Mr Gilbert is this year's Canterbury A&P Show's junior dairy stock judging winner earning him the chance to travel to Australia to compete in Sydney's prestigious show.
Last year, younger brother Luke (16) won the award.
Each of the contestants in the two dairy stock junior judging classes (under 17 and under 24) had to evaluate four dairy cows of different breeds.
Then they were required to rank the cows in order and give reasons for their placement.
New South Wales Holstein Friesian judge Murray Polson also ranked the cows and gave reasons for his decisions.
He assessed the competitors' decisions and their speaking abilities before awarding them grades for their judgements.
As a judge of dairy stock it was important to keep in mind overall ''dairyness'' and ''the reason we milk cows is to pay bills'', Mr Polson said.
He said it was important not to be ''scared of the microphone'', to give an honest opinion and have the ''confidence what you say is right''.
Two British women on a working holiday at Red Cow Farms, Ashburton, also entered the senior of the two events.
Kayleigh Coole (23), of the Isle of Man, took second place and Caroline Morris (23), of Buckinghamshire, came fifth.
The pair, who also showed shorthorn cattle for the farm at the show, said they had very much enjoyed the experience.