National Herd Competition 2025
We are thrilled to open entries for the 2025 National Herd Competition, please find entry form attached.
This year, the competition will be judged by Kevin Finch, Adrian Rundle and last year’s winner Charles Grisedale. The competition is a fantastic opportunity to have a different set of eyes to give feedback and support your herd going forward. This year we are introducing a feedback form written by the judges to give herds an understanding of your score and how the judges feel you could move forward.
Please return your completed forms to myself at info@sdhbs.org.uk with entries closing on the 1st of August. The judging window will begin on the 25th August. All entrants and members will be invited to the Winners Open Day which will be held on Wednesday 24th September. By entering the competition, you are agreeing to host the winner’s open day at your farm on the 24th September, should you be lucky enough to win.
RULES
• The whole of the herd must be shown for Inspection and 75% of the females in the herd must be pedigree cattle (pedigree to include animals entered in the Register or the Supplementary Register, Part 111, in addition to the Herd Book proper)
• The Competition to be judged on Inspection only and the Inspection will be based on the Standard Breed Description (see Journal)
• If a member has two farms, they shall be coupled as one for the purposes of the Competition
• 1,000 points to be awarded as the maximum number and sub-divided as follows:
500 points for all Cows including heifers in-milk
425 points for Young Stock
75 points for Stock Bull or Bulls in use
• The winner of the Herd Competition is required to hold an Open Day shortly after the results are announced and to be one of the judges for the following year. All entrants are strongly encouraged to attend the
Winners Open Day which will be held on Wednesday 24th September.
• Should the winner be unable to judge the Competition the following year he/she will not then be permitted to enter the Competition for a further two years, ie three years’ ineligibility, unless Council would determine that the reason for the inability to judge was unavoidable.
HERD COMPETITION AWARDS
(to be presented to the winners at the AGM 2026)
• Wakeham Memorial Perpetual Challenge Cup for the Best Herd
• Cecil Harvey Challenge Shield for the Best Herd of Cows
• Tregerrick Perpetual Trophy for the Best Stock Bull
• Society Cup for the member gaining the highest number of points for Young Stock
• Angus Loggie Memorial Trophy for the member gaining the most points, who has never won either the Herd Competition or this Trophy
• Irving Enterprise Trophy for the Best Small Herd (20 cows or fewer)
• Bill Major Trophy for the Best Group of Three Cows sired by the same bull
• Edmeston Hilda Cup for the Best Cow
• HSBC Trophy for Best Performance
• Cilgwrrwg Trophy for Best Homebred Polled Animal
• Erme Cup for Best Heifer under two years old
