Master Breeder rewards Holstein members whose herds achieve a high standard in both classification and production.

Following a review by the Holstein UK Board of Trustees in 2020, it was agreed to update the qualification standards. All females bred by a herd prefix, rather than just those bred and owned by the herd, will now be included in the calculation for that (breeder) prefix as long as they reside in any pedigree herd which milk records. The balance between production and longevity in the award criteria was also re-weighted and the points structure for classification has also been simplified.

A Master Breeder score will now be calculated automatically for every herd prefix, each month. The ten herds with the highest average score over the previous 12 months will be awarded Master Breeder in April of each year. For 2021, the average score from January to March was used, with awards being calculated in April. 

To be eligible for inclusion in the calculation, animals must:

a. be a minimum 87.5% Holstein.
b. have a recorded calving date in the last two years.
c. be recorded (by an official milk recording organisation) as having produced at least one lactation of 250 days or more.

Herds must have at least 40 eligible females included in the calculation.
Herds must achieve at least 20% of the total points from classification.
For the herd to be eligible, 50% of animals included in the calculation must be born within the previous six years.

Points are awarded as follows:

Classification

Production

Lactation number

The Master breeder score is calculated using the following formula
[(total class points x 1.5) + (total production points x 0.25) + (total lactation number points)] / Total number of qualifying animals per prefix