Michael and Susanna Booth of Waitui Ayrshires, Palmerston North, were awarded the Bell-Booth Achiever Award. Having both grown up on dairy farms, Mike and Susanna share a love of farming and pedigree cows (both Ayrshires and Jerseys). Mike grew up on an Ayrshire farm in Northland, while Susanna grew up on the well known Merrifields Jersey Stud farm (owned by Richard and Joy Gibson), in Hawera, and then later moving to Longburn, Manawatu, incorporating the Thornton Park Stud also. Mike and Susanna married in February 2007, and in June of the same year moved onto the Merrifields Stud farm, milking 700 cows (last year averaging 430 milksolids), 100 of these being pedigree Ayrshire cows. In 2007 Mike and Susanna joined Ayrshire New Zealand and started their own Ayrshire Stud under the name Waitui. This year they have taken on the position of Farm Manager for Richard and Joy Gibson, a big undertaking especially with two girls (Briar and Bella) aged under 4. Nevertheless they showed competence in this role and succeeded in winning the Farm Manager of the Year for the Manawatu region. Susanna, growing up with parents who have exhibited cattle in the showring has from a young age enjoyed helping out and taking more responsibility in selecting the show animals. This experience was proven when she won the Young Jersey Judge Competition at the NZ Dairy Event where she and Mike exhibited a team of Ayrshire and Jersey cows. Also at the NZ Dairy Event Susanna was the leader of the Manawatu Cowgirls in the Youth Team Challenge, in which they were placed first. Mike and Susanna are both very keen exhibitors at local shows, and this year they won champion Ayrshire cow at both Feilding and Palmerston North shows. They are both active members of the Manarapa Ayrshire Club, attending all club meetings, dinners and activities, and have hosted a club visit.