Competition Attracts Fresh Faces

Jun 10, 05:55 AM

Current Headlines: By Hotton, Mark

Young Horticulturist of the Year is an effective way to promote the industry to young people, says Mark Hotton It took some time for Jimmy O'Connor to break into a smile after the final question. Even after his victory had been confirmed by the judges and the 50 strong crowd, the student from the Salesian College of Horticulture maintained his poker face.

Considering the way the Institute of Horticulture's (IoH's) Young Horticulturist of the Year competition is run - the various rounds give anyone the opportunity to mount a challenge at any stage it would have been unfair to have labelled him the underdog, but O'Connor's quiet, unassuming nature meant that his victory was a popular one.

The annual competition, now in its 16th year, aims to bring together the top horticulturists under the age of 30 from around the UK and Ireland to find the champion. The award is sponsored by the Shropshire Horticultural Society (organiser of the Shrewsbury Flower Show) through the Percy Thrower Bursary Trust, which provides a Pounds 2.000 travel bursary for the winner. The runners-up share Pounds 1.000 from the HDC to fund research projects.

Around 1.200 entries are received each year, with the eight regional winners going through to the final, which was held in Dublin last month. It covers all aspects of production and amenity/ environmental horticulture, including: crops: pests and diseases: plant and machinery identification: plant science: and garden history.

The importance of the competition to the Irish horticultural sector was highlighted by Bord Bia director of horticulture Michael Maloney. who pointed out that the industry was suffering from a lack of skilled labour at all levels including management. He said: "We recognise that the work the IoH is doing is supporting and promoting the future leaders of the industry. The competition is one way of highlighting this."

Percy Thrower Bursary Trust chairman Aubrey Kirkham said the award arose from a desire his father-in law. Percy Thrower, had to inspire and encourage young people into horticulture.

"Percy started at the very bottom and worked his way up. He always said that the more youngsters you encourage into the industry, the better everything will be."

The bursary was established after Thrower's death to try to achieve that goal and. according to Kirkham. it appears to be more relevant than ever.

While bursaries are offered to two local colleges, the award is a way to reach a national audience. Kirkham said it remains important to encourage the next generation of plantsmen into the industry to ensure high standards are retained and to pass on the knowledge that previous generations have developed.

O'Connor is in his first year of a BSc Horticulture course but admitted that he did not believe he had a chance of winning: "There were people with degrees and lots of experience and I'm just a student."

The 20-year-old agrees it is important to encourage young people into the industry and thinks the competition is a good way to stimulate interest.

After completing the course, he has plans for a career in greenkeeping and will spend this summer working at a golf course to gain experience.

Although he has not decided where he would go with the prize money, he is considering either a trip to the US to explore greenkeeping or to Greenland to study the plant life before it is irreparably affected by climate change. He said: "I'm keen to see something new geologically and see the new plants there."

It was O'Connor's knowledge of machinery that tipped this year's competition in his favour, along with quick reactions in the final buzzer round. He finished with 41 points, with Norwich garden centre manager lan Roofe and Derbyshire student Alex Summer tying for second place with 36 points.

Summer was delighted to have finished second in just his first year of horticulture training. He said he had not been sure what to expect from the competition but had enjoyed the social aspect of meeting like minded horticulturists. He is studying for the National Certificate in Horticulture at Broomfield College, having already obtained a BSc in biological sciences, and starts work at Cambridge University Botanic Garden later in the year.

Summer is already planning to enter next year, as is Roofe. who is determined to add the title to his CV - although he is unsure why he puts himself through the stress. "It's just something I want to do." he said. "I have boundless enthusiasm for the subject."

IoH president Tony Girard said the competition was integral to the institute's goal of increasing the numbers of young people entering the industry: "It's educational, it's social, it's entertaining and it gives an opportunity for networking. This is an important competition for the younger generation."

Girard added that the travel bursary provides a way to show young people how horticultural skills are transferable around the world. The questions cover a diversity of topics, which he says is ideal for pushing candidates and finding the one with the most industry knowledge. "That's important because it cannot be biased in any one direction." he said.

Girard added that the contest remains an important event for nurturing future horticulturists and said the level of competition "spoke volumes" about the industry's next generation.

COMPETITION

Who can enter?

Anyone involved in horticulture aged under 30 as of 31 July. This includes those employed in production or environmental horticulture or studying for a horticultural qualification.

Heats are held in the eight loH branches at the start of each year. Local heats are based on multiplechoice questions on a range of horticultural topics. Heat winners go through to regional finals and regional winners go to the national final.

How to enter

To be put in touch with local organisers, call Erin Taylor on 020 7245 6943 or email ioh@horticulture.org.uk.

Prizes

Top prize is the Percy Thrower Travel Bursary, worth Pounds 2.000. Prizes from a Pounds 6.000 pool are also offered at regional and local finals.

Leader of the pack: O'Connor (left) triumphed as 2007's Young Horticulturist of the Year

'It's educational, it's social, it's entertaining and it gives an opportunity for networking"

Tony Girard, president, In

Copyright Haymarket Business Publications Ltd. May 10, 2007

(c) 2007 Horticulture Week. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.