Northland Rural Bachelor comes out on top

MEDIA RELEASE
14 May 2008

Northland Rural Bachelor comes out on top

The Fieldays Rural Bachelor of the Year 2008 was announced today with Northland finalist, Mark Woodcock (35) taking top honours and Charlie Taituha (22), representing the King Country taking away the Cycletime People’s Choice award.

Bachelor heats have been a big attraction at Fieldays over the past three days with the boys competing to show off their rural skills and bachelor eligibility in a range of heats from the STIHL Chainsaw Champs and Fencing to the New Zealand Pork Brekkie Bloke heat, Bachelor Pageant heat and a Bachelor auction that saw an RD1 stock auctioneer sell them off with proceeds going to the Tamahere Firefighters Families Fund.

Competition Coordinator, Gemma Antoniadis, said that the 2008 group of finalists were of a quality that would have made the judges decision difficult. “There were Rural Bachelor finalists from around the country, giving everyone someone to support and they all gave every challenge a good go,” she said.

Competition was fierce throughout the competition with several heats too close to call. The Suzuki Cheerleaders were involved in several heats, putting the Fieldays Rural Bachelor of the Year finalists through their paces in front of large crowds. Winner, Mark Woodcock was consistent in the heats and won the RD1 heat in which Bachelors had to put together a wheelbarrow and transport their cheerleader in it. Woodcock was also fastest entrant in the STIHL Chainsaw Champs.

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Paul Slater, 2007 Fieldays Rural Bachelor of the Year, was at the presentation this afternoon to pass on the title and the Golden Gumboot trophy after spending this year’s competition judging the new crop of Bachelors. Woodcock also takes away $5,000 cash, an all-expenses-paid trip for two to the Cook Islands, Waikato Draught, a STIHL gear pack and product from Swanndri and Skellerup.

Slater, along with 2007 Cycletime Peoples Choice Award winner, Gareth Barnes, who was also a judge, said that judging was tough. “It’s given us a real appreciation of how hard a job the Bachelor judges have,” they said. “But being a good all-round competitor and a top rural bloke won Mark the title.”

Charlie Taituha, who won the Cycletime Peoples Choice Award was a clear winner in the category and also received plenty of support from spectators at the heats. He’ll take away a mountain bike from Cycletime, worth $1,000.

Fieldays Rural Bachelor of the Year was proudly sponsored by Classic Hits along with supporting sponsors Cook Islands Tourism, Swanndri, Skellerup, STIHL, Hyundai, Waikato Draught, NZ Pork and RD1.

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