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Hayden Paddon Getaway Prize Winners

Back in June 2021, our suppliers were given the opportunity to win an epic weekend away in Queenstown, with the main course being a day on the track with rally car champion, Hayden Paddon. Three winners were pulled out of an Open Country bucket hat during National Fieldays by Hayden himself. Flights, car hire and accommodation were booked and our winners awaited their weekend away with excitement and anticipation. Coincidentally, they all happened to be petrol heads.

Lucky Winners

Five months later, complete with calving, COVID lockdowns and the uncertainty of whether this epic trip could go ahead, our winners made their way South. For some this was their first time off-farm in a long time. Speaking to our lucky winners and their plus ones, there was nothing but fantastic feedback from the group with a unanimous agreement that they had all thoroughly enjoyed their time away.

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Highlands Motorsport Park Workshop

A highlight from their time away was the Sunday when the team got to spend the full day with Hayden Paddon. The day began at 11:00am where the group started their tour through the Highlands Motorsport Park Workshop. They were able to see the cars that Hayden started out with and all his treasures too, including his pride and joy, his electric car. This experience was heightened after they saw his electric car race for the first time on the tar seal the day before, where he placed third.

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Go-Kart Racing

After the workshop tour, Hayden took the group go-kart racing. Each winner was allocated a go-kart, and they raced each other around the track. You would think there may have been a few ‘Tail End Charlie's’ with Hayden as the competition. However, it was neck on neck towards the end with dark horse 16-year-old Cameron coming in a mere two seconds behind Hayden. What a race!

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Hotlaps

After that, the group went to lunch to fuel up for the most exciting part of the day, the hotlaps. It was now time for each member of the group to take a hotlap in Hayden's Electric Hyundai i30. One lap around the Highlands Track, eek. Luckily, our Open Country Suppliers are brave. There were a few squeals around the bends, but Hayden's calm persona made the group feel at ease on the track, despite taking off at a crazy 190km per hour. The best part about it all is Mary-Anne, Ted and Hamish all love cars so what an awesome opportunity for these Open Country suppliers.

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What an incredible experience for our lucky winners. Unforgettable memories were made and an excellent opportunity to celebrate the end to a turbulent year.

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