54 | nzdairy New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards » Carse-O-Fern Holsteins Passion drives success at dairy awards Rosa Watson With a huge passion for the industry and Holstein breeding, Annie Gill’s career in dairy farming is taking off. The 24-year-old Waikato dairy farmer took third place in the Dairy Manager of the Year category of the 2026 New Zealand Dairy Awards. It follows being named winner in the Waikato regional awards held in March. The 24-year-old works at Carse-O-Fern, a 56ha stud farm and dairy enterprise at Otorohanga owned by Doug and Lorraine Courtman, milking 145 pedigree Holstein cows on the system 3 farm with in-shed feeding. She owns over 50 head of registered pedigree Holsteins under the prefix Pistone Holsteins. She has entered the category once before in the regionals, coming runner-up and winning the pasture management merit award. This year she came away with the win. “Walking away with the passion management award overall farm management in the financial management for the Waikato region was a surreal feeling. “When it came to entering the farm manager (category), I thought that if anything it would give me the opportunity to rub shoulders with the right people and learn a little bit more about myself. And it definitely did that. “But not only that, it gives you the opportunity to look into the business that you’re working with and really see what’s working, what’s not and try and gain an understanding in areas you might not be particularly strong in.” When it came to the nationals, she went all in and gave it everything. “To walk away with third was amazing.” She was humbled to also win the people in leadership award. This year she will participate in the Holstein Friesian New Zealand 2026 Young Breeders Development Programme. Annie’s father was a pedigree Holstein breeder, “which is where my passion stemmed”, she says. She made her start in the dairy industry as a farm assistant, milking 600 cows for Roly and Briar Rogers. During that time, she entered the dairy trainee category of the awards twice and was runner-up both times. Annie (second from left) has entered the category once before in the regionals, coming runner-up and winning the pasture management merit award. This year she came away with the win. She is grateful to the Rogers for the start they gave her. “They built me up from the ground up. I had the knowledge for cows, but everything else they taught me.” Her next move was a herd manager role for Dan and Michelle Brice, milking 800 cows. This introduced a whole new skill set, particularly in pasture management, she says. In 2018 she bought a calf in the Waikato Futurity sale, and two months later she bought a second calf at another sale. Before long, after starting at CarseO-Fern working for the Courtmans in 2023, she had five animals. She says for her, successful breeding is cows with good confirmation, bred with good cow families producing well. Career highlights have been travelling to Belgium for the European Young Breeders School and spending the last two winters during the dry period in Ireland and the UK visiting friends and family and seeing different farm operations. Last year she was the associate judge for the jerseys at New Zealand dairy event under Terry Packard – a leading female judge internationally. “I think some of the highlights in your career don’t necessarily have to be big ones either. Little things such as selling a calf that has gone on to be the winning two-year-old is something that has made me really proud.” Ultimately, her goal is herd ownership. “Holstein cows are my passion through and through ... and I think that having a passion for something in particular is ... a big driver of success, and I don’t think that you should let anyone discourage you from having a go at making your dream a reality.” She says the key to success in the industry comes down to personal drive. “I think what got me to where I am is definitely the type of people that you surround yourself with and your own personal drive. I think you have to be driven, and people think that sometimes you get lucky, but I think the more you put yourself out there, the more people will recognise how much you’re willing to try.” 83 Kio Kio Station Rd, RD4, Otorohanga Ph: 07 873 1800 Mob: 029 833 0011 Email: johnclarkcontracting@xtra.co.nz Proudly supporting Annie Gill & Carse-O-Fern Holsteins 0800 40 10 40 • sales@rorisons.co.nz
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