A BUDDING farmer has pocketed £10,000 after triumphing in a gruelling boot camp.

George Brown was crowned the winner of the Farmer’s Apprentice competition, organised by Farmer’s Weekly magazine and held at Reaseheath Agricultural College in Cheshire.

As reported in the Crow in October, George and nine other finalists competed in a week-long boot camp, held before Christmas, which saw them carry out a number of different farming tasks.

Judges selected the 22-year-old, of High Street, Barley, as the winner, describing him as “informed, ballsy and ambitious with a natural leadership style”.

George said: “It was totally out of the blue. The other contestants were all really good. Some were very different to me, but I thought a few of them would walk all over me, so I was amazed to come out on top.

“Winning doesn’t fundamentally change what I want to do, but it brings what I can afford to do forward by about a year.”

George is now spending time in New Zeland, where he is gaining experience working on a farm. He plans to use his prize money to buy 30 heifer calves, and would like to become the manager of a dairy farm when he returns to the UK.

The University of Cambridge graduate is in no doubt he has made the right career choice, despite seeing many of his friends land potentially lucrative jobs in finance.

He said: “There is no way that going off to work in the City is a better choice of career than agriculture.

“I think the quality of life working in the countryside is great and there are heaps of opportunities to run your own business, be your own boss and earn a good salary.”