One lucky young Holstein breeder will enjoy an all expenses paid trip to Australia next year.

For the third year running, Holstein Young Breeders (HYB) have teamed up with Holstein Australia are offering the opportunity of a lifetime, visiting a wide range of Australian dairy farms and seeing some of the country’s top tourist attractions and natural wonders – and applications are now open.

The exchange will focus on learning, practical on-farm experience, skills development, networking and gaining first-hand knowledge of how dairy farming compares in Australia to the UK.

In return, the winner will be an excellent ambassador for Holstein UK and keep a blog detailing their time in Australia to tell everyone back home what they’ve been up to. They will also take lots of photographs and write an article for the Holstein UK Journal on their return.

The winner will be required to arrive in Australia at the beginning of January 2019 and the exchange will last for approximately one month. Upon arrival in Australia the winner will be met by their host family before attending Youth Camp, which is very similar to the HYB rally. At Youth Camp, the winner will be involved in clipping, leading and judging classes within teams, along with farm tours and workshops. The next stop after Youth Camp will be New South Wales for farm tours and sightseeing in Sydney. Australia's International Dairy Week is held in January, so the winner will be attending this, visiting sales and joining in with the Youth Competition. Following this week, the winner will be able to go on more farm tours, including a visit to one of Australia's top bull farms before embarking on plenty of sightseeing – whether that be watching a cricket game, attending the Australian Open Tennis or visiting Melbourne Zoo.

Heather Martin, who took part in the 2018 Exchange says the trip provided a fantastic learning experience: “It was one of the best things I have ever experienced in my life! I met so many amazing people in Australia and have kept in contact with so many of them. I learnt so much about a completely different way of life and the challenges they face by farming in such a different climate. During my time in Australia, I visited farms which had been affected by volcanoes, wildfires and droughts and it makes you appreciate the relatively stable weather we have here in the UK.”

HYB will be welcoming Amabel Grinter from Muckatah, Northern Victoria to the UK as winner of the 2018 UK Exchange.

Amabel will spend a month this autumn travelling across the UK staying and working with Holstein UK members, and will also attend the All Breeds All Britain Calf Show as a guest of Holstein Young Breeders.

Miriam Bagley, Events and National HYB Coordinator for Holstein UK, said: “This trip is a truly unique adventure and the winning candidate must show genuine passion for the Holstein breed and towards progressing their career in agriculture, to qualify them for consideration.

“We are encouraging all HYB members, over the age of 18 years, to put forward their applications now for this invaluable opportunity. Download the entry form and be in with a chance of discovering dairy down under.”