THE MARQUESS of Hertford has been recognised by the Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE) with the highest award that can be given to a landowner.
The owner of Ragley Hall, Alcester was awarded the prestigious Bledisloe gold medal for his outstanding achievements in the successful land management and development of the Ragley Estate which is set in 450 acres of Warwickshire parkland.
The medal was presented to Lord Hertford at the annual RASE Awards Day on September 12 at Courteenhall Estate in Northamptonshire.
It was gifted to the society in 1957 by Viscount Bledisloe on his 90th birthday and originally awarded to a landowner who achieved outstanding service in encouraging the application of science and technology to a branch of British husbandry.
It is now awarded to a landowner who demonstrates outstanding achievement in the successful land management and development of an agricultural estate in England.
A recent winner includes the late Queen Elizabeth II for the management of her Sandringham and Windsor Estates.
The judges said that Lord Hertford had led his team with the clear objective of developing a long term, financially successful businesses across the estate with a focus on the environment and community at its heart.
Lord Hertford said: “This is a wonderful accolade, justly recognising the high level of work put in by all the people who work on the Ragley Estate.”
He joined five other RASE award winners including the National Agricultural Award, which was presented to Baroness Minette Batters, in recognition of her leadership as president of the NFU from 2018 to February 2024.
David Grint, CEO at RASE, said that the winners of the 2024 RASE Awards demonstrate the breadth of forms that effective leadership can take.
He said: “From being willing to implement a novel approach on-farm and openly sharing learnings with peers, right through to speaking up for agriculture in policy and supply chain settings, each of the 2024 winners are exemplary leaders in their own right.”
