Club’s new challenge proves huge success
The Cornish Holstein Club have reaped the rewards of changing their traditional evening show format to a new concept within the UK.
With dwindling exhibitor entries over the years, the club decided to host an on-farm challenge event instead, which has seen a promising response from members and significant rise in entries on its launch at the end of last month.
Cari Thomas, secretary of the Cornish Holstein Club, said: “In a bid to take away the hassles previously associated with the show and attract more entries, the on-farm challenge saw exhibitors enter as they would have previously, but rather than travel to a show the judging is done at their own farm.
“Classes were offered as they would have been at the event, although animals were to be shown un-haltered and without any topline clips, on a hard-standing area.”
The judge and stewards travelled from farm to farm by appointment over a week-long period for judging, with all of the visits photographed and filmed for display at the awards evening, which was held at the Royal Cornwall Showground’s Pavilion Centre and welcomed 100 guests.
The event, supported by headline sponsors Mole Valley Farmers, had 102 entries from 23 exhibitors forward, a major leap in numbers compared to just three for the annual autumn show at its lowest.
Judge John Dickinson, from the Thurlsone herd, said he was impressed by the overall standard, adding that the mature cows within the county were the “jewel in the Cornish crown”.