Premium Apple Crisp Lilly-Red Grand Champion International Red & White Show 2024 Butlerview Farm
Butlerview had a word-perfect day in the Red & White Holstein show on the coloured shavings at WDE today, while another family a few aisles away was reeling from the emotions of experiencing its first banner moment.
Butlerview Farm, from Chebanse, IL, now own the back-to-back Grand Champion Red & White Holstein after its imposing and spine-tinglingly good five-year-old Premium Apple Crisp Lilly-Red EX-94 carved up her age class, before going all the way under judge Kevin Doeberiener (West Salem, Ohio) and his associate Adam Hodgins (Kincardine, Ontario, Canada).
Meanwhile, Jay and Kristy Ackley and Donald and Danette Simpson (East Liberty, OH) was still absorbing what their first banner at the biggest dairy show on earth meant for their family. Their six-year-old and over winner Glaustar Calif All Out-Red-ET is the 2024 Reserve Grand Champion.
BUTLERVIEW ROCKING
First to the Butlerview camp’s campaign. The pressure of preparing a defending champion was easily absorbed by the experienced Butlerview crew. With Mike Deaver strapping Lilly – who Jeff Butler described with a smile as an “experienced grizzled veteran” – she was in safe hands. While Lily has a mind of her own, it wasn’t Mike’s first rodeo either, and he kept her on-point all day.
Jeff Butler said they were hopeful that she would get it done.
“But you know that everything has to go right for it to happen,” he said. “They have to calve in without any problems and get through the heat of the summer. It’s never easy.”
Regarding the pressure of preparing a defending champion?
“We handle it fine, because we put more pressure on ourselves, and we don’t pay a whole lot of attention to others. There is always pressure.”
Butlerview bought Lilly privately at WDE last year on the Tuesday before the show from Juniper Farm (Gray, ME).
“I saw her for the first time at Pierre Boulet’s sale, and I remember her selling that day. We bought her a year later privately. He said that the people who bred her didn’t classify a lot.
Regardless of that she has Apple on the top and bottom of her pedigree. She is the granddaughter of KHW Regiment Apple-Red EX-96, and she is sired by Siemers Oct Apple Crisp-RC, whose great granddam is also Apple-Red.
The team were taking a few hours to enjoy the victory before they started their plans for Supreme Champion tomorrow. Further out than that Lilly has gone over her days after being bred, and they are planning to show her at The Royal. Jeff didn’t rule out her also running in the black & White and the Red & White show.
Demand for her embryos is already high.
“We will be IVF flushing her right after the Royal. While she doesn’t have a lot of classification scores, because of her uniqueness as an individual there is a lot of interest,” Jeff said.
For judge Doeberiener, the Grand Champion was decisive.
“For me she has the advantage of the openness and angularity and dairyness throughout. A cow that has a little more length of frame. A cow that has a lot of ring presence, and she shows a little more quality to that mammary system today.
“She’s got a deeper crease, more veination on that rear udder. Taking nothing away from Reserve. A cow that you love the balance. You love the symmetry to her udder. It is that balance and that little depth to that rear flank to give her the advantage over that first placed four-year-old in Honourable Mention.”
RESERVE CHAMPION WON’T EVER BE SOLD
Glaustar Calif All Out-Red-ET 1st place Aged Cow International Red & White Show 2024 Glaustar Calif All Out-Red-ET
For Jay and Kristy Ackley, the tears were flowing freely as they enjoyed their first banner moment.
They bought Glaustar Calif All Out-Red-ET three years ago. Last year she finished third in the six years and over last year, but for the last three years she has anchored the winning dam and daughter combination at WDE, and she has collected Honourable Mention All-American.
The couple milk 160 Holsteins and Jerseys on 4500 acres. Both acknowledged Jay’s parents, Robert and Kathleen, who ignited their passion for show cows. Robert passed away 12 years ago.
“He meant a bunch to us, he loved showing, and he loved the dairy industry,” Jay said.
“Dad was the inspiration for us to keep going in this industry, and to push to be at the top.”
Kristy added, “She calved in August 28 with a bull calf, and once we stretched her bag at home, she knew it was game time,” Kristy said. “She travelled good, and she got in here and knew what to do, and she just got it rolling.
“Full credit to that girl for being a gamer.”
Jay added, “We’re just so happy and we have a great team of friends. The dairy industry is so good for friendships. The money means nothing, it’s the friendships you build. That’s all that matters. We had so many people congratulate us and we’re just so happy.”
At home, Out-Red is the “queen bee”.
“She knows she’s the boss, and she knows she made it this year. We have semen in her to breed her for next year, but I don’t ask anymore of her. If she wants to just be a baby momma, I’m fine with it,” Kristy said.
“And, just in case anyone is wondering: “She’s not for sale,” Jay said.
Butlerview’s Jeff and Jim Butler were also on the Junior Champion Red & White, Milksource A Tierney-Red-ET. The two other partners include Clarkvalley and Pierre Boulet. The trio bought her privately from Milksource.
“Those guys are two of our great friends, and we all happened to come to the show together, and Pierre saw her in the wash rack, and he came and got me, and we looked at her, and then we asked Milksource for a price, and we decided we were going to buy her. She’s turned out really well, she’s got a great family, and we’re so happy she won.”
Norman Nabholz has long been a keen observer and quick-witted narrator for the global dairy industry.
He has now turned his attention to putting the words to paper in a popular group of self-published books, which the industry has embraced. He is now on the second print run of his third read, “Bonnie goes to the Fair”, and he has started researching his fourth publication, “Ringside Notes”.
Norm said they have been bowled over by the popularity of “Millionaires in the Cornfield”, “The Queens Caretakers”, and now “Bonnie Goes to the Fair.” Bonnie’s story follows a calf’s journey through the 4-H process.
The second section includes helpful hints from several of the best in the business. Nathan Thomas (Triple T Holsteins) talks about feeding, Terri Packard (Kueffner Holsteins and Jerseys) shares her knowledge about breaking heifers to show, the Harbaugh family (Bella-Ridge) talk about washing, and Shirley Spencer advises on keeping whites, white. Jennifer Hill speaks about her packing list for a show.
Norman wants the industry to keep the trailblazers of the industry alive for the next generation.
“Ringside Notes is about the great sales and interesting cows from the past,” Norman said.
“It will be about this business we’re in, the characters from the rich people to the eccentric – we’ve got them all. I like writing about the past, because I think the past is interesting.”
He said he loves the research the most.
“There was a Milking Shorthorn back in the early 1970s that showed at a lot of shows. And, they would show their cattle in the dairy in the morning at these fairs, and then as beef in the afternoon. They had one heifer that was shown 56 times (in beef and dairy) and she was never beat in either division,” Norm smiled.
“I find that interesting. I remember the basics of that cow, because we showed at a lot of shows that they did, and we became friends. These guys that owned that cow – one ended up being an orthopedic surgeon – and the other a very high-priced corporate lawyer. But they were showing cattle, and I thought it was pretty cool.”
Then he followed the crumbs to a cow that had a sliding door moment.
“There was a cow found at the University of Illinois as a two-year-old, and she went from no score to EX-95 the first time she was scored.
“There is another story about a Jersey in the early 1960s. She calved with twins three times on the truck going to the National Show – from Texas to the All-American. Even worse, one of the times she calved they were milking her on the truck and she got her tail caught in the milking pump and she cut it off…up high.
“They got to the show and went to the stock yards and found a Jersey tail and sewed it on. Looking at the photo – that is 65 to 70 years old – you cannot tell. It’s unreal.
“They are just some of the stories like that that I think people will be interested in.”
Norman said he was movitated because he worried the industry might forget the legacies that made today possible.
“I’m not an athlete, and I’m really not into doing physical stuff, and I wanted to write about the cattle.
“So, I wanted to do this and make sure those stories remain.”
“Bonnie goes to the Fair” is available from the Bovine Boutique in the exhibition hall.
US tennis player Billie King said it best when she told a faltering player on her Federation Cup team that, “Pressure is a privilege”.
And, yesterday in the WDE stadium, the big dogs – who know exactly what the nuance within that statement means – came out to play in the National Jersey Show.
Judge Ryan Krohlow (Poynette, Wisconsin) and his associate Jean Philippe Charest, (Saint Alexandre, Quebec, Canada) worked through 375-head (223 juniors, 98 intermediates, and 54 senior cows).
Stoney Point Joel Bailey 1st Place Mature Cow International Jersey Show 2024 Vierra Dairy Farms
When it came down to the pointy end of the day, the 2023 defending Grand Champion, Stoney Point Joel Bailey (Vierra Dairy Farms Hilmar, CA), hit the ring and won the six years and over class – right after the crowd watched the classy winning five-year-old, Spring View Joel Kinsley – from Budjon Farms and Peter & Lyn Vail (Lomira, WI).
Spring View Joel Kinsley 1st Place Five Year Old International Jersey Show 2024 Budjon Farms and Peter & Lyn Vail
Both cows were on-point, and they were both backed by exceptional pit crews who were primed to make judge Krohlow’s job as hard as they could.
Bailey had to beat seven entries in her class, and Kinsley took on 18-head. Judge Krohlow appeared to have the time of his life making the big calls, and he never hesitated – outside of his emotional thank you speech – as he revealed the top-three of the show.
“It’s been unbelievable – by far the best that I can ever remember here – and I want to thank the boys in the barn because they get the cattle out,” judge Krohlow said.
“I know how much work it takes, and what a long day it is. The fitting was second to none this week. The way these three cows stand out in the ring with those long, beautiful heads and necks, how dairy they are, and how they stand so square on both front and rear feet, while being so comfortable for how much milk they’ve got on. They are as good as it gets.”
Bailey a two-time Grand
Vierra Dairy’s Stoney Point Joel Bailey successfully defended her title, taking Grand for the second time. It is the fifth successive time that Vierra Dairy has shown Grand Champion Jersey at WDE.
2024: Stoney Point Joel Bailey
2023: Stoney Point Joel Bailey
2022: Rivendale VIP Eloise
2021: Bri-Lin Valson Spritz
2020: No show
2019: Bri-Lin Valson Spritz
Speaking on behalf of Vierra Dairy, Jennifer Thomas said the win was exciting and she confirmed that Bailey is back in-calf for 2025.
“It may be the fifth time Vierra have had Grand, but we never take it for granted because there is such tremendous quality here, and you know that any cow can come out on any day here, and be the right one,” Jennifer said.
“It was an incredible show all the way down the line. That five-year-old class was amazing.”
She described Bailey as a “true-type model type of cow”, who was a no-fuss individual to get ready. She said they liked their cows to be resilient, and able to hold their own at the farm. Bailey is that cow. She showed with a ring in her nose, because she also likes to get her own way.
“She can sometimes have a Jersey moment and lose her manners,” Jennifer smiled.
With 34-head in their string, Vierra Dairy’s team looked more like a small-town heading into the ring for the champion team photos. Jennifer said it was important they joined the celebration.
“We always make sure that the team can come down to watch Grand because they work really hard, and we want them to be part of it. We’re all friends – family really – and we all have a good time. We have people and friends who have helped us for like 14 years, in addition to our young people.”
She said that every win was special in its own way, but the first ones remain deeply etched in their memory banks.
Jennifer and her husband, Nathan, run Triple-T Holsteins, milking 35 head at their Ohio property. Their work includes Vierra’s show cows, which the couple manage for the Californian dairy operation.
“Vierra are great people, and this is a relationship that has grown from one cow to where it is today. When you work this closely with people and you trust them, you do become family.”
More than one high point
For Budjon’s Kelli Cull the day was exciting on several levels. The obvious one was that she led the winning five-year-old and Reserve Grand, Spring View Joel Kinsley.
“What a day,” Kelli said. “It was amazing. When you can come out and win a class like that [five-year-old], that (to me) is incredible. I’m so happy for my team, and I appreciate everybody who helps us at home and at the show.
Budjon Farms and Peter & Lyn Vail (Lomira, WI) bought Kinsley for $41,000 at the Kueffner Holstein and Jerseys’ July 2023 South Mountain Sale.
“When I walked into the class, she just felt so good. I knew they liked her, and – not to take that for granted – I really felt like she floated out there today.
“But you never take that for granted when you’re in this business. It is deep water, and I think the show keeps getting better and better every year.
“Whether you’re breeding them or buying them, if you can get in the top-five or the top-three here, anything after that is a huge bonus in my opinion.”
She acknowledged Vierra for the energy it brings to the show.
“We are also happy for Vierra Dairy with Grand. They have tremendous cows and just to be Reserve to them is incredible.”
Both cows could be back
Kelli confirmed that Kinsley is carrying a heifer sired by the reserve premier sire, River Valley Victorious-ET.
It means these two top cows could potentially be at the same venue doing the same thing in 12 months.
“It feels like the stars are aligning for her, I think her best days are still ahead of her,”
Kelli said.
The more subtle levels of excitement for Kelli came from the junior three-year-old class.
She said it was gratifying to have bred the second and third-placed animals respectively, Budjon-Vail Victorious Blayke-ET (owned by Ron & Christy Ratliff Trustees & Gettle Mason & Jaxson, Garnett, KS) and Budjon-Vail Andreas Dakota-ET (owned by Budjon Farms and Peter & Lyn Vail, Lomira, WI)
“Honestly watching that class [25-head], and how great it was made it such an honour to finish second and third. Then to come out with Kinsley in the five-year-old, which I also thought was one of the best classes of the day.”
The Honourable Mention Grand was the winning senior three-year-old and Intermediate Champion, GMBV Joel Dixie-ET (Milk Source Genetics Kaukauna, WI).
Judge Krohlow acknowledged Dixie’s breed character “all the way throughout” in his comments for Intermediate Champion.
“She’s a touch crisper through the top and I also prefer the way she blends through the pelvic bone right back through that tailhead. And, like I said in her class, the overall quality right through her mammary system.”
The Junior Champion (and Junior Champion Bred and Owned) emerged from a deep junior show that collectively numbered 223 entries. Schulte Bros Colton Fallon was exhibited by David Hoese and Schulte Bros from Glencoe, MN in the Summer Yearling class, that numbered 48-head.
Pacific Edge from Tillmook, OR was the Premier Breeder after a strong day across the board.
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Two Canadian teams – who had the toughest road to WDE this year – dominated the Grand Champion line-up in the Ayrshire Show at Madison yesterday.
Sisters Vicky and Bianca Foley, from Piopolis, in Quebec, were on the grounds to watch two of their family’s cows – from their milking herd of 50 – win Grand and Reserve Grand Champion in what they describe as the “best day of their lives”.
The Grand Champion was the winning five-year-old, Vieux Village Gentleman Joy. Reserve Grand was the winning four-year-old, Vieux Village G Montana. Honourable Mention was the Intermediate Champion, B-Wil Kingsire Willow, owned by Pierre Boulet, from Montmagny, Quebec.
Bianca Foley said their goal at the start of the week was for Joy and Montana – who are both sired by Gentleman – to win their class. Everything else was a bonus. They wouldn’t be drawn on who was their personal favourite.
“We like both. They are friends. No matter which one wins, we are happy,” Bianca said.
They said their father, Florent, was emotional over the phone when they let him know that their day at the office couldn’t have gone any better. The family had trusted the McKinven team at Lookout Farm to prepare their cows. The 20-hour transit (without chores), showing early in the week (giving the cows less time to settle), and the quarantine ahead faded into insignificance as the reality of the victory started to sink in.
“Yes, we were worried, but we wanted to come. We have a heifer barn that is empty, because the heifers are outside, so they will stay there by themselves until they test clear.”
They said not coming was never an option for them, and they didn’t hesitate to put the pair into Lookout’s hands.
“We know Callum. He is the perfect cowman, and we are never worried when they are with him,” Bianca said.
Callum said that Joy – who is from one of Vieux Village’s strongest show families – had been slow to start eating since arriving. He said she got on the programme once Vicky arrived, and “gave her a hug”.
Callum first met Florent when he prepared and led his cow in 1984 – whipping out his phone to prove it with a photo. He was thrilled to be able to deliver the perfect one-two result for his friends.
“They’ve been with our string for two years now, I’m good friends with them and they trusted me to take their cows for them,” he said. “They are not really people to settle with just anyone because they are so passionate. We’re thrilled for them.”
While the sisters couldn’t be drawn on their favourite, it was the judge’s express job to do exactly that. Brandon Ferry, from Hilbert, Wisconsin, said he couldn’t go past his five-year-old.
“She’s one word – balanced,” he said. “She is so correct, she blends so harmoniously through her parts, she’s dairy strength, with a great foot and leg, and a beautiful mammary system.
“This great juddered four-year-old is so, so wet. With that beautiful mammary system. My Honourable Mention [from the Intermediate show], her udder from earlier to now hasn’t moved. It’s gotten higher and wider, and the crease hasn’t gone anywhere.”
Judge Ferry and his associate, Michelle Upchurch, Hebron, Ill.placed 327-head yesterday [2023 numbers were 283].
Among the competitive show was the 2003 Supreme Champion of the Junior Ayrshire Show, Toppglen Wishful Thinking-ET, exhibited by Tanner, Brennan, Marissa, Logan Topp, West Salem, OH. Wishful Thinking – who has a slew of results at WDE – won the production class, and she happily chewed her cud in the ring while the photos were taken at the end of the day…
Premier Breeder: Palmyra Farm, Hagerstown, MD
Premier Exhibitor: Glenmar-Dale Farms, Mark & Becky Brown, Fennimore, WI
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WDE may be all about the cows, but at its heart it’s just as much about the people.
One of the emotional stories of the day came in a class of 48-head of winter heifer calves – the biggest Ayrshire class in five decades – in the Ayrshire show under judge Brandon Ferry.
The heifer that rose to the top of that class had a fairytale story, which framed a “homage” to one of the big personalities of the industry, Richard Caverly, who died in February. The heifer, Palmyra Magellan Gigi-ET, has not only added a new colour to Kueffner Holsteins and Jerseys, she now resides at her Boonsboro address minutes from where she was bred – Palmyra Ayrshires.
The sense of Richard’s loss lingers in the Kueffner and Packard camp – heightened by the additional industry loss of Michael Heath – who introduced Ernie and Terri to Richard 30 years ago.
Ironically, the Ayrshire calf was a recent buy from Katie Shultz, of Chambersburg (this year’s inaugural recipient of the Richard Caverly Memorial Dairy Award)*.
While Terri says there had to be some emotion in the buy, everyone knows this couple doesn’t get off the bench for no reason. The ball started rolling on Ayrshires the day Ernie idlily commented that he was bored, and that he needed a project.
“It was two years ago when I first heard Ernie say, ‘I’d like to own a good young Ayrshire’,” Terri said.
“I looked at him and I thought he was joking, but he didn’t laugh. Then Richard [Caverly] was on the hunt for one from there.
“Ernie and Richard became obsessed with a cow from Quebec [Vieux Village G Montana] who went on to win Intermediate Champion last year, and they spent five days trying to get her bought. They were disappointed they didn’t get her.
“Then recently, Katie was tied next to us at our State Fair, and she started telling Ernie about a good Ayrshire calf she had at home. Then she started showing him pictures and video and told him about the genomics and that’s when he started getting interested.”
Ernie may have wanted an Ayrshire, but his team knows he doesn’t prefer heifers. One of the couple’s longtime friends and cattle partner Nate Oleniacz, from Gettysburg, put it into perspective.
“He really appreciates the cows – and he likes that we all get along with the heifers – but he calls them the ‘little pains in the arses’,” Nate said.
Terri agreed: “If I had a dollar for every time he said, ‘I hate heifers’ for the last 28 years…I could have paid for that heifer twice over. He sees no value in them until they are cows.”
However, this time Ernie was on the page, because this heifer came with some special credentials, in addition to be sired by Magellan and bred by Palmyra Farm – Ernie and Terri’s neighbours – who would go on to win Premier Breeder yesterday.
Terri said, “This one has a great pedigree, along with very high genomics for her mammary. Genomics were so important for Richard because he thought the Ayrshire breed should be doing more testing to help move them forward, so they would have more information for their mating decisions.
“He was adamant about that, and Katie is too. She tests all of her heifers. So, we’ve ended up with pedigree and genomics, which he would have liked.”
Terri said the Gigi handled like a dream – almost as if Richard was watching over them – and that the other Ayrshire breeders had been very welcoming.
“When we were waiting for the class, people were very positive and happy to have us. I guess it also creates some excitement at a level, and it was great for Katie too,” Terri said.
Nate said the team still feel like Richard is with them.
“You always feel at WDE that Richard is here, and we miss him a lot. This win for our group who knew Richard and his desire for the Ayrshire breed to shine…is a homage to him.”
The International Ayrshire heifer show included 201-head. Judge Ferry (and associate judge Michelle Upchurch) chose their winning winter yearling, Budjon-Vail Autograph Kristina-ET (sired by Autograph) and owned by Budjon, Peter Vail, C Rupprecht, Brothers Three and S & S Nehls of Watertown, WI, as their Junior Champion.
Reserve Junior Champion was Ullmstar A Rectify (sired by Andy) owned by Damian & Kiley Ullmer, Seymour, WI. Honourable Mention was another Autograph daughter, Budjon-Vail Autograph Kimberley (2ndwinter yearling) owned by Cole Rupprecht, Lomira, WI.
* The Richard Caverly award was established by friends to honor Richard’s memory. Richard is remembered for his deep cow sense, love of breeding, animal husbandry, and his enduring belief in the importance of training and guiding dairy youth.
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When news of the outbreak of the bird flu virus in 13 US states, WDE officials had to elevate biosecurity measures for Madison. The US competitors could roll with it. Canada faced some tougher conversations surrounding the two testing perimeters over the 21-day period before and after the competition – including quarantine measures that demand no “nose-to-nose” contact and stringent milking practices.
Some Canadian teams are missing or smaller, although heifers class numbers today peaked at around 50-head.
Quebec competitors Ferme Blondin makes its living from marketing cattle, and WDE is a big deal on their calendar. The team usually bring around 20-head to Madison, and its Marketing Manager Dann Brady doesn’t mind admitting there was plenty of head-scratching before they decided to saddle up for this year’s WDE.
Outside of the 23-hour trucking trip (including two stops for chores), they knew they couldn’t test on-ground, that the pre-show test lasts seven days (expiring tomorrow), that the show finished on a Friday, and there were no laboratories open over the weekend be able to turn the results around to get the cows out of the grounds by noon Saturday. And, Blondin tried.
