Gold medal for NI gardener at Europe final of competition

A landscape gardener from Co Antrim has struck gold in Europe for his green-fingered handiwork.
By The Newsroom
Published 8th Dec 2016, 17:37 BST
Updated 14th Dec 2016, 13:51 BST
EuroSkills Gothenburg 2016: Team UK Adam Ferguson and Will Burberry who took the gold medal for Landscape GardeningEuroSkills Gothenburg 2016: Team UK Adam Ferguson and Will Burberry who took the gold medal for Landscape Gardening
EuroSkills Gothenburg 2016: Team UK Adam Ferguson and Will Burberry who took the gold medal for Landscape Gardening

Adam Ferguson, a 20-year-old from Ballymena, partnered Will Burberry from Surrey in England and fought off amazing competition from countries across the continent to win the prestigious title at the EuroSkills Finals in Sweden.

The winning pair received their golden gongs for Mechatronics in front of more than 10,000 people at a city centre stadium.

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Adam and Will, who worked as a team, had already won regional and national competitions before being selected to represent their country.

Their extraordinary creation, which included a water feature, won plaudits from the judges and the 74,000 spectators who attended the event.

Adam, who works at Hillsborough Castle in Co Down, said: “It was really intense.

“The clock was ticking down to zero and we were just tidying up – when we noticed that we had a leak at the base of the fountain.

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“I raised the alarm and Will and I managed to fix it just in time.”

Will, who trained at Merrist Wood College in Surrey, and who works at Gardenscapes, hopes that the win will boost his career.

The pair will continue their training programme and hope to represent Team UK at the International finals in Abu Dhabi.

Related topics:EuropeSurreyEnglandBallymena