Every volunteer organisation depends on a good succession plan for its future.
And the Rural Ambassador Award has been just that for SA’s country shows, fostering youthful enthusiasm and new ideas.
In 1998 it replaced the Miss Showgirl Competition, allowing both females and males from 20 to 30 years of age, to vie for the state title during four days at the Royal Adelaide Show.
It has also opened ,many doors for the hundreds of participants who have represented their local shows and communities.
Many former ambassadors have stepped up to be their show’s presidents or secretaries, stewards, judges and conveners and even RA&HS of SA councillors.
Award coordinator Peter Angus says the milestone is testament to everyone involved at all levels of the program from the local shows to the RA&HS of SA, who meet with and share their knowledge and passion with participants.
“Their enthusiasm is certainly contagious,” he said.
As well as building confidence and public speaking skills Mr Angus, who was the 2001 national winner, says many lifelong friendships have been made with participants attending each others special events such as birthdays, engagements and weddings.
“I feel very proud and fortunate to have met so many amazing people along my rural ambassador journey, and coordinating the program has been so very rewarding, both professionally and personally,” he said.
Pinnaroo farmer Giles Oster says his show, which last year celebrated its centenary, has benefited from a long list of successful ambassadors sharing their ideas.
This includes Jack Russell dog racing which Mr Oster saw at Wanaka Show on his New Zealand exchange.
The 2005 state winner says the four days spent at the Royal Adelaide Show were a great opportunity to exchange ideas with other passionate young people and learn from show stalwarts.
“All the way along all I ever did was talk about Pinnaroo and how good a community it is- I was lucky enough the judges saw something in that, he said.
Mr Oster, who was also the 2006 national winner, was Pinnaroo show president from 2009 to 2012 and remains on the committee.
He says the Pinnaroo Show which will be held on October 4 continues to evolve but brings the whole community together.
“A good analogy told to me by show president Paul Ireland is that it (Pinnaroo Show) is like grandpa’s axe – whilst it has had 10 different handles and five different heads it is still loved because it is grandpa’s axe.”
Keith Show has also undergone a resurgence with plenty of young people on its committee, including publicity officer Amanda Kroehn.
Ms KroehN, who was the 2010 state rural ambassador winner and national runner-up the following year, remembers it as a great opportunity to meet other young like-minded people.
“We all had the same passion – we loved agriculture and the rural lifestyle but we were keen to support and be involved in our local shows,” she said.
Ms Kroehn, who runs a mixed farming property with her husband Graeme, recommends others give it a go.
“It is a great way to start a bit of a journey – you don’t know who you are going to meet or what you are going to learn,” she said.
“It gives you skills to step out into the big wide world.”
ROLL CALL OF STATE RURAL AMBASSADOR WINNERS
1998-Peter Wallis (Murraylands)
1999-Ben Hebart (Central)
2000- Peter Angus (Northern)
2001-Julia Clarke (Northern)
2002-Nicky Mattschoss (Northern)
2003-Rebel Skirving (South East)
2004-Narelle Copping (South East)
2005-Giles Oster (Murraylands)
2006-Nathan Sanders (Northern)
2007-Kimberley Zohs (South East)
2008-Ingrid Smith (Northern)
2009- Amanda Lock (South East)
2010-Amanda Kroehn (South East)
2011- Campbell Lawrie (Eyre Peninsula)
2012-Lachlan Mickan (Yorke Peninsula)
2013- Courtney Ramsey (Eyre Peninsula)
2014- Brooke Harvie (South East)
2015- Jeremy Schutz (Murraylands)
2016- William Bray (Northern)