Blondin spoke to their partners and the owners of their tie-ins, and it was agreed that all the cows on the Blondin trailer would either be marketed at WDE, or they would sit out the quarantine period at a fairground – half an hour from Madison – and once the quarantine period is completed they will be returned to the partners’ farms. None of them will go home to Blondin.
One cow has already sold – Desperle Lambda Kim VG87-2YRS – a summer junior two-year-old. She was owned by Ferme Ralston, and she will be shown under Butlerview come show day.
Blondin milk 300 cows (including 50-head on behalf of Ferme Desdion who had a barn collapse under snow).
Blondin has a young team – all aged four years or under – for the Holstein and the Red & White Holstein show.
“The reality is we did change how many we brought. We usually might bring 20 and within that number, they may be one or two that aren’t quite ‘ready’, but if they handle the truck ride well they come to it,” Dann said. “I can remember us selling a milking yearling one year and we literally made the final decision to bring her as we loaded the cows on the truck. We sold her to Milksource that year, and she ended up winning her class.
“A lot of people already know that we sell lots of cows every year. It’s part of our business. Because we had a sale last year where we sold some of our top cows, we do have a younger team this year, but they are all doing everything right.
He confirmed there has been solid interest so far this week.
“We want to protect the safety and health of our animals just like everyone else,” Dann said. “The industry has taken all the precautions possible before any animals are taken back into regular populations, and the good part is that every milking animal on the show grounds has been tested to be here.
“Our cows have all settled in exceptionally well. It’s been probably one of our best trips for the cows. The stress level on the team is at a manageable level at the moment.
“We are very happy we came. We have a new booth. We do a lot of business in the USA and Canada, we get a lot of international visitors come and visit us, and we wanted to be here to support the show and to be a part of it.”
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Two of the international judges candidly admitted they were surprised when they judged in New Zealand for the first time this week.
Brian Behnke was pleased with his options in the Ayrhsire show.
Brian Behnke from Wisconsin in the United States has judged at the biggest show in the world – World Dairy Expo – three times, and his expansive judging resume spans many years across multiple countries. Nico Bons, from the Netherlands, said he had followed Australian cattle for years through International Dairy Week (IDW), so he had a good idea about what to expect when he judged the Red & White Holsteins at IDW two weeks ago.
However, they both said they did not know as much about New Zealand cattle, and they were flying blind when they arrived in Feilding to judge the New Zealand Dairy Event (NZDE). Brian judged the Ayrshires and Nico adjudicated over the Holsteins.
“I expected the kind of cows that are generally promoted out of New Zealand – the smaller New Zealand-type cows,” Brian said. “But that’s not what I found.
“I’ll admit I was blown away. New Zealand has awesome cows with quality and strength, a great spring of rib, with great udders and feet and legs.
“It wasn’t a huge show, but the quality was there. You guys should tell more people that these kinds of cows are here, because they are capable of competing on the world stage.”
Brian did have a piece of advice for the exhibitors. “One thing they could do better is to break their animals to lead. There were some nice cows that I struggled to get a good look at,” he said.
HOLSTEIN JUDGE ALSO IMPRESSED
Nico was on the same page when it came to his choices.
“I was impressed with the heifer show because there was quality all the way through – it wasn’t only the top two or three,” Nico said. “The first five or six in every class made quite a competition for all of them.
“What I liked was that they were ready. They had the right body condition, and they had the body depth. I’m looking a little bit for heifers who have enough chest width. I think the heifer show is made to find out which one is going to be the best cow in the future to milk.
“My champion was quite special. It was not the toughest decision to make her champion because she had more capacity and more spring of rib. She showed a naturally straight topline. That’s what I like to see on these heifers.”
Both judges were joined by associate judges from New Zealand.
The associate Ayrshire judge, Neko McDonald, from Kaitaia, in Northland said the experience working alongside Brian was a once in a lifetime opportunity.
“Brian’s awesome, and the cows were wicked,” Neko said. “I learned a heap from him, and it was just an incredible experience being out here, getting to know him and getting to know the kind of cows he likes.”
SUPREMES DOMINATED BY THE HOLSTEINS IN 2024
This year, the Holsteins dominated the Supreme Champions awards.
This year’s judges brought a gratifying international energy to the show. They included (L-R): Nico Bons (Holland), Kate Cummings (Southland), Jamie Taylor (Taranaki), Brian Behnke (USA), Simon Tognola (Australia).
The Supremes are chosen from the breed Champions in the junior, intermediate, and senior sections. They were pointed by the entire judging panel, which included Brian (Ayrshire judge), Nico (Holstein) Jamie Taylor (Taranaki, Combined Breeds), Simon Tognola (Australia, Jerseys), and Kate Cummings (Southland, Youth Show).
The Supreme Champion and Supreme Intermediate Champion both came out of the Fullerton and Dreadon team. It was a satisfying finish for the Hamilton family who had a week that initially challenged their decision to show.
Supreme Champion of the 2024 show, Tahora Mogul Paris, sired by Mountfield SSI DCY Mogul, and owned by the Dreadon/Fullerton partnership, from Hamilton. Paris is surrounded by the Fullerton family and team (right) and judges (left). Photo: Evie Tomlinson.
Their cattle fitter slept through and missed multiple flights – almost turning Alex Fullerton into a travel agent. Their four-year-old Grand Champion Holstein and Supreme Champion of the show, Tahora Mogul Paris, didn’t handle the 360km journey to the show well, and took some time to settle. Reflecting after judging, Alex said the overriding feeling was relief.
They bought Paris for $28,000 in a solid buy from Tahora Holsteins’ Party at the Pub sale in Canterbury in 2022. In her most recent herd test, Paris produced 2.8kg Milk Solids (MS) a day. She had finished her first season at her new Ngāhinapōuri home with more than 10,000 litres and 700kg of Milk Solids.
The Fullerton family also snaffled Intermediate Supreme Champion with their three-year-old, Waipiri CR Freaky Girl-ET, sired by Oh-River-Syc Crushabull-ET. Alex said she was their surprise package in terms of the team’s results, and they were thrilled with her performance.
Reserve Champion Holstein Waipiri Mogul Kristy (sired by Mountfield SSI DCY Mogul), and owned by the Dreadon/Fullerton, partnership from Hamilton.
Alex added that one of the special moments for the family was when the Holstein judge Nico Bons remembered seeing their seven-year-old entry, Waipiri Mogul Kristy in a photo three years earlier. The 2023 Senior Holstein Champion had an eye removed a month ago because of eye cancer, and she bounced back to win Reserve Champion Holstein this year in another broad ribbon effort for the cow who has been a constant in the Fullerton show team over several years. Kristy was Best Udder of the 2021 NZDE, and in 2023 she won Supreme Champion at Stratford and Senior Holstein Champion and Senior All Breeds Champion at the 2023 Waikato Show. She was also the 2021 Semex On-Farm four-year-old Champion.
“Having those top herdsman see your animals and recognise them is the whole incentive to bring them out,” Alex said. “Not only did Nico judge her this year, he had seen her before and remembered her.
“I think it’s important for New Zealand breeders that people around the world do see our animals.”
Supreme Junior Champion was the Holstein (right) Glenidol Lambda Cookie owned by 14-year-old Toby Whytock, of Te Awamutu (kneeling). Reserve Supreme Junior Champion was the Junior Champion Jersey (left), Ferdon Tbone Veneer (Ferdon Genetics, Otorohanga).
Supreme Junior Champion was the Holstein (right) Glenidol Lambda Cookie owned by 14-year-old Toby Whytock, of Te Awamutu (kneeling). Reserve Supreme Junior Champion was the Junior Champion Jersey (left), Ferdon Tbone Veneer (Ferdon Genetics, Otorohanga).
SWEET STORY FOR 14-YEAR-OLD
The Supreme Junior Champion came with a great story for her 14-year-old owner, Toby Whytock.
Eighteen months ago, Toby and his parents, Newlands Whytock and Lee Morris (an equine vet who specialises in equine embryos through her business, EquibreedArt) decided to shift their focus on their 40-hectare (100-acre) farm from horses to cows.
They not only won Holstein Junior Champion and Supreme Junior Champion with Glenidol Lambda Cookie – they had two animals finish in the top-two of the six Holstein classes that peaked at 26-head in one class. It was a punchy start in the registered industry at the country’s premier show for this tightknit family which supplies Open Country Dairy.
“We’ve got a small farm, and we thought if we can have only a small number of cows we’ll have 50 really nice cows,” Lee said.
Nico Bons (Holland) makes the Junior Champion’s day with this tap. She is Glenidol Lambda Cookie, owned byToby Whytock, of Te Awamutu.
Lee said they had secured foundation cows from the Barclay family (Okawa Holsteins) and later from Tahora Holsteins’ Party at the Pub sale in Canterbury in April 2022. One of the those cows, sired by High Octane – Tahora Octane Cookie – bred them Cookie. It’s worth noting that Tahora Holsteins had a quiet hand in two of the three Supreme Champions of the show.
“We bought seven amazing animals, and her mother was one of them,” Lee said. Newlands said he had always followed the production awards in the Dairy Exporter and had always been impressed by Tahora’s results.
“Now we’re buying some of their animals,” he smiled.
They both said – as Toby rushed straight from the win to join his team in the youth challenge – that it was an incredible feeling not just to show cattle – but to show cattle together.
“Because it’s such a family thing…kind of ‘united we stand’,” Lee said.
AYRSHIRE ACTION
Brian Behnke had some big decisions to make in the Ayrshire show because the 2023 Supreme Champion had re-calved and returned this year as a third calved four-year-old. Raetea Rubicom Debbie, owned by Joanna Fowlie, from Matamata, made history in 2023 when she became the first Ayrshire Intermediate Champion and only the second Intermediate Champion to win Supreme Champion of the show.
Ayrshire Senior & Grand Champion and Best Ayrshire Udder, Stenvale Burs Jem (Jamie Baxter, Tirau).
This year Debbie moved into the senior show where she met the cow who would push her into second place and out of contention for Champion, Stenvale Burs Jem.
Owned by Jamie Baxter, of Tirau. Jem was judge Behnke’s choice not only for the class, but for Best Udder, Senior Champion, and Grand Champion of the Ayrshire show.
Brian said the choice was clear for him once Jem got alongside the other cows in the class. He did pull Debbie first and Jem second on the first line-up, but he elevated Jem to first in his final decision.
Brian appeared to take some time to make the call, but he said he was never in any doubt about what he was going to do. He said Jem’s extreme balance was deceptive on the first look, but there was no denying her when he broke her down.
Jem’s breeder and owner, Jamie, 33, who milks 180 cows, said the class “aged him 10 years”. Jem had finished fourth in her class last year, but she had continued to develop, and they had high hopes for the cow, whose dam they bought from Brookview Ayrshires.
“She’s so easy to work with and she just does what you want her to do at a show,” Jamie said. “She’s a very cool cow, and a lot of fun.”
Jamie’s partner, Caitlyn Rawlings, who works on a 400-cow herd, led Jem in only her second show with dairy cows.
SALE ANIMALS RETURNING THE FAVOUR
Everyone in the Powell family was happy with Junior Champion…except perhaps the heifer herself. Larkspur Alfie Chipotle, owned by the Powell family, of Rongotea, is this year’s Ayrshire Junior Champion.
There were a number of young people exceling with animals they had bought. Arguably the best deal on the showgrounds may have been the Junior Champion Ayrshire, Larkspur Alfie Chipotle. She was bought by the Powell family, of Rongotea for $1900 from the Fusion Genetics’ Spring Fling Coloured Breeds Dispersal in October 2023.
Speaking for the family, Chipotle’s excited and tearful owner, Holly Powell, 20, said the investment looked pretty inexpensive now. Holly is a herd manager for a 450-cow herd. While Holly is well-known in the Holstein world, she is pushing into other breeds – also winning Reserve Junior Champion in the Combined Breeds show.
“She caught my eye, and I just couldn’t leave her behind,” Holly said. “I think a lot of people thought because she was an autumn calf that she was an awkward age, but I loved her.”
So did the US judge, Brian Behnke. He noted that the four animals pulled out for the Ayrshire Junior championship all had quality bone, dairyness, and openness of rib.
“She didn’t have a lot of competition in her class, but she puts it all together and she can stand a lot of competition,” Brian said. “She’s balanced, clean-cut, and dairy with exceptional legs and feet. She’s just a beautifully balanced calf.”
Argyll Lot Alfie sired the Junior, Reserve, and Honourable Mention Junior Ayrshire Champions, while Burdette sired the Senior and Grand Champion, and the Reserve Senior Champion.
The Powell family was also active in the Holsteins, winning Honourable Mention Senior Champion and Best Udder of the Holstein show with Radly Meridian Ana-ET, and in the
Combined Breeds, winning Reserve Junior Champion with Westell Mont Sandie SOS.
JERSEY SHOW HAD THE GOODS
Champion Jersey led by Corey Ferguson had the cage judge Simon Tognola was looking for (owned by Ferdon Genetics, Otorohanga).
The Jersey show gave Australian judge Simon Tognola the cows he wanted to work with. His four-year-old Senior Champion came out of the Ferdon Genetics team, from Otorohanga. Tbone Veneer is sired by Richies Jace Tbone.
Ferdon double whammy – Jersey Senior Champion and Grand Champion Jersey (right) Ferdon Tbone Veneer is joined by the Intermediate Champion and Reserve Grand (left) Ferdon Victorious Shirlee, who sells in the 75 years of Ferdon Sale on April 22. Both are owned by Ferdon Genetics, Otorohanga.
Ferdon Genetics has now won Champion Jersey eight times, and Supreme Champion All Breeds at the NZDE four times.
Australian judge Simon Tognola gives Ferdon Tbone Veneer (Ferdon Genetics, Otorohanga) the nod.
Simon has been coming to the NZDE for more than a decade. Everyone is more used to seeing him in work clothes preparing cows, but this year he was suited up for an important judging assignment in a strong Jersey show.
“Since I first came to the show the quality of the mammary systems on these cows have certainly improved,” Simon said. “There is so much more width and texture and height to those mammary systems, and they can certainly hold a lot of milk. I think in general the cows are more dairy now. They are thinner in their hide, and maybe a little nicer in their rumps as well.
“I think – and I don’t mind saying this – for a country that might not grow the nicest hay they do a helluva good job of developing the rib in their cows.”
He was impressed with how youthful his choices were.
“There wasn’t too many cows that looked like they would get old really quickly,” Simon said. “For me, the Junior Champion was a pretty easy champion. The intermediate is built right to mature well. She’s not deep in her udder, she’s wide through her chest, with a beautiful openness to her fore and rear rib. She’s hard of her loin, and she is rump down.”
Simon said he and his associate judge, Susanna Booth, from Kerikeri (Northland) saw cows the same.
Simon said, “Susanna appreciates dairy cows that have strength and good mammary systems. I don’t think we were looking for animals that were too flashy. I think we were just looking for the ones that were balanced, and looked like they could pay bills.”
Simon closed by congratulating the exhibitors.
“It takes an army to get the animals to a show. It takes a lot of long nights, a lot of money, and a lot of thoughts when no-one else is looking. They did a tremendous job,” Simon said.
AGING WELL
Left – right: Combined Breeds Senior Champion Cow, Best Udder & Grand Champion Combined Breeds, Northbrook Wok (Northbrook Enterprises Ltd, Bunnythorpe), Reserve Westell Jedi Saddie (Ella Pirie, Te Aroha) and Honourable Mention Brookview Mighty Cognac (Aislin partnership, Ohakune).
The Combined Breeds came down to a rising 12-year-old Milking Shorthorn, Northbrook Wok, showed by Northbrook Enterprises Ltd, just 10 minutes from Palmerston North at Bunnythorpe. The Treeton Pingerly daughter took the show all in her stride and she never missed a beat.
Judge Jamie Taylor gives the Combined Breeds Championship to 12-year-old Northbrook Wok (Northbrook Enterprises Ltd, Bunnythorpe). NZDE2024_Show_Combined BreedsJCLine.jpg = Combined Breeds Junior Champion (right to left) – Imagin Java Amy 24 (Regan Kelly, Kaiaua) Reserve Westell Mont Sandie SOS (Powell family, Rongotea), and Honourable Mention Xcead Delta Sunny P SIS (Xavier Gread, Tahuna).
Wok has had an extensive career, winning Best Udder at the NZDE in 2018 which propelled her into the All-World Red Cow photographic competition that year.
YOUTH SHOW
The Youth Show’s Supreme Champion was won by Thomas Jeyes with Waipiri Movie Siri. Reserve was Emma McLaughlin with Radly Doc Anna. They are joined by judge Kate Cummings (Southland).
There was plenty hair flying here.
The Youth Show was judged by Southlander Kate Cummings. She said the results give her significant confidence in the direction of the industry.
“The quality of the stock were so good they made my job harder as a judge, which means the breeders are doing the right thing,” she said. “There were great numbers, given that the milk price is flatter this year and there have been seasonal challenges in a number of areas. It’s really nice to see the passion in the show community, and it’s a great excuse to get off the farm to come to the NZDE, even if they bring their cows with them.
“My champion was a whole lot of heifer but when you break her down there was a whole lot to like. No matter what angle you looked at her there was so much dairyness and it made me fall in love with her. She was just so balanced from side-to-side and from top to tail. All the exhibitors should be really proud.”
RESULTS
NZDE’s Gold Sponsors: Semex and Allflex
NZDE’s Silver sponsor: Farmers Mutual Group
*Key – Grand Champion refers to the breed champion. Supreme Champion refers to the Champions of All Breeds.
2024 SUPREME CHAMPIONS OF ALL BREEDS
SUPREME CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS – NZDE 2024– HOLSTEIN – Tahora Mogul Paris (Mountfield SSI DCY Mogul), Dreadon/Fullerton, Hamilton
SUPREME SENIOR CHAMPION – HOLSTEIN – Tahora Mogul Paris (Mountfield SSI DCY Mogul), Dreadon/Fullerton, Hamilton
RESERVE – Argyll Alfie Raspberry (Argyll Lot Alfie) Bourke/Langlands, Opunake
HONOURABLE MENTION – Mossy AA Great Alice (Argyll Lot Alfie) D & R Simons, Midhurst
Intermediate Ayrshire Champions in a neat line (L-R): Lakeview Bigtime Penelope (Charlie Kelsen, Dannevirke), Reserve Brookview Big Flame (Brookview Genetics, Tokoroa) and Honourable Mention, Imaginayr TSB Lexie (Regan Kelly, Kaiaua). They are flanked by judge Brian Behnke (US, left) and the associate judge, Neko McDonald, from Kaitaia, in Northland.
AYRSHIRE INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION & BEST INTERMEDIATE BEST UDDER – Lakeview Bigtime Penelope (Marbrae Bigtime), Charlie Kelsen, Dannevirke
RESERVE – Brookview Big Flame (Marbrae Bigtime), Brookview Genetics, Tokoroa
HONOURABLE MENTION – Imaginayr TSB Lexie (Palmyra Tri Star Burdette), Regan Kelly, Kaiaua
AYRSHIRE SENIOR CHAMPION, BEST UDDER & GRAND CHAMPION – Stenvale Burs Jem (Palmyra Tri Star Burdette), Jamie Baxter, Tirau
RESERVE – Kiteroa Cream Predette (Palmyra Tri Star Burdette), Kite/Fullerton, Hamilton
HONOURABLE MENTION – Pukekaraka Distinct Memo (Family-Af-Ayr Distinction), D & R Simons, Midhurst
R-L: Jersey Junior Champion, Manor Cocochip Alaska (Thomas Jeyes, Te Kuiti), Reserve Radly Swagger Chiquita (Powell family, Rongotea, and Honourable Mention Laurendale Choco Posie (Ella Pirie, Te Aroha). They are flanked by associate judge, Susanna Booth (Kerikeri, Northland) and the Jersey judge, Simon Tognola (Australia).
JERSEY JUNIOR CHAMPION – Manor Cocochip Alaska (Avonlea Chocochip) Thomas Jeyes, Te Kuiti
JERSEY BEST UDDER – Allandale Tbone Quintet (Riches Jace Tbone), Horn Genetics, Feilding
HOLSTEIN
JUDGE: NICO BONS (HOLLAND)
Associate judge: Josh Norton (Tai Tapu, Canterbury)
Sponsored by Holstein Friesian New Zealand
The three lead Holstein Champions – L-R is the Champion, Reserve, and Honourable Mention (and Best Udder of show). Tahora Mogul Paris (Dreadon/Fullerton, Hamilton). Reserve Champion was also a Mogul daughter from the same farm, Waipiri Mogul Kristy, while Honourable Mention was Radly Meridian Ana-ET, owned by the Powell family, Rongotea.
Over the next decade the Ostrom family will dedicate more than $120,000 to World Dairy Expo’s Youth Showmanship Contest classes to honor the late Annette Ostrom.
Annette, 49, of De Pere, Wisconsin, passed away on October 19, 2022, following a courageous battle with cancer, shortly after she completed one of her final wishes. She was determined to be ringside at WDE in 2022 to watch her son Tristen show, to see her industry friends, and to champion her family’s Milk Source Genetics’ show campaign.
Annette was a beloved figure at every level. There wasn’t a part of the industry she didn’t touch or influence in all the best ways.
The tangible legacy of this quiet overachiever is that everyone can affect change…simply by taking the first step with the right people.
Her husband, Jim Ostrom, of Milk Source Genetics, says it is time to pause and to celebrate one of Annette’s enduring passions – young people.
This year’s cash prizes will peak at $3500 for the Supreme Champion Showmanship award. Jim says the decision is a deliberate nod to the significance of encouraging youth, the foundation the movement lays for life, and acknowledging Annette’s commitment to both.
“The most important thing about showmanship and youth programs is that it brings our future leaders back to our industry,” he says. “It might be the most important thing we do in a given year – to give young people the chance to fall in love with this industry that we all love.”
“Anything we can do to build some excitement around youth and youth programs is worthy.”
Giving Back
Outside of Milk Source Genetics juggernaut commercial operation and compelling show herd, Annette was a long-time business manager for Zoetis, and a co-founder of “Dairy Cares of Wisconsin”, a non-profit organization that raised $2.3 million within 12 years for Children’s Wisconsin (formerly Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin).
It included “The Dairy Cares of Wisconsin Simulation Lab”, named after its benefactor. The lab uses computerized patients so the hospital can replay traumas for training purposes. In 2017, Annette and Jim were acknowledged with a “Wisconsin Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser Award” on behalf of Dairy Cares during National Philanthropy Day.
