Archie Roberts, age 18
Studying agriculture at Hartpury college has provided Archie the opportunity to complete his year work placement at Bosbury Herefords. Archie worked with the cattle, assisting with show and sale preparation. He also operated across the other enterprises including hops, arable and cider fruit and is still there on a part time basis whilst he completes his studies.
Being an experienced handler in the show ring paid dividends when his family inherited a small Hereford herd. These now run alongside the existing Saler and Beef Shorthorns. He has showed cattle at a national level and enjoys it very much. Archie aims to expand his new Hereford herd and exhibit at more shows with homebred stock. ‘I believe they are the future for our food production so I would like to see more commercial farmers using them’.
He is currently the vice chairman of the local young farmers club where he has successfully organised multiple charitable fundraising events, including tractor runs and competitions.
‘I believe I would be a good UKHY ambassador as I am level and open minded and have not been brain washed into Herefords due to growing up with different breeds’.
Iona Smith, age 25
Iona lives in Ayrshire, Scotland and is very active within the agricultural industry. She has a background full of jobs including working at a farm shop, relief milking on a dairy farm and more recently working as a graduate at Davidson and Robertson as a rural chartered surveyor. Currently she is a graduate land manager at Blackhall and Powis.
Her Hereford passion began as a young child growing up with the Milovaig herd, which has regularly exhibited cattle at shows such as The Royal Highland and the Great Yorkshire. This enabled her to gain experience which led to further opportunities helping other herds to show their cattle. Iona joined UKHY in 2016 when it first started and has attended many workshops and events.
She is also currently the Vice Chair of Women in Agriculture Scotland which ‘is a great honour’.
‘I am applying for the Hereford World Conference as I feel I would be the ideal candidate, bringing a wealth of experience professionally and personally’ Iona also says that representing her country would be a privilege and honour.
Isla Soutter, age 23
Isla is no stranger when it comes to working with cattle and has been around them since being a child but started her journey with the Hereford breed in 2016. Prior to this her experience was with Limousin cattle, giving her a broad knowledge of both native and continental breeds.
Isla joined UKHY in 2016 and has attended nearly every workshop, has been to Ireland on the organised trip, participated in the national stock judging competition and represented UKHY at the British Cattle Breeders Conference. Networking and making friends are high on Islas list as she has played rugby at county level and has participated in the young farmers movement.
Isla has a vast knowledge of the industry, completing her university placement at McDonald’s – The Lakes Free Range Egg Company in Cumbria and is now working at ABP Food Group as a n agricultural graduate.
Being fortunate enough to attend the last world conference as a team member on the Danish team, has fuelled her desire to attend the next one. She is ‘willing to work hard and contribute all that I have to it. I think my enthusiasm and pride in representing the breed would make me a great UKHY ambassador’.
Ciara Fitzpatrick, age 18
Living in Northern Ireland has given Ciara plenty of opportunities working in the agricultural industry. Last winter she was milking 230 dairy cows locally, and in the summer months she helps with the silage season and other plant machinery tasks. Currently she is in full time education studying geography, chemistry, and biology.
Her family transitioned from a suckler herd to a fattening unit, where Herefords dominated. This led to a pedigree purchase in 2021 and there’s been no looking back. A bull was bought, and Ciara aims to grow the herd to thirty breeding cows, with a selection of bulls and heifers to be offered for sale. ‘I truly believe that Hereford beef can fulfil the needs of the British and Irish consumers and even farther afield’.
Showing has become her new favourite hobby after attending Balmoral show in 2022 and has helped to show breeders cattle, gaining experience, which then led on to her winning champion young handler at the NIHBA calf show in Dungannon, something she is very proud of.
‘I expect the conference to be a once in a lifetime experience, where I can see Hereford breeding and farming in a large-scale operation. As the nature of farming in Northern Ireland is very much small scale and family run even compared to mainland UK and I would welcome opportunity to network with breeders as a part of the UKHY and as in individual’.
Cara Doggett, age 25
Cara originally from New Zealand now lives here in the UK, joining us in the summer of 2022. Her family dairy farm has given her a good understanding of a functional cow, but her real passion is breeding her pedigree Beef Shorthorns back home.
Cara represented New Zealand at the last world Hereford Conference which gave her great experience but also some lifelong friends. This encouraged the move abroad where she has now settled, established her own Maxwell Hereford herd, and has secured a career at a genetics company.
She has many accolades including Allflex Senior Beef Ambassador (NZ) 2019, Royal Welsh all breeds pairs beef young handlers champion 2023, Sedburgh young farmers beef stock judge winner 2024 to her name and is very competitive in the showring.
Outside of the ring she enjoys helping other people prepare their cattle for shows and sales and works her way up and down the country doing this. She also enjoys a game of squash and running.
When asked about the upcoming conference, she said it’s a perfect way to be at the forefront of the breed. ‘ I want to be involved with the UKHY America World Hereford Conference as I want to showcase my skills and knowledge about the Hereford breed, but also showmanship and stockmanship that I have developed since I could walk’.
