Earlier in the summer, Teagasc students Aoife Hester and Chélirs Brecq travelled to Räpina a rural town in south-eastern Estonia.
Their horticultural knowledge and skills were tested as they competed against 14 teams in the Horti Challenge 2024.
This European international competition aims to bring students together from across Europe studying within the green sector.
Chélirs has just completed the Level 6 Landscape Design and Construction course and Aoife has finished her Level 5 placement with the Office of Public Work in the National Botanic Gardens.
The 14 teams were from 12 European countries, all keen to show off their horticultural skills.
The countries represented were Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, and Romania, with Austria and Estonia entering two teams.
Sarah Simpson, a college technician based in the Teagasc College of Horticulture who travelled with the students says they were nervous to complete their first tasks.
However, by the time the first break came around Aoife and Chélirs were feeling calm, and confident.
Over two days, the students moved from station to station across the college campus, completing 20 tasks aimed at testing a broad array of horticultural skills.
The tasks included grafting, sowing seeds, plant identification, planting to a planting scheme and setting up an irrigation system. They were evaluated and marked on the quality and speed of their work as well as their ability to work together.
The awards ceremony took place on the grounds, followed by a celebratory dinner at Sillapää Castle, overlooking the lake.
Team Ireland won third place overall, and also got first place in the seed and cone identification round.
“Aoife and Chélirs certainly set the standard for new entrants into the competition and wowed the judges with both their performance and character. The students were delighted with their result and it was wonderful to see their confidence soar,” says Sarah.
Aoife Hester, competing at the HortiChallenge 2024 in Estonia
Educational benefits
To select the competitors, Teagasc had an open call to students in the college. They got a high number of applications but could only choose two students to enter.
“Aoife and Chélirs were selected based on their fantastic grades as well as their commitment to their respective courses. They had shown real dedication to their chosen programmes from the get-go. They not only performed incredibly well in the competition but also carried themselves in a warm, friendly and professional manner,” says Sarah.
According to Sarah, the exchange of knowledge the students gained from the competition will enhance their skills as they continue in their horticultural education and careers.
“The opportunity to show off the skills they have gained through their education gave them a huge confidence boost. They also became very friendly with the other teams, particularly the Norway team. They shared tips and tricks for the different tasks and discussed the differences between the horticultural and agricultural industries in Norway and Ireland.”
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Earlier in the summer, Teagasc students Aoife Hester and Chélirs Brecq travelled to Räpina a rural town in south-eastern Estonia.
Their horticultural knowledge and skills were tested as they competed against 14 teams in the Horti Challenge 2024.
This European international competition aims to bring students together from across Europe studying within the green sector.
Chélirs has just completed the Level 6 Landscape Design and Construction course and Aoife has finished her Level 5 placement with the Office of Public Work in the National Botanic Gardens.
The 14 teams were from 12 European countries, all keen to show off their horticultural skills.
The countries represented were Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, and Romania, with Austria and Estonia entering two teams.
Sarah Simpson, a college technician based in the Teagasc College of Horticulture who travelled with the students says they were nervous to complete their first tasks.
However, by the time the first break came around Aoife and Chélirs were feeling calm, and confident.
Over two days, the students moved from station to station across the college campus, completing 20 tasks aimed at testing a broad array of horticultural skills.
The tasks included grafting, sowing seeds, plant identification, planting to a planting scheme and setting up an irrigation system. They were evaluated and marked on the quality and speed of their work as well as their ability to work together.
The awards ceremony took place on the grounds, followed by a celebratory dinner at Sillapää Castle, overlooking the lake.
Team Ireland won third place overall, and also got first place in the seed and cone identification round.
“Aoife and Chélirs certainly set the standard for new entrants into the competition and wowed the judges with both their performance and character. The students were delighted with their result and it was wonderful to see their confidence soar,” says Sarah.
Aoife Hester, competing at the HortiChallenge 2024 in Estonia
Educational benefits
To select the competitors, Teagasc had an open call to students in the college. They got a high number of applications but could only choose two students to enter.
“Aoife and Chélirs were selected based on their fantastic grades as well as their commitment to their respective courses. They had shown real dedication to their chosen programmes from the get-go. They not only performed incredibly well in the competition but also carried themselves in a warm, friendly and professional manner,” says Sarah.
According to Sarah, the exchange of knowledge the students gained from the competition will enhance their skills as they continue in their horticultural education and careers.
“The opportunity to show off the skills they have gained through their education gave them a huge confidence boost. They also became very friendly with the other teams, particularly the Norway team. They shared tips and tricks for the different tasks and discussed the differences between the horticultural and agricultural industries in Norway and Ireland.”
Read more
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More than 8,000 pupils take part in An Post competition
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