Dairy Cares of Wisconsin started with a simple garden party of 35 people who collectively had momentous aspirations to give back.
Today, that event welcomes more than 500 people to the Ostrom’s family home each year.
Flawless on the Halter
Annette was an exceptional cowwoman in her own right. Few will forget the iconic images of her gliding out of the darkness in 2016 and into the spotlight in unison with Milk Source’s five-year-old Jersey Grand Champion, Musqie Iatola Martha-ET. Martha would go on to win WDE Supreme Champion.
Annette’s close friend and Milk Source’s young stock manager Mandi Bue – a force in the ring herself – remembers Annette’s connection with Martha like it was yesterday.
“I remember asking Annette if she got nervous when she was headed into the ring with a cow that carried a lot of prestige like Martha,” Mandi said. “She would smile so lovingly at Martha and say that ‘Martha led her’. They were like watching a perfectly choreographed dance, they paraded so elegantly and flawlessly together. I believe it’s because she respected and adored any and every animal, so the second she took the show halter she put that animal at ease.
In 2016, Annette paraded Muskie Iatola Martha-ET across the colored shavings, leading her to become both Grand and Supreme Champion at World Dairy Expo.
“Her personality was so graceful and calm – never arrogant – and it allowed any animal to show itself because they completely trusted her.”
Annette and Mandi initiated the five-woman cattle syndicate, La Femme Fatale, which notably owned half of the 2019 Intermediate WDE Holstein Champion, Floydholm Mc Emoji-ET. That buy happened because of Annette’s faith in Mandi’s eye for a potential great one.
The Power of True Friendship
Mandi says outside of the ring, her lasting memories of Annette circle around the power of true friendship.
“She would remind me that as much as we love the cows, it is the genuine and sincere friendships we make along the way that withstand the test of time. Those friendships are what carry us through the tough times, and they are what make the good times sweeter.”
Sara Harbaugh, a Territory Business Manager at Zoetis, also describes Annette as a steady constant in her life.
“She was so much more than a co-worker. She was an amazing friend,” Sara said. “Our lives overlapped through work, kids, and showing and she could always make me smile even when life was crazy.
“It seemed like she never had a bad day, and her continuous optimism through the most difficult times will always inspire me. I think of her often and try to use her example as a guide.
“The world needs more people like Annette, and this program is a perfect way to honor her.”
Everyone Starts Somewhere
Annette’s love of the dairy industry was ignited by her parents, Gladys, and the late Hans Palm. And, when she decided she needed better heifers to be more competitive in 4-H competitions, Hans approached Sherry Siemers-Peterman, of Siemers Holsteins.
Sherry remembers that Annette was a stand-out young person, and she was happy to allow her the pick of the “better heifers at their farm.”
“Annette was quite a human,” Sherry said. “She gained a lot of confidence in herself throughout her 4-H career. Showmanship sets you up for life and it carries many lessons, including presenting your animals, presenting yourself, and learning how to be a gracious winner…and a gracious loser. Annette could do anything she set her mind to.”
At The Heart of it All
Behind all the obvious accolades and achievements, Annette was a woman, a daughter, a wife, a mother, a sibling, a friend, and a colleague who continues to be sorely missed every day. To preserve her memory in perpetuity within the industry is important for her family.
Jim said, “She could tell you the pedigree of a 10-year-old kid running around the show barn at a show more than she could tell you the pedigree of a famous cow. She knew their ages, what animals they showed, and where they placed.
“I might know a young kid who’s 10, but the next time I see them they are a foot-and-a-half taller and they are looking like a young adult, but Annette always instantly knew who they were…because she truly knew that person.
“That is the essence of why we are doing this. Before Annette was diagnosed, she would never have allowed me to name something after her. I did tell her I was going to, and as time wore on, she did come to accept it, because she cared so much for the young people.
“So, while we have signed up for 10 years, I do see this as a permanent thing. We want to make it meaningful, and we’ve deliberately put forward some sizeable prizes.”
Call for Entries
Sisters Nicole Pralle and Jessica Pralle-Trimmer serve as superintendents of the World Dairy Expo Youth Showmanship Contest. Open to all youth, ages 9 to 21, more than 460 youth competed in three age divisions in the 2022 contest.
Participants in 2023 and in future contests will vie for the cash awards listed below. The Supreme Champion will also receive a crystal trophy. Replicas of the Annette Ostrom Memorial Supreme Showmanship Award will also be displayed by the Ostrom family and at World Dairy Expo’s headquarters. Visit the Contests tab on www.worlddairyexpo.com for contest rules and to enter online. Entries will be accepted starting July 1, 2023.
Riverdane Ex Rosabel recently scored EX97 points for her UK breeders and owners, Riverdane Holsteins. Photos: Jane Steel.
Riverdane Holsteins have now been involved in four EX97 classifications – including their latest and first homebred individual – a great granddaughter of global household name Thrulane James Rose EX97-2E-CAN 3*.
The classification result comes as her UK breeders, Mark and Susan Nutsford, along with their daughter, Jodie, start turning their attention towards their “Theatre of Dreams” sale in northwest England on Saturday, August 19.
Riverdane milk 200-head (and run 650 in total, including young stock), in addition to Celltech Embryo Transfer in the heart of Cheshire, 20 miles out of Manchester. They milk 100 of their high-production Holsteins through two robots, with the balance being milked through a 20/20 herringbone parlour. They farm 182 hectares (450 acres, mostly grass, maize and whole crop wheat). They have also been a part of a fourth EX97, who now calls Willsbro Holsteins home.
Riverdane Holsteins will sell 150 lots along with select embryo packages at their farm on August 19. This is the first time a public offering of this size has been offered from Riverdane and it has been packaged in a two-day event that promises to bring the European industry together. Graphic design: Hayley Boyd, Signature Graphics.
EX ROSABEL is nine years old with seven calvings and nine calves (courtesy of two sets of twins) behind her. She has a continuing lifetime production of 95,446kg of milk with a 4.5% fat percentage (May 2023). Nominated as an All-Britain finalist as a two-year-old, EX ROSABEL has been a popular addition in Riverdane’s show team her entire career. Several of her descendants will sell on August 19 in an offering that will catalogue 150-head – the biggest offering Riverdane has ever put forward.
CHASING JAMES ROSE
US cowman Mike Deaver (pictured) was the judge who first elevated Thrulane James Rose to Grand Champion Holstein at the RWF in 2006. Photo: Dianna Malcolm.
Mark Nutsford said he had chased the family since first seeing James Rose storm the biggest shows in North America between 2006 and 2009.
= In 2008 Thrulane James Rose continued on to be Supreme Champion at both the World Dairy Expo (pictured) and the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. The popular entry was also All-Canadian and All-American Mature Cow in 2008 and 2009. Photo: Dianna Malcolm.
Mark said James Rose’s udder was the first thing that drew him to her in 2006 when US cowman and judge Mike Deaver first pulled the trigger on her career despite rich company at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (RWF) in Toronto.
At the time, Mike commented as he juggled the five-year-old’s promise against the reigning back-to-back champion, Quality BC Frantisco (who was 14 months fresh) and some other high profile expensive exponents of the breed that did not lighten the responsibility, nor the public pressure.
“Well…the trick to this job is finding how to get along with new friends and how to keep your old ones,” he told the crowd at the time.
“There is a lot of great cows out here and a lot of famous cows. It’s not easy, but I like pretty girls that look like they’re ready to work and don’t want to complain about it.”
Thrulane James Rose EX97-2E-CAN 3* (pictured at WDE in 2008) now has a great granddaughter who shares the same classification score. Photo: Dianna Malcolm.
With that, he put James Rose through to her first Grand Champion. At the time, she had passed from her Mennonite breeder (who was going to beef her because she wasn’t in calf) through Scott Brethet and Beni Faulmner (Mt Elgin Dairy Farms, Guelph) to Pierre Boulet, who took the chance on her being short-bred. A true rag to riches story.
In 2008 James Rose continued on to be Supreme Champion at both the World Dairy Expo (WDE) and the RWF (she was also Grand Champion Holstein at the RWF in 2006, 2008, and 2009). The year she took WDE’s Supreme title in 2008 she had to beat Quality-Ridge Stormi Hazel in a show which also included a record number of more than 2600 animals under judge Brian Carscadden (who walked 23km that day judging them).
HEALTHY OBSESSION
By the time Mark saw Rose again at the WDE in 2008, she had become his healthy obsession.
“For sure, she’s the best cow I’ve ever seen in my life,” Mark said. “And, I haven’t missed many Madisons in the last 25 years, I can promise you.
“I was literally blown away by her frame that year. You could have got a wheelbarrow between her front legs, you really could. I couldn’t believe a cow could develop so much in the two years since I first saw her. In 2006 I couldn’t believe how good her udder was, but once she came together with her frame, she was incredible.”
He told Pierre Boulet that year that he “had to have embryos from her”. Although, the contract was signed, Rose never made those embryos.
DETERMINED TO SUCCEED
However, Riverdane did secure eggs from James Rose’s Dundee daughter through Jamie Wood (Hays Genetics International, Ontario).
Mark and Susan Nutsford with their Grand Champion of the 2021 UK Dairy Day, Riverdane Absolute Springsteen and (left) Holstein UK’s Chairman Elect Wallace Gregg. Photograph: Richard Hodgson.
When Riverdane got an exciting Goldwyn daughter on the ground in the UK their “Rosabel” family was on the way. RIVERDANE GOLDEN ROSABEL-ET VG87 was only two points off being a max-scored two-year-old, and Mark remembers her as “a goodun”. However, after complications from a twisted caecum, they lost her on her second calf.
She did leave the chance of a legacy though – in her Explode daughter, RIVERDANE EX ROSABEL-ET.
EX ROSABEL’S sire stack is WABASH-WAY EXPLODE x GOLDWYN x DUNDEE x SHORMAR JAMES x COMESTAR LEE, x COMESTAR LEADER x PRELUDE.
It includes a double-up of Goldwyn, thanks to Goldwyn siring Shoremar James in addition to EX ROSEABEL’S dam.
Mark says what he loves about EX ROSABEL is her pedigree, and how that translates.
“ROSABEL has got very, very few faults, she’s so naturally open, dairy, clean-boned and she’s got that unusual combination of strength and silk. It starts at her muzzle, and it goes right the way through her,” he said.
Mark Nutsford (Riverdane Holsteins) appeared to absorb the pressure with ease when he judged the 2019 All-European Championship in Belgium. Photo: Zosia Hunt, The Bullvine.
THE PEDIGREE CONNUMDRUM
He says James Rose was born in a herd that classified only their two-year-olds. It explains the fifth and six dams’ GP classification scores, and James Rose’s ability to shine.
“I remember back in the day when the All-American and All-Canadian two-year-old was Dupasquier Starb Winnie,” Mark said. “She was 83 points when she won those titles. If you had a GP two-year-old then, it was a helluva good heifer. It puts those scores into perspective.”
Mark says knowing that, meant there were no surprises for him in this family’s achievement.
“I know greatness doesn’t come from nowhere. It’s always got to be in that pedigree. If you look at the sire stack, they were all geat sires every one of them, and all from good cow families.
“James Rose wasn’t an accident. She was bred to be great. And, if you add Dundee x Goldwyn – a magic cross – and Explode, who was the No. 1 GTPI sire in America at the time (and who stayed up there for a long, long time), it brought us to this point where we’ve been able to breed an EX 97-point family matriarch at our farm with great milk and fertility.”
The rest of Riverdane’s classification results will follow this story…
Stay with Riverdane’s FB page as it starts to drill down into the sale offerings, and the events that promise to be well worth the trip to Cheshire on August 19.
RIVERDANE EX ROSABEL ET
Maternal Lineage
SIRE: WABASH-WAY EXPLODE-ET VG88
D: RIVERDANE GOLDEN ROSABEL-ET VG87 (x Braedale Goldwyn)
Candid ring and on-farm shots freeze time and bottle emotions, but does the industry truly appreciate the power the best images wield long after show day is over?
For the longest time, side-on photographs were the hallowed and lasting proof of excellence at the biggest shows. Now, there are a tight group of global photographers who routinely shoot and preserve action ring shots capable of raising the hair on the back of people’s necks. They are met halfway by an equally progressive group of breeders who know how to use that work – in tandem with side-on photographs – to their best advantage.
There are a couple of important “dos” and a “don’ts” for breeders who want to include candid ring shots in their marketing, and the ones who understand this undoubtedly have a head start when it comes to merchandising or saving images for their own memories…
The first and most meaningful piece of advice comes down to three words – “high resolution images”. Facebook immediately downsizes photographs, so they are not good enough quality to be used in print. If the file size doesn’t have a “MB” [megabyte] behind its name, it’s of limited use for print. It may be “marketing 101”, but it’s surprising how many make this mistake, and are left disappointed.
Breeders who want to add candid photographs to their marketing options, should request the high-resolution files from the photographer. Photographers should always also be acknowledged whenever images are used. This is not only common courtesy, it’s clearly covered in copyright law.
ADVISE FROM THE TOP
Terri Packard on Elliotts Cosmo in 2014. Photo: Laurens Rutten.
Terri Packard, of Kueffner Cows in Western Maryland, understands this part of the business well. Terri and her husband, Ernie Kueffner, are genius marketers and Terri has some simple advice. (Read more: Terri Packard: When you build it…they do come)
They launched Arethusa Farm’s brand and took its cows – among other achievements – to a history-breaking effort at the WDE. It was 2004 when Arethusa won both Supreme and Reserve Supreme Champion with their Holstein, Hillcroft Leader Melanie, and Jersey Huronia Centurion Veronica. They also won Premier Breeder banners for Arethusa in the two toughest breeds at WDE – Holsteins and Jerseys.
SSF ANDREAS CAMILLA (ANDREAS), SENIOR & GRAND CHAMPION 2022 ROYAL WINTER FAIR, ERNEST KUEFFNER & TERRI PACKARD, BOONSBORO, MD
This couple also co-managed and hosted (with Dan Donor and Isaac Lancaster) the Global Glamour sale from Arethusa’s Connecticut base in 2008, which averaged US$97,491. This was the sale that Apple was sold for US$1million. (Read more: KHW Regiment Apple-Red-ET – Everything and more)
KHW Regiment Apple-Red-ET EX96 4E DOM 19* being led by one of the men who made her, Mike Deaver. Apple was only shown eight times in her career – for three historical results at WDE and seven All-American nominations. Today, she has more than 280 EX descendants all over the world and is the only cow to have her clone beat her for Grand at WDE and her daughter finish Honourable Mention. Her sons and grandsons have also had an extraordinary impact on both the Black & White and Red & White populations. And, there isn’t a person on the planet interested in great cows who doesn’t know her, thanks to these iconic images which serve as part of her legacy and help so many market her progeny. Photo: Nina Linton.
Today, Terri and Ernie enjoy concentrating on their own operation. They were the co-owners, masterminds, and daily grunt behind the 2019 WDE Grand Champion Holstein, Butz-Butler Gold Barbara EX95 (pictured), who was 65 days fresh after a two-year break when she won.
This magic image of Butz Butler Gold Barbara sits above Terri and Ernie’s fireplace. The photo was taken by Laurens Rutten, who will be picturing at the NZDE.
Terri says, “Before WDE Jenny Thomas [Triple-T Farm, North Lewisburg, Ohio] asked me to find some ring shots of Veronica [Huronia Centurion Veronica] for a project she was doing for Select Sires’ WDE displays.
“So, there I was digging back into my 2004 to 2006 files hoping to find something that was high enough resolution for her to enlarge. Eventually I did…and as I walked into the coliseum at Expo, there was a life-size banner of Veronica and Norman [Nabholz, her handler] hanging above one of the entrances.
“Anyway, as I had been digging, I found several that I wished I had of got in high resolution at the time. But we are talking 16 to18 years ago. Ring shots were just becoming a ‘thing’.
“There wasn’t necessarily a place to see or preview them all (like Facebook now where hundreds are posted) and you had to purchase them individually, which got to be expensive, so you only ordered your absolute favourites.
Rivendale VIP Eloise, Grand Champion International Jersey Show 2022 for Vierra Dairy Farms
“This is what I said in my email to Jenny (thinking about the success the Vierra cattle have had recently under her families’ care). ‘A piece of advice – get all the good pictures even if you have to buy them. Gather them up and file them somewhere because you never know when you will need to pull them out.’
“Fifteen to 25 years later, I am still looking back for pictures – whether for a banner we’re doing to promote a certain cow family or accomplishment, a ‘remember when’ social media post (which people love), to add more variety to the photographic selection in a sale catalog, or at the request of an AI company that wants to promote one of their bull’s daughters from the past, or just to frame for our personal use, or for gifts for our friends or partners in cattle.
“So, that would be my advice to your readers too. Get all the good pictures you can. Every angle. And make sure you have your favourite ones saved in high resolution so that they can be used in print. Chances are the photos you grab from Facebook while scrolling on your phone are low resolution – fine for social media – but they won’t work for those special projects down the road. Twenty years from now the cost (if there is any) will seem minor compared to the memories that you have saved.”
This remains an easily recognised image which was taken at WDE in 2018. It was the moment Ysabel Jacobs accepted judge Carl Phoenix’s Grand Champion salute, which was not lost on Ysabel’s brother, Yan, standing beside her with the winning four-year-old, Jacobs Windbrook Aimo EX95. Aimo’s day would come at The Royal a month later. This is a powerful reminder of Jacobs in full flight. Photo: The Bullvine.
Ysabel Jacobs, of Ferme Jacobs agrees. Based at Cap-Santé, in Québec, only one other Canadian farm has won Premier Breeder at The Royal more times than Ferme Jacobs (Romandale Holsteins, 13 times). Notably, at The Royal, in 2018 Ferme Jacobs showed no heifers and they have nudged ahead of household names like Dupasquier Holsteins, Hanover Hill Holsteins, Glenafton Holsteins and Rosafe Holsteins. (Read more: Ferme Jacobs – “Dreams without goals are just….dreams”)
Bonaccueil Maya Goldwyn, exhibited and owned by Ty-D Holsteins, Drolet & Fils, Ferme Jacobs, A. & R. Boulet, Inc, who was crowned Grand and Senior Champion of the 2013 International Holstein Show.
In 2018 the Holstein breeders won Grand and Reserve Grand Champion with homebred entries. The last time that had happened at The Royal was Agro Acres with maternal sisters in 1969. Before that the only other recorded time was by Mount Victoria in 1935. Not bad for a family that didn’t show in-milk cows at The Royal until 2003, or at WDE until 2008.
“We mostly use our ring shots because we believe they are the most natural pictures of the cow,” Ysabel says.
It’s worth noting that they also have the advantage of the incredibly talented photographic story-teller, Carl Saucier, in-house.
Carl Saucier at the WDE 2022. He is one of the undisputed masters at telling stories through his lens.
Erbacres Snapple Shakira was Supreme at the 2021 World Dairy Expo. She is owned by Ferme Jacobs, Ty-D Holsteins, Theraulaz, Ferme Antelimarck, C & F Jacobs, Quebec. Photo: Carl Saucier.
Shakira looked just as good at home. Photo: Carl Saucier.
Shakira with Yan Jacobs son Charlie
A recent tragedy is perhaps the most potent reminder of the value of an exceptional photo. Blondin RD Unstopabull Maple appeared to indeed be “unstoppable” after winning Grand Champion of the Red & White Holstein show, Grand Champion of the Black & White Holstein Show, and Supreme Champion of the 100th Royal Winter Fair, in Canada. A month later, this exciting four-year-old passed away. She was owned by K Doeberiener, L Bowen, W Schilling & T&S Abbott.
Everyone had their lens trained on Blondin RD Unstopabull Maple over her three-day back-to-back journey at The Royal in Canada last November when she achieved something that hadn’t been done at that show since 1982. She won the Red & White, the Black & White and the Supreme Champion of the show. Photo: The Bullvine.
A special moment for William Schilling, one of Maple’s owners. Photo: The Bullvine.
It was also a sad day for Adam Hodgins, from Hodglynn Holsteins, Kincardine, Ontario who had bought Maple’s dam, Kawartha Armani Memory EX92 (in partnership with Select Farm, Export Ltd, Little Star Holsteins, and Crackholm Holsteins) when she was carrying Maple. However, his partnership still has Memory, along with several sisters and family members. He knows the reality is that those photos are potentially gilded with gold.
“I can’t emphasis enough the importance of getting a high-resolution photo to increase your profits, and the marketability of family members and future generations,” Adam said.
Another of the photographers who has more recently led the charge in candid ring photographs is Andrew Hunt, of The Bullvine. Never backward in coming forward, he doesn’t mince his words. (Read more: The Bullvine – Comfortable making others Uncomfortable)
“Nothing does a better job of grabbing the readers’ attention and capturing the moments people will never forget than show ring pictures,” Andrew said. “They tell a story and storytelling is timeless.”
The week following WDE there were more than 600 downloads of The Bullvine’s hi-resolution photographs.
“In an era of photoshop, show ring pictures leave no doubt as to the ethics of the photos. In show ring pictures you can ensure that what you see is what you are purchasing or investing in.”
For many in the industry, these images have also become more than simply about the great cows. It has also about the people, friends, and families who manage and show those cows.
Ms Beautys Black Velvet-ET, owned by Duckett Holsteins, Vierra Dairy, and Triple-T Holsteins, leaves the ring with Mike Duckett (left) and his children in a special family moment at the 2022 WDE. Black Velvet won the six years and over class. Photo: The Bullvine.
Oakfield Solom Footloose-ET getting the nod from judge Pierre Boulet. Footloose is owned by Duckett Holsteins, Vierra Dairy, and Tim & Sharyn Abbott, Rudolph, WI. Photo: The Bullvine.
It’s been a while since the 2016 WDE, but many will remember this image The Bullvine took of judge Pat Conroy giving Jeannette Sheehan’s Sheeknoll Durham Arrow, of Sheeknoll Farms, Rochester, MN Grand Champion of the Holstein show.
Reese Burdette’s determined return to the ring was a triumphant moment for this young woman and her family. She had spent two years at Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in Baltimore, recovering from severe burns and other injuries she received in a fire at her grandparents’ house over Memorial Day weekend in 2014. The global industry followed her progress closely. Photo: The Bullvine.
The NZDE judge Mark Nutsford in action at the 2019 All-European Championship in Belgium. He will soon be standing in the middle of the ring at Feilding. Photo: Zosia Hunt, The Bullvine.
