Special Awards 2025
Bell Booth Achiever Award
For persons who have made some notable achievement in the Ayrshire Breed.
Gabrielle Steiner
Gabrielle Steiner of Simplee Ayrshires has been passionate about farming, calf rearing and showing most her life. She has always been around the industry but since she left school she has taken a keen eye on the genetic side of farming. She is never afraid to give a helping hand to anyone, she will go above and beyond when it comes to animal husbandry. When Gabrielle was working at home for her parents, she became the sole calf rearer where she took on all the responsibilities that come with such a task. But not only did she do a fantastic job rearing the young stock of Brookview she broke all the calves into the halters, I mean all, heifers, bulls and beefies. Every calf she fed got a halter and a few days of education just in case they have show potential as they grow.
As time went on Gabrielle became the full time worker working with her father Vince where she started to learn more about farming and implementing her strengths, when it came to mating after she completed her AB tech course with LIC she was mating the cows at Brookview and she would be telling Dad who to mate what to which bull.
Alongside the farm her passion for showing has always been there, having great success with her cattle she has exhibited at a variety of shows. Recently she has done tremendously well with her Flame family line and placed well down at NZ Dairy Event.
Gabrielle has always entered the national On Farm Challenge and she has had great results both regionally and nationally with cows she has put forward, both in Tokoroa and down in Norsewood where she now lives and works with her partner Campbell, on his parent’s farm at Rangeview Ayrshires. She is a full-time staff member down there and takes pride in her calf shed that she manages, as well as assisting with a variety of other jobs to keep the daily operation running efficiently and smoothly.
Gabrielle has a great eye for stock and is a junior judge for Ayrshire New Zealand. This past show season she was the Associate Judge alongside Derek Hayward down at the Stratford A & P Show. She also won the Arran Trophy at NZ Dairy Event. She has been awarded the Franklin Young Handlers trophy for her stockmanship in the show ring and she is a fantastic leader and exhibitor of cattle at shows.
Gabrielle participates and represents the Ayrshire breed with grace and poise – she is willing to do tasks for the greater good of the breed, a noble quality about her. This last Conference held in Southland she took it upon herself to be the photographer and uploading to social media photos of the trip and did a fantastic job keeping it up to date and informative to the breeders who couldn’t make the trip. With personal comments from fellow breeders she had been speaking with as she went. Giving plenty of context for international people to understand the kiwi farming style from the comfort of their homes.
Behind the scenes currently Gabrielle is one of the people involved in helping organize the Red Breeds Conference which New Zealand is hosting in 2026.
In 2019 she attended the Ayrshire Youth tour held in the UK as the delegate representing New Zealand. In 2020 Gabrielle travelled to Australia helping breeders at International Dairy Week which was also hosting the World Conference that year then hitched on the back of the Conference to travel home with fellow kiwis.
- Nominated by the Bay of Plenty Ayrshire Club
Bell Booth Achiever Award
For persons who have made some notable achievement in the Ayrshire Breed.
Jamie Baxter
Jamie Baxter of Stenvale Ayrshires has been a passionate breeder for much of his life. Lives, breathes and eats with his cows. Jamie’s passion for Ayrshires began at the very young age of 7 with his first show calf “Frosty”. Everyone at school knew who Frosty was, even his teachers. He played soccer with Matamata Swifts for 20 years and always claimed the Number 4 Shirt (Frosty’s herd number) if he was able. Frosty was the start of his showing career and over the years has done extremely well with numerous animals. As a youngster, he participated at the Australian Dairy Youth Camp and attended the USA World Ayrshire Conference 6 years ago.
Jamie is a fantastic breeder and has bred some well-known cows that only need a first name basis as we know who he is talking about – “Popstar” “Sweet Sheri” and “Jem” to name a few. Amongst his achievements in the show ring his highlight has been Stenvale Burs Jem winning Supreme Ayrshire Cow at NZ Dairy Event last year and who has gone on to place as North Island Champion Cow 2025 at Morrinsville Show. Shardville Popstar was another highlight for him when she won North Island Champion Cow at the Tokoroa Show back in 2015/16. Popstar is a granddaughter of “Frosty”. Jamie feels exhibiting cattle at shows is a great way of promoting the breed. He is often approached by people on show-day wanting to know more about the Ayrshire cattle and is only too happy to praise the great attributes of the Ayrshire cow.
