More than 18 months after being selected as finalists for the 2020 NMR RABDF Gold Cup, six top UK dairy farmers will find out who has been awarded the industry’s most prestigious award. The Gold Cup will be presented at Dairy-Tech 2022, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, on Wednesday April 7 on the NMR stand at 4pm.
The six 2020 Gold Cup finalists are:
- John & Rachel Downing, The Downing Partnership,Edenbridge, Kent.
- Jonathan Gibbins, Clyst Hydon, Cullompton, Devon.
- Mark Hoskins,Hoskins & Vickery, Hindon, Salisbury, Wiltshire.
- Joe Ives, W&P Ives,Herriard, Basingstoke, Hampshire.
- Mike Sainsbury, RP Sainsbury & Sons, Badminton, Gloucestershire.
- John Torrance, R Torrance & Son,Stapleford Abbotts, Essex.
Judges
Gold Cup judges – Somerset-based dairy farmer and former RABDF chairman Peter Alvis; Anglesey-based dairy farmer and NMR chairman Trevor Lloyd; and North Yorkshire-based dairy farmer and 2018 Gold Cup winner Philip Metcalfe – visited all six finalists’ farms before making their decision.
As well as the Gold Cup, four other awards will be made to qualifying herds at Dairy-Tech. These are:
- Chris May Memorial Award for the Gold Cup qualifying herd with the highest herd lifetime daily yield.
- NMR Silver Salver for the Holstein herd with the highest combined weight of fat and protein production.
- Lilyhill Cup for the Jersey herd with the highest combined weight of fat and protein production.
- Chairman’s Cup for breeds, except Holstein and Jersey, with the highest combined weight of fat and protein production.
Herds qualifying for the Gold Cup and related awards must have more than 100 animals with qualifying lactations in the milking herd; an average somatic cell count of 200,000 cells/ml or less, or 250,000 cells/ml for organic herds; and a minimum £PLI value specific to the breed, or minimum £SCI or £ACI value.
The Gold Cup competition was launched in 1920, meaning the 2020 award marks its 100th year.
