Viscount Cowdray has been hailed as a model country estate owner after winning the Royal Agricultural Society of England’s coveted Bledisloe Gold Medal for 2025.

The award recognises his outstanding achievement in the long-term management and development of the 16,000-acre Cowdray Estate, one of the best-known estates in the South of England.

Presented at the RASE Awards ceremony at the Ragley Estate in Warwickshire on September 5, the medal is given to an individual who has demonstrated strategic, forward-looking stewardship of their estate over many years.

David Grint, chief executive of RASE, said Viscount Cowdray was chosen for his success in creating a modern, diversified estate that integrates arable and livestock farming with forestry, renewable energy, residential lettings, retail, and hospitality.

“By bringing farming, hospitality and community initiatives under one cohesive brand, Michael Cowdray has future-proofed the estate while safeguarding its heritage and environmental integrity,” Mr Grint said.

Cowdray described the award as a “great honour” and paid tribute to his team. “As a progressive rural estate under my family’s custodianship since 1909, we are proud to build on the work of previous generations and plan for the future so as to play our role in nature recovery.”

The Bledisloe Gold Medal was established in 1958 by Viscount Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe, who gifted the award to the society on his 90th birthday. Past recipients include Lord Hertford of the Ragley Estate, Dr Johnny Wake of Courteenhall, Sir Nicholas Bacon of Raveningham, and, most notably, Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for her management of the Sandringham and Windsor estates.

RASE praised Cowdray’s mix of business acumen, environmental stewardship and community engagement — a combination it said sets a benchmark for the industry.