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To celebrate and showcase its success, the ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ welcomed more than a thousand guests this week for its NMR/ RABDF Gold Cup Open Day.

The Open Day is held annually to allow interested parties to explore the winning farm and speak to the team behind its outstanding performance.

The Harper Adams Future Farm’s Dairy Team was awarded the Gold Cup in February 2025, at the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers’ Dairy Tech conference, after qualifying through their NMR milk records.

The Gold Cup is given to the dairy farming business judges decide is the best in the UK and is a mark of all-round excellence. It was the first time in history that a team from Harper Adams had put in for the trophy, first awarded in 1920, and the first time a University has won the award.

The main dairy unit at Harper Adams provides accommodation for 400 cows, milked three times a day in a rotary parlour.

As well as being a commercial dairy farm, the rotary parlour is also laid out to enable research and teaching – enabling learning on the farm every day.

During the open day, the farm team were able to explain more about how it operates commercially, academically, and for research, as well as allowing people to see the Gold Cup – displayed on the NMR stand.

It also allowed the team to welcome members of the public, industry organisations, and other dairy farmers to see their award-winning work up close.

Ruminant Sector Manager Kate Robinson – one of several team members who spent the day giving talks - said: “It was an amazing day on our Future Farm celebrating the RABDF Gold Cup win.

“The farm looked stunning alongside all the cows. We had more than 60 trade partners exhibiting throughout the day - and 1000 guests on the farm.

 “I’d like to thank all the teams from across the University who worked with us to make the day such a success, as well as all our trade visitors – and every single guest who came to see us and find out more about our work.

“It was also great to see the Gold Cup itself here on the farm - the trophy is real Gold and was a hefty weight!”

ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Michael Lee added: “The whole Future Farm team – and particularly Kate’s Ruminant sector team – should be very proud of both their win and of putting on such a hugely successful Gold Cup Open Day.

“I’d like to thank the main exhibitors Wynnstay Group PLC, as well as all of the exhibitors – and to all of the members of the public, students, alumni, partners, staff and more who came along and made the day so special!”

See a selection of the social media reaction to the day in our roundup below: