Hattie Hassall, aged 13 from Dumfriesshire, first started showing Brown Swiss cattle when she was just 5 years old, her first show being the All Breeds All Britian Calf Show.
Her biggest achievements to date, include winning the Showmanship Championship at the 2022 Borderway UK Dairy Expo, and also winning the Holstein Showmanship Class at the All Breeds All Britian Calf Show.
Under the mentoring of her mother, Hattie has been showing ever since, across the UK. You can find her on the farm after school and during her weekends, where she works hard halter training, helping with the calves, as well as milking and feeding the livestock.
Hattie takes great pleasure in her own small herd of 10 Brown Swiss cows and heifers, run as part of the family’s wider Kedar 130 head dairy herd. Currently three of her cows are in milk and she has four young calves that are currently being halter trained in preparation for the showring.
When it comes to the showring, Hattie believes it is important to remain calm and to have a presence in the showring. She loves showing and being part of a community of likeminded and being able to learn from and compete against her peers, “although it does become quite competitive!”, says Hattie.
Going forwards, Hattie’s aim it to win Champion Showman at the Holstein UK, All Breeds All Britain Calf Show, and she would like to turn her hand to the international showing with the World Dairy Expo, in Madison, USA, already in her sights.
This year at Dairy Expo Hattie will be showing Brown Swiss Calf, Kedar Huge Rhespect, and of course trying very hard to win.
Hattie admits the best advice she has ever been given is from her Mum, Jessica, “my mum has been twice national showmanship champion, so there really is no one better to mentor me! She always reminds me to enjoy myself, if you’re enjoying yourself, it gives you a level of confidence in the ring, so the enjoyment is the biggest thing – the colour of the rosettes does not matter, and that is all you can really do.”
“Also, to Practice Practice Practice! Winning doesn’t happen in the showring – it happens in the barn at home.”
Hattie Hassall, aged 13 from Dumfriesshire, first started showing Brown Swiss cattle when she was just 5 years old, her first show being the All Breeds All Britian Calf Show.
Her biggest achievements to date, include winning the Showmanship Championship at the 2022 Borderway UK Dairy Expo, and also winning the Holstein Showmanship Class at the All Breeds All Britian Calf Show.
Under the mentoring of her mother, Hattie has been showing ever since, across the UK. You can find her on the farm after school and during her weekends, where she works hard halter training, helping with the calves, as well as milking and feeding the livestock.
Hattie takes great pleasure in her own small herd of 10 Brown Swiss cows and heifers, run as part of the family’s wider Kedar 130 head dairy herd. Currently three of her cows are in milk and she has four young calves that are currently being halter trained in preparation for the showring.
When it comes to the showring, Hattie believes it is important to remain calm and to have a presence in the showring. She loves showing and being part of a community of likeminded and being able to learn from and compete against her peers, “although it does become quite competitive!”, says Hattie.
Going forwards, Hattie’s aim it to win Champion Showman at the Holstein UK, All Breeds All Britain Calf Show, and she would like to turn her hand to the international showing with the World Dairy Expo, in Madison, USA, already in her sights.
This year at Dairy Expo Hattie will be showing Brown Swiss Calf, Kedar Huge Rhespect, and of course trying very hard to win.
Hattie admits the best advice she has ever been given is from her Mum, Jessica, “my mum has been twice national showmanship champion, so there really is no one better to mentor me! She always reminds me to enjoy myself, if you’re enjoying yourself, it gives you a level of confidence in the ring, so the enjoyment is the biggest thing – the colour of the rosettes does not matter, and that is all you can really do.”
“Also, to Practice Practice Practice! Winning doesn’t happen in the showring – it happens in the barn at home.”
