Star Lineup of Global Judges for Borderway UK Dairy Expo

 

 

Four of the most respected dairy cattle judges in the world will converge on the UK’s largest industry event to pick the winners in this year’s Borderway UK Dairy Expo in Carlisle on Friday 15^th and Saturday 16^th March 2024.

 

UK Dairy Expo organisers, Harrison & Hetherington, have once again drawn on the highest levels of dairy cattle expertise from the four corners of the world to judge over 700 cattle entries in front of 7,000 visitors expected at this prestigious event. This year’s event will be one of the first in the UK to include a new Heifer Class in the Holstein Show for milking heifers under 24 months old, highlighting the trend in the market for earlier calving of young heifers.

 

Internationally respected Brown Swiss breeder and show winner, Ben Govett, will travel from Australia to judge the Holstein, Brown Swiss, and Dairy Shorthorn classes. Australian Jersey dairy farmer Daniel Bacon will also bring all his southern hemisphere experience and skill north to judge the Jersey, Red & White, and Ayrshire classes. Wisconsin based genetics expert Roger Turner will cross the Atlantic from the USA to judge the International Showmanship classes. And Holstein Master Breeder John Cousar will make the comparatively short journey south from Ayrshire to judge the British Friesian classes.

Harrison & Hetherington Dairy Sales Manager and Dairy Expo organiser Glyn Lucas is delighted to be able to confirm the truly international judging line-up for this year’s event. “Borderway UK Dairy Expo has grown into one of the most successful and hotly contested shows in the UK dairy cattle calendar. We attract a really exceptional calibre of entries from all over the UK, and it is a formidable challenge to pick the winners in every class. We are very grateful indeed that our four top judges have agreed to travel so far and take on this task. They bring an extra dimension of international credibility to a world class show here at Borderway.”

 

Ben Govett will be travelling from his 600-hectare Tandara Genetics enterprise in northern Victoria to judge the Holstien, Brown Swiss and Dairy Shorthorn classes. Ben’s dairy credentials are remarkable, having won Premier Breeder and Premier Exhibitor honours in the Brown Swiss at International Dairy Week (IDW) in Australia every year for the last decade.

 

Ben’s judging resume is just as impressive as his breeding and showing credentials. He has judged at every Royal Show in Australia – Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Adelaide – and at the top level many times in New Zealand, and he has officiated numerous times at International dairy week including as 2023 Youth Show judge.

 

“I have heard a lot about UK Dairy Expo over the years and it is an absolute privilege to be invited to judge and be involved in the UK’s largest Dairy Show. I know that without a doubt it will be a challenging role, choosing between some of the highest quality dairy cattle the UK has to offer.”

 

This year’s Jersey, Red & White, and Ayrshire Judge will be Australian dairy farmer Daniel Bacon. Daniel milks 320 high-production Jerseys, also in Victoria. His Brookbora Jerseys are Australia’s highest production herd, the reigning Premier Breeder and Premier Exhibitor herd at Australia’s International Dairy Week.

 

Daniel is also part of the three-way partnership that includes fellow Australian judge, Ben Govett in one of Australia’s famous Illawarras, Wallumlands Sunstorm 8 EX95. Sunstorm 8 was shown four times at IDW for four Grand Champions and two Supreme Champions (of all breeds) between 2015 and 2019. 

 

He has judged shows and on-farm competitions in every state of Australia, and in 2022 judged the Holsteins at the New Zealand Agricultural Show followed by the Jerseys at the New Zealand Dairy Event in 2023.

 

British Friesian Judge, John Cousar’s Howcommon Holstein herd was Honourable Mention in the Holstein UK Premier Herd competition and received Master Breeder status as few years ago. He has been an official judge for the Holstein Society for over 20 years, and served on the UK and the European judging panel for many years. He has judged all over the UK and the Republic of Ireland, including the Royal Highland Show, Royal Welsh Show, Agri Scot, Great Yorkshire and many others.

 

John will have by far the shortest journey to Dairy Expo from his Howcommon Farm in Ayrshire, but he will bring exceptional international credentials to his role at Borderway in March. “Internationally I have judged in Denmark, Sweden, Poland, the Azores, Germany and France, but being invited to judge at Dairy Expo, so close to home, is the greatest honour, and I am looking forward very much to being presented with the opportunity to judge the wonderful cattle this event attracts.”

 

This will not be Roger Turner’s first time at UK Dairy Expo, but this time he will be joining as the International Showmanship Judge. Raised on a registered Holstein farm in Ontario, Canada, Roger began his career as a professional dairy cattle ‘fitter’ preparing, showing and owning numerous All-Canadian, All-American and Grand Champions. Since 2012 he has been Global Sales and Genetic Manager for Jetstream Genetics Inc, based in Wisconsin.

 

Roger’s judging career has included assignments to more than 22 countries, over 20 US states and numerous Canadian provinces. He has judged at The Royal Winter Fair in Canada, Swiss Expo in Lausanne, European Holstein Show in Verona, Italy, International Dairy Week in Australia, as well as four occasions at World Dairy Expo, Wisconsin.

 

He has served as a member of both the All-American & All-Canadian selection committees for various breeds and has officiated at numerous US National Shows. He is a proud supporter of youth programs, and a volunteer at the USA Inter-collegiate Judging Competition at WDE.

 

In conclusion, Glyn Lucas said: “The standing of our international judges reflects the credibility of Dairy Expo as one of the most important dairy shows in the UK and beyond. The introduction of our new heifer class underlines our development as a showcase for industry trends and a platform for stakeholders to share the best of new ideas, technology and of course, dairy cattle breeds.  We are very confident that Dairy Expo 2024 will be bigger and better than ever before, and we are looking forward to welcoming our judges, breeders, and particularly our young dairy cattle experts to Borderway this March.”