DORRIGO’S 2021 Showgirl Jade Cochran heads to the Zone finals in Wee Waa on 19 February to meet and compete with the state’s finalists.

Now known as the Sydney Royal AgShows NSW Young Woman competition, the contest aims to find a young female ambassador to play a leadership role in the overall development of rural youth within NSW.

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Jade tells News Of The Area, “I have been participating in the previously known Showgirl competition for many years now.

“The Dorrigo Show has always been a highlight of the year for my family and me and with the show came the Showgirl competition.

“In 2021, due to COVID, the Dorrigo Show was unable to go ahead so the Dorrigo Showgirl Coordinator contacted me and asked if I would be interested in representing Dorrigo this year.

“I am passionate about letting other rural young women know about the opportunities available to them.

“I really enjoy meeting other young women with similar interests to mine and learning from each other.

“The NSW AgShow Young Woman Competition is far beyond a beauty pageant and focuses highly on your ambitions and goals, as well as insight and knowledge of the issues faced in rural NSW.

“It is an initiative which honours rural young women and I see it as important to be an advocate for the program and encourage many other young women to participate.”

Jade is a graduate agronomist at Nutrien Ag Solutions in Dorrigo.

“I thoroughly enjoy it; it is a rewarding job and I am always learning more.

“I am proud to be able to return to my hometown with a career and be able to give back to my community through improving the efficiency of the land and helping those who feed and clothe us for many years to come.

“Agronomy has always been an interest of mine from my passion of farming and growing up in the country.

Sally Duckett, President, Dorrigo AgShow told News Of The Area, “Being an ex-Showgirl myself I believe that the competition is a perfect opportunity to gain public speaking skills and a great way to meet like-minded people.

“Jade’s passion is agriculture, and she is keen to continue in this field and has always supported the Show Society.

“Jade has an easy-going personality and is always happy to help out.

“With our last Show in November being cancelled, we held a morning tea on Saturday 15 January to introduce Jade to the community in a Covid friendly way.

“Jade and her supporters will travel to the Zone finals where she will be interviewed through the day by a panel of three judges.

“A function dinner for all involved will be held in the evening and the winners announced.”

Jade has lived in Dorrigo all her life, attending the local primary and high school.

She studied a Bachelor of Rural Science at the University of New England in Armidale and after completing her degree she returned home.

Jade is about to marry her fiancé Lewis Taylor in a couple of weeks, on her grandparents’ property in Dorrigo.

“Lewis is an Armidale boy and has just moved to Dorrigo to start a trainee position at Elders (real estate) in town.”

By Andrea FERRARI