The Irish Hereford Breed Society will be bringing a team of four young Hereford breeders aged between 18 and 26 years of age to the World Hereford Conference in Kansas, USA in October 2025.  Irish Hereford Prime have created a travel bursary for the event to the total value of €10,000. This will see each of the four successful candidates receive €2,500 towards the cost of their trip.

As part of the World Hereford Conference there is a dedicated young breeder competition that will take place from the 19th to the 25th of October 2025. The Irish Hereford Breed Society and Irish Hereford Prime intend to run a competition throughout 2024 to choose a team of four young Hereford breeders to travel to Kansas and compete against young Hereford breeders from around the world.

At the World Hereford Conference, young breeders will participate in a variety of skills-based events centred around the United States agriculture industry. To conclude the event, the young breeders will participate in a fitting and showmanship competition at the American Royal on October 25th 2025 with the winners being crowned at the closing reception. Further details for the event in Kansas will be posted by the American Hereford Association as they become available. Each of the four members of Team Ireland will be entitled to a €2,500 travel bursary from Irish Hereford Prime to be able to make the journey and compete in the international competition. There are also tours organised either side of the World Hereford Conference that young breeders would be eligible to attend if they wished to do so.

The competition launched yesterday and is open to Hereford breeders or son, daughter, niece or nephew of Hereford breeders. Aged 18 – 26 years on 1st November 2025 

The stages of the competition are below and all details can be found here.

Application form from louise@irishhereford.com The deadline for receipt of applications is midnight on Friday 3rd May 2024

Dates for competition events will be announced shortly and the competition will be complete by the end of October 2024.

1. Workshop 

• • Grooming / show prep / clipping / haltering & leading cattle.
  • Presentation & dressing of oneself for showing.
  • Ability to discuss / describe how they prepared and presented their animal.

2. Show – attend one of four designated shows 

• • Must show a Hereford animal in one of the main Hereford classes during the show – (not just in the YH class). An independent judge or judges will score. 

3. Factory tour and Stock judging of HEX animals ahead of slaughter – scored on accuracy of estimated carcase weights, grades & fat scores. 

4. Final stage – Private interview including a 3-minute presentation – 28th September 2024 at The Tullamore Court Hotel.