SPAIN KNOWS HOW TO CELEBRATE
Llinde Ariel Jordan EX93 is the three-time consecutive Champion of the Spanish National Show (2019, 2021, and 2022 – no 2020 show). Last year this 11-year-old with more than 113,000 lifetime litres to her credit was trucked more than 1500km to the Cremona International Show. She went up against younger cows that hadn’t travelled as far…and she won Supreme. Photo:Guillaume Moy)
The NZDE has an exciting opportunity to find its own iconic images from January 24 to 26 when Belgium photographer Laurens Rutten pictures at its Feilding event this year. Laurens, who is well known to the international show community, was nicknamed “the pretzel” by Canadian photographer Patty Jones because of his uncanny ability to fold his lanky frame into a low-lying pose to capture photographs. (Read more Photographer Laurens Rutten “A Rising Star”)
Laurens Rutten has earned his nickname. Photo supplied.
Laurens Rutten has been learning about New Zealand dairying.
Laurens brings New Zealanders an advantage they haven’t had since UK photographers, Ginger & Pickles, and Claire Swale, visited.
Laurens has been working on-farm in New Zealand after finishing his bachelor’s degree in International Agribusiness (Van Hall Larenstein, Wageningen) and Masters degree in Animal Science specialising in Animal Nutrition & Metabolism (Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands).
“I’m on a global dairy experience where I’m working in various roles for progressive dairies with a view to enhance my practical knowledge in dairy production,” Laurens said.
“I’m working across different regions while travelling, exploring different cultures, and developing my professional network,” he said. In the lead-up to the NZDE he was working on a 1400-cow pasture-based dairy in Methven, Canterbury (South Island).”
He was just 17 when he first worked the European show in March 2013 in Fribourg, Switzerland.
“It has truly been a fantastic experience and I feel very privileged to have photographed some of the best cows our industry has seen over the past decade.
“Two of my photos of O’Kalibra are still some of my favorites today, and when they were recognised at the time, it gave me opportunities like being asked by Holsteinplaza/Eurogenes to photograph at World Dairy Expo in October 2013,” Laurens said.
How much money would have been made from the photographic memories Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra EX97 left with the industry? She was the Supreme Champion at the 2012 and 2013 Swiss Expo. In 2013 she was also selected as the Champion of the All-European Holstein Show. Without these photos, her marketing might would have been compromised. Photo: Laurens Rutten.
Laurens Rutten with fellow photographers at the 2018 WDE. His work not only put European cows in the global spotlight, it also furthered his photography career. Photo: Randy Blodgett.
Laurens has pictured at four WDEs (2013, 2014, 2015, 2018), two European Shows (2013 Fribourg – 2016 Colmar), four Swiss Expos (2014, 2015, 2016, 2020), the Belgian National Show, the Dutch National Show, the Austrian National Show, the European Open Holstein Show at Montichiari (Italy), the Luxembourg National Show, various regional shows in Canada, Belgium and The Netherlands – in addition to young breeders competitions and auctions.
“A candid photo shows cows from many different angles and as a photographer there is nothing more exciting than having the 360-degree freedom around those amazing cows while integrating beautiful backgrounds and the scenery typical of a specific show,” Laurens said.
“A photographer generally has the best seat in the house. Therefore, from a short distance looking in the class for an animal’s strengths, capturing the atmosphere and searching for beautiful moments in and around the ring is very enjoyable, and all part of providing the best possible coverage.
“In the end, there is nothing more rewarding to see your photos being used. It has been exciting to see the uptake of everyone’s candid photos in our industry being nowadays the showcase/gateway for a show to the international dairy community as well as an integral part of breeders and farmers for their marketing their genetics.”
He credits his parents, Karel Rutten and Anne-Lies Martens for infusing a love of the industry from a young age and he is available for competitors at the NZDE to picture – either in the ring at the show – or by appointment following the show.
“It’s something that still gives me goosebumps when I reflect or look back at my work and continue to do photographing forward. I’m looking forward to being part of the NZDE’s media team.”
As the show focus heads Down Under over the next month, one of those shows – the New Zealand Dairy Event (NZDE) – will welcome a number of international fitters, in addition to ringside photographer Laurens Rutten (Belgium). He will team up with Dianna Malcolm (Mud Media) as the NZDE’s media team. Laurens’ candid ring shots include some iconic international work, and he offers New Zealand exhibitors a special opportunity to take their cows’ marketing to the next level. For the spectators who can’t get to the show, judging will be livestreamed via the show’s facebook page by On Target Productions. This story traverses the international industry and shows what can be achieved with savvy marketing…
Laurens’ work at the NZDE is partially sponsored by Performance Probiotics.
The top price for the Glenalla and Snowfed Tag sale was $13,000 and it was paid for four-year-old, Glenalla Links Clover, who went on to finish third in the four-year-old class which included the Reserve Senior Champion Jersey and Best Udder of the Jersey Show.
The three-and-a-hour hour ferry ride passes through some treacherous water between the North and South Islands of New Zealand.
When 14 hours turned into 60 calamitous hours trucking 33-head from the South to the North Island, the Gilbert family knew they were up against it more than usual at the New Zealand Dairy Event (NZDE).
LITERALLY NEARLY EVERYTHING THAT COULD GO WRONG, DID.
Just north of Cheviot in North Canterbury their truck’s clutch went, which left them stranded on the side of the road with the cows on-board (top and bottom) from 9.45pm until 3.30am the next morning, when they were towed 92km back to a mechanic’s garage in Rangiora.
CRESSLANDS TO THE RESCUE
The cavalry arrived soon after in the form of the Stewart family, who run Cresslands Farms, just out of Rangiora. Graham Stewart brought their truck in, they off-loaded the cows between trucks in two trips, and took them back to Cresslands. At that point the cows and heifers had been on the truck for 14 hours. The Cresslands team, which include Josh Norton and Andrew Stewart, then got them milked out and into Cressland’s show paddocks on hay racks to rest and recover.
Westbourne T Bone Yoko finished 4th in the five and six-year-old class that her herdmate won. She didn’t sell.
The replacement truck they arranged also broke down (before they loaded up) and they had to find a back-up for the back-up truck. The next truck got to the ferry, only to be turned away because it didn’t have a booking – a booking that Peter Gilbert had an email confirming. But the cows were turned away nonetheless, and had to be trucked 28km back to Blenheim, and unloaded in the saleyards until the booking could be re-scheduled for later that day. They finally arrived in Feilding Saturday morning, having been milked four times in 60 hours.
Glenalla and Snowfed Farms knew they had the toughest recovery to settle their team if everything went perfectly. Let alone if there were problems. They also had the added extra pressure because they were offering their whole team for sale in a “Sell the Show String” Tag sale (excluding their clients’ animals who either boarded at their farm, or who were showing in their team).
The Tag sale format they are using was new for New Zealand, but it is common throughout the world. It involved Glenalla and Snowfed pricing their animals during the week. If the price worked for buyers, they would be sold.
NO PUBLIC ALLOWED
Then, Glenalla and Snowfed – like most of the showgrounds – heard the news that the New Zealand government had gone to the red traffic light COVID-19 protection framework – limiting exhibitor numbers on-ground to 100 (plus event staff).
It was more bad news for a first-time Tag sale that depended on people and energy.
Premier Tequila Sweet won the five and six-year-old class for Glenalla and Snowfed Farms.
“It worried me when no-one was going to be at the show apart from exhibitors,” Peter said. “It was scary enough doing the sale, I thought, and it became a little bit more scary when there was no public there.”
It’s was another lesson in tenacity and teamwork.
“We had sort of decided if we could get a 50% clearance, we’d be pretty happy.”
They achieved a remarkable clearance, selling 17 of the 21-head they offered (81%) for a gross turnover of around $80,000.
The top price was $13,000 for their four-year-old Jersey, Glenalla Links Clover, who went on to finish third in the four-year-old class which included the Reserve Senior Champion Jersey (and Best Udder of the Jersey Show).
“It’s fair to say we are pretty thrilled with how it went. We always said we were prepared to sell our best, so we showed that we will,” Peter said.
He was also thrilled to see a number of young breeders buy.
“We always hoped that would happen, and that’s why we had some reasonably cheap lots in there.”
When it came to getting the cows out on show day, Peter credited the team around them for being able to turn the cows around in time to have a competitive show.
They would go on and win their first ever Premier Exhibitor banner.
“I was amazed how they came out. It was a real team effort, but I think we’ll all be pretty glad when the cows are safely home,” he said.
Glenalla and Snowfed Farms faced the toughest road to get their teams out on-song after a nightmare trip. Premier Tequila Sweet won the five and six-year-old class.
The good news is the homeward-bound truck home will only be carrying around 19-head as a result of the sale (including animals that were sold that are going to South Island buyers and some new animals that will board at Glenalla and Snowfed).
When New Zealanders decide to show a cow from the South Island in the North Island, it’s never a decision for the faint-hearted.
There is no comfortable low-centre-of-gravity vehicles, portable milkers or easy way to do almost anything with the cows when they are on the road.
They are usually tied on the trucks. And, the ferry rules prohibit owners from checking on their cattle during the three-and-a-half ferry ride across the Cook Strait between Picton (the top of the South Island) and Wellington (the bottom of the North Island).
Not such a big deal, some may think?
Dangerous waters
However, the Cook Strait is notorious for being one of the world’s roughest stretches of water. It’s part of the westerly wind belt known as the “Roaring Forties”. As the only gap between the mountainous main islands of the country, the strait acts like a huge wind tunnel.
To put that into perspective, the Cook Straight was the scene of two of New Zealand’s worst maritime catastrophes – the 1909 Penguin Disaster – and, the 1968 sinking of the Wellington-Lyttelton ferry, Wahine.
Yet, the Gilbert family, from Mid-Canterbury are preparing tackle the 17-hour (in total) journey with a load that includes Jerseys, Holsteins, and one Ayrshire, who recently won the Canterbury A&P On-Farm show’s Supreme Senior Champion of all breeds.
Four-metre high swells
Brothers, Nick, Michael and Luke – together with their parents, Peter and Anne – collectively milk just over 1200 cows on two farms at Ashburton. They are headed to the Stratford Show in the Taranaki, which carries significant prize money and the tempting title of a “Royal” show.
Michael Gilbert said they have endured a crossing with cows before when the swells have been up to four metres high.
“To be honest, on that particular crossing we were struggling to stay in our seats up top with the other passengers, and we knew that our cows were down there, so it was pretty stressful,” Michael said.
“But, surprisingly the cows seem to handle the ferry crossing better than the rest of the truck trip. They were lying down when we got to them at the end of that trip. But, when we’re on the road, they tend to stand the whole time.”
Michael said they’d had tried breaking the trip up to rest the cows, but it just seemed to work better if they pushed through, and got it done.
No surprises now
And, now that the industry is aware that their Ayrshire, Pukekaraka Elle Delilah, is on the truck with all breed winning potential, the brothers will be working hard to get her settled and ready to take on her counterparts who don’t have to travel as far.
“We already had Delilah pencilled in for Stratford before these results,” Michael said. “It’s going to be a massive show, there are some good Ayrshires in the North Island, and we wanted to see what she’ll look like alongside them.
“Plus, we haven’t been out for two years [because of New Zealand’s decision to eradicate M.bovis], and we’re really ready to get back into it.”
Michael bought Delilah last year within a group of five cows at the Pukekaraka dispersal. She cost him $2500 in a sale, which averaged $1600. He didn’t have her listed in his first picks when he went through the catalogue offered by the Robinson family. But, when he got to the sale that decision quickly changed.
Planned punt
Even though she was dry with no herd test results, he decided the five-year-old, who is sired by UK sire, Haresfoot Elegant, needed to join his 630-cow herd at Ashburton – an hour south of Christchurch. Brookview sires (from the Steiner family at Tokoroa) are the sires two generations behind that.
“She just caught my eye,” Michael said. “I thought she could be a diamond in the rough, if she came together right. And, the reason I had more confidence in her was that I’d always admired the Robinson’s show cows.
“They’ve always had that cut of a cow that suits all breeds. And, if we were going to buy an Ayrshire, she needed to be able to compete in all breeds. As soon as she calved in, I knew I had something special.”
She produced more than 8000 litres in 280 days on her first lactation, and won the Canterbury and national on-farm for her breed age-group last year.
Michael said when she calved in again at the start of September with a heifer by Kingsire, she was producing close to 3kg MS/day extremely fresh. The Canterbury A&P On-Farm was the first and only chance to step her out.
“I hoped she’d be competitive in the all breeds for her age group, but to win the Supreme Senior Champion was a pretty big honour,” Michael said. “Because there haven’t been a whole lot of Ayrshires in Canterbury do that well in a long time (1981).
“And, since we haven’t been to a show ourselves since 2017, it’s felt like a long time between drinks for us.”
Strong family
Delilah’s breeder, Matt Robinson, confirmed that she was from one of their strongest families, which had only been held back by their penchant for delivering more bulls than heifer calves. Delilah’s fifth dam, Pukekaraka Pebbles Dell EX, was Champion All Breeds at the Waihi Show, aged 13.
Matt who is a PE teacher has kept some cows, and he said that Delilah would have been his very next choice if he hadn’t been bound by a ceiling on numbers.
“But, I’m very happy that she has gone to a great home, where the Gilbert family could develop her even more,” Matt said.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better result. If you can’t show a champion, having your prefix on a champion is the next best thing, isn’t it?
“And, for her to get through the All Breeds against some bloody good Holsteins and Jerseys in Canterbury is very cool for our breed, and for our breeding.”
November 28 and 29 will be the day of truth when the Stratford show – which is shaping up as a big show for Down Under – kicks off.
Kueffner Cows’ Terri Packard is a rare mix of elegance and grit.
Although she isn’t royal in the strictest sense, there’s no doubt her iron-clad reputation makes her one of the industry’s blue bloods – and a shining example when it comes to talent, integrity, intelligence and grace under pressure.
Terri is married to Ernie Kueffner, and there is nothing this power couple has not achieved in the industry – for others – and, for themselves. They are among the small echelon of A-listers that influence the top end of the global registered-cattle business. (Read more: KUEFFNER DAIRY TEAMWORK “2 Dream the Impossible Dream!”)
Terri was recently named a judge for the National Jersey Jug Futurity at Louisville. It’s only the second time a woman has been asked to judge the world’s oldest and richest class for dairy cattle. The first was Alta Mae Core, and it’s an accolade Ernie believes is long overdue.
Terri is not only ready to step up to judge, she is also ready to speak up about the registered industry, her defining moments, what it takes to market cattle, and the extreme solution the couple has been mulling over to combat the cancellation of this year’s World Dairy Expo (WDE)…
Now settled full-time at Kueffner Cows in Western Maryland, Terri and Ernie are well-known for launching Arethusa Farm’s brand, and taking its cows – among other achievements – to a history-breaking effort at the WDE. It was 2004 when Arethusa won both Supreme and Reserve Supreme Champion with their Holstein, Hillcroft Leader Melanie, and Jersey Huronia Centurion Veronica. (Read more: Arethusa: A Winning Focus)
The couple also co-managed (with Dan Donor and Isaac Lancaster) and hosted the Global Glamour sale from Arethusa’s Connecticut base in 2008, which averaged US$97,491, when Apple was sold for US$1 million. They won Premier Breeder banners for Arethusa in the two toughest breeds at WDE – Holsteins and Jerseys.
More recently, Terri and Ernie were the co-owners, masterminds and grunt behind the 2019 WDE Grand Champion Holstein, Butz-Butler Gold Barbara EX95, who was 65 days fresh after a break of two years.
There have been too many blue ribbons and Grand Champions in between to mention.
Great cows need care
Known equally for her cowmanship as for her marketing genius, Terri’s talent – in combination with Ernie’s – has granted the couple access to some of the best cows and deepest pockets in the industry.
Yet being a sixth-generation farmer, Terri’s ultimate master remains as it has always been: hard graft.
Terri has overhead people saying it’s easy to market great cows on the budgets they’ve had access to over the years. Her reply is simple.
“Yes, we have worked with a lot of people who have had money, and some people say we bought the cows, and there was the money to do it.
“But, one of the biggest things for me in marketing is first and foremost you have to take care of the cows. Without them, you have nothing. It doesn’t cost anything to brush tails, and soap is cheap.
“Yes, you can spend a lot of money on a beautiful display at a show, but if all you do is look after the cows, you’re still promoting your ability, your programme, and your attention to detail.
“There’s honestly nothing I enjoy doing more at a show than brushing tails. It’s therapy. We were all taught in 4H to clean hooves, ears, and have the sweat out from the udders … and so many seem to forget that. It’s something you can do without a lot of financial outlay. That’s what my mother taught me. And, wow, she was tough. She taught me more about elbow grease than anything else.”
Within the bigger picture, it has been Terri’s upbringing in northern Pennsylvania, her 4H experience, her personal journey, and Terri and Ernie’s partnership – all of which has collectively contributed to her stellar career.
More than show day
Terri says not having WDE this year will sort out who truly is prepared to put the work in on their cattle day in, day out.
“With the shows falling like dominos, it’s going to sort the people out. I’m talking about the people who take care of their cows every day, no matter what, and who takes care of them ‘just because there is a show on’ – because this is an every-day, detail-oriented business.”
Terri says Ernie still gets up every night between midnight and 2 am to check the cows whether there is a show on the horizon or not.
He either puts the lights on them if they are in the pasture, or he picks the shits while he’s there if they are in the stalls. Terri does the early morning shift. They know their best insurance is having eyes on their cows.
Terri says, “You can’t teach people to observe. You either have it, or you don’t. You can teach them all the other stuff. But not that.
“Ernie gets annoyed with me at shows, because I’m on the wash rack, which is my one-on-one time with the cows, and I’ll come in and say, ‘There’s a cut on this cow, this cow has some swelling in her neck, and I can smell some hoof rot’. He’ll say to me, ‘Did anything good happen on the wash rack?’.
“But, we both know that observing and the attention to detail is so important, and it’s unrelenting.”
Unsurprisingly, it was Terri who suggested a sign for the new barn’s entrance at Arethusa. It’s a statement that hung at Ernie’s family operation in Wisconsin: “Every cow in this barn is a lady. Please treat her as such.”
It speaks to both of their hearts.
Ernie on Terri’s talent
As always with industry couples who are both talented, Ernie has often been given the lead. However, his respect for his wife runs deep, and he says her judging role at Louisville’s National Jersey Jug Futurity is overdue.
Ernie says, “In agriculture, to get to the top requires sacrifices. If they’re willing to do it, I’ve always thought that women had as much – or more – ability than the men. I’ve never had a question about that in my mind.
“I thought there was an opportunity for Terri to go forward to judge because she’s ready, she enjoys it, and that’s extremely important. She’s been up for judging roles before now, and she’s been beaten by males that aren’t qualified as her … because they’re men. It’s irritating. In fact, it irritates me a lot, because I believe that holds a number of women back sometimes.
“When she got the Louisville appointment – even though we don’t know for sure [the event] is going to happen – it was quite thrilling.”
Ernie also says Terri has strong opinions – these will keep her steady when she gets to the pointy end of the day.
“Over the years I’ve seen when certain male or female judges get to the Grand Champion – the very important times – they start to second guess themselves. Terri doesn’t second guess herself.”
Terri confirms she enjoys judging, and she knows it includes some pressure for her peers.
“I think it’s hard being in a situation whereas a couple the two of us have had success. People think I might do what Ernie would like. It’s hard to get out of that shadow, and it seems to be hard for people to understand that you might have your own opinion.
“If a woman doesn’t do a good job judging, then it’s that much harder to get momentum for other women. If a man does a bad job, it doesn’t hurt the other guys as much.”
Terri’s associate in the National Jersey Jug Futurity will be the dry-witted Richard Caverly, who managed Arethusa before Ernie and Terri took over.
Ernie’s best deal
Ernie says his wife is one of the special ones, and when asked what she has brought to their operation, he doesn’t hesitate to give her the credit she deserves.
“It’s a little difficult to answer real quick because she obviously brings a great deal. She brings a lot of energy and a lot of objectivity.
“She does physical, mental and emotional work, and she’s outstanding in marketing and advertising. Terri can do anything – and she does it well.”
He smiles, “We don’t always agree, and sometimes she takes longer to do some jobs than I’d like her to, but she always does it well.”
He quips, “And when she gets a new haircut, that looks good too!”
All jokes aside, Ernie knows he made the best deal of his life when Terri agreed to share her life with him.
“There is an integrity and decency in Terri which means she can also go to any farm anywhere, at any time and she will always be welcomed.
“That’s quite a compliment. I’m not sure I’d be welcome everywhere, but that’s okay. Because there’s some places I don’t want to go.”
Arethusa was defining
What some don’t know about the couple’s dominating run at Arethusa is that for the first 12 months of their full-time association, Terri managed Arethusa while Ernie continued to run their home operation – six hours away.
She was 33 at the time, and Ernie and Terri had never milked more than 15 to 20 cows at home. Her brother, David, worked alongside her, and Ernie commuted a couple of times a month. It was a defining appointment for Terri.
Ernie says, “That was probably quite extreme for Terri at the time, and she was probably quite shocked for the first five minutes after I suggested it. But, for me, it was simple. From a personal standpoint, I wanted her to be more challenged; I knew she’d do well, and I knew there would be no failure.”
Terri agreed that she was stunned when Ernie suggested it without discussing it with her first.
“That really changed me – because it threw me out there,” Terri says. “I wasn’t on my own entirely, but it sure felt like it. That first year we were there, our mother [Marilyn], passed away and David and I were on this new farm, with young employees, Japanese interns and college kids.
“It was like being a parent in many ways, but I also had the responsibility of the cows. It was a lot. But I enjoyed it. There were days in the beginning where I was out mowing the lawn, trimming bushes, and mowing the pastures, because in the beginning, we did it all. When it got to that first successful year at Madison, that put me in the office full time, and I then became the relief milker.”
The 2004 WDE success put a lot of pressure on Terri and Ernie because it “ratcheted” up Arethusa’s owner’s expectations. And the industry was paying attention.
Terri says, “When you have a certain amount of success, there are people that are happy for you, and there are people that are jealous. Some people are both.
“But Arethusa was great at letting us do our job. From the beginning we said we would stay involved as long as they remembered that the cows came first, followed by the owners, and then the employees. But, the cows would always come first.”
When the couple called time on Arethusa after a decade, they gave owners George Malkemus and Tony Yurgaitis just over a year’s warning to put their plans in place.
