Swiss judge on the look out for strength and style
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Launching the 2026 Diageo Baileys Champion Dairy Cow competition at the Diageo Baileys site in Dublin were: Anthony Farrelly, Site Operations Manager, Tirlán Virginia; Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon; Mary Gaynor, President Virginia Show; Martina Jameson, Secretary Virginia Show and Fiona McLoone Production Manager, Diageo Baileys. The prestigious competition, which celebrates excellence in Irish Holstein Friesian dairy breeding, returns to Virginia Show on August 19 and is supported by Diageo Ireland in partnership with Tirlán. Minister Heydon joined representatives from Diageo Ireland and Tirlán at the launch of the 2026 Diageo Baileys Champion Dairy Cow competition at the Diageo Baileys site in Dublin.Image 2 of 2
Swiss Judge Marcel Egli will judge the 2026 Diageo Baileys Champion Dairy Cow Competition, taking place on Wednesday, August 19 at the Virginia Show.The judge for the prestigious 2026 Diageo Baileys Champion Dairy Cow is looking for a cow that combines exceptional dairy strength, balance and style matched with longevity and production efficiency to win the top accolade.
Swiss Judge Marcel Egli was recently announced as the judge for this year’s competition, taking place on Wednesday, August 19 at the Virginia Show.
Today, Wednesday, August 12 is the final day for members of the Irish Holstein Friesian Association (IHFA) and Holstein NI to enter online on the Virginia Show website.
Born and raised in Buttisholz, in the canton of Lucerne, Switzerland, Marcel comes from a family with a long-standing passion for pedigree Holstein breeding. His 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.
In 2020, Marcel and his wife Fabienne established their own enterprise after taking over Fabienne’s family farm in Les Breuleux, in Switzerland's Jura region. Today they manage approximately 25 hectares, rearing around 100 pedigree Holstein replacement heifers, while continuing to work closely with the Woodhouse Holsteins breeding programme to develop elite Holstein genetics renowned for outstanding conformation, production, functionality and longevity.
Alongside farming, Marcel 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. Marcel 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.
Marcel has also managed the show team for the internationally acclaimed P’tit 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.
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. Sponsored by Diageo Ireland, producers of Baileys Irish Cream, in partnership with Tirlán, the competition celebrates the breeding excellence, stockmanship and family commitment that underpin Ireland's world-leading dairy industry.