Taranaki Ayrshire club members receive life membership

Hilary Jane and Gordon Glentworth.

Two members of the Taranaki Ayrshire club have been awarded life membership.

Gordon Glentworth and Hilary Jane received life membership at the Taranaki Ayrshire club annual dinner in July.

Gordon found his love of Ayrshire cattle at a young age. He also joined the Taranaki Ayrshire Club as a junior member while at primary school.

In 1975 he joined the Ayrshire Cattle Breeders Association of New Zealand and registered the Sanrosa prefix.

In 1989 Gordon became director for Ward 5, a position he still holds. He was president from 1997 to 1999, and again from 2005-2011. He has been chairman of the Semayr Board since 1991.

As well as his commitments to the Ayrshire breed, Gordon has been on the LIC Board since 1988, and is a director for Eltham Vet Services and chairman of the National Association of Rural Vet Practices.

In 2002, Gordon was awarded the Kiteroa Trophy at the association's national conference, and in 2004 he became a Distinguished Member of Ayrshire New Zealand. In 2011, he was made an honorary life member of the association.

Hilary became a member of the club in 1976. She was secretary for the Taranaki Ayrshire club from 2005 to 2010 and publicity officer from 2000 to 2010.

Hilary researched and compiled the Taranaki Ayrshire club 75th Jubilee history (1926-2001) on the club and breeders. She also compiled the Stratford A and P Associations centennial (1910-2010) book.

In 1992 and 2003, Hilary was awarded the Kiteroa trophy. She is the only person to have received the trophy twice. In 2012, she was awarded the Ayrshire New Zealand Distinguished award for her knowledge of the Taranaki Ayrshire club and breed.

For many years Hilary has been the recorder for the Ayrshire section of the Egmont and Stratford A and P shows.