BALNAVES of Coonawarra assistant winemaker Jacinta Jenkins will jet off on the trip of a lifetime after securing third place in the 2019 Royal Adelaide Show ambassador competition.
Ms Jenkins secured her place in the prestigious competition following a win at last year’s Penola Show before moving to the regional competition held at Mount Gambier.
Travelling to the Royal Adelaide Show two weeks ago was an experience Ms Jenkins said she would never forget.
“We took part in a large variety of activities, beginning with a dinner on the Friday night,” Ms Jenkins said.
“At the dinner we stood up and spoke about ourselves and our involvement with our local community.”
The ambassador is known in Penola for her continued efforts within the wine industry, netball club and the Penola Show.
Ms Jenkins also takes part in the annual Penola Coonawarra Arts Festival which brings hundreds of visitors to the town.
Along with a number of other ambassadors, Ms Jenkins had a busy schedule, experiencing a multitude of agricultural aspects.
“We also learnt a lot from marketing and the catering and many different things like that,” she said.
“Overall the experience was a lot of fun and we did get to know other ambassadors from around the state as well.
“All of the participants were very determined people.”
Ms Jenkins said part of the selection process was an interview with Royal Adelaide Show officials, as well as a representative from Primary Industries and Regions South Australia.
The Penola ambassador said she felt “very lucky” to place third at the event.
“I have not been back in Penola for very long, so my show involvement and community involvement is not as broad as the others,” she said.
“The people who did come first and second were very well deserving people as they did an amazing job.
Now Ms Jenkins and her fellow winners will head over to the United Kingdom in 2020 to experience a number of shows and agricultural sites based on their area of expertise.
“For me I will attend some viticulture and wine-making areas,” Ms Jenkins said.
“It is exciting because I am getting exposed to such a diverse array of people and learning from people from all the different aspects of agriculture that we will meet.”
Ms Jenkins said another highlight of the experience was the personal connections made, which she plans to maintain while learning different aspects of the show.
“One thing I did learn was that whether you are judging beef or poetry they all have this common theme in them,” she said.
“No matter what you are judging you are always looking for whether it has the right structure or body or if it looks true to form.
“I think this made it easier to relate to the other aspects of agriculture that I am not very experienced with.”
Ms Jenkins said the overall experience was fantastic as she encouraged other locals to get on board.
“I learned so much and the personal friendships that I have now gained are great,” she said.
“It is a fantastic opportunity that some would never have the chance to do elsewhere, especially with the aim of the competition to encourage young people to get involved in their local shows and community.”
