2025 NMR RABDF Gold Cup Finalists Foote of Brown Condover, Alresford
A dairy herd from Brown Condover, Alresford has made the final round of the country’s most prestigious dairy award, the NMR RABDF Gold Cup.
The family business, run by Ben Foote, alongside parents Jonathan and Celia and wife Molly, are competing for the title with four other top dairy herds from across the UK. The winner will be announced at Dairy Tech, Stoneleigh, Warwickshire on February 4, 2026.
Their Candover Holstein herd comprises 322 cows and followers. The milking herd is housed and calve all year round and are milked twice a day through a rapid exit parlour which was installed nine years ago.
The herd has made great strides in the past decade. Cow numbers have nearly doubled, from 188 cows in 2014 by breeding replacements and buying in animals from carefully selected herds. Milk sold in 2024 was 4.5 million litres.
Yield per cow has increased too, from 7,000kg per cow to the current average of nearly 13,000kg. Having more mature cows in the herd, improved cow care and nutrition, and better genetics have all contributed to this.
A team of four plus Ben and Molly, who rears all the calves, manages the herd with Jerry Austin taking day to day responsibility for the past five years, helping to implement better feed accuracy and better fertility management, including extending the voluntary waiting period for cows and heifers.
Dairy vet Claire Walker from The Livestock Partnership has been instrumental in improvements in the herd with an on-going health plan, and for developing control strategies based on disease test results.
The herd is quarterly tested for Johne’s and is BVD and Lepto-free. Bulk milk testing for BVD, IBR, Leptospirosis and Neospora are carried out. Mastitis and lameness rates are kept low through attention to detail and a good vet: farmer partnership.
Nutritionist Mike Bray from Kite is a key player and has helped Ben and his team to increase milk output from forages. Grass silage is made on the 133-hectare unit, and much of the maize silage is bought in from neighbouring arable units.
Ideally, the most recent maize crop is added to the ration after Christmas, when it’s broken down and its feed value increases. The TMR also comprises rape meal, caustic soda, ground maize, minerals and fat. Silage is routinely and regularly analysed, and the ration is carefully balanced with consistency being paramount.
Cows are fed a flat rate of concentrates in the parlour.
The same focus on consistency is placed on breeding cows, to produce a uniform herd.
Ben started registering cows in 2010, and the Candover herd has developed with the use of high reliability sires chosen for production and type. The current benchmarks are sires with at least 90% reliability, more than 40kg combined fat and protein, and positive traits for fertility.
For type, Ben looks for good chest width and locomotion which contribute to longevity. Between six and eight sires are selected and a computerised mating service is used.
Dan Warman at World Wide Sires operates their mating program to match the most suitable sires to each cow. More recently they’ve focused on female family selections, and restricted sexed semen use to six Holstein straws a week, with the remaining cows served to beef.
Improved breeding, longevity and feed efficiency have contributed to the current CO2e per kg of milk of 1.02/kg FPCM. They have also installed solar panels and a heat recovery system to promote a more sustainable dairy business.
With a move to a new site in east Somerset in 2025, as part of the family’s succession plan, Ben has selected his best cows and heifers to make up the nucleus of the Candover herd.
Management will be based on high welfare management and renewables are part of the plan, based on his and Molly’s knowledge and experience, so they can future-proof the business for future generations.
Ben Foote - Key facts:
- Livestock numbers: 322 cows, 188 followers
- Milk yield (12 month rolling average): 12,968kg milk, 3.67% fat, 3.33% protein
- Milk from forage: 6,480 litres
- 100 day Pregnancy rate: 45%
- Somatic cell count: 126,000 cells/ml, Bactoscan 13
- Mastitis rate: 7 cases/100 cows/year
- Calving interval: 380 days
- Age at first calving: 23 months
- Milk buyer: Arla
