His bull Foulden Hill McCoy was third in the Honda Motorcycles Impact Sires led class and went on to sell for $9000 to Nelson Hereford stud Lake Station.
Mr Gibson (20), a third-year student at Lincoln University studying agricultural commerce, also received the Hereford herdsman award.
Among the criteria for the award were the exhibitor's animal handling skills, personal appearance, marketing and knowledge of their animal, and how they presented their stalls.
Being a first-time exhibitor, Mr Gibson was pleased to get his ''name out there'' and to sell his bull to another stud.
He described Foulden Hill McCoy as a ''clear standout'' from a small herd. The bull paraded very well, had a great softness of carcass and had ''quite a bit of power'' while still a moderately framed animal.
Mr Gibson bought two heifers at the sale from the Clements' family's Matapouri stud in Northland.