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Youth Team Announced for Libramont 2019


The Holstein European Championship will welcome two talented and ambitious Holstein Young Breeders who have been selected to represent Holstein UK as part of the Youth Team.

The prestigious competition in Libramont, Belgium takes place on 12th and 13th April 2019 and is held every three years with 19 countries represented.  In addition to over 250 cows and 200 exhibitors the event will also combine exchanges, meetings, innovative products and services for breeders and professionals worldwide.

Organised by the Fair of Libramont with the technical support of the Walloon Association of the Breeding (AWE) and its Herd-Book Holstein, the event aims to promote and sustain international breeding making it a highly anticipated diary date for international breeders.

Meet the Youth Team:

Junior Competitor: Robert Morley (Border & Lakeland HYB Club)

Robert has been involved with HYB since he can remember and started going to ABAB and competing from the age of 13.  He is currently in his second and final year of sixth form studying for A levels in Biology, Chemistry and P.E. with plans to study for a degree in Agriculture. As well as studying he works behind the bar of the local pub and on the family farm which has 200 pedigree Holstein cows with 100 followers under the Petteril prefix.  The herd averages 10,800 litres and in 2018 were awarded Master Breeder status.  Robert has represented Holstein UK at the 2016 Cremona Open Junior Show and winning the overall stock judging was the stand out moment. He has also won the senior showmanship and reserve champion at the 2018 ABAB Calf Show. Being part of the Youth Team at Libramont will enable Robert to further his knowledge of clipping, showmanship and preparing show cattle. He is also looking forward to meeting new friends, learning from Europe’s best and seeing some of the highest quality Holstein cattle in the world at the European Championships.

Senior Competitor:  Jonny Woodhouse (Lancashire HYB Club)

Twenty one year old Jonny has been an HYB member for eight years and works on the family farm, prefix Shoreline, in Cumbria.  The herd comprises of 100 cows averaging 33kg milked twice a day.  They bull everything with sexed semen, sell surplus heifers and the bottom animals go for beef.  In November 2018 the herd was classified 20 EX and 51 VG which Jonny wants to keep building and improving.  The notable greatest achievements for Jonny were winning overall Honourable Mention at the ABAB National Calf Show on two occasions with home bred calves, winning the clipping at both HYB Weekend Rally and the 2016 European championships in Colmar. Selected to represent the UK in Libramont is such an exciting opportunity for Jonny to showcase his extensive experience gained over the year both in this country, at European competitions both Cremona and Colmar as a junior and at the HYB Weekend Rally.

The judges for the Young Breeders Competition casting their professional eye over competitors from 19 countries will be Michael Halliwell (UK) and Cord Horman (Germany).

Hannah Williams, Head of Events & Marketing for Holstein UK, comments, “We are delighted to have such amazing talent amongst the Holstein Young Breeders movement and being in a position to select two individuals to represent the society at this prestigious event.  Robert and Jonny have excelled across all areas of HYB throughout recent events and are a credit to Holstein Young Breeders.  We wish them all the very best of luck in the competition and Holstein UK will be sharing team updates and results on the social media platforms whilst they are competing at Libramont.” 

For further information on the 2019 Holstein European Championships visit: http://www.holsteinlibramont2019.com/en


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