Jamie always enters the national On Farm Challenge and has placed very well both regionally and nationally. In recent years, he has also had great results in the All NZ Photo Competition as well as classifying of cows with the Association. He will always support stock sales when he can with buying and selling quality stock.
This season finished, Jamie and his partner Caitlyn have been sharemilking on the Baxter’s home farm, buying the herd of cows Jamie has helped bred over the years. He has poured his heart and soul into this herd and has brought the beloved herd off his parents hands and plans to grow forward within the industry. For the last 5 years plus he has been making all the management decisions in respect of running the farming operation.
Jamie is a big believer in cow families and for many years now has been flushing who he felt were the better cows within the herd and also cows purchased from other breeders. With quite a few embryos sitting in storage he runs an embryo implanting programme each year using his carry over cows as recipients.
Jamie for many, many years was a very quiet young lad whom anyone would struggle to get a sentence out of. But beneath the one-word yes/no answers was a great cow man waiting to come out of his shell. In time, he has grown with confidence, and it has been a great joy to watch him flourish. He is always happy to help any young breeders whenever asked.
- Nominated by the Bay of Plenty Ayrshire Club
Rob McIntosh Memorial Trophy
To encourage an exhibitor to go further and/or continue showing Animals at local calf club days and A& P Shows.
Odyssey Travers
It is with great pleasure that the Board acknowledges the recipient of this award. A young lady that is very well known to us all, most of us have watched her grow into an aspiring show person, young judge, and a great person to have around.
She knows her cows so extremely well plus those of her parents and other herds she has been involved with. Her and her partner have put together an awesome herd of cows that are over 90 % Ayrshire, something we don’t see much these days .
You could say she has been her Dad’s right hand man for a number of years now and I’m sure missed from the day to day life around an expanded operation.
This young lady helped with bringing conference alive to those that couldn’t be there back in March, and has helped other prominent show teams over the years , both clipping and preparing cows to go in the ring then leading them at the highest level.
This season after a shift to the Naki where she has got involved at local club level she and her partner have made a huge effort to show at the local shows , then take a team to NZ Dairy Event , THEN hope on a plane fly back to Northland clip over 40 head and help her family and friends show at their local show .
It is fitting that the board presents this Rob McIntosh Memorial Trophy to Odyssey Travers.
Distinguished Member – National
For members who promote Ayrshires either nationally or locally by always portraying a positive attitude for the breed, the NZ Ayrshire Association and its aims, directions and objectives.
Sian Emslie
The Board of Ayrshire New Zealand have much pleasure in presenting a Distinguished Member Association Award to a person who over a long period of time has given freely of her time and effort in promoting the Ayrshire breed through her web design, facebook, social media and IT skills.
This member has designed and upgraded the Ayrshire New Zealand website at minimal cost to the Association over a number of years.
With the high cost of IT work this has been a substantial saving to us.
This work started in 2022 and she has managed to fit in this work while still doing her day job, and a lot was also done during her big OE, which made for a challenge with time zone differences and her work hours. This work is still ongoing
This member also was responsible for a big part in organising the 2022 Association Conference in Napier.
During her OE she did make time to attend the 2024 World Ayrshire Conference in Great Britain where she did a report with photos for our bulletin which gave us at home some insight into this international event.
Also during this time she wrote an Ayrshire NZ Marketing Strategy Proposal document.
This member has a passion for the breed, web design and IT skills and has been a huge asset to the Production, Promotion and Marketing Committee and this work will be an ongoing challenge going forward.
We are grateful to have a member who always strives to do the best job she can for us.
The Board of Ayrshire New Zealand have much pleasure in presenting Sian Emslie the Distinguished Member, Association Award.