Fiancé finalists to square off

Steph Le Brocq and Sam Allen, a bride and groom-to-be, are among those set to face off in regional finals across New Zealand in the hopes of being named the Young Farmer of the Year.

Since October, New Zealand Young Farmers (NZYF) members have been putting their skills to the test, battling it out in one of seven District Contests across the country.

Now, the top competitors are set to face off in their respective regions, with seven Regional Finals scheduled between February and April 2025.

Le Brocq will square off against her fiancé, Sam Allen, at the Aorangi Regional Final in March.

It’s her first time competing at the events, while Allen placed runner-up at last year’s regional competition.

“It’s going to be quite fun to have a crack at each other,” she says.

“We met 10 years ago when we were both involved with Surf Lifesaving, so we’ve both got that competitive spirit and are used to pacing ourselves against each other,” she adds.

It was Allen who encouraged Le Brocq to apply.

He says that even though they’re battling each other for the top spot, there are no secrets at the dinner table.

“We’ve each got different strengths and weaknesses, so we’re helping each other prepare,” Allen says.

“We figure it makes sense that we can both put our best foot forward.”