“Sometimes it feels like it was a lifetime ago. We had a great group of cows and a great group of young people.
“One of the best things was the people we got to work with. Because we had young people who wanted to learn. And, they were dedicated, teachable and they loved cows.
“They’ve gone on to do great things. At one point, we had former employees managing every one of the major show herds in North America.
“We still get calls and texts with what they’re doing. That’s been a major highlight for both of us to watch their careers.”
Reputations make sales
Terri and Ernie were planning a sale in conjunction with the Franchise Kind in June.
When COVID-19 happened, they were preparing to hunker down and ride it out until they could re-schedule.
In the interim, the Hogan family, who milks over 5000 cows at Misty Meadow Dairy in Oregon, approached them with an eye on acquiring the 2018 WDE Intermediate Champion and Reserve Grand Champion, South Mountain Voltage Radiant EX91. Ernie had always said she was for sale. On one condition.
“There was one cow in particular that they wanted and other people have asked about her at different times,” Terri confirms. “And, the answer was, ‘Yes, Radiant is for sale, but not alone’. Because, if she is not here, the excitement is gone about going to the barn in the morning for Ernie.
“He’s said that for a couple of years now.”
“Finally, I just gave the Hogan family the spreadsheet of all our animals, and they came back and asked us how much for all of them. You can’t pass up that kind of opportunity. Ernie and I each picked out one baby calf to keep and we have a couple of donors, some Holstein heifers, a Brown Swiss donor and Barbara left.
“We still have Radiant here too on behalf of the Hogans, because we had planned to prepare her for Madison. Hopefully, Louisville will go ahead, so we can get her out there.”
Importantly, Terri and Ernie have never been able to ship milk in their operation, and so 37 head were loaded up for their new future. They are now in the care of Misty Meadow’s herdsman, Danny Upchurch. Danny handled a lot of the sale detail and is responsible for the family’s type herd, which is currently located in California while a facility is being acquired for them in Oregon.
“We sold because there was so much uncertainty in these unprecedented times. We didn’t know when we’d be able to have a sale, what the economy would be, whether anybody would be in the mood to buy anything and whether there would be any shows. And, when somebody comes along with sincere interest in type cattle with pedigrees who wanted to breed from them, we had to consider it.”
Ernie and Terri remain in the mix, helping the new owners with decisions related to marketing, showing and breeding.
“It’s hard to see them go, and I still cried when we left after visiting them, but they look good,” Terri said. “They’re doing well and they’re happy. The first day we walked in there they were so buried in this beautiful oat hay they were eating that they didn’t even want to talk to us. Which was good. They’ve adjusted well, and it couldn’t be more opposite living for them.
“But this is the first time since we’ve lived here for 23 years that there’s not been a Jersey heifer on this farm.”
Circular business
Terri says she wasn’t surprised when Ernie immediately started gathering new animals.
“This is an addiction, right?! No sooner had we got them loaded and out the driveway than Ernie started talking about Michael Heath and Nathan Thomas’s sale, which was running a week later. Ernie felt he should support it because he’s a firm believer that everyone in this industry has to give and take.”
They bought a springing heifer that caught Terri’s eye, who they say has calved out beautifully. Terri says while buying goes against their “sort of” plans to slow up, they both have a happy knack for finding the good ones.
“I give Ernie a hard time about it, but it’s usually beneficial,” she pauses reflectively. “If we sell a whole bunch of cattle, two years later he’ll end up buying one of them back. When we had our sale in 2016, we sold a bred heifer for $5500. She calved out the next year, and Mike Deaver called and said, ‘You might want to know about this one.’
“We bought her back over the phone, and we never saw her before she arrived at the farm. That was Radiant. And, he’s done it before.”
Another Jersey recently joined them – a daughter from Radiant – who was sold last year. She’s owned in partnership with RCD Jerseys (Rankin, Ceresna and Deist).
The two calves they chose to keep include Ernie’s choice of a Velocity out of Radiant, while Terri chose a calf who goes back to one of the first Jerseys they bought from Canada after they moved to Boonsboro in 1997.
Terri says, “I’m keeping something out of that Sofie family until we’re done. Her dam is a Premier x Comerica x Deluxe x Premonition x Sofie and she’s sired by Velocity too, so I’ve got my shot of Veronica in there.”
Giving up the business may have been muted, but somehow it still feels a world away.
“We did have that discussion pretty seriously, and I thought selling that many cattle during a pandemic might be a sign that perhaps it is enough, and we should slow down.
“Ernie is almost 20 years older than me, he’s got Parkinson’s Disease, and while he’s working hard against it, he does have it.”
Barbara: sweet win
When the talk turns to achievement and favourite cows, Terri says for Barbara to go all the way last year under judge Chad Ryan, of Fond du Lac in Wisconsin, was a personal sweet spot in her career.
“I remember when Barbara was in the ring, all these people were wanting to talk to me. And, all I wanted to do was to watch that cow,” Terri said. “Finally I got up on top of a chair, so that no-one could talk to me.
“Because that moment was the culmination of so, so much work, and I just wanted to see Barbara be happy, and see her appreciated.
“We’ve shown some beautiful older cows in the last few years that have been hammered in the ring. And, I wanted to see a judge respect an older cow. And, I’ve never seen her in all the years we’ve had her behave so well and look so happy out there, and just show off like Veronica and Ashlyn used to do.
“That moment made up for all the hours of work over the years.”
Terri says Barbara calved at the end of July. She hadn’t had a calf in two years, was fat and angry to be in-milk again.
“She was wicked. She was the nastiest Holstein cow I’d ever milked for those first two weeks. She was so mad that her udder was full of milk. We had quite a roller coaster ride with her for 65 days, and then to stand there looking at her in the ring was a testament to the cow and to the judge, who was so respectful of both the cows and the exhibitors.
“I don’t think anyone would feel that he didn’t give their cows time that day.
“If we never showed again after that, I’m okay with that.”
Barbara inspirational
Terri Packard worries that missing WDE could be critical for a number of form cows, and she has been mulling over an edgy alternative because it also worries her what the industry will do without some light at the end of the tunnel.
“Every day since they’ve cancelled WDE, I have the discussion with my husband about another show.”
“So many of these cows have that one day like Barbara, and you may not ever get it back. That’s one of the main reasons why I want a show this year. For all these cows that are ready.
“People say there is always next year, but there may not be next year for some of them.”
Veronica still favourite
People who know cows, know that if they get great care and management, they have the confidence to show their personality and intellect.
And, of all the great ones Terri has worked with – even though she was reared with Holsteins – it is a household Jersey name, Veronica, who remains her favourite.
“There’s been so many unique and interesting animals I’ve worked with, but I don’t think anyone else looked at you like they knew what you were talking about like Veronica did.
“She was so aware of people. It is 18 years since we bought her, and we worked with her for more than 10 years, and we still tell the stories about her because she was just that smart.
“She had such an appetite, and she was so aggressive at a show. When we would take her out to be washed, Ernie would have to stand the end of the barn and clear the way for her when she came back.
“Because as soon as she got to the door, she knew her feed would be in her stall, and no-one could hold her back. We literally always had the biggest guy we had in our team bring her in, and she’d start getting mad, and Ernie would say, ‘Let her go.’ She’d just storm into the barn, and into her stall, and start eating.
“She was the same in the clipping chute. And, she knew when people were watching her. You could see the angle of her head change. One day we were classifying Holsteins at Arethusa, and we were washing and clipping the cows and the Holsteins were getting all the attention, and that morning we left the Jerseys out.
“When they let the cows back in to feed, we turned around and Veronica had walked into the barn, and she was standing in the clipping chute like she was saying, ‘What am I? Chopped liver?’
“Norman [Nabholz] used to lead her, but I remember one year we took her to Louisville, and she was pissed that day. Norman saw her come out of the chute really mad, she was hauling arse as she stormed up the aisle and into her stall, and he was like, ‘I can’t do it. I’m out. She’s gonna take me for a ride’.
“Ernie was like, ‘We haven’t got time for this’. Norman said, ‘Steve White will do it’. And, Ernie didn’t think he would. And, Norm replied, ‘He will if I ask him’.
“Steve is such a big, broad-shouldered man, and luckily for us he said he’d do it. So, we walked Veronica down to the ring with Norman at the halter and right before Veronica went into the ring, Steve took over.
“And, you could see Veronica slowly look up at Steve, take in his size advantage, and you could literally see her thinking, ‘I’m not gonna be messing with this guy’. She led like a dream that day, and she was Champion.”
Does Terri think she would have led for Norman?
“I think that day she might have taken him.
“Everything she did was always extreme. It was great to be around her. I led her twice over the years – once at The Royal as a second-calved two-year-old when she was Intermediate Champion and Reserve Grand under Steve Borland – and, as a 10-year-old at the Spring Show where she was Reserve Grand. But she was a handful and headstrong. Her great-granddaughter acts just like her.
“Jerseys have so much more personality than Holsteins, and they just draw you in. There’s the rare Holstein that is responsive like that, and Barbara is one of them, so I enjoy working with her, and I love observing her.”
Terri says Jerseys might get sick a little quicker than Holsteins, but they get better faster.
“And, don’t let anyone tell you they don’t eat as much.”
Delicate marketing dance
Terri warns that marketing in today’s world is a delicate dance.
“I think it’s just so important, especially now that we don’t get a Holstein World, and every state doesn’t have their own breed publications. We’ve got to build our own hype, and have our cows in front of people. And, it’s very accessible to do that through social media.
“But, I don’t like to badger everyone, because – when I need to market – I want them to listen.”
Every industry needs leaders
In closing, Terri hopes there is room in the industry for the next generation to come through.
“There are a lot of young people out there who have a strong interest in registered cattle, and they want to take care of good cows,” Terri said. “But I don’t see very many of them going out and buying the farms, or having the income to be the next generation of that.
“All these young people who love to do this – there needs to be the next layers of owners who can afford to hire them, and who can afford to take care of these good cows.
“I hope there are enough people that still get excited about going to the shows and having a nice cow to look at in the barn in the morning.
“Because it does take more work, those kinds of cows do need more care, and in order to be developed to that point…it’s every day – it’s not just once you get on the truck, and head out for the show.”
It’s been said that without someone to set the bar, how does everyone else know how high they have to climb?
There’s no doubt that Terri and Ernie help bring the energy, and the excitement, that makes this industry special and compelling for everyone else. And Terri is a beacon for young women who are aspiring to take lead roles at any level.
Jill and Brad Porter with their dairy cows. Picture: Christine Ansorge
It was the phone call every dairy farmer dreads when they are off-farm.
Brad and Jill Porter were milking 600 cows at Panmure Jerseys, just out of Warrnambool in south-west Victoria. On March 17, 2018, they were in Tasmania for a short break when their neighbour, Jack Kenna, rang. He said a power pole had fallen on his farm, ignited a fire and it was headed their way. He said they had three minutes to get out.
There was no time to do anything. The flames, propelled by the hot windy temperatures and a lot of fuel, would wreak unspeakable destruction within 30 minutes – including killing or maiming 400 of their herd. Cows which Brad adored. The life-changing event was to be so catastrophic and traumatic on so many levels that it still haunts them both today.
Both Jill and Brad have become fierce advocates for change, board members for Blaze Aid, and they have advice and life lessons – that they wish they had never had to learn – for their colleagues facing up to their own recoveries after the recent bushfires across Australia…
Brad and Jill (who was still in her pyjamas) rushed to the airport. They left their rental car sitting in the middle of the drop-off zone, and sprinted for the ticketing counter. They managed to bag the last flight out of Tasmania. The airline put them in the front seats, giving them the best chance of a rapid exit when they landed.
The Porters arrived home at 3am and began immediately checking the cows. Jill, a pharmacist, stepped into her professional role to help assess and triage the herd. As the sun rose, the depth of the carnage became clear. They wouldn’t go to bed for the next three days.
Brad said, “There were the dead, the walking dead, the severely burned cows, the burned cows, and the cows that were okay. The fences were all gone, and the cows were in shock. So were we. One side of the farm wasn’t as bad, and we could put all the other animals over there so we could concentrate on the herd.
“We assessed all the cows and we had to get a number destroyed immediately, and we were forced to sell a large number of cows that were burned, but saleable.
“Some things you just can’t un-see. And, I don’t want to ever see what we saw that day ever again.”
‘I wouldn’t have my husband’
Jill’s life has also changed in the aftermath, and she is sure of one thing.
“I wouldn’t have my husband today, if we had been home,” she said without a pause of hesitation. “He would have died defending those cows. Every day I get up now and look at him and think, ‘Thank God, we weren’t there’.
“I still can see in my mind’s eye a cow who was burned … with her nose half peeling off. And she just stood and looked at me. I couldn’t help her, and I couldn’t protect my husband from seeing her. He knew every cow. He loved them all. Those memories remain very raw. I struggle to go to the dairy even today if it’s hot and windy.”
Brad still hasn’t had the heart to check the computer thoroughly to update his records on the cows which survived. Because he will see the ones that didn’t.
“I don’t even think about how many cows we’ve lost, and that’s why I haven’t gone back into the computer since the fire. I just block it out. It’s for my own mental preservation.”
Running to find peace
The fire was caused by a power company’s ageing infrastructure – with nothing the Porters, their neighbour Jack Kenna, or any other neighbour could do about it. The bitter pill to swallow is that was preventable. The result has been lengthy and engulfing litigation that threatened to swallow Jill. She was so enraged by the injustice of that day, that her counsellor advised her to take up a sport.
“I am not into sport at all, so I started walking,” Jill said. “But it was too slow because I was so angry, so I started running.”
How far does she run?
“Until I feel good.”
It could take 19 kilometres to achieve peace. It depends on the morning.
Jill didn’t work off-farm again for 18 months.
Daily, intensive treatment
Brad still tears up when he thinks about the cows and the suffering they went through.
One of the first things the Porters needed to do after the fire was to get the cows through the dairy. It was akin to a war zone: so many of the herd were injured and in pain. So many needed treatment every milking.
Neighbours and friends pitched in. There was a kindness and solidarity that Brad and Jill will never forget. For about six months afterwards they were feeding up to 150 people every lunchtime.
Milking health focus saved cows
Brad said they considered drying the herd off, but he needed the routine to make him get out of bed every morning.
“We needed the income as well. But mostly I needed my usual routine to maintain my sanity. I think it helps with making decisions.”
One of the first post-fire orders of business was the dairy. The clusters and liners, which had concerned Brad in the past, were now causing havoc.
“The cows’ teats were weeping, and their skin was so thin and so tender. We were so worried about stripping all the skin off the teats because we had really bad cup slippage. We needed cups and liners that were gentler on the teats.
“For the health and comfort of the cows we didn’t have a choice. There was no running away from it. We would have lost so many more cows if we hadn’t done something, and we knew it had to happen fast.
He made an SOS call on the Thursday to Mick Scanlon of Scanlons Dairy Centre in Terang, who in turn contacted Leon Lourey from Daviesway. By the Saturday, a full install of new Milkrite clusters and liners was complete. They chose Milkrite because the science behind the design gives cows the highest level of comfort (they have the world’s only internally triangular moulded plastic shell with mouthpiece vented triangular liners).
Team works with farmers
Leon said the whole team made it happen.
“Knowing the circumstances, we just knew we had to do something as quickly as we could,” Leon said. “Mick was also a big part of it. Our sole focus was to help in any way we could.”
Brad said it was a life-saving decision.
“Most of the cows’ udders were burned. The teat orifices on a lot were fine, but we would have lost the entire herd with that cup slippage. We needed cups that hung on, but which were gentle.”
Milkrite, which is used by 40% of farmers in the USA, includes a patented and revolutionary air-vent position in the mouthpiece of each shell. It introduces air above the milk-flow, stops splash-back and makes cluster removal gentler.
“I was so delighted and relieved with the result,” Brad said. “The clusters were much lighter, and much easier to use.
“I was a real sceptic about the air hole in the mouthpiece of the liner – I thought it’d get clogged up with shit – but it hasn’t been an issue.
“I’d be happy to stand on the corner of the street and sell Milkrite to anyone who would listen.
“They milk cows out properly, they are much gentler on their teats. We haven’t seen any teat-end damage in the last two years and that’s been a big thing for me because I can’t afford to lose anymore cows. I wouldn’t dare put my name to it if I didn’t think it was worthy.”
Fences around the district have been destroyed. Picture: Rob Gunstone
80% of bushfires preventable
What now haunts Jill is that her research has revealed that more than 80% of the bushfire deaths in Victoria can be traced to electrical failures. Energy Safe Victoria (ESV) has determined that Powercor failed to identify the termite-riddled power pole which razed Brad and Jill’s property. That day six fires – all started by electrical failures – burned 40,000 hectares.
“These fires are really deadly. If you look at Black Saturday [February 7, 2009], six out of the 11 fires were electrically initiated. On Ash Wednesday [February 16, 1983] five from the eight were ignited by electrical failure. All of the 1977 fires [that burned about 103,000ha] were electrically started.
“On the day of our fire, all were started from electrical infrastructure failing. Every single one of them. And, it’s because the infrastructure is aging and it’s failing our community.”
Jill has been fighting for change ever since because their community’s pain remains real and raw.
“I think the biggest thing is I’m devastated that a Government and a system can let a community down like we’ve been let down. We deserve to be safe. That is not happening.
“Yes, we got a civil settlement, but they are now arguing about what they should and shouldn’t pay for. They’re still in the driver’s seat. They destroyed my husband, and you can’t get that back.
“His passion and his livelihood was gone. I can articulate that, and I’ll continue to take it to them. Because they are wrong, they are indecent, and they are cruel.”
People were the difference
Day-to-day their community’s resilience has been the shining star to come out of the experience.
Jill said, “We are still a long way from recovered. I’m not saying we’re not functioning. I’m back now, but it took me 18 months to go back to work.
“You listen to the psychologists and it takes an average of six years to recover from a bushfire. You’re not ‘right’, even when the grass is green again because everything changes. It rips you apart.
“People talk in terms of ‘getting back to where you were before the fire’. It’s very much the catch phrase in recovery. I’m absolutely certain that you never get back to where you were because the recovery takes you down a different pathway.
“It’s not all bad. There are some good things – people’s generosity and support of us is something Brad and I hope to pay forward.
“Our neighbours and community that were burned out have become very resilient, and we know each other on a much deeper level because of the fire.”
Brad said it had been a humbling experience, and it had been hard to accept help. But people had made the difference
“I remember walking out the door after the fire and thinking, ‘where do I start?’. People came from everywhere.
“It was a generosity you never, ever forget. It pays to be charitable in life. I would walk over hot coals for my neighbours – there are so many people I have such a high and healthy respect for in my neighbourhood. At the end of the day, they’re the ones that got us back up on our feet.”
Jill said her advice to peers now facing their own recovery in the wake of the most recent fires was to take care of each other, and not to be afraid to ask for help.
“It takes a long time to come out of the fog, and you don’t need to rush it. You have to attend to certain things straight away, but you don’t want to make too many decisions unless you have to.
“There are a lot of good people in this world, and you’re not on your own.”
Thanks to Daviesway for allowing us to share this story. Also, be sure to check out Dianna Malcolm’s new venture Mud Media.
Half of a calf’s lifetime height and growth is achieved in its first six months, according to a visiting US specialist.
David Kuehnel was raised on a family farm in Wisconsin, which reared 1200 special fed veal calves every year. He went on to major in Meat and Animal Science at the University of Wisconsin, and he is the former president of Milk Products for Land O’Lakes – the biggest producer of milk replacer in North America. Today, he runs consultancy firm, Rule of Three.
Talking to dairy farmers throughout Victoria as a guest of Daviesway, David explained that 25% of a calf’s lifetime weight gain also happened within the precious six-month window of birth.
And, for every additional 100gms of Average Daily Weight Gain (ADG) achieved in that time, producers could expect an additional 821 litres of production on the first three lactations – or a 7:1 Return On Investment (ROI).
“We can argue whether or not it was an increase of 600 litres or 1000 litres,” David told one group in northern Victoria. “But the key point, and the takeaway message, is that the better the weight gain we achieve pre-puberty and pre-breeding age, the bigger the impact on the future milking ability of those individuals.
“And, you can’t recover it, if you don’t have it to begin with.
“There is no such thing as compensatory frame growth – a short calf will be a short cow. I’m talking not just scale and size. I’m also talking body, lung, liver and digestive capacity. They are all set in early life.”
He acknowledged that every operation was different, but stressed that the reality of the maths, and the ROI didn’t change. The subjective part of the story lay only in the way that producers chose to prioritise their next generation.
“You have one chance to feed her right, and as I see it, one chance to screw it up,” he said.
US studies reveal that calves fed a higher solids diet the first eight weeks gained 11kg (16.1%) more weight, were 3.3cm (3.8%) taller, were 5.6cm (7.3%) longer and had 33 litres (17.2%) more body volume.
David was sensitive to the cost of rearing replacement animals in a tight economy. But he offered some options to address the issue. Using a baseline of a 100-cow herd, he explained that producers needed 63 herd replacements if they had an average first-calving age of 23 months (and a cull rate of 30%). At an average first-calving age of 24 months (with a cull rate of 40%), the number of replacement heifers jumped to 88.
“I’d advise to invest only in the calves with the greatest potential and sell your surplus animals as early as possible,” he said. “Re-invest that money into rearing the calves you choose to keep better.
“I think that’s a more positive result than saying, ‘I didn’t have enough money to raise them well, but I raised them all’.
Daviesway’s calf rearing specialist Brendan Johnson said the visit was part of Davieway’s commitment to knowledge sharing at a time when it has never been more valuable.
Thanks to Daviesway, Australian Probiotic Solutions, and David Kuehnel for their efforts helping Aussie farmers rear their best calves. Also, be sure to check out Dianna Malcolm’s new venture Mud Media.
Mike Deaver and Apple captured by Nina Linton in this iconic WDE image in 2011.
So many exciting cows have been lost to the international industry too soon.
Misadventure, illness and calving complications have all too often put a fatal full stop on the careers of the high-profile cows the world has loved to love. In the last two decades, the mortality levels of several exciting young cows set to impact the global dairy community have been crushing.
So, it is worth celebrating the incredible career of a Red & White Holstein, who has bucked every trend the industry has to offer – almost as much as one of her owners – when she celebrated her 15th birthday in May.
Everyone knows her simply as Apple, but her official title is KHW Regiment Apple-Red-ET EX96 4E DOM 19*.
Story starts….
So many things have to go right for a cow to become a household name. Most of that rests in the hands of whomever is managing her.
