The competition, which is now in its second year, saw members from Young Farmers' Clubs of Ulster (YFCU) travel to the Tesco car park in their relevant county where they were given a selection of materials with which they had to build a garden bench in an allotted time. County Antrim Young Farmers' Clubs travelled to the Tesco car park in Antrim and County Londonderry travelled to Limavady Tesco car park. Counties Armagh and Down went to the Tesco car park in Banbridge and finally, for Counties Fermanagh and Tyrone the heat took place in Dungannon Tesco car park.
This year the teams, which consisted of four members, used their construction expertise and battled it out to make the most structurally sound yet creative garden bench out of two lengths of timber, one sheet of plywood and a mixture of nails and screws. They had 90 minutes in which to make their creation. Members were restricted in their efforts as the only power tool they were permitted to use was a cordless drill.
In County Antrim members from Lylehill, Holestone and Finvoy Young Farmers Clubs hammered and sawed against the clock to obtain a place in the final. In a tightly contested competition judge Mr. Bevan Mark announced that the team from Holestone YFC Thomas McAuley, John Ross McAuley, Melanie McClean and Lorna Duff were the winners for County Antrim.
In County Londonderry members from Dungiven, Garvagh, Kilrea, City of Derry and Coleraine YFC eagerly awaited the results from judge Mr. Mark McConnell. The winning County Londonderry team was Dungiven YFC Mark Quigley, John Oliver, David Oliver and Robert Alcorn.
Counties Armagh and Down gathered in the Tesco car park in Banbridge to construct a garden bench that would win them a place in the final of the 'Build It' Competition. Members from Annaclone and Magherally, Spa, Artana, Moneyrea, Killinchy, Ballywalter, Bleary and Collone Young Farmers' Clubs battled it out to take the County Armagh and Down titles.
Judge Mr Stephen Dowie announced that the winning team for County Down was Killinchy YFC Andrew Weir, Andrew Maxwell, James McKeag and Jonathan Neil. For County Armagh the winning team was Bleary YFC, David Meredith, Gary Irvine, Jason Grant and Philip Murdock.
Counties Fermanagh and Tyrone gathered in the Tesco car park in Dungannon with YFC members from Seskinore, Cookstown, Cappagh and Kesh competing. Judges Richard Bolton and Edward Ellison announced that the winning team for County Fermanagh was Kesh YFC Roger Crawford, Clive Henderson and William Simpson and the winning team for County Tyrone was Cookstown Ashlie McClean, Claire Richardson, Mark Lyttle and Maurice Hamilton.
Colin Hampsey, Community Manager for Tesco Northern Ireland and sponsors of the competition, commented on the skill and expertise displayed by all the competitors at the County heats.
"The Duty Managers from Tesco who visited each of the competitions at the four stores commented on the sheer skill and creativity that was displayed by each of the YFCU teams", said Colin.
YFCU President Adrian Cooper was very pleased with the number of teams that took part in the Association's 'Build It' Competition.
"To have over twenty teams competing was a great turn out and the garden benches that were constructed displayed the top class skill that exists within the membership of the YFCU. We are very grateful to Tesco for their continued support and assistance with this competition and I am looking forward to seeing what creations appear in the final," said Adrian.
The winning team from each County heat will battle it out for the top prize at the 'Build It' final that will be held at the Ballymena Steam Rally on Saturday 19th July 2008.