Regulars » Over The Gate Over the Gate Wednesday, 20 August 2008 with Rural Bachelor of the Year Mark Woodcock RURAL LIVING:  What made you enter the Rural Bachelor of the Year competition? Mark Woodcock - rural bachelor of the year. Mark Woodcock (with a laugh): My sister filled out the form and said “now you’re going.”  I didn’t have much choice after that. I thought it would be a bit of fun so I signed it and sent it in. RL: What was the ‘most challenging’ event? MW: Cooking bacon and eggs for the cheerleaders.  That just wasn’t me.  What I think is okay for bacon and eggs wasn’t what they thought was okay. RL: What was the funniest event? MW: Definitely the cutting horse event.  The horse float was brought out and it was jumping around, making a racket and we thought there was this really stroppy horse in there.  They brought out one of those wooden hobby horses – you know with a horses head on a broomstick thing – and we had to ride it and cut out a heifer with it.  That was hilarious. RL: So what did you win? MW: A one week trip ot the Cook Islands, $5,000, gear from Sthil, Swandri and Skellerup.  And quite a bit of Waikato which we’re making our way through. RL: What was the best thing about being in the competition? MW: Doing hilarious and embarrassing stuff every day. We had a laugh every day of the competition.  Like learning the African Gumboot Dance and getting auctioned off.   We  had loads of fun, met some really good people.  I got so much more self assurance.  I really encourage people  to enter next year.