Judging the best cattle in Scotland
Feilding’s Selwyn Donald is a world-renown judge of cattle and knows the ropes.
He has judged stock the world over, recently returning from a massive AgriScot show in
Scotland late last year.
It was a team effort in preparing stock for a show which added prestige and value to a cow, although sometimes results didn’t always work out as planned.
“If we win, we win but if we don’t . . . it’s like the All Blacks coach. You have to be a gracious winner and a gracious loser,” he said.
Major shows he has judged at include NZ Dairy Event 10 Year CelebrationYouth Show2018, and the New Zealand Royal Easter
Show (Ayrshire and Holstein Friesian).
He had also judged internationally at Royal Shows in Australia (Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane), at Louisville in the USA and also in South Africa, and England at the Great Yorkshire show, UK Dairy Day and the Royal Ulster Winter Fair.
He enjoyed judging internationally and engaging and informing the huge crowd at the overseas shows, many of which were hugely important events steeped in history, which attracted thousands of spectators.
In Ireland, there was an allindoor tiered stadium full of chanting and music at one show, and stock and their owners were clapped.
He used another rugby analogy to describe being on the other side of the fence as a judge.
“It’s like being a rugby referee. If you don’t do a good job you won’t be asked back.”
Donald had major success with Ayrshire cattle and won Supreme of the Ayrshire Breed at the 2016 NZ Dairy Event, and also won Intermediate Championship in the Holstein, Ayrshire, Jersey and Combined Breeds too.