The Beaufort Herd Named British Friesian Herd of the Year for 2026

Holstein UK are pleased to announce this year’s recipient of the British Friesian Herd of the Year. The award for 2026 goes to the Beaufort herd, owned by James and Louise Macpherson, who farm near Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, milking a total of 290 British Friesians.

This award is aimed at recognising the top-performing British Friesian herd each year, based on a combination of classification and production.

The Macphersons originally started farming in Dorset, and their love of the British Friesian started when they bought the core of the Rodbrook herd from Chris Pemberton in Cheshire in 2012, moving these down to their county council farm. Further British Friesian bloodlines were added to the herd from the Langley and Goonhilly prefixes. Through developing bloodlines and management, acknowledgement of the herd’s superior production was awarded and recognised within the breed.

Over the years, the herd has bred numerous bulls that have been sold into stud at Genus, notably Beaufort Milkman and Beaufort Karactacus, and more recently Beaufort Supersonic and Beaufort Jackery.

The milking portion of the herd was dispersed in 2018 at Sedgemoor Market, with the herd moving to a new unit in Staffordshire and milking resumed in 2019 with heifers coming through from the original cow families. Additional bloodlines were purchased from Collycroft and Catlane herds.

Numbers have steadily grown to the current number of 290 head, and the herd is now a closed herd, with surplus heifers being sold throughout the year when availability allows. In 2018, the Macphersons were awarded the NMR Chairman’s Cup at Dairy-Tech.