Dawn Bowness, Farm Clinical Director at Clevedale Veterinary Practice in Upleatham, North Yorkshire has been named Agricultural Adviser of the Year at the prestigious National Women in Agriculture Awards 2026 for her outstanding contribution to farming and food production.
Dawn was presented with the award during a ceremony held at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London on Tuesday 5 May.
The National Women in Agriculture Awards celebrate the achievements of women making an outstanding contribution to farming, food production and the wider agricultural industry across the UK. Now in their third year, the awards recognise excellence in areas including sustainability, innovation, education and agricultural leadership.
Dawn was honoured in the Agricultural Adviser of the Year category for her work supporting livestock farmers through disease reduction, productivity improvements and long-term herd and flock health planning.
Judges praised Dawn’s impact on the farming community, describing her as an exceptional veterinary advisor.
Dawn joined Clevedale Vets, which has practices in Upleatham, Stokesley, Whitby and Guisborough, in 2011 as veterinary surgeon looking after small animals and farm animals. She moved into farm-only work 10 years ago after discovering it was where her real passion lay. In 2023, she became the practice’s Farm Clinical Director and now leads the farm team while continuing to work closely with clients across the North East of England.
She was secretly nominated for the award by her colleague, Pippa, something Dawn said made the achievement even more special.
Dawn said: “I absolutely love what I do and feel incredibly lucky to work with such fantastic clients at Clevedale Vets who really let you become part of their business and over the years I’ve built so many great relationships – several clients have become very good friends.
“It was also wonderful to attend the awards and meet so many inspiring women from different sectors of agriculture. There are so many people doing amazing things across the industry and it was great to celebrate that together.”
The awards ceremony brought together leaders from across the food and farming industries and was hosted by comedian Lucy Porter. Winners were selected by a judging panel made up of prominent figures from across British agriculture and food production.
Dawn’s success has been warmly celebrated by colleagues at Clevedale Vets, who said the award reflects both her expertise and the strong relationships she has built with farming clients over many years.
Pictured with Dawn Bowness (centre) is Judith Batchelar OBE – Director at Food Matters International and one of the judges of the National Women in Agriculture Awards 2026 (left) and Awards host Lucy Porter.
Article by Carolyn Small, PR & Communications Manager – email: [email protected]