Students from Bristol University, Duchy College and Harper Adams University have won this year's RABDF's Farm Health Management Award, sponsored by Volac and presented at last week's Dairy-Tech event, in Stoneleigh.

The awards aim to demonstrate and test the students' knowledge of the importance of proactive farm health management and are split into three categories – students at agricultural colleges, agricultural universities and vet schools.

Rebekah Patterson, from Bristol University; Louise Harrison, from Duchy College; and Marley Lamerton, from Harper Adams University, won the vet, agricultural college and agricultural universities categories, respectively.

Each candidate had to submit a 1500-word essay on proactive farm health management, with each category winner taking home a £500 cash prize.

Also at the event, a Harper Adams student won through from five other finalists to scoop this year's RABDF Dairy Student of the Year Award, sponsored by Mole Valley Farmers.

Agriculture with Farm Business Management student, Max Mitchell, from Shrewsbury, Shropshire, won the award after going through a rigorous application process. This included writing a 1500-word essay on a case study prepared by Kite Consulting and delivering a presentation to a panel of judges.

This is the second year in a row a student from Harper Adams University has won the award, with last year's student being Katie Ackland, from Devon.

Announced at Dairy-Tech, Max was presented with a cheque for £750 and a trophy, plus a six-month paid placement with Mole Valley Farmers. Runner-up was third-year Agriculture student Matthew McClymont, from Myerscough College.

The competition run by the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers is designed to reflect real-life challenges seen on dairy farms and wider policy issues as well as identifying some of the sector's rising stars and new entrants.