The Premier Herd Competition finds the best herd in the country through judging rounds from clubs and counties, then regionals, and finally the national round, judged by the previous year’s winner.
The 2026 Premier Herd winner was announced as the Corringham herd from RV Winter & Sons based in Lincolnshire. Milking around 210 cows, the Corringham herd was established by brothers Mike and Tim Winter, with their sons Matthew and Neal now joining the business. Milked twice a day, the herd is averaging 10,400kgs at 4.15% butterfat and 3.45% protein. The farm comprises 810 acres, most of which are owned.
Impressively, the herd is currently made up of 72 EX cows and 93 VG cows and heifers. Prominent cow families include the Beth family, which has been a mainstay in the herd for 35 years, the Crimson family, of which six generations are currently on the farm and the Inksou family, which started life at Corringham in 1997. The herd has previously been finalists in the Premier Herd Competition at least seven times in the last ten years, reaching the top three on five of those occasions. They last won the Premier Herd Competition in 2008.
Judging the competition was last year’s winner, David Booth, from the Feizor herd. Commenting on his judging experience, he thanked the herds that hosted him and commended the quality that was on display at each farm making his job even harder.
“The top three herds are very, very close. Splitting hairs, but the champion herd were so uniform, so level and so balanced with great two years olds, right up great mature cows with welded on udders. I was so impressed by the strength, beautiful mammary systems and stong hard tops,” commented David after the winner was announced at UK Dairy Day.
The Reserve spot went to David and John Brewster of the Boclair herd from Scotland. The herd had several animals entered at the National Holstein Show which was taking place at UK Dairy Day, and have reached the final of the Premier Herd Competition for the last three years and previously won in 2017.
Honourable Mention in the Premier Herd Competition went to Wormanby Farms Ltd and their Wormanby herd. The Hodgson family, based in Cumbria, who have also won the Premier Herd Competition back in 2015, were also awarded Premier Breeders at the National Holstein Show this year.
Congratulations to the seven finalists who represented their regions in the national round:
Corringham, RV Winter & Sons – Eastern
Wormanby, Wormanby Farms Ltd – Northern
Ards, W & A Patton – Northern Ireland
Boclair, D & J Brewster – Scotland
Beaconhill, AJ & WJ Reed – Southern
Waliswood, Paul, Bessie & Bryn Williams – Wales
Styche, Seaton Farms - Western