Apple was lucky in that regard. She was bought by one of the industry’s cleverest cowmen – Mike Deaver – as a bred two-year-old.
While Mike couldn’t afford her, he knew people who could and, importantly, he knew how to manage her. Mike, of Sherona Hill at Edgerton, Wisconsin, USA, is at the heart of Apple’s story – and most of her early success.
Mike remains the majority shareholder (30%) in Apple, who lived at Sherona Hill during her early reign and for the past seven years has resided in a prime-time box stall at Mike and Julie Duckett’s Duckett Holsteins, at Rudolph, Wisconsin.
As Mike reflected on his adventures with Apple after selling his farm recently and re-locating to a warmer climate on the other side of the USA in Arizona, this master storyteller brings Apple’s journey into perspective.
SHORT BUT SWEET
KHW Regiment Apple-Red-ET EX-96 DOM 2013 HI Red Impact Cow of the Year Res Grand Champion, Grand Int’l R&W Show 2013 Grand Champion, Grand Int’l R&W Show 2011 All-American R&W Aged Cow 2011 HI World Champion R&W Cow 2010 Unanimous All-American Jr 2-Yr-Old 2006 All-American R&W Jr 2-Yr-Old 2006 HHM All-American Jr 3-Yr-Old 2007 Nom All-American R&W 5-Yr-Old 2009 Photo: John Erbson.
It’s worth noting that Apple was only shown eight times in her career – for three historical results at World Dairy Expo (WDE) and seven All-American nominations. Today, she has more than 280 EX descendants all over the world, and is the only cow to have her clone beat her for Grand at WDE and her daughter finish Honourable Mention.
Her sons and grandsons have also had an extraordinary impact on both the Black & White and Red & White populations. And, there isn’t a person on the planet interested in great cows who doesn’t know her.
Apple’s lineage was recently traced back 26 generations and 139 years of registered Holsteins to 1880. She comes from an imported cow from North Holland named “Vriend”, who was number 2439 in the Dutch herd book.
She remains modern, timeless, and in demand. Her ability to cross credit to the genomics market, and the family’s super production records and great components, hasn’t hurt her either.
MARCH TO GREATNESS
The day Apple sold for US$1million at the Global Glamour sale in 2008, she was the reigning All-American for age, the maternal sister to KHW Kite Advent-Red-ET (multiple WDE Premier Sire), the first Red & White in 11 years to win a Black & White in-milk class at WDE, and her pedigree was laden with six consecutive EX dams.
After that sale, Apple would go on to win Grand Champion Red & White at WDE in 2011. She was Reserve Grand at WDE in 2013 to her clone (KHW Regiment Apple-3-Red ETN owned by Westcoast Holsteins) with her Talent daughter in Honourable Mention (Ms Candy Apple-Red-ET EX93, owned by Frank & Diane Borba and Frank & Carol Borba). That year, KHW Kite Advent-Red-ET was again Premier Sire of the Red & White show. It was hardly surprising that Apple was also the 2013 Holstein International Red Impact Cow of the Year.
Much of the credit for her success comes down to the core group of people who understood what she was capable of from the get-go, and then made sure that it happened.
SLIDING DOORS
The day Mike met Apple he had visited with Norm Nabholz to look at a Jersey he was considering buying at Kamps Hollow Dairy in Belmont, Wisconsin.
“I was completely obsessed to buy her when I saw her as a bred heifer,” Mike said. “I liked the Jersey that day, but she wasn’t good enough to suit me. Norm and I were talking on the way home and I was going on and on about how much I liked the two-year-old, and he said to me, ‘You’re more excited about this Jersey than I thought you’d be?’. I replied, ‘The Jersey? No, I’m talking about the Red one’.
“He thought I was a bit over the top. But, from the moment I saw her, it was complete obsession – more than any other cow during my career. I didn’t really care about the proof of her sire [a plus proven Rubens sire, Carrousel Regiment-Red-ET], but I really liked the dam of her sire [Stelbro Renita Ranger EX94 8*]. She was a four-time Madison Grand Champion, and it was good blood. I’d never seen Apple’s mother until that day. I’d heard she was a pretty nice cow – and [Kamps Hollow Durham] Altitude was an incredible cow.”
Altitude is today remembered as one of the breed’s most important brood cows. Sired by Durham, she lived to 15 years old, and was classified EX95. Not only was she Apple’s dam, she was the dam of bulls Advent, Acme and Jotan, and the granddam of Amor Red, Absolute, Big Apple and Armani. She, herself, was the Red Impact Cow of the Year in 2009, and every bull from her that was put into stud made the active line-up.
Behind Altitude was Apple’s big-hitting fourth dam – the famous D-R-A August EX96.
RIGHT PERSON ASKING THE QUESTION
Mike asked Norm who the best person was to broker the deal. That man was cattle photographer John Erbson, who would join Mike in the Apple partnership.
“John got to Kamps Dairy at 10am the day we bought her, and I never got the call until 10.30pm that night that they had finally priced her,” Mike said. “John asked me if I was sitting down. It was US$60,000.
“I think they priced her where they thought I wouldn’t take her. I had no idea how to pay for her. I probably had $600 at that point. I said to John, ‘That’s a lot of money for a heifer. Tell them I’ll take her’.”
She was at Sherona Hill by 4.30am the next morning.
Mike said he also asked about housing and working into a partnership on Altitude with Ryan Kamp (one of Apple’s former owners).
“I was inches away from that, and we’d agreed, but Ryan called me the next morning and he said it would break his heart if she left his farm, and I completely understood.
“In the end, he used to drive over to look at Apple at our place and stand outside her box stall for an hour and just smile as he watched her eating. Then he’d turn around and say, ‘Thank you. She could never live like this at my house’.”
KHW Regiment Apple-Red-ET stormed onto the international stage when she won the junior two-year-old class at the 2006 World Dairy Expo. She was led and co-owned by Mike Deaver. Photo: Dianna Malcolm.
WDE 2006 PAVES THE WAY
Apple calved in at Sherona Hill as a junior two-year-old, and was set for WDE in 2006. As always, Mike had put some thought into her campaign. He entered her in both the Black & White and Red & White shows – deliberately building hype on the young cow.
“Everyone wanted to know if I was going to show in the Red & White show or the Black & White show, which was held two days later. And, I didn’t say anything to anyone,” Mike said.
“And, then the word went through the fairgrounds that I had her uddered for the Red show.
“I’d half-bagged her, and I had her prepped, her tail brushed, and, although we didn’t oil her, we wiped her down with a sponge, and she had her show halter on. We went through the whole process like we were going to show her.
“Everybody was still hanging around, looking around at her, waiting for her to head to the ring, but as soon as they did the first call for the junior two-year-old for the Red show, I milked her out.
“That news went through the sheds so fast, ‘He’s gone black. He’s gone black’! I thought it was kinda funny to screw with everyone a little bit.
“I was always going to show her in the Black & White show. Someone asked me why I chose the Black & White show over the Red that year? And, I said to them, ‘If you don’t compete with the best ones, what’s the sense in winning?’”
NO NERVES
Mike said he wasn’t nervous when he hit the ring with Apple the sole Red & White entry in a class numbering 31 head under judge Dan Donor.
“No, because I had hold of the greatest young cow I’d ever seen,” Mike said.
He deliberately didn’t enter the ring in order by his class number, hanging back despite the ring steward’s best efforts, and eventually entered the WDE’s coliseum last. And out of order. The ring steward was then forced to escort him to his allotted spot.
“I walked Apple on the inside of every cow in that ring, and when I got to the end and the steward told me to follow him, I knew who Apple went behind, so I just turned right and went straight across the middle of the ring.
“And, then when I got there Dan [Donor, the judge] walked straight to the middle of the ring and I just set her up, and he did a complete walk around her like she was the only cow out there. He said, ‘thank you’ to me, and then I just walked over and put her in her spot.
“I thought, ‘I might get my arse beat, but I do know he’s going to know I’m here’. And, she was the only Red one.
“After he got through looking at her, the crowd started clapping. He couldn’t not win with her because the crowd was already hooping and hollowing, and the damn class hadn’t even started.”
Mike was to have a good day that day, because in the very next class he was exhibiting Quality Ridge Stormi Hazel, who would go on to classify EX96 2E 3* and be nominated All-American seven times in milking form.
“I knew I had Hazel to come next and Dan knew that too. So, we had a nice one-two punch there. That’s the way that day went down.”
US$1 MILLION
The day the four-year-old Apple sold for US$1million in the Global Glamour sale at Arethusa in 2008, the sale manager Ernie Kueffner and a former founding partner in Apple, said the new partnership was smart to include Mike, and for them to continue to house her at Sherona Hill.
“Successful businesspeople don’t buy cows because they want a blue ribbon,” Ernie said at the time. “They buy because they are a good investment. And, truthfully, finding money is easy. The real problem is once people purchase the cows, where can they keep them and who will take care of them. That is the biggest problem in our industry – taking care of animals properly.”
And, while WDE had set the tone for her career, Mike felt she had nothing to prove that year.
“Right after we sold her we had two really good daughters to sell in our Prime Time sale [held during WDE week],” Mike said.
“And, we’d just sold a half a dozen calves for another million dollars. So, I left her at home from WDE that year and put her on display at the sale. I had a calf bring US$140,000 and another one bring US$100,000. I didn’t need to take her down to the show and give anyone the chance to beat the million-dollar cow.”
INTELLIGENT AND FUN
Mike said Apple is aggressive and intelligent, and kept everyone on their toes at Sherona Hill.
“She’s a sneaky cow. If you left the gate slightly open, she’d get out. I ended up having to put a rope and snap on her gate, because she worked out how to open the spring-loaded latches.
“She would fart around until she could flip the latch up, and then pull it over with her mouth and either go and tear your hay stack down or eat a barrel of grain.”
Mike also left her in the third box stall at Sherona Hill so she never had to turn a corner to go to the dairy. At shows, the only person to take Apple to the clipping frame, for show preparation or to the wash rack was Mike’s son, Todd. In the end, they put a ring in her nose to keep her safe.
“She’s not mean, and she’s not mad, but she would make you suffer. Running back to her stall from the wash rack around corners on concrete is not good.
“If Todd did nothing else at the show, his job was to look after Apple. She liked him. No one else was to put her their hands on her except Todd, me or Joe Hoffman.
“It’s not because we were so smart or anything. It’s just she was so inquisitive and so on her own, and she respected really diligent handling, and if we made sure that happened, then she didn’t go out of place.
“And, I didn’t want to be the guy responsible for her going down and breaking her hip. At home, it didn’t happen because we just opened the gate and she had a straight line to the dairy.
“I’ve got a Sid daughter, who is exactly the same. If you have a pail of milk she’ll stop and drink the damn thing on the way back from milking. She’s always screwing around. Instead of fighting her, we just made sure there was no milk there.”
Mike said the ring on her nose also kept Apple on her game in the show-ring.
“I showed her one year and she’d look like a million dollars, and just when it was time to put her game face on she’d drop her shoulders and chine and spread her front legs, and goof around with her head.
“It changed her whole front-end perspective. As soon as I could feel her starting to do it, I’d flick the ring and she’d shape back up. I might have got beaten, but Apple wasn’t going to beat me.”
– Apple’s clone, KHW Regiment Apple-3-Red ETN (pictured and owned by Westcoast Holsteins) won the four-year-old class at the 2013 WDE before going on to best Apple for Grand Champion Red & White Holstein. Apple finished Reserve and one of Apple’s Talent daughters was Honourable Mention, making it an historic Apple triple-crown. Apple 3 went on to win Reserve Supreme of the show. Photo: The Bullvine.
CLONING, AND WHEN THREE APPLES WIN
Her breeding plan early on was a studied exercise.
Mike said when the partnership won a free cloning session with Trans Ova Genetics when Apple won as a two-year-old, they took the sample right there at the show.
“That’s what got us going on the cloning thing. I always thought when others had cloned a 96-point cow that was 12 years old, that all the resulting clones looked like a 12-year-old cow when they were two.
“So, I believed the cloning had to be done with the genetic information when they were at their best, and they had to be a modern cow that would be modern in another five to 10 years.
“Trans Ova kept that genetic information, and we cloned that same tissue sample three separate times for nine calves. And, they all look like her, and they all looked like young cows.”
Among them was KHW Regiment Apple C-Red-ETN – the dam of popular sire Dymentholm Mr Apples Avalanche *RC. Another clone – Apple 3 – would be the cow to deny Apple her second Grand Champion at WDE in 2013 under judge Michael Heath, of Westminster, Maryland, USA.
Mike has judged many of the world’s biggest shows, and even though Apple was Reserve Champion that day and her Talent daughter was Honourable Mention (detailed above), the historic three-way Apple bonanza wasn’t his fairy-tale finish.
“I wasn’t overly thrilled with the ‘bing, bang…boom’ finish, because I thought Apple should have been Grand that day,” he said.
“If you’re going to get beat, well, your clone doesn’t hurt you. And, I knew her clone was a great young cow. She had been Intermediate Champion in 2011 as a junior two-year-old. But, I thought that Apple’s maturity and complete development could have put her over Apple 3.
“One guy told me that Apple not being Grand that day was my own fault, since I was the one who made the clone.”
WDE’s 2011 Red & White Holstein judge Adam Liddle, of Argyle, New York, USA, makes KHW Regiment Apple-Red-ET Grand Champion. Mike Deaver is on the halter. Photo: Nina Linton.
COWS WHO SHINE IN ANY ENVIRONMENT
Mike said his coast-to-coast trucking business, which took him throughout the USA and Canada, had given him a lot of experience and perspective about the kind of cows that shine in every climate.
“I see how much the weather and the living conditions will make some cows valuable in one area, yet they have no value in another area,” he said.
“And, just as an example, Fond Matt was a great bull, but he had leg issues. The best Fond Matts were in California and Kansas and there were some great ones in Virginia, but their legs couldn’t hold up on ice and concrete in other states, so his daughters didn’t work there.
“Apple had – for me – all the right angles. Every angle I look for in a great cow’s bone structure is A-framed. All of Apple’s angles were right and symmetrical, so that’s the way I looked at it. In my opinion – and I’d travelled enough roads in North America to know – she’d work on every good farm I’d ever been to.”
SIRES ALL WORKED
Perhaps for that reason, Apple clicked with almost every sire she was joined to.
“We started off with her first flushes to well-proven bulls out of great cow families like Talent, Stormatic and Redliner to see if she was going to be a brood cow. Then we went to Goldwyn – because he was the breed’s greatest bull – and we used the best Goldwyn son at the time, Destry. Every bull worked.
“We didn’t flush her every two weeks to get as many embryos as we could. She had breaks. We’d do two to three flushes for show-age calves and then we’d give her a break.”
One of Apple’s daughters that Mike bought outright is Holstein International’s 2019 Red Impact Cow of the Year (and the sixth member of the Altitude family to achieve the honour in the 12 years the competition has been running), Ms Delicious Apple-Red EX94-2E.
She is also the dam to show specialist Mr D Apple Diamondback *RC at Select Sires and full sister to Absolute-Red and Big Apple-Red.
“Delicious Apple is probably the most proportionate, balanced cow I’ve ever owned. And, when Diamondback was born that’s exactly what he was. He grew at exactly the same rate with everything. His belly came down, as his legs got longer; his shoulder came up, and his neck stayed long. He didn’t shorten in the rump or sway in the back. He’s the best calf I’ve ever had born.”
POSTER GIRLS
Today, Apple loves holding court at Duckett Holsteins.
“People will stop by there, and put her picture on Facebook all the time. I was up there several months ago, and she looks superb.
“She lives in a nice, big pen with Treasure [Vangoh Durham Treasure EX96-3E EX(99)MS]. They’ve got the life. Neither one of those cows have a problem with people coming to see them.”
THE BEST OF IT
Mike is now settled in Arizona, with no dairy cows in his direct care. He is upfront that they had the best of the registered game in the USA, and he fears for the next generation.
“The market is now completely flooded with a tremendous amount of quality cattle. It used to be a big deal when I was younger to have four generations of EX. Now, having eight or 10 is a dime a dozen.
“The only show left is Madison and the Royal [Agricultural Winter Fair], and if they’re not winners, who wants them?
“It doesn’t hold a lot of hope for anyone that wants to be in business – unless you have way too much money.”
Mike said the costs associated with farming today, along with the icy winters in Wisconsin, made his decision to step aside easier.
“I don’t have a fourth-generation tradition going on in Wisconsin. I like what we’ve done to this farm, and it’s been fun. And, if we could make some money and the weather was nice here all the time, it’d be fine.
“But when we spend six months in the ice and snow, and you can’t go anywhere because you have no help, I’d rather go and see my sons, Todd and Kyle, and their kids.”
THE NEXT CHAPTER
So, while Apple’s career continues with her latest batch of calves arriving in September, Mike has sold everything from the farm – except the halter he led Apple in – and the halter that he used on his first EX95-point cow.
“Apple is absolutely the only cow I wanted to own for her entire life, because I thought she was going to contribute something to the breed.”
And he was right.
However, Mike Deaver’s contribution to the breed – along with the cowmen of his generation – has been just as critical.
Because without Mike’s vision, work, daring and talent, Apple’s story may never have happened…
David Jones is one of the many disappointed UK dairyman who will not show at the All-European Show at Libramont. David is pictured with Wiltor Chipper Rosie-Red, who was entered for this year, and Shirley Dodd (Garry Phillips Agricultural) after winning Grand Champion Red & White Holstein at the 2018 UK Dairy Expo. Photo: UK Dairy Expo.
As teams start to settle in for the All-European Championship at Libramont, most of the UK breeders have been left with the shattering reality that their cows will not be involved.
This is a contest like no other. It has loomed as an unparalleled marketing platform for Europe’s finest in-form cows. It rolls around every three years and on April 12 and 13, close to 200 cows form 19 countries will be appreciated by 30,000 spectators in Libramont – the small municipality of Belgium. The cows are going head-to-head for individual and national team titles in the Holstein and Red & White Holstein shows under UK judge Mark Nutsford (Holsteins) and Swiss judge Markus Gerber (Red & White Holsteins).
Teams have been selected by committees within nations. And it is these committee members only who perhaps truly knew the work, money and risk involved in putting together teams to travel. All the cows had to be from herds free of Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR). All were tested – several times – for Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD), Enzootic Bovine Leukosis (EBL), Brucellosis and Tuberculosis (TB).
When the news broke on March 27 – just days from the UK cows loading up – that its team of 16 animals was being pulled, the world’s registered industry held its collective breath in universal sympathy.
However, the UK was left with no choice because there was a recent outbreak of Blue Tongue in Belgium, and the UK’s cows were not vaccinated for it.
It is a decision which now haunts the UK team. They made the call after they were unable to get the vaccine in January because of high demand in the back end of 2018. They decided to push on without it because there were no Blue Tongue problems near Libramont at that time.
Private offer from Belgium breeder
Wyndford Doorman Atlee 2nd VG89-2YRS pictured on her second calf three days ago was one of three from Wiltor Holsteins named in this year’s UK team for Libramont. She will now sit the show out at Wiltor Holsteins. Photo: Dean Malcolm.
Since then four animals have been cleared to continue on to Libramont (with added quarantine conditions and additional risk for their owners). It was made possible by a Belgium breeder who generously offered to house up to six UK animals at their farm for the extended 60-day quarantine period after the show.
Those cows are Knowlesmere Atwood Chic VG88-2YRS, Knowlesmere Solomon Diamond VG89-3yr Max, Feizor Elude A Rapture VG89-3YRS Max, and Riverdane Ashlyns Gold EX93 Max. If any are in-calf they will have to remain in Belgium until they calve.
While there is no doubt that it has been a herculean 11th hour effort for the UK team to have any representation at all, it is been reduced to a quarter of the original power-packed contingent.
Welsh breeder out
Wiltor Holsteins is one of several UK farms who can now not show at Libramont after years of planning.
David and Claire Jones, of Wiltor Holsteins at Monmouthshire in Wales, had three cows chosen for the initial team. It was the biggest representation from one farm and it was to be the perfect swansong for the couple who will host their Virtual Dispersal sale on April 23. That dream is now over because two of their three cows were in-calf and the timelines were impossible for their sale. They have had to withdraw.
David, who is a board member of Holstein UK, said the expense and the work involved in the preparation was not the hardest part of the deal.
“It’s three years of planning gone,” he said. “There has been a lot of expense and a lot of hassle. It’s cost everyone a lot of money, including Holstein UK.
“But that is nothing compared to the disappointment of not being able to take our cows to the show. That far outweighs everything else. It just feels like we’ve all had the rug pulled out from under our feet at the very last minute.
“I don’t want to blame anyone, but I – like other farmers – am busy in our own business and I didn’t realise the enormity of the Blue Tongue problem in Western Europe. If I had of, I would have been far more vociferous back in January time to the vet when he said he couldn’t get hold of the Blue Tongue vaccine.
Grand Champion of the 2018 UK Dairy Expo, Wiltor Chipper Rosie-Polled-Red EX94 will now not attend the All-European Championship. She is pictured in 2018 with L-R Dean Malcolm, Stuart Maclennan and her owners David and Claire Jones. Chipper Rosie sells in the Wiltor Virtual Dispersal on April 23 and is due to re-calve on November 19. Photo: MacG.
“We were taking the vet’s advice who was employed to help us through the quarantine processes, and we all accepted it. None of the exhibitors at that time said, ‘Whoa, hang on’.”
David said his cows had been in quarantine since February. The next board meeting of Holstein UK will be in May, when the matter would be fully discussed.
Until then, he congratulated the resilient UK breeders that had been able to continue on to represent the UK, and he was re-focussing on their family’s Virtual Dispersal. It included a Monument Impression daughter from the second-calved three-year-old he has been unable to show at Libramont , Wyndford Doorman Atlee 2nd VG89-2YRS
Holstein UK’s position
Holstein UK first posted on Facebook on April 1 that it had made the “disappointing decision” to withdraw its team. On April 5, it amended it to announce that four animals would attend.
Sue Cope Holstein UK’s CEO kept it upbeat, saying: “I am delighted that we have managed to achieve our goal of getting a team of cows to Libramont. I want to personally thank the exhibitors for the absolute commitment and determination they have shown throughout and also to everyone else involved who have worked tirelessly over the past few months.”
That said, there are also now more than 100 UK visitors headed to Libramont. So, rest assured, if a UK entry does well the Union Jack will be flying high.
