out of my comfort zone. The hardest thing was the initial interview in the preliminary round. I didn’t know what to expect.
‘‘Looking back, I tried not to be too nervous and that probably helped.’’
She won $7000 in prizes and a merit award.
After entering, she started working as a 2IC for Braydon and Nicole Kyle at Dacre, milking 560 cows.
‘‘It is a bigger farm and there are more opportunities here.
‘‘I already had the job lined up before I won.’’
She was disappointed she could not celebrate her success after the announcement because of the Covid-19 lockdown and associated restrictions.
However, she watched the announcement with partner Shaun Goble.
‘‘I had to work the next day so it was an early night for me. We will get together with friends and family to celebrate properly later.’’
Ms Dodd hoped to gain more experience and enhance her industry skills, before moving into management and working through the traditional career path with the end goal of farm ownership.
She had enrolled to study through Primary ITO but was unable to start her programme until after the lockdown restrictions eased.
In her time off she enjoyed trail bike riding, hunting, hiking and bush walking, and catching up with friends and family.
