Three ambitious and tenacious Holstein Young Breeders (HYB) have cut the mustard to be shortlisted for the Holstein UK President’s Medal 2017. Helen Eastham (Lancashire), Lucy Taylor (Staffordshire) and Tom Lomas (Western) have excelled throughout the application process and were handpicked for the final three on Friday 24th November. One of them will be crowned the winner during the evening of the Semex Conference on Monday 15th January in Glasgow.
Sponsored by Semex, the Holstein UK President’s Medal is regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the dairy world; it recognises and rewards young talent and highlights individuals who are the dairy farmers of the future. The Award is presented to a HYB member who has made an outstanding contribution to the breed, Holstein Young Breeders, and, in particular, their own Club.
The entry process begins as each HYB Club is asked to nominate one young breeder aged between 23 and 26 years of age. Six young breeders are shortlisted for interview with the panel of judges, which this year included David Perry (Holstein UK President), John Cousar (Holstein UK Board Member) and Alison Beattie (Semex Marketing Consultant). Applicants were also required to submit an essay titled ‘Countdown to a new dawn’ – the final three of which will be published on the Holstein UK website. The winner’s essay will also be featured in Holstein UK’s membership magazine, The Journal.
The judges said, “We must commend the hard work, dedication and professionalism shown by all of the candidates interviewed. We are very proud to have them as our young members and hope that the passion and enthusiasm we saw demonstrated today continues far into the future. We have no doubt that, with young dairy farmers of such a high standard, the future of our industry is in safe hands.”
The winner will be officially announced in January at the Semex Conference, the must-attend dairy event held at Glasgow’s 5-star Radisson Blu Hotel from 14th to the 16th January 2018. The conference aims to expertly tackle the challenges and opportunities that exist in the UK dairy industry. By attending, farmers help to ensure that they remain at the forefront of leading-edge guidance, engage in topical debate and are fully informed about the industry’s future. Full of practical and progressive dairy solutions, it’s famous for its political, economic and technical perspective.
Once crowned, the deserving winner will receive an engraved medal and an all expenses trip, kindly sponsored by Semex, to the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto in November 2018.
Miriam Bagley, Events and National HYB Coordinator for Holstein UK, commented, “It is with great delight that we announce the three finalists for the 2017 Holstein UK President’s Medal. All three finalists are a credit to our breed and Society and are ambassadors for the future of the industry. Helen, Lucy and Tom have demonstrated significant passion for the HYB organisation and should be incredibly proud of their achievements. With such staggering talent, it really will be a close final! We also extend a thank you to Semex, who continue to actively support HYB and this fantastic Award and opportunity.”