The Taieri dairy farmer won the Royal Agricultural Society yearling heifer section and came close to taking the title for in-calf heifers.
Mr Wilson milks 160 pedigree Friesian cows at Henley, where he owns a 40ha milking platform and another 30ha runoff.
Annual milk production is about 50,000kg of milk solids.
This year's win follows victories in 2003 and 2006.
The competition was an important benchmark for him and ensured he focused on his calf-rearing standards, Mr Wilson said.
"What it does is it makes farmers look at their selection of his animals and how [they are] rearing them. Being judged, you are a lot more diligent on how you rear your calves," he said.
Mr Wilson feeds his 34 replacement heifer calves colostrum for the first two days after birth, and continues feeding them individually for the first month.
In the early days he ensures the calves are dry and warm before giving them access to a paddock next to the calf shed while retaining access to the shelter of the shed.
After a month, the calves are fed from a milk trailer, but Mr Wilson maintains high hygiene standards, thoroughly cleaning the trailer after each feed.
He said his system was not complicated, but he tried to be proactive and prevent problems from arising.
All replacement heifer calves were DNA tested to prove parentage.
Cows were artificially inseminated for the first cycle then followed up with his own bulls, so he wanted to ensure he knew the parentage of calves.
Mr Wilson's pedigree herd, Rodabe, was started by his father in the early 1970s, and he has continued to focus on breeding what he calls mid-sized, easy-to-manage Friesians with a focus on protein production.
His yearling heifers and in-calf heifers won the Taieri A and P contest, and his yearling heifers won the southern district leg, open to cattle from Otago and Southland, and his in-calf heifers came third.
The calves went on to win the South Island title.