Ayrshire farmer says 'cows have been his life' as he accepts lifetime achievement award

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A well-known Ayrshire farmer has spoken of his pride after being bestowed with a Lifetime Achievement award by his peers.Hugh Kennedy was the 2023 recipient of the John Dennison Lifetime Achievement Award during the 11th Borderway Dairy Expo.Hugh, a dairy farmer, from Tarbolton, was described as a “passionate ambassador” of the Holstein breed all his working life before being presented with this highly acclaimed award, established in 2013 in memory of well-known dairy farmer John Dennison.Hugh said: “This is unbelievable, I am absolutely speechless.“Cows have been my life, and I loved John Dennison, he was one of my heroes and one of the nicest gentlemen you could ever meet.“I am so very humbled to receive this recognition.”The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.The recipients of the award are dairy cattle breeders who are judged to be an “exemplary role model” and “high achiever” in the dairy industry.Known and highly respected throughout the dairy industry, Hugh has been a leading breeder of Holsteins since he began farming at East Carngillan near Tarbolton, 54 years ago.From those early days Hugh has expanded his Stair and Stairend herds at East and West Cargillan into a leading dairy and breeding operation whose bloodlines have won prizes and plaudits throughout the UK, Europe and the United States.Announcing this year’s winner, Harrison & Hetherington’s Senior