It takes a huge amount of dedication, enthusiasm and attention to detail to succeed in any career – star qualities dairy farmers, Robert Sloan and his father Bryce, have undoubtedly been gifted with after winning a screed of top industry awards. In 2017, the Sloans saw their Townlaw Holstein herd from Auchinleck, Cumnock, lift the top honours for production and inspection in the Scottish Herds competition. This was superseded the following year with a Master Breeder Status from Holstein UK– an award which acknowledges high standards on classification scores and production traits as well as having trouble-free cows and herd longevity. At that time, the 180-cow herd based at Darnlaw, had an average lifetime yield of 46,000litres and included eight 100-tonne cows. Replacement rate was 19%.