A COUNTY Durham farmer's daughter will next week compete in Germany's main dairy cattle show.

Lizzie Bradley, 20, from Quebec, near Bishop Auckland, is one of three young enthusiasts who won the trip in a competition organised by Europe's largest Holstein breeding company.

Lizzie – along with Holly Berreen, 23, from Dartford and Shaun Rennie, 21, from Ayrshire – will take part in the Schau der Besten show.

They will feed, milk, prepare and exhibit some of Europe’s top show cows – responsibilities they regard as a great honour, as all are knowledgeable and accomplished showmen in their own right.

The show – literally translated to The Show of the Best – is organised by Germany’s market-leading breeding company, Masterrind, whose headquarters are in Verden, the epicentre of European Holstein genetics.

Masterrind’s daughter company in the UK is Mastergen, who have organised the competition and whose portfolio of bulls includes the UK’s largest offering of German Holstein genetics.

The three British prize-winners will join others from throughout Europe and will also have the chance to see early daughters of some of the leading Holstein bulls in Europe, some of which they’ll hope to use in their own herds.

All three – selected for persuading the judges they would gain the most from the opportunity – say they are eagerly awaiting the show.

Lizzie Bradley grew up on her family farm where 130 pedigree Holsteins are milked under the Langpark prefix. After completing her level three diploma at Askham Bryan College she is now at Harper Adams University, but still finds time to indulge in her passion of showing cows.

She said: "Showing cattle has been a huge interest of mine, travelling around showing under my family’s prefix and being lucky enough to show for many top herds at some of the top shows. This will be an amazing opportunity to be able to travel and see dairying abroad and a great step for my future."