Corringham returned to the top of the Premier Herd Competition for the first time since 2008
A 210-cow Lincolnshire dairy herd producing an average 10,400kg has been crowned Holstein UK’s Premier Herd for 2026.
The Corringham herd, run by RV Winter & Sons, took the title at UK Dairy Day after progressing through club, county and regional rounds before reaching the national final.
Based in Lincolnshire, the herd was established by brothers Mike and Tim Winter, with their sons Matthew and Neal now involved in the family business. The cows are milked twice a day and average 10,400kg at 4.15% butterfat and 3.45% protein, while the farm extends to 810 acres, most of which is owned.
Corringham’s breeding record was also a key factor in the result, with 72 EX cows and 93 VG cows and heifers currently in the herd.
Long-established families include the Beth line, which has been part of Corringham for 35 years, while six generations of the Crimson family are represented on the farm. The Inksou family has also been part of the herd since 1997.
Corringham has been a regular finalist in the Premier Herd Competition, reaching the final at least seven times in the past decade and finishing in the top three on five occasions. Its previous Premier Herd title came in 2008.
This year’s competition was judged by David Booth of the Feizor herd, winner of the 2025 title. He said the leading three herds were closely matched, describing Corringham as “so uniform, so level and so balanced” and praising the strength of both its younger and mature cows.
Reserve Champion went to David and John Brewster of the Boclair herd in Scotland. Boclair has reached the Premier Herd final for the past three years and previously won the competition in 2017.
Several animals from the herd were also entered in the National Holstein Show, which was staged alongside UK Dairy Day.
Honourable Mention went to Wormanby Farms Ltd and its Wormanby herd in Cumbria. The Hodgson family, who run Wormanby, previously won the Premier Herd Competition in 2015 and were also named Premier Breeders at this year’s National Holstein Show.
Seven herds represented their regions in the national round: Corringham in the East, Wormanby in the North, Ards in Northern Ireland, Boclair in Scotland, Beaconhill in the South, Waliswood in Wales and Styche in the West.
The result marks Corringham’s first Premier Herd title in 18 years, following a decade in which the Lincolnshire herd has repeatedly featured among the competition’s leading finalists.