Kevin O’Neill and his wife Sara won the 2014 Canterbury North Otago Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year title.
That gained them $19,000 in prizes.
O’Neill is a former Crusaders, Chiefs and Rebels rugby player.
He gained an All Blacks cap when he came off the bench in an All Blacks loss to the Springboks in Dunedin in 2008.
The giant lock and his valuer wife switched their focus to dairy farming in 2011.
The other major winners at the awards were Phillip Colombus, who won the Canterbury North Otago Farm Manager of the Year title, and Isaac Vujcich who won the region’s 2014 Dairy Trainee of the Year.
They were announced winners at an awards dinner at the Lincoln Events Centre last night.
Kevin and Sara O’Neill have had just over two years in the dairy industry, beginning with a six-month stint as farm managers.
They then entered a partnership as equity farm managers on her family farm at Waiau, North Canterbury.
The couple oversee an 1190-cow herd on the 340ha farm.
Duncan and Olivia Rutherford and James and Belinda McCone are their equity partners.
The O’Neills both have agricultural degrees from Lincoln University and both grew up on farms.
“A real strength of our business is we’ve got strong governance in place, with a board of six containing two independent directors,” they said.
“We’ve also got opportunities for scale and development and both of these aspects allow for clear planning and growth.”
The couple are both aged 31 and have two young children.
They say their future lies in multiple farm ownership.
Second prize in the sharemilker/equity farmer contest went to Culverden equity sharemilkers James and Ceri Bourke, who won $9700 in prizes.
Ashburton 20% sharemilker Liam Kelly was third, winning $6700 in prizes.
Phillip Colombus, a farm manager for Ngai Tahu Farming at Oxford, had another win.
It is the second time Colombus has entered the awards and the second time he has come out on top.
In 2006 he won the Upper South Island Dairy Trainee of the Year title, and this year he won Farm Manager of the Year.
He said he enters the awards to further his career.
In the process the 30-year-old collected $10,100 in prizes.
From Christchurch, Columbus has worked his way up the industry.
He enjoyed the opportunities provided by Ngai Tahu Farming on the 1300-cow property he was managing.
“Ngai Tahu Farming is committed to sustainability and to the continuous improvement of the environmental, social, cultural and economic outcomes associated with its farms.
“They have also provided us with a high standard of dairy farm conversion with all the latest technology and infrastructure to allow us to run a successful business for them.”
Colombus and his wife, Melissa, plan to progress to sharemilking and ultimately farm ownership.
Second in the farm manager contest was Rakaia farm manager Steve Veix, who won $3650.
Also from Rakaia, Jonathon and Stacey Hoets were third, winning $4250.
A decision to turn his back on city work has proved to be a good one for the 2014 Canterbury North Otago Dairy Trainee of the Year, Isaac Vujcich.
Vujcich had spent four years working in IT.
He then completed a Bachelor of Business Studies majoring in management and marketing before deciding that farming was for him.
“I didn’t want to work in the city,” he said.
The 28-year-old is just completing his second season in the dairy industry, as second in charge on Graham Bain’s 730-cow Oxford farm.
He won $5000 in prizes.
He said the awards had helped him to address weaknesses.
“It has also helped build my confidence in work and in general, and I’ve enjoyed meeting new people in the dairy industry and building on those relationships.”
His future plans are to continue to progress in the industry.
His ultimate goal is farm ownership.
Darfield assistant farm manager Brad Fallaver, 27, placed second in the dairy trainee contest, winning $3000.
Lincoln assistant manager Adam Vollebregt was third, winning $650.
The O’Neills will host a field day on their farm on April 1.
Colombus will host a field day on the Oxford farm he manages on March 25.
Further details on the winners and field days can be found on www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.
Sharemilker/Equity Farmer Merit Awards:
· Riverside Vets Animal Health Award – Mark and Vanessa Shefford
· DairyNZ Human Resources Award – Liam Kelly
· Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award – Liam Kelly
· Federated Farmers of New Zealand Leadership Award – James & Ceri Bourke
· Honda Farm Safety and Health Award – Kevin and Sara O’Neill
· LIC Recording and Productivity Award – Mark and Vanessa Shefford
· Meridian Energy Farm Environment Award – James and Ceri Bourke
· Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award – Cole Harris
· Triplejump Risk Management Award – Kevin and Sara O’Neill
· Westpac Business Performance Award – Kevin and Sara O’Neill
Farm Manager Merit Awards:
· Pye Group Most Promising Farm Manager – Mark Cudmore
· Scansouth Best Livestock Award – Jonathon and Stacey Hoets
· TH Enterprises Ltd Leadership Award – Phillip Colombus
· Fonterra Best Practice Award – Jonathon and Stacey Hoets
· Primary ITO Human Resource Management Award – Steve Veix
· RD1 Farm Management Award – Phillip Colombus
· Westpac Financial Planning and Management Award – Phillip Colombus
Dairy Trainee Merit Awards:
· Ngai Tahu Farming Knowledge Award – Brad Fallaver
· FarmRight Leadership Award – Fiona McRae
· DairyNZ Practical Skills Award – Brad Fallaver