Ethan Brook, age 23
Ethan resides in Mid Glamorgan, Wales and is an active member of UKHY and the Hereford breed, participating in Dyfed and Powys Hereford breeders club. He does this alongside his employer, Bowendu Herefords where he has worked for the last 5 years. Ethan has been helping the herd progress with their breeding, cattle management, and animal husbandry. This passion led him to purchase his foundation cow in 2019, something he is very proud of.
Ethan is a keen member of his local young farmers club, where he likes to compete in as many competitions as possible, including stock judging, bricklaying, woodwork, fencing and more recently the stage production. He also enjoys assisting with the planning of fundraising events such as barn dances.
As Ethan is a new entrant to the agricultural community, he hopes to be able to further his exposure to new ideas and initiatives by seeing and experiencing practices not typical in the South Wales Valleys.
‘If I am lucky enough to be able to represent UKHY I hope to continue to grow my knowledge from some of the world’s leading Hereford breeders. I believe this is a unique opportunity and a journey I would like to be a part of’.
Will Awan, age 23
It would be fair to say Will has accomplished many things during his agricultural journey. Harper Adams played a big role in developing this knowledge, understanding and contacts in the industry and his work placement within his studies rewarded him with a 1st class honours degree in agriculture with animal sciences. He was also a course representative and received the silver award for agricultural student 2021 at the British Farming Awards.
Will is not from a farming background but has worked hard to secure his career and small holding. He currently breeds from 40-50 polled Herefords with his business partner Bob. He also has a keen interest in Exmoor Horn sheep, and both species have exceeded his expectations in the showring, including winning the National Polled Show in 2021 and Supreme Champion at the Christmas Calf Show 2023.
In his spare time, he likes to enjoy live music at events and livestock photography. When asked on his ambitions for the future ‘My focus is on having a consistent herd of strong balanced fertile cows with neat udders, and I hope to continue to use showing to market my herd and to benchmark it against other cattle.
Cattle breeding is my job, my hobby, my social life, and my passion.
Emma Dexter, age 25
From her teens, Emma has thrown herself into agriculture, with her first job as an assistant herdsperson. This fuelled her keenness and embarked on many careers such as general farm worker, arable contractor, and pedigree herdsperson across several Hereford herds. She believes these experiences have given her the growth to become a better cattle person.
Being a mum to Bertie doesn’t leave much spare time, but when she does find time to relax, she likes to explore disused railways, long walks and see friends. As an active member of her local young farmers club, she enjoys organising charity events and competing in stock judging competitions, something she has become very good at.
Participating in UKHY has given her the confidence to apply for this opportunity, having joined in 2017. She has attended workshops, competed in the national stock judging competition, and helped with the first charity ball.
‘The potential opportunity to represent the UK doing something I am so passionate about would give me great incentive to try hard and work above and beyond my comfort zone. I hope to take away knowledge that I can put in to practise here at home’.
Eva Jackson, age 18
Eva is one of our youngest applicants, but her determination and passion is that of her peers. She has experience on a large dairy herd, milking 600 cows, calf rearing and assisting Houghton Herefords with shows and sales. Her family breed polled Herefords under the prefix Eveter, and Eva likes to get involved by helping with maintenance jobs and preparing cattle for the shows.
Eva has been a member of UK Hereford youth since the beginning and has enjoyed attending workshops and participated in young handler events at the National Hereford Poll Show and the Christmas calf show, where her skills were judged. These events have helped her to gain experience and cattle dressing and clipping.
Horse riding is a sport she enjoys and started this hobby age 7. ‘I feel many years of riding on many horses has made me a more experienced rider’, something she hopes will stand her in good stead for the upcoming events.
‘In the future I want to continue working with Herefords, through hopefully a job in the genetics industry or working in nutrition. I think Herefords hold a strong position in the future of agriculture where the focus is shifting towards sustainability and lowering carbon footprints’.
Finlay Soutter, age 18
Finlay has a clear passion for cattle. He started helping on the farm alongside his dad at the age of 10 and his enthusiasm has just kept growing. Enjoying nothing more than assisting in cattle welfare with bedding down, husbandry duties and helping to prepare cattle for shows and sales, frequently putting his handling skills to the test.
Joining UKHY from the beginning has enabled him to fully immerse himself in all that the programme has to offer. This includes attending workshops, competing in stock judging competitions where he is regularly placed and communicating with fellow breeders.
‘I feel I have gained communication, leadership, and resilience through these workshops by speaking to everyone there and assisting people that may not come from a farming background that have attended’.
In his spare time, he likes to play hockey, a sport in which he excels at, winning county medals. More recently Finlay has just started his own Simmental herd to broaden his knowledge on cattle breeding.
‘I was eager to apply for the World Hereford Conference as I wish to be a role model, and I feel I would make a great UKHY ambassador.’