HUK Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Announced

Presented by the Holstein UK Board of Trustees, the Lifetime Achievement Award recognises at least twenty years of dedication and service to the Holstein and/or British Friesian breeds. The award is presented annually to an individual who has made a remarkable contribution to the Society and provided outstanding service to the breed.

With great pleasure, the Trustees present the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award to Richard Beard, who has recently retired from the Society after having worked for them four decades. Richard’s interest in British Friesians was ignited as a school boy, and led him to study at Askham Bryan College to complete a National Certificate in Agriculture. Richard learnt about Canadian Holstein imports while working with the Sharcombe herd which resulting in him emigrating to Canada at the age of 21, he also went on to live and work in the USA.

Whilst abroad, Richard wrote letters to the Holstein World magazine which were later published before the editor invited him to write a regular column. Richard wrote the page for over 10 years before it morphed into A Letter From Great Britain when he relocated back to the UK. Articles for many other publications were to follow and one of Richard’s favourites was Cremona: Where Stradivarius meets Starbuck, about the appearance of Starbuck daughters at the European Holstein Show, which was published in the Farmers Weekly in the mid 80’s.

In 1978, the British Holstein Society Fieldman role became available and he convinced then Chairman, John Lloyd, that his roving days were over. The BHS was a relatively small society at that stage and so he knew and visited almost every imported animal and their new owners. 

After 14 years, Richard left the BHS and travelled to New Zealand where he spent a year working for World Wide Sires. By then, the British Friesian Society in the UK had changed its name to the Holstein Friesian Society and Richard was offered a job as a Classifier, which he went on to do for four years. The two societies merging in 1999 resulted in Richard becoming a Fieldman again, doing grade-ups and finding new members at sales, for the newly formed Holstein UK and Ireland (HUKI). This became the Field Officer role at Holstein UK that Richard continued to do until April this year.

Edward Griffiths, of the Yorkshire Holstein Club who nominated Richard, said “He has devoted his whole working life to working with, researching and promoting Holstein cows worldwide. He is undoubtedly an encyclopaedia of cattle breeding!”

Michael Smale, Chairman of Holstein UK concludes “My sincere congratulations go out to Richard Beard on this fantastic achievement. He has spent many years dedicating his time to the society and contributed greatly to the breed as a whole. He has a passion for the breed, a deep understanding, and an outstanding dedication to it. I look forward to the Holstein UK AGM in July 2023, when the award will be presented.”