Contests that take place within the rural milieu have tended to be ignored. Yet a wide range of contests are associated with the rural/agricultural lifestyle. In New Zealand, for example, there are contests which judge specialised agricultural skills such as shearing, fencing, wood chopping or pruning, as well as those which assess assorted skills to find the "Young Farmer of the Year" or the "Sharemilker of the Year". This paper starts from a consideration of leisure and sports theory to explain why such contests have become significant public events. Contests based on work skills present a challenge, as they do not separate work and play as is usually accepted in leisure definitions. Overall the research on this specific topic is sparse. The development of three agricultural competitions is then explored, along with their contribution to knowledge and skill acquisition within New Zealand agriculture. Suggestions are made for future research. (Contains 1 footnote.)