Competition break-down
HOLSTEIN
JUNIOR – Calved once, in-milk, and aged up to 32 months
INTERMEDIATE – Two calves, in-milk, and aged up to a maximum of 60 months
SENIOR – Cows, in-milk with at least three calves
RED & WHITE HOLSTEIN
JUNIOR – One or two calves, in-milk, and aged up to maximum 60 months
SENIOR – Cows, in-milk with at least three calves
TEAMS COMPETITION
Each participating country chooses their best four cows after the completion of the individual show results. The inter-nation competition is adjudicated by judges from all countries involved, although they do not place their own country’s entry.
Be sure to watch www.thebullvine.com for full coverage of the show starting on Friday
Planning starts early for the triennial All-European Championship.
Preparation for this year’s event began way back in 2017, while 67 days out from the event on February 4 this year, quarantine started for the United Kingdom entries of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
This year’s competition includes teams from Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic (known as Czechia to its inhabitants), Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and the UKBons-Holsteins Koba 21
It seems incredible to consider the scale of the efforts that are now being mobilised to move animals across so many national borders. Perhaps even more incredible to think it will culminate with them standing beside one another in one ring.
The long trek
Teams are selected by committees within nations. And it is these committee members only who perhaps truly know the work, money and risk involved in putting together a team to travel. All cows must be from herds free of Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR). All have been tested – several times – for Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD), Enzootic Bovine Leukosis (EBL), Brucellosis and Tuberculosis (TB).
Bons-holsteins has a dream…. After the open european show in Colmar we set a goal to have cows ready for the open European Show in Libramont 2019. 7 cows still selected for Libramont.
To put it into perspective, Belgium is a federal state located in Western Europe. It has 98 kilometres of coastline bordering the North Sea, just north of the English Channel which sits between England and Belgium’s southern neighbour, France. Belgium also conveniently shares borders with four other nations: France (a 556km long border), Germany (13km), Luxembourg (130km) and The Netherlands (478km). And while it’s less than 200km as the crow flies between England and Belgium, the UK teams do have to cross the English Channel to France, before heading on to Belgium to participate. All their entries have had individual passports, which is a legal requirement for all cattle in the UK, for some time.
Brexit (the UK’s decision to leave the European Union) is set to happen on March 29. This timing might further complicate the UK team’s travel plans as it passes through France, on route to its competition destination.
Any one of the challenges listed above would stop many, but for these competitors it simply doubly underlines the passion driving everyone’s campaigns and the excitement that this show creates.
One tour group of 30 supporters from the UK has booked out an entire castle to secure accommodation in the region’s pretty centre, where French, German and Luxembourgish (or Lëtzebuergesch) are all spoken.
2016 Champions
The final pick at the All-European Championship at Colmar, France in 2016 included the power-packed selection of (L-R) Lady Gaga EX97 (Germany), Ashlyn Vray Goldwyn EX96 (Spain), Illens Atwood Australia EX95 (UK) and Galys-Vray EX94-4YRS (Switzerland).
Judge Markus Mock would tap out Galys-Vray.
At the last championship in 2016 at Colmar, France, the Swiss team dominated the big prizes. The Grand Champion Holstein was Swiss sensation Galys-Vray EX94. Sired by Atwood out of a Damion, she was owned by Mattenhof Holstein, Al.Be.Ro, Thomas Staub. Reserve Champion was the Spanish entry of Ashlyn Vray Goldwyn, owned by Ponderosa Holsteins and Al.Be.Ro.
Both Red & White Grand Champions were from Switzerland. Grand was Suard-Red Jordan Irene, owned by Schrago Frères. Reserve was Bopi Talent Lotanie, owned by Pierre Oberson and Nicolas Savary.
Front-runners
Bons-Holsteins Koba 219 Grand Champion FVZH Wintershow
This year, one of the individual danger cows in the Holsteins will undoubtedly be Dutch entry Bons-Holsteins Koba 219 EX94 Max. Bred and co-owned by Nico and Lianne Bons, a half share of Koba was sold to West Coast Holsteins (Canada) at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in November for C$46,000. The L’Authority daughter carries a high profile and plenty of international respect.
Nico Bons knows much has to happen before Koba steps out at Libramont. But he is ready for it.
“This is the show I want to win once in my life,” he said. “We have worked three years already to get the cows ready for this show.”
He said while he has enjoyed many titles, the All-European Show Grand Champion one would be special.
“This competition is only held once every three years; every country sends their best animals, and the atmosphere is second to none.”
Sunibelle Dempsey Esprit EX94 (pictured winning Supreme Champion at the Swiss Expo in Lausanne on January 12 under Swiss judge Pascal Henchoz) looms as arguably the strongest contender for Libramont.
The other exciting entry is the newly crowned Swiss Expo Holstein Grand Champion, Sunibelle Dempsey Esprit, owned by Gary Jones, Markus van Känel, Pat Conroy and Nicholas Sudan.
The cow many know is capable of thwarting Nico’s dreams is the reigning Swiss Expo’s Supreme Champion, Sunibelle Dempsey Esprit EX94 (95MS), owned by Gary Jones, Markus van Känel, Pat Conroy and Nicholas Sudan, Gary was on the halter the day the third-calved four-year-old won at Lausanne in January, and his allegiances will be tested in April: Gary was born in Ireland, is married to English breeder Izzy Jones (nee Whittaker, whose family will most likely have animals included within the UK team), he will be fitting the Dutch team at Libramont, and is expected to lead Esprit for Switzerland against Koba.
Grand Champion HOLSTEIN Expo Bulle 2019: Au Parchy Doorman Jolie
The other cow to recently come into contention was a month fresh in March when she beat Dempsey Esprit in a tight race for Grand Champion Holstein at Switzerland’s National Show, the Expo Bulle in Espace Gruyère, Bulle. Dempsey Esprit won Best Udder of the show. Au Parchy Doorman Jolie has been quietly coming for two years – she won her class at the 2017 and 2018 Swiss Expo. She is owned by Gobeli Holstein, Gasser Ruedi & Räz Hansjörg. She has been included in the Swiss team, along with four of her Gobeli herdmates.
With quarantine testing and internal selection processes still to navigate, most other countries were reluctant to talk up any cows at the time of writing this article.
This year’s competition includes teams from Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic (known as Czechia to its inhabitants), Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.
Spain, Germany and Italy preparing
Spanish team head fitter and leader, Agapito Fernandez, said he is proud to represent his country.
Spain is bringing 14 animals, leaving from Cantabria, in northern Spain, where they completed their quarantine requirements. Their trip will take 24 hours. The Spanish Holstein Association is helping support them.
Germany has entered with eight Holsteins and four Red & White Holsteins, with the effort costing between €5000 to €6000 (A$7900-A$9500) per cow. Their quarantine spans 30 days and the Germans have based their effort from the farm of Claude Thein, in Luxembourg, according to one of the team selectors, Henrik Wille.
“We want to present the best cows from Germany, and we are proud to be a little part of this big show,” he said.
Italy’s head classifier and team organiser for the All-European Show, Corrado Zilocchi, said there are 15 Holsteins and five Red & White Holsteins coming from his country.
“Unfortunately we don’t have a national plan of IBR eradication, so we are in the Annex III of the EU regulation and we need to test all animals of the farm that include animals participating at the show,” he said.
This year, the All-European Championship will be held in the small municipality of Libramont in Belgium. On April 12 and 13, some 200 cows from 19 countries will go head-to-head for individual and national team titles in the Holstein and Red & White Holstein shows under UK judge Mark Nutsford (Holsteins) and Swiss judge Markus Gerber (Red & White Holsteins).
Italy’s quarantine is 30 days and they have chosen a stable in Mantova. Their road-trip to Libramont will take 15 hours. The Italian team has no government support for the costs, and they were looking for sponsorship at the time of printing.
Corrado said the competition was the high point of the exercise.
“It is always an emotional experience,” he said.
In the 2016 team contest, France won followed (respectively) by Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, the UK, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Czech Republic.
In 2019, the competition again promises to get the crowd’s adrenalin pumping. And there is no doubt that Libramont represents a culmination of work and planning in return for three years of bragging rights.
And, for that reason no-one has hesitated to put their hand up.
Competition break-down
HOLSTEIN
JUNIOR – One calf, in-milk, and aged up to 32 months
INTERMEDIATE – Two calves, in-milk, and aged up to a maximum of 60 months
SENIOR – Cows, in-milk with at least three calves
RED & WHITE HOLSTEIN
JUNIOR – One or two calves, in-milk, and aged up to maximum 60 months
SENIOR – Cows, in-milk with at least three calves
TEAMS COMPETITION
Each participating country chooses their best four cows after the completion of the individual show results. The inter-nation competition is adjudicated by judges from all countries involved, although they do not place their own country’s entry.
For more information, please visit “Holstein Libramont 2019” on Facebook or http://www.holsteinlibramont2019.com/en and be sure to watch right here on The Bullvine for full live coverage of the show.
Thank you to Sheila Sundborg (Canada), Brent Crothers (UK) and Alberto Medina (Spain) for their help in securing and translating answers.
It’s so hard to focus on the victories with Ferme Jacobs, because the way it wins is so well, winsome.
Just one other Canadian farm has won Premier Breeder at The Royal more times than Ferme Jacobs (Romandale Holsteins, 13 times). Notably, at The Royal, Ferme Jacobs showed no heifers and they have now nudged ahead of household names like Dupasquier Holsteins, Hanover Hill Holsteins, Glenafton Holsteins and Rosafe Holsteins.
And the last time a Holstein breeder won Grand and Reserve Grand Champion with homebred entries at The Royal was Agro Acres with maternal sisters in 1969. Before that the only other recorded time was by Mount Victoria in 1935.
The landslide results for Ferme Jacobs started here when The Royal judge Jamie Black slapped the family’s winning four-year-old, Jacobs Windbrook Aimo EX95 for Senior Champion.
This year’s Royal Agricultural Winter Fair belonged to Ferme Jacobs’ winning four-year-old, Jacobs Windbrook Aimo EX95, and their winning mature cow, Jacobs Lauthority Loana EX96-2E, who finished Grand and Reserve Grand Holstein respectively. Loana is owned in partnership with Pat Conroy.
And yet the lasting impressions from both WDE and The Royal are not only the family’s champions, but also the way they care for their cows, the way they celebrate and the way they share their success with the industry.
The squeals and multiple photographs of their children swarming ringside, together with the unadulterated joy between their parents in the ring, is infectious.
“We always have a party, even if we lose,” Ysabel Jacobs, 37, smiled.
“But that party at The Royal this year was one of the best ones we’ve had, for sure. We were so excited. We’ve never had Grand and Reserve Grand before, so we went wild.
“Because the level where we are now with our results; it’s easier to get there than it is to stay there. We know that.
“Last year we said we couldn’t have a better year than that was. Then this year, we did. We don’t know what’s coming up for us. But we know we are going to have to accept it when it comes, because we have kids around and we need to show them the right way to handle losing.”
The family was also unafraid to bring the reigning WDE Grand Champion Holstein out again at The Royal one month later – always a risk when a cow has something to lose.
WDE and Royal wins both special
“I think both the WDE and RWF results were special in their own way,” Ysabel said. “At WDE, Loana was perfect, and while Aimo [the 2017 WDE Intermediate Champion] won her class at WDE this year, she didn’t co-operate with us that day, and we had wanted her to look better than she did.
“At the RWF, it was the opposite. Aimo got ready perfect, and Loana didn’t want to co-operate. When we get our cows ready in the string, we get all excited before they leave the string if they are heading to the ring looking as good as we know they can be. After that, whatever happens in the ring is fine because you have no control over that.
“We think Loana might have had a big heat the day before the RWF because she was very mad that day. So, one show was perfect for Loana, and one was perfect for Aimo. We’re happy with that.”
As to which cow is best, Ysabel smiles. She always leads Loana and Yan takes Aimo.
“I don’t know,” she laughed. “If you talk to my brother he’ll say Aimo, and if you talk to me, I think I’d say Loana. There are some things that I like more about Loana and some things I like more about Aimo.
“We both like to lead, and we kind of always have our own cows. We never fight for who leads who, because we always differ slightly. We like the same kind of cow, but we like different things on individuals too. I would say Aimo is more Yan’s type, and Loana is more my type.”
Carl Saucier mentor
Semex’s well-known Carl Saucier, who has been a mentor and friend for Yan and Isobel, says there is something special about the family’s care of their cows, which always comes before winning.
“What I love about this family is that they are not only humble winners, they are great losers,” Carl said.
“I remember in 2015 at The Royal, they lost the Premier Breeder banner by the smallest of margins and they went down to Kingsway [Farms, the winner] and drank to their success with them. They are always happy for others. Ysabel is happy to help others at shows too – even her biggest competitors. She’ll give them some of their best hay to fill cows on show day. She just smiles and says: ‘Let the best cow win.’”
Buy when they want to
While the family is now recognised for its success with homebred animals, buying them is not without precedence. This year’s WDE Intermediate Champion, Erbacres Snapple Shakira-ET VG89, is jointly owned by Ferme Jacobs, Ty-D Holsteins, Killian Tehraulaz, Ferme Antelimarck and C & F Jacobs. The 2013 WDE Supreme Champion Bonnacueil Maya Goldwyn EX-95 3E 6* was co-owned with Drolet & Fils, Ty-D Holsteins, and Bonaccueil Holsteins.
Erbacres Snapple Shakira-ET VG89, gets the nod for Intermediate Champion at World Dairy Expo. She is jointly owned by Ferme Jacobs, Ty-D Holsteins, Killian Tehraulaz, Ferme Antelimarck and C & F Jacobs. She is led by Tyler Doiron.
“We do like to buy one once in a while and develop a cow to the max she can be,” Ysabel said. “But we’re never in a rush to buy them. It just happens when, ‘OK, I can’t get over it’. Then we get on each other. If I go to sleep at night and I still see her in my head, we need to buy her. We’re like kids and it’s satisfying to get a cow where you know she can be. With Shakira, it just happened that our friend, Killian, was there when we were looking at her, and he said he wanted in too.
“I think the partnerships we have now is that they know us. They know that we’re not going to call for a breeding decision. But they know also that we’ll make the best decisions we can on the cow’s behalf.
“If someone wants to be in with us, they need to just let us get on with it. We’re very bad for sharing news – very bad. We don’t spend all our time talking with a partner on the phone. They need to have trust in us and as soon as we flush, we usually separate everything so the partnerships don’t get too big. That’s the easiest way.”
Breeding with numbers often doesn’t add up
When Ferme Jacobs decides on what bulls to use to breed the next one, genomics is the last consideration. The family is driven by cow families and the sires that leave the kind of cows the farm needs. They have alternated between high type and breeding for milk. It maintains a balance of stylish show cows that will work and last.
“We do look at the numbers, but that’s not big for us,” Ysabel said. “The only number we really do watch is that we will never use a bull that is minus for milk. Yan is starting to judge more now. He went to the USA, and Tyler and I are also starting to judge too, so we are all travelling a little bit.
“Between us, we see enough cattle in a year that we can see which bulls we want to use, and which bulls we don’t wanna use. When we go away, we usually also try and visit two to three farms to see what’s there and what’s working.
“Right now, we’re breeding for a bit more on milk, because you can have any good show cow in the world, if she doesn’t milk it’s not going to work.
“We are concentrating right now on balance, especially at our place because we have so many type cows. Using high type bulls here right now would be too extreme.”
Bulls in use now include Croteau Lesperron Unix, Seagull-Bay Silver, Comestar Lautrust, S-S-I Silver Spike, Sandy-Valley J Pharo, S-S-I Montross Missle, Monument Impression, and MR Mogul Delta.
“I know sometimes we use older bulls, but we don’t think using old bulls is a fault,” Ysabel said.
Massive embryo demand
Their juggle remains working between showing cows, massive embryo demand (500 embryos were sold by Ferme Jacobs this year), and breeding a bull for the industry, to be marketed through Select Sires.
MOET embryo transfer work takes a seat behind show cow management and preparation. IVF is infrequent, because of the expense.
“If the cows are on a show programme, they are not going to be flushed,” Ysabel said. “We don’t want to work with hormones while they are showing. We’d rather flush them when they are done showing.”
And the Jacobs family remains true to itself when it comes to choosing potential bull mothers.
“Select [Sires] are not pushing us for the cross, because they know there are some crosses we don’t want and some crosses that make sense to us,” Ysabel said.
“It doesn’t have to be very high on everything, because we think that everyone in the industry is running a race right now on all that… for nothing.”
The cows they hope to make a bull from include 2017 Holstein Canada Cow of the Year, Jacobs Goldwyn Britany EX-96 2E 10* (Braedale Goldwyn x Jacobs Jasper Best), Loana (Comestar Lauthority x Jacobs Outside Linsey), Aimo (Windbrook x Jacobs Minister Aima), and Shikara (Snapple x Miss Apple Snapple EX-94). Aimo has an ET bull calf coming, sired by Lautrust, and she will calve next May to Lautrust.
The family’s happy place
Challenges come to every family and Ysabel says it is always the cows that put them back in their “happy place”. An extended and supportive team, combined with watching their children develop the same love for cattle, has sustained them.
“It’s not easy, because there is sacrifice. But it is a sacrifice my brother, my husband and I don’t mind,” Ysabel said.
Yan Jacobs is swamped by his daughters Elsie and Nellie Jacobs as he leaves the ring after winning Grand Champion at The Royal. Tyler and Ysabel’s daughter Aylson is obscured.
“Our kids have grown up around that. We have three farms together and we have an amazing team around us, including Mum and Dad, who always support us.
“Yes, it’s hard sometimes and sometimes you want to quit. But there is always something coming and someone slapping your shoulder, or you find a new cow and you get excited again.”
Pressure has been a constant, but they can now put it into perspective.
“I would say that two years ago we could feel there was pressure to back up our performance,” Ysabel said. “But last year, we realised there is so much more important things in life than showing, and this year we just wanted to go and have fun, and to try our best.
“We get nervous at certain points, but always a good nervous. I know there is money involved. But people are so much looking at us right now, that no matter what happens, we should do it for fun.
“We’ve lost before, and we’ll lose again. Let’s be prepared to do it, and if it happens, at least we had fun doing it. Our kids are starting to show and we are trying to teach them the right way, because they don’t always lead winners – they lead both. And, if they don’t practice with their calves at home, we aren’t going to let them show their calf.”
Ultimately, Ferme Jacobs loves good cows and they continue to see the good, and the good people in the industry.
“We have people in our team who come and help us on show day, who don’t want to be paid. They just want to do it with us. Those are special people for us,” Ysabel said.
“We are very lucky to have them around us. To be honest, there are so many good people in our business who have the same passion to try to get the right cow where she needs to be. We love it.”
Senior Champion In-Milk Heifer (Senior Leader) was (r-l) Fairvale BC Armani (Cally O’Shannassy, Vic) followed by Reserve Elmar Firstclass Jessica (Brady Hore, Vic) and Honourable Mention Lightning Ridge Archrival Jane 2 (Dylan McDonald, Vic) Photo Crazy Cow In Print
IDW GRAND CHAMPION HEIFER – Fairvale BC Armani Nola, Cally O’Shannessy, Munden Farms, Nilma North, VIC, 15‐04‐2015 Mr Apples Armani‐ET , Fairvale Damion Nola 21
IDW RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION HEIFER – Elmar Firstclass Jessica‐ET, Brady Hore, Elmar Holsteins, Leitchville, VIC, 04‐08‐2015 Zahbulls AltaFirstClass‐ET, Elmar Goldwyn Jessica 11‐ET
HONOURABLE MENTION – Diamond Hill SSM Victoria, Hayley Braendler, M Mangold, Regentville,NSW, 11‐07‐2015 Select Scott Minister Avonlea Latola Victoria
Grand Champion of the youth show was led by the show’s must successful handler, Cally O’Shannassy. Fairvale BC Armani was a Grand Champion Heifer of the Youth Show. Fairvale BC Armani Nola is the first Holstein Karl Munden, from Warragul, has bought. He secured her in October 2016 at the Big Bang dispersal and she calved in this year with an Awesome heifer. Reserve was Elmar Firstclass Jessica, led by Brady Hore, of Victoria and Honourable Mention was a Jersey who her owner Mark Mangold bought in a package of B-grade embryos from River Valley Jerseys.
SENIOR CHAMPION IN MILK HEIFER – SENIOR LEADER – Fairvale BC Armani Nola, Cally O’Shannessy, Munden Farms, Nilma North, VIC, 15‐04‐2015 Mr Apples Armani‐ET, Fairvale Damion Nola 21
RESERVE SENIOR CHAMPION IN MILK HEIFER – SENIOR LEADER – Elmar Firstclass Jessica‐ET, Brady Hore, Elmar Holsteins, Leitchville, VIC, 04‐08‐2015 Zahbulls AltaFirstClass‐ET, Elmar Goldwyn Jessica 11‐ET
HONOURABLE MENTION – Lightning Ridge Archrival Jane 2‐ET, Dylan McDonald, Munden Farms, Nilma North, VIC, 25‐07‐2015 Eclipse Atwoods Archrival, Pooley Bridge Advent Jane 17‐ET‐RED
In the Senior Champion in-milk heifer (Junior Leader) the Jersey Diamond Hill SSM Victoria (Hayley Braendler, SA) came in first with the Holstein Eclipse Goldchip Paradise (Mia Deenan, Vic) taking second.
Photo IDW
SENIOR CHAMPION IN MILK HEIFER – JUNIOR LEADER – Diamond Hill SSM Victoria, Hayley Braendler, M Mangold, Regentville,NSW, 11‐07‐2015 Select Scott Minister, Avonlea Latola Victoria
RESERVE SENIOR CHAMPION IN MILK HEIFER – JUNIOR LEADER – Eclipse Gold Chip Paradise, Mia Deenen, Zanders Family,Kialla,VIC, 29‐07‐2015 Mr Chassity Gold Chip, Eclipse Atwood Paradise
HONOURABLE MENTION – Foleama Lix Rose 11, Chris Wright, E Cullen, Tatura, VIC, 20/04/2015 DJ Lix, Foleama Shyster Rose 4
Photo Crazy Cow In Print
Photo Crazy Cow In Print
Photo Crazy Cow In Print
JUNIOR CHAMPION HEIFER – SENIOR – Wyena B Mac Caboose Cally O’Shannassy D Edge, Carpendeit, VIC 12‐07‐2016 Childers Cover Anniedale Mcapple‐I Wyena Brook Caboose‐ET
RESERVE JUNIOR CHAMPION HEIFER -SENIOR LEADER – Llandovery Foremans Emma 1906th Zoe Hayes Hayes Family, Girgarre, VIC 01‐04‐2017 Llandovery Stellas Foreman 4936 Llandovery Empires Emma
HONOURABLE MENTION – Cedar Vale DH Tequila Crystalyn Imp‐Et Loren Osborne Cedar Vale Jerseys & M Mangold, Moss Val 15‐09‐2015 Tower Vue Prime Tequila Rock Ella Impressive Crystalite
Finesse Burdette Marcie (Heath Treloar, SA) the reigning Junior Champion from the Adelaide Royal Show was again in the broad ribbin count, winning the Junior Champion (Junior Leader). The story goes that every year at Adelaide Boldview Ayrshires, Geelunga Ayrshires, and Cher-bar Ayrshires give away an Ayrshire calf (by rotation) to the winner of a handler’s class. Several of the young people from different breeds who have won, have continued to exhibit in the Ayrshire show, including Marcie’s owner, Casey Treloar. Casey won the foundation cow behind Marcie, Geelunga Starad Molly.
