At 19, she manages the day-to-day operations on her parents Linsey Bennett and Murray Skedgwell’s Mount Brook Jersey dairy farm at Tuatapere.
The family also has the Mount Lake and the Elmsbrook Jersey studs, while she has her own Elmslake Jersey Stud.
There are no Ayrshires.
She went to Feilding to attend two days of last month’s New Zealand Dairy Event to hone her skills on Ayrshires as an associate judge.
Her parents had gone up a few days beforehand.
Miss Skedgwell won the Arran Trophy in the Ayrshire Young Judge competition on January 27, and went forward to compete in the World Wide Sire All Breeds Junior Judging competition, placing third.
She was pleased at the win as she has more to do with Jerseys than Ayrshires.
"It was a good surprise and made the trip a bit more worthwhile.
"I wanted to learn at the dairy event as they have a high calibre of cattle there and it helped me advance my skills and refine my eye as to what should be top of the line.
Her family used to have Ayrshires as well as Jerseys but no longer, as her parents downsized farming operations.
"I have always liked Ayrshires.
"I still have little bit of a soft spot for them, a foot in each camp."
She has managed the 156ha dairy farm for more than two years and peak milks 330 registered cows.
In addition she has about 20 animals in her stud.
"‘I am trying to buy in new bloodlines from other studs and from overseas to build it up."
Kimberley Simmons, (16), of Dacre, won the Semex All New Zealand Youth Show Senior Yearling Heifer section.
