Dairy Stock Judging

The annual Melplash Agricultural Society‘s Young Farmers Stock Judging competition took place at Childhay Organic Dairy, by kind permission of Mr and Mrs Steve and Sonia Raymond. Eight teams competed, representing Beaminster, Crewkerne, Ilminster, Marshwood Vale, Polden Hills, Puddletown and Wedmore Young Farmers Clubs.

Peter Hardwill, Melplash Agricultural Society President 2026 commented, ‘The competition is an important event in the Melplash Agricultural Society calendar and helps support the future of dairy farming in the area. All dairy farmers need herds that produce high milk yields, stay healthy throughout lactation and can have calves that can be the next generation on the farm. Learning to judge dairy cows by visually assessing and describing their traits is a valuable skill. The Young Farmers Dairy Stock Judging competition plays an important role in developing this knowledge and expertise.’

Each breed has a ‘True Type Model’, which represents the ideal cow. Competitors use this model when assessing each animal, looking for functional traits such as strong legs and feet, good movement, a well-attached udder with enough width and height to support high milk yields, and sufficient body capacity to sustain milk production and carry a growing calf.

Working in pairs, Junior Young Farmers assess four cows, while Intermediate and Senior competitors assess six. They place the animals in order from best to poorest, explain their decisions and present their placings to the judge using both description and comparison. The judge then marks them through a detailed scoring system based on the accuracy of their observations and comparisons.

The judge, Stuart Perry from Honiton, shared his knowledge and explained the reasons behind his winning order. The Society greatly appreciates his dedication to supporting the younger generation.