It's been a busy few months for the Taranaki student, who competed in the youth challenge at International Dairy Week Australia in January.
Radford was part of a 10-strong group of teenagers from New Zealand who attended.
The event in Shepparton, Victoria, attracted 180 exhibitors, about 1000 dairy cattle from across Australia and more than 6000 visitors.
"It was such an amazing learning experience. The New Zealand team ended up finishing second in the youth challenge, which was so cool," said Radford.
Despite competing as a team, the teenagers were split into three groups, tackling clipping, handling and judging.
"My sister Isabelle and I were part of the judging team. It gave us such a buzz when we found out we'd placed the cows in the same order as the main judges for the competition," she said.
Monique Radford was part of the New Zealand team which competed at IDW Australia. Photo / Supplied
Prior to flying out to Australia, Monique was one of 23 people who attended the National All Dairy Breeds Youth Camp in Stratford, which was organised by Holstein Friesian NZ.
Each person had their own heifer calf which they had to feed, groom, teach to lead on a halter and get show ring ready.
There were workshops on animal health, breeding and showmanship skills, and participants were taught how to use electric clippers to trim a heifer's coat.
"It was my first time attending the event. I learned a lot about how to clip a heifer's coat correctly. It's a great skill to have," she said.
Radford's already a regular in the show ring, competing with her own calf at the Stratford A&P Show last December. The 18-year-old owns three Holstein Friesians.
Monique was still undecided on the career path she wants to take once she's completed her degree.
"I like science, but I'm more interested in animals than I am in plants. All I know is that I want a career in the agriculture industry," she said.