A new judge has been announced for the National Holstein Show.

Mick Gould of the worldwide recognised Woodmarsh Herd of pedigree Holsteins, at Grange Farm near Shrewsbury, Shropshire, is this year’s chosen judge to oversee the Holstein category of the Cattle Show 2018.

The event will take place on Wednesday September 12 at the International Centre in Telford as part of UK Dairy Day, organised by Holstein UK.

The Cattle Show attracts some of the UK’s most elite cattle and celebrated breeders and last year saw more than 180 cattle on-site. As well as the National Holstein Show, coloured breeds also compete making it a popular showing event in the dairy calendar.

Mr Gould farms alongside his wife, Katherine, at Grange Farm in Shropshire. The Woodmarsh prefix was registered in 1970 and among the first pedigree purchases was a Weeton heifer from the Dewdrop family and an Isobel from Hoohall. Today the herd is well established as one of the breeds most consistently high performers. It currently milks 350 head with a rolling herd average of just over 12,800kg and to date the herd has produced 52 100 tonne plus cows and key cow families include Melody, Lyme, and Zandras. Woodmarsh was the first herd in the UK to send embryos back to Canada and continues to supply bulls to European herds as well as the Cogent and Genus studs.

Mr Gould is a past Holstein UK board member, Shropshire club committee member and has sat on the national judges’ panel for many years. He has judged at every one of the Royal shows including the very last English Royal Show at Stoneleigh. His international judging career includes the International Dairy Week in Australia, and the Interbred Championship at the Sydney Royal as well as the Irish National Holstein Show.

He said: “It is an honour to be asked to judge anywhere but to judge at the National Holstein Show at Telford will be an exceptionally special occasion. I look forward to a great show and a chance to cast an eye across the UK’s finest cows.”

David Perry, Holstein UK President, said; “It is a pleasure to invite Mick Gould of the renowned Woodmarsh Herd to judge at The National Holstein Show. The show is a real highlight for our breed and brings together our Society and members, all of whom share an undeniable passion for the Holstein breed. Every year we see a fantastic standard of entry demonstrating the supreme nature of the modern British Holstein breed. We cannot wait for this year’s show and wish Mick the best of luck judging.”