New Zealand farmer and pedigree breeder Selwyn Donald will be the judge at this year’s AgriScot event on Wednesday 20 November 2019 at The Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh.

Selwyn milks 400 cows on the outskirts of the Featherston Township, approximately one hour’s drive from New Zealand’s capital city Wellington.

Commenting on his appointment, Selwyn said: “My ancestors came over to NZ – I’m the fourth generation to farm here – from Ayrshire.”

“We run New Zealand’s longest-established pedigree Ayrshire cattle studs, suitably named ‘Arran’.”

“With all of this family history, I am very excited about AgriScot.”

Show success

The Arran herd is not only long-established, it has also achieved significant show success throughout New Zealand.

A major highlight for Selwyn was when he won supreme of the Ayrshire breed at the 2016 NZ Dairy Event.

Success has also been forthcoming for the other breeds run by Selwyn, who is the only exhibitor in the 10 years that NZ Dairy Event has been running to have won the intermediate championship in the Holstein, Ayrshire, Jersey and combined breeds (once with a milking Shorthorn and once with a brown Swiss) sections.

Selwyn has judged at The Great Yorkshire Show, UK Dairy Day and the Royal Ulster Winter Fair

Selwyn is also no stranger to judging, being New Zealand's most travelled judge of any breed.

Major shows he has judged at include NZ Dairy Event 10-Year celebration youth show 2018 and the New Zealand Royal Easter Show (Ayrshire and Holstein Friesian).

He has also judged internationally at royal shows in Australia (Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane), at Louisville in the USA and also in South Africa.

Closer to home, Selwyn has judged at The Great Yorkshire Show, UK Dairy Day and the Royal Ulster Winter Fair.

Classes

This year's AgriScot, the farm business event, will take place on Wednesday 20 November and will feature classes for Ayrshire, Holstein, Jersey and Red and White classes. A class for any other breed, first introduced in 2018, will also return.

The show classes culminate in the prestigious super heifer and super cow awards, which each come with a £1,000 prize pot for eligible cattle.

In total, £25,000 in prize money will be up for grabs.