Photo IDW
One of the meaningful shots of this year’s IDW Youth Show was when US judge Brian Behnke congratulated Indiana Cole and Rivendell Tornado Pretty for winning Honourable Mention in the Junior Champion (Junior Leader) championship. Pretty is the first heifer Hayley and Stewart Menzies have sold and Pretty was very young when the Cole family approached Rivendell to sell two Jersey heifers for their daughters to show. Pictured over the heifer’s topline is Hayley cheering and Indiana’s mother, Bec, capturing the moment on her iphone. Rebecca said they had considering holidaying away from the cows this year, but their daughters had greeted them at the dairy chanting: “Dairy Week, Dairy Week.”
JUNIOR CHAMPION HEIFER – JUNIOR LEADER – Finesse Burdette Marcie Heath Treloar C Treloar, Victor Harbor, SA 07‐08‐2016 Palmyra Tri‐Star Burdette Roxson Poker Molly
RESERVE JUNIOR CHAMPION HEIFER – JUNIOR LEADER – Hawova Doorman Tamie Georgia Sieben SD & JL Sieben, Torrumbarry, VIC 28‐04‐2017 Val Bisson Doorman Hawova R Reginald Tamie
HONOURABLE MENTION – Rivendell Tornado Pretty Indiana Cole S & R Cole, Wagga Wagga, NSW 01‐09‐2017 Kauri Klen Hg Tornado Rivendell Request Prissy
The youth show this year had 253 entries and 220 young people exhibited. The classes peaked at 45-head in a strong showing of Australia’s next generation.
Heifer, born 01/09/17 to 31/12/17 ‐ Senior Leader
1
6
Hightop Niels Okanobie
Sam Fitzsimmons
Hightop Holsteins, Numurkah, VIC
01‐09‐2017 Ever‐Green‐Veiw Edify
Wyena Windbook Valarie
2
5
Leader Solomon Sandalwood‐ET
Nathan Smith
Hightop Holsteins, Numurkah, VIC
03‐09‐2017 Walnutlawn Solomon‐ET
Paringa Beemer Opaque
3
1
Wyena Edify Valarie
Cally O’Shannassy
D Edge, Carpendeit, VIC
09‐09‐2017 Mr DDS Rubi‐Haze 54682‐ET
Glensandy Donante 2235
4
1218
Rockstar Fizz Electric‐IMP‐ET
Sarah Alderton
R Allen, Cobargo, NSW
09‐09‐2017 Walnutlawn Solomon‐ET
Leader Atwood Sandlewood
5
3
Emu Banks Rubihaze Sandy 9018
Rachel Dickson
Emu Banks, Terang, VIC
11‐09‐2017 Hill Valley Niels
Hightop Attwood Orbette
Heifer, born 01/09/17 to 31/12/17 ‐ Junior Leader
1
8
Rivendell Tornado Pretty
Indiana Cole
S & R Cole, Wagga Wagga, NSW
01‐09‐2017 Kauri Klen Hg Tornado
Rivendell Request Prissy
2
10
Dryfield Solomon Paradise
Sienna Ross
Dryfield Farms, Numurkah, VIC
01‐09‐2017 WalnutLawn Solomon‐ET
Dryfield Goldwood Paradise
3
9
Leader Solomon Sandalwood
Ruby Mackie
AJ & SD Mackie, Meeniyan, VIC
01‐09‐2017 Walnutlawn Solomon‐ET
Leader Atwood Sandalwood
4
15
Whyndell Brady Allieu T
Jett Easterbrook
RK & JL Easterbrook, Tatura, VIC
10‐09‐2017 Butz‐Butler Attwood Brady
Whyndell Masterpiece Allieu
5
21
Benlargo Cancun Frosty
Shae Tweddle
Benlargo Holsteins, Glencoe, SA
18‐09‐2017 Tinber JC Cancun
Benlargo Sid Frosty
Heifer born 01/07/17 to 31/08/17 ‐ Senior Leader
1
1201
Aroona Mario Ester 3406
Joshua Peter
Eloora Pastoral Co, Deniliquin, NSW
02‐07‐2017 Quality Doorman Mario
Aroona Desire Esther
2
27
Cherrylock Rumour Has It
Rachel English
B & J Gavenlock, Tallygaroopna, VIC
27‐07‐2017 Pleasant Nook Tequila’s Venom
Rapid Bay Resurrect Robin
3
23
Lightning Ridge Diamondback Frosty
Charlie Lloyd
D Patten & Ryanna Holsteins, Sale, VIC
07‐01‐2017 Mr D Apple Diamondback
Budgeree Demspey Frosty
4
29
Riversleigh Alston Majedi
Rachael Barnes
Tuhan Family Trust, Tatura East, VIC
18‐08‐2017 Glencliffe JP Jedi
Riversleigh Alston Majeda
5
28
Miami Medalist Fiesta 5493
Emily Stephenson
Philmar Dairy Company, Tocumwal, NSW
02‐08‐2017 Sunset Canyon Medalist
Miami Vanahlem Fiesta 4693
Heifer born 1/7/17 to 31/8/17 – Junior Leader
1
40
Three Creeks Redgum Honeymoon
Henry Hill
JJ & BL Evans, Greta West, VIC
05‐07‐2017 Three Creeks Redgum
Three Creeks Honeymoon 2
2
71
Winganna Velocity Day Dream
Kieran Coburn
Coburn Family, Bodalla, NSW
20‐08‐2017 Arethusa Jade Velocity
Winganna Vanhalem Day Dream
3
34
Eastview Atwood Surprise
Sarah Lloyd
S Lloyd, Kyabram, VIC
03‐07‐2017 Atwood
Eastview Goldchip Surprise
4
37
Eastview Jacoby Bonnie
Fletcher Robinson
F Robinson, Shepparton, VIC
03‐07‐2017 Cycle Doorman Jacoby
Eastview Contender Bonnie
5
1204
Whyndell Velocity Pansy
Jett Easterbrook
R & J Easterbrook, Tatura, VIC
25‐08‐2017 Arethusa Jade Velocity
Whyndell Regal Pansy
Heifer born 1/4/17 to 30/6/17 – Senior Leader
1
1205
Llandovery Foremans Emma 1906th
Zoe Hayes
Hayes Family, Girgarre, VIC
01‐04‐2017 Llandovery Stellas Foreman 4936
Llandovery Empires Emma
2
1206
Pooley Bridge Mogul Rose 110
Emily Lock
Leslie Farms, Kialla, VIC
29‐04‐2017 Mountfield SSI DCY Mogul‐ET
Pooley Bridge Goldwyn Rose 87‐ET
3
81
New Hope Solomon Butter
Anthony Glennen
B Pedretti, Tallygaroopna, VIC
09‐05‐2017 Walnutlawn Solomon‐ET
Bluechip After Shock Butter
4
78
Diamond Hill Stephanie ‘J’
Ella Goldsmith
M Mangold, Regentville, NSW
22‐04‐2017 Guimo Joel
Shirlinn Special Stephanie
5
76
Lemon Grove Honeymoon 50
Sophie Chittick
S Chittick, Greta West, VIC
07‐04‐2017 Three Creeks Verbenas Viper 4931
Lemon Grove Honeymoon 43
Heifer born 1/4/17 to 30/6/17 – Junior Leader
1
94
Hawova Doorman Tamie
Georgia Sieben
SD & JL Sieben, Torrumbarry, VIC
28‐04‐2017 Val Bisson Doorman
Hawova R Reginald Tamie
2
92
Illinga Blushing Handsome
Kieran Coburn
Coburn Family, Bodalla, NSW
15‐04‐2017 Wallumlands Blushs Savard
Illinga Miami Handsome‐RED
3
89
Avonlea Kingboy Amy‐ET
Luke Gardiner
JH & CJ Gardiner, Cardinia, VIC
08‐04‐2017 Morningview MCC Kingboy
Avonlea Sanchez Alana‐IMP‐ET
4
106
Hill Valley Scenario Silk‐ET
Alice Guye
R & H Perrett, Kongwak, VIC
29‐06‐2017 Sandy‐Valley Scenario
Hill Valley High Octane Silk
5
96
Three Creeks Elmo Verbena
Thomas Hill
JJ & BL Evans, Greta West, VIC
01‐05‐2017 Creighton Park Elmo
Llandovery Ja‐Bob Verbena
Heifer born 1/1/17 to 31/3/17 – Senior Leader
1
1207
Avonlea Solomon Bettine 2‐ET
Tamara Loughridge
JH & CJ Gardiner, Cardinia, VIC
21‐01‐2017 Walnut Solomon‐ET
Avonlea Braedale Bettine
2
117
Llandovery Royal Queenette 2
Zoe Hayes
Hayes Family, Girgarre, VIC
05‐02‐2017 Stormans Royal Standard
Llandovery Blushes Queenette
3
123
Hazel Vale Celebrity Benita
Kaitlyn Wishart
J Hayes, Invergordon, VIC
15‐03‐2017 Galaxies Celebrity
Hazel Vale Verbatim Benita 4‐ET
4
111
Eclipse Jacoby Princess
Charlie Lloyd
D Patten & B Salmon, Sale, VIC
10‐01‐2017 Cycle Doorman Jacoby‐ET
Eclipe Atwood Princess 7
5
114
Griffland Beemer Dasher‐ET
Connor Griffiths
C Griffiths, Katunga, VIC
20‐01‐2017 Pol Butte MC Beemer
Bluechip Atwood Dancer
Heifer born 1/1/17 to 31/3/17 – Junior Leader
1
156
Brindabella Solomon Sammy
Georgia Sieben
SD & JL Sieben, Torrumbarry, VIC
14‐03‐2017 Walnutlawn Solomon‐ET
Brindabella Baxter Sambuka
2
133
Kathleigh Goldywn Nanda
Lawson Kath
Kathleigh Farms & Cherrylock Cattle Co, For
07‐01‐2017 Bo Joy Agenda Goldwyn
Kathleigh Wonder Nanda
3
127
Rivendell Principal Tammi
Matilda Cole
M & I Cole, Wagga Wagga, NSW
01‐01‐2017 Rivendell Cyrus Principal
Rivendell Visionary Tammi
4
1210
Whataview Byway Dorinda
Cassie Broad
D Spokes, Cobden, VIC
04‐02‐2017 Ohc River Byway
Avonlea Crackholm Dorinda
5
1211
Arrowstar Doorman Summer‐IMP‐ET
Alice Guye
ID& EJ Louden,Garfield,VIC
09‐02‐2017 Val‐Bisson Doorman‐ET
Misty Springs Lavanguard Sue‐ET
Heifer born 1/7/16 to 31/12/16 – Senior Leader
1
163
Wyena B Mac Caboose
Cally O’Shannassy
D Edge, Carpendeit, VIC
12‐07‐2016 Childers Cover Anniedale Mcapple‐I
Wyena Brook Caboose‐ET
2
176
Elmar Solomon Jessica‐ET
Brady Hore
Elmar Holsteins, Leitchville, VIC
14‐09‐2016 Walnutlawn Solomon‐ET
Elmar Aftershock Jessica
3
181
Sun Vale Lotus Emerald‐RED
Renee Anderson
Sun Vale Holsteins, Yarroweyah, VIC
02‐10‐2016 Blondin Lotus
Moombra Cnt Emeralnd
4
164
Burn‐Brae Octane Satin 2
Jasmin Mackie
AJ & SD Mackie, Meeniyan, VIC
18‐07‐2016 Stantons High Octane
Bushlea GS Satin
5
183
Cherrylock Victoria’s Secret
Anthony Glennen
B Pedretti, Tallygaroopna, VIC
21‐10‐2016 Rock Ella Impression
Genesis Online Venus
Heifer born 1/7/16 to 31/12/16 – Junior Leader
1
196
Finesse Burdette Marcie
Heath Treloar
C Treloar, Victor Harbor, SA
07‐08‐2016 Palmyra Tri‐Star Burdette
Roxson Poker Molly
2
202
Leader Goldchip Satin
Georgia Sieben
SD & JL Sieben, Torrumbarry, VIC
17‐09‐2016 Mr Chassity Gold Chip
Leader LD Satin
3
200
Clydevale Easyboy Imperium
Hannah Dee
Clydevale Holsteins, Cohuna, NSW
05‐09‐2016 Warramont McCutchen Easyboy
Clydevale Proshot Imperial
4
204
Aitken Farms BW Karbala Bonita
Olivia Aitken
Aitken Farms, Warragul, VIC
25‐11‐2016 BW Karbala
Gelbeado Park Black Bonita 2‐ET
5
201
Stoneleigh Park Premier Silvermine
Thomas Burnett
Burnett Family, Merrigum, VIC
15‐09‐2016 Hawarden Impuls Premier
Stoneleigh Park Spirit Silvermine
Class 11
Homelands Tequlia Silvermine 2 Katie Anderson Sun Vale Holsteins & P Hentschke, Yarrowe 02‐04‐2016 Tower Vue Prime Tequlia Homelands Ringmaster Silvermine
Paschendaele Lovely Blossom‐ET Sally Downie Eagles Partnership, Gooloogong, NSW 24‐04‐2016 Terrace Bank Free Beer Paschendaele Real Blossom‐ET
Wisteria Park Forget‐Me‐Not Sarah Ludington E Ludington, Terang, VIC 24‐06‐2016 Terrace Bank Free Beer Hurlstone Fabiola Rose
Class 12
Brookbora Love Lies 723 Jed Young R&S Bacon, D Bacon & S Leppart, Tennyso 04‐04‐2016 Pannoo Abe Vanahlem Brookbora Love Lies 652
Exclusive Delta Didie Beth Tivendale S Livesay, Toolamba West, VIC 05‐04‐2016 Glenally Pie Delta Glenally GNP Didie
Paschendaele Stilmore Klassy‐ET Jack Cole Eagles Partnership, Gooloogong, NSW 25‐04‐2016 Palmyra Poker Riggins Paschendaele Klassy Girl‐IMP‐ET
Class 13
Coleshill Gazza Noelene Ryan Barker Coleshill Farms, Riana, TAS 18‐03‐2016 Coleshill Linx Gazza Coleshill GP Noelene
Brookleigh TM Beige Kyella McKenna LF & JM Cleggett, Glencoe, SA 13‐02‐2016 Gilbert Trademark Brookleigh Geo Brunette
Class 14
Miami Blackice Dahlea 5235 Rebekah Love Philmar Dairy Company, Tocumwal, NSW 06‐03‐2016 Shirlinn Black Ice Miami Cairnbone Dahlea 4545
Wellcoora Colton Veronica Abbie Hanks A Hanks, Cobden, VIC 19‐01‐2016 Chilli Action Colton Southern Star Governor Vegemite
Carell Josuper Milena Harry Moon C Moon, Numurkah, VIC 08‐03‐2016 Uecker Supersire Josuper‐ET Wilara Oilslick Milena
Linderlan Richards Tess Bailey Roberts Linderlan & Sherbrooke Brown Swiss, Katun 29‐02‐2016 Jo‐Dee Nemo Richard Strathlea Zerberus Tess
Cedar Vale DH Tequila Crystalyn Imp‐Et Loren Osborne Cedar Vale Jerseys & M Mangold, Moss Val 15‐09‐2015 Tower Vue Prime Tequila Rock Ella Impressive Crystalite
Pat Conroy’s piercing blue eyes are as recognizable as his distinctive Minnesotan-born drawl – punctuated by the spit from some tobacco chew tucked securely inside his bottom lip.
Pat has earned his stripes in the industry at every level. And he’s at the top of his game.
Pat and Jeannie Conroy have two children, Kaiden and Zailey. The family call Angola, Indiana, USA, home.
When Pat’s not picking Champions, he’s usually leading them and/or owning them. He has fought for his position in the industry from nothing, using determination and competitiveness. Yet he carries himself nowadays with a quiet confidence and a certainty about where he fits in the industry. He is respected for his ability, honesty, and straight-shooting personality.
While he says he never wanted to judge – nor liked it initially – Pat allowed himself to be drawn into it for a reason. In August, he judged the Western New York Regional Show on the 18th, before flying to Brazil to judge at Agroleite five days later. Two days after that he landed in Australia to oversee the New South Wales State Holstein Show on August 25 and 26. His three days in Nowra was a long way from home, and his own preparations for WDE and The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, Canada.
Pat Conroy about to accept Grand Champion from WDE 2015 Holstein judge Nathan Thomas on behalf of Lovhill Goldwyn Katrysha. Pat led Katrysha for her owners MilkSource Genetics of Kaukauna, Wisconsin. That year Pat also judged WDE’s Red & White Holstein show. Photo: The Bullvine.
His 2016 judging résumé alone notably included the Holsteins at WDE, the Swiss Expo Holstein Show and the European National Show. In 2015 he judged WDE’s Red & White Holstein Show, and he was the 2013 WDE’s Junior Holstein Show judge.
Pat has also judged the 2014 All-American Jersey Show in Harrisburg, and the 2015 Brown Swiss Expo in Switzerland.
Boxed and loaded
Pat says when he left home, he had a box of Holstein World magazines, his clothes and little else.
He began cattle fitting aged 16, and by the time he was 19 was working every day of the year in his chosen profession. Pat’s career came at a time when there were a lot of talented fitters available in a busy industry, and he had to be hungry to succeed – let alone to just survive. For the next 16 years, preparing cattle for shows and sales ruled Pat’s life. It took him coast-to-coast in the USA, and into Canada, Mexico, Columbia, Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Australia.
The competition and his passion kept him sharp.
“Fitting was something I always wanted to do. I always wanted to be around good cattle, and to have the opportunity to work with them. There was a good competition between us all at that time, and from the start, I always wanted to outdo the next guy.”
Pat owns 50 head of show cattle across North America and Europe. Pictured is one of them, Hallow Atwood Twizzle EX93-Max, the 2016 Grand Champion at Cremona, Italy. Pat owns her with All Nure and Gary Jones. Photo: The Bullvine.
Box cut
He pauses, before adding: “Wanting to win made you think. If you don’t have some competitiveness, you stay in neutral. Young guys today – and some won’t like hearing this, but it is true – all they want to do is clip, and that’s it.
“I’m finding that many young people don’t maybe know what a good one is supposed to look like, and so they cut them all in the same.
“Our industry has promoted a lot of bulls over the years that sired a lot of high-pinned heifers. Yet, I’ve seen a lot of fitters still leave big hair on those heifers’ chines – which just makes it worse. They don’t see that the logical thing is to mow her chine off to make her look a little more balanced.”
Skills clipped
“And, I’ll be honest with you – and probably the generation above me said this about us – hardly any of the current crop of fitters would have survived in our era. They don’t know how to work, and a lot of them aren’t good cow people. So, if a cow is sick, they don’t know what to do – they disappear like a flock of birds when the going gets tough. They’re just clippers, that’s it.
“They’ve been spoiled and spoon-fed because there’s a shortage of fitters. In our day, you had to be good or no-one hired you. Now, they can be busy every week. Everyone wants US$250 a day when they start working, and kids now all seem to need a safe place if someone says something they don’t like. What is that? My wife and I have robust discussions about this all the time – I think it’s important that kids learn how to work hard and take the knocks.”
He says intelligent hard-working fitters remain potential game-changers.
“Good clipping really does make a big difference on heifers – on cows, not so much. You can make a good heifer great by the way she’s prepared and managed – no question. Equally, you can make a great heifer middle of the road if you don’t get her preparation right.”
Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra EX97 wowed the world. The thrice Swiss Expo Grand Champion was one of the few cows Pat Conroy chose stay with for her entire ride. Photos: Wolfhard Schulz.
Fitting into ownership
As he grew into his fitting career, Pat started to focus on building capital. He says it wasn’t hard to become addicted to buying cows – and he fearlessly backed himself. Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra EX97 remains his personal pick.
Born September 4, 2008, O’Kalibra would go on to be the 2013 European Champion, thrice Grand Champion at the Swiss Expo (2012, 2013 and 2015) and the 2015 All-World Champion. She is Europe’s most famous cow, and the vibrations of her influence were also felt in Australia, when her Goldchip daughter sold for an Australasian record price of $112,000 in 2015.
Usually when he buys, Pat intends to sell them on. It’s the reality of a cattle marketer’s life. However, this time he chose to stay with O’Kalibra until the end, which came in May this year when she passed away.
O’Kalibra was bred by Fredy Decrausaz & Sons. Sired by Boss Iron, she was out of an EX90-2E Integrity daughter, followed by a VG89 Milestone. She had the width Pat loved, and a pedigree they could work with.
“O’Kalibra was just such a good doer and so aggressive. We had a lot of fun with her,” he says.
“She was game-changing for me and she was cheap in the end for what she did for us all. And she was special to me because this time I co-owned her all the way through. There’s been a lot I’ve sold through the years – and you love to see them do well for other guys – but once in a while, there’s one you want to keep.”
Throwing a fit…
He smiles as he remembers the day he first saw her, saying he experienced the feeling cowmen often describe when they see a cow they have to have. It is a moment when the world seems to stand still – when the hairs raise up on the back of their necks. And there’s absolutely no hesitation. They just know they need to be part of her journey.
Pat says if he wasn’t so determined he could have easily missed getting aboard the O’Kalibra train.
“They didn’t want to sell part of her at first,” he laughs. “I honestly threw a fit like a kid, because I was so mad. I did – I threw a fit until I got my way. She was one of those cows I had to have, for sure.”
Win some – lose some
Typically honest, Pat is quick to balance the glