Future dairy leader crowned as RABDF names Student of the Year 2026
A Harper Adams University student has beaten fierce national competition to claim one of the dairy industry’s most respected student awards.
Henry Gibson, a BSc (Hons) Agriculture student from Honiton, Devon, was named RABDF Dairy Student of the Year 2026 at Dairy-Tech on 4 February, taking the top prize in a closely fought final sponsored by ForFarmers.
He emerged victorious from a field of six finalists following a demanding judging process that tested both technical understanding and long-term vision for the dairy sector.
Finalists completed an in-depth case study appraisal prepared by Kite, part of the Asterra Group, before presenting to an expert panel at the Farmers’ Club in London.
They were challenged to set out where they believe the dairy industry will be in 10 years’ time, identifying future scale alongside key challenges and opportunities.
Henry was presented with a £750 cheque and trophy at the event, continuing Harper Adams University’s remarkable record of success. The latest win marks the 11th time in the past 12 years that a student from the institution has secured the award.
Judges described the contest as extremely close, with runner-up Caitlin Jugg, a fourth-year veterinary student from the University of Surrey, narrowly missing out.
The competition is run by Dairy-Tech organiser the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) and aims to highlight the challenges facing the dairy industry while identifying rising stars and future leaders.
This year’s judging panel included RABDF chairman Robert Craig, ForFarmers technical manager Richard Greasley, and Kaia Hillsmith from Kite, part of the Asterra Group.
Reflecting on the standard of entries, Mr Craig said the competition is “highly regarded across the dairy industry due to the calibre of students entering each year”.
He added that “the optimism and enthusiasm shown by applicants is incredibly encouraging for the future of the sector”, and said it was “particularly pleasing to see students from a wide range of disciplines, from agriculture to veterinary science”.
Mr Greasley said Henry was a deserved winner, praising a performance that stood out on both substance and delivery. “His passion and presentation were excellent, and his enthusiasm for the dairy industry going forward was infectious,” he said.
He added that Caitlin finished a very close second, describing her presentation as “refreshingly novel” and confirming there were “only a couple of points between them on my scoresheet”.
The remaining finalists were Freddie Myatt and Ellie McCutcheon from Harper Adams University, Hannah Davis, a fourth-year veterinary student at Bristol Veterinary School, and Aimee Gegg from Duchy College.
Mr Greasley said meeting such a strong group of finalists left him optimistic about the future, describing it as “incredibly encouraging to meet such a talented group of young people who are keen to be part of the UK dairy industry”.
