Marcel Egli chosen to judge Diageo Baileys Champion Dairy Cow competition
Marcel Egli has been announced as a judge for the 2026 Diageo Baileys Champion Dairy Cow competition.
Marcel Egli has been announced as a judge for the 2026 Diageo Baileys Champion Dairy Cow competition.
The competition is set for August 19 at the Virginia Show. Widely recognised as one of Ireland's premier dairy livestock competitions, the Diageo Baileys Champion Dairy Cow title is regarded as one of the highest honours for Irish dairy breeders.
Born and raised in Buttisholz, in the canton of Lucerne, Switzerland, Mr Egli comes from a family with a long-standing passion for pedigree Holstein breeding.
Mr Egli’s parents and brother operate the renowned Woodhouse Holsteins herd, comprising around 50 pedigree Holstein cows on a 35-hectare farm, where Marcel developed his knowledge of elite cow families, dairy genetics and stock judging from an early age.
Mr Egli, alongside his wife Fabienne, established their own enterprise in Les Breuleux in Switzerland’s Jura region. They manage 25 hectares, rearing 100 pedigree Holstein replacement heifers.
Alongside farming, Mr Egli has forged an impressive international career in dairy genetics and breed improvement. Since 2014, he has worked as a breeding advisor with Swissherdbook, helping dairy farmers optimise breeding strategies and genetic progress.
He has been working at Zuechter-Service Ag since May 2026. There, he is responsible for the import and export of cattle to and from Europe.
He has judged some of Europe's most prestigious dairy shows and championships across Switzerland, Germany, France, Austria, Spain, Denmark and the United Kingdom.
His expertise earned him a place on the European Holstein and Red Holstein Confederation (EHRC) Judges Panel, placing him among Europe's elite panel of Holstein judges. In 2024 he was selected to judge the National Holstein Show at UK Dairy Day, one of Britain's most prestigious pedigree dairy events.
Mr Egli has also managed the show team for Ptit Coeur Holsteins, one of Switzerland's leading exhibition herds, and is a partner in Genetics Sale, a specialist company organising elite dairy cattle sales across Europe, where he is also an auctioneer.
Members of the Irish Holstein Friesian Association (IHFA) and Holstein NI have until August 12 to enter online at the Virginia Show website.
