New Elections at Holstein UK

During Holstein UK's Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday 28th June, the Society elected a new President and two new trustees. The AGM took place at the Grosvenor Pulford Hotel as part of the Holstein UK Celebration event.

A fond farewell was paid to Holstein UK President John Jamieson of the Firth herd, who stood down at the end of his 24 month term. It is now with great pleasure that Holstein UK welcomes Andrew Jones as the Society's new President.

For Andrew Jones of Rossett Holsteins, Wrexham, the Holstein industry is a way of life. He has a great love for the breed and the people involved. As a child, Andrew took a keen interest in his parents' non-pedigree Friesian herd at Rackery Farm, Rossett, and urged them to become pedigree, with the first progeny being registered under the Rossett prefix in 1982. Since the herd was dispersed two years ago, due to health reasons, Andrew and his wife Jenny are looking forward to devoting their time to meeting members.

As a member of numerous industry committees and councils, Andrew has provided advice and support to make a positive difference to the Holstein breed and the wider industry. Having been a member of the executive BHS committee since 1994, Andrew became vice-chairman in 1997 and was part of the task force that merged the two societies in 1998 to form the 'Holstein UK & Ireland' society. He then served for four years on the Holstein UK Board. Alongside this, Andrew also served on numerous subcommittees and was involved with acquiring Scottish Milk Records, which went on to become the Cattle Information Service. For over thirty years Andrew has been an active member of the North Wales and Western Holstein clubs, serving as chairman and sitting on the committees for both clubs. 

Commenting on the change of Presidency, Michael Smale, outgoing Holstein UK Chairman, said: “I want to express my sincere gratitude to John Jamieson and all of his family for giving us so much of their time over the past two years. In his capacity as President, John has attended a huge number of Society, Club and industry events with his wife Helen. Having John at the helm of the Society has been a great pleasure for all of us. Furthermore, I wish Andrew all the best for the year ahead in his new position."
 

Retiring from The Holstein UK Board
Having completed his second term on the Board of Trustees, Michael Smale has stepped down as Board Chairman and representative of the Far Western region. The South East and Eastern region's representative, Peter Prior, has also stepped down after seven years in office.

Commenting, Wallace Gregg incoming Holstein UK Chairman said; “It has been an honour to work with Michael and Peter during their time on the Board and I would like to thank them for their contribution, expertise, and experience. Since he was elected on to the Board in 2014, Michael has been a fantastic advocate for both the breed and the Society, especially in his role as Chairman, a position he has held since 2019. As a member of the Board of Trustees since 2016, Peter has also made an important and significant contribution to the Society and steps down half way through his second term. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to them both.”

 

Trustee Appointments 

Wallace Gregg has taken over as Holstein UK Chairman following Michael Smale's departure from the Board. Wallace, who represents Northern Ireland, has been on the Board since 2018 and his vision and leadership will help drive the Society forward.

North Western representative Jane Whittaker (Knowlesmere), Lancashire representative John Hartley (Roughwood) and East Midlands representative Matthew Winter (Corringham) were re-elected for their second terms of office.

Mrs Dawn Coryn (Typex) has been elected as the representative for the Far Western region. Based in Cornwall, Dawn has always encouraged inclusivity and respect for Holsteins and British Friesians alike. Although Dawn does not have a farm of her own, she is fortunate that trusted friends accommodate her animals and treat them like their own. Her most famous Holstein was Typex Blackstar Fabiola, who won National Grand Champion in 1993 as a heifer, then won the All Time All Britain Heifer title in 2020. Through the full range of services offered by the Society, she hopes to explore ways in which the Society can help members utilize their information. Dawn places a great deal of importance on genomics along with cow sense.

Mr Wallace Patton (Greenisle) has been elected as a second representative for Northern Ireland. Wallace and his son Daniel milk 190 cows twice a day at the Greenisle herd, which was established in 2019, having once been a part of the Ards herd. The focus is on breeding strong, hardy cows that can thrive in predominantly housed conditions. Having worked in the dairy industry for 40 years, Wallace hopes to contribute to the development and promotion of the Holstein breed. A good communication link between the Society and its members is something he is looking forward to maintaining.