The search is on for the 2009 Fieldays Rural Bachelor of the year. Entries are now open to single men from all over the countryside. Eligible bachelors who think they’ve got what it takes, should be aged over 18, work in the rural sector and exude understated kiwi charm.Click through for the rest.
Entries close 18 May, 2009. Following preliminary judging, just eight finalists will go on to compete for a incredible suite of prizes valued at over $15,000, the coveted Golden Gumboot trophy, and the title of Fieldays Rural Bachelor of the Year.
Fieldays Rural Bachelor of the Year takes place at NZ National Agricultural Fieldays, held 10-13 June 2009, at Mystery Creek. During the events four days; eight bachelor finalists will test both their rurally derived skills and country charisma in a number of competitive heats.
This year’s heats mark the exciting introduction of female bachelor challengers. For the first time ever, eight single women from the rural sector will be invited to challenge the blokes; in a duel of gender wit and farming skill during the Friday bachelor heats on 12 June. Following Friday’s battle of the sexes, all 16 contestants will be treated to dinner at Ohaupo’s Windy Ridge Café and Bar.
[my emphasis]
I'm not quite clear on the role of the female candidates; it seems they exist to challenge the men? Maybe Homepaddock (who just turned one, hurrah!) has some ideas? The website mentions something about a Ladies Afternoon...
3 comments:
The competition has been run for several years, but until now it's been for blokes only - could opening it to women be striking a blow for equality?
(Though must admit I'm always a wee bit suspicious about the use of "ladies".)
I'll be interested in your view on this, HP, but I think comps like these tend to misrepresent the work of farming, and women's contribution to it. They present a bit of a 'dumbed down' version of farming - only focusing on the number 8 wire side of it, and never the running your own business, knowing the industry, knowing the science, etc, sides of it. Of course, rural women have been doing all these things since the advent of farming - as well as doing the domestic chores needed to tend to the other farm workers (ie cooking and washing on a huge scale).
Anna - I've never seen the competition but I think it was started because of the difficulty rural men were/are having finidng women who want to live in the country. It's not about farming (the title is rural in general not farming in particular) so much as eligibility (whatever that means). I think it includes domestic and social skills.
It's also not meant to be taken seriously.
A contest which is serious and does take in the whole running the business thing is the Sharemilker of the Year. Women compete there as equal partners or in their own right.
Post a Comment