Farm-hand Shayla is our Young Rural Ambassador

Shayla received the award at the SA Country Shows Youth Presentation Night on Friday night, while representing the Naracoorte Show.

The Konetta Station hand, from Greenways in the South East, has been actively involved with country, state and youth shows since 2019, including as the 2025 Lucindale Show President.

Runner-up was Yorke Peninsula local, Ellie Oster, for her contribution as a convenor of the children’s section of the Maitland Show for the past three years and being an integral member of the show committee.

The Young Rural Ambassador Award, supported by the Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA), has been run by SA Country Shows for 25 years.

The award recognises the contribution young adults in rural and regional South Australia make to agricultural shows. It also acknowledges the importance of strong youth participation to the agricultural show movement.

The awards have become a valuable succession process for South Australia's country shows with entrants often assuming leadership roles within their respective show societies, communities and within agricultural industries.

This year’s state finalists were: Angus Schiller (Murray Lands), Maddie Zoanetti (Central), Belinda Jaeger (Northern), Shayla Lepse (South East and Border), Ellie Oster (Yorke Peninsula), Lacey Cains (Northern), Tilly Keller (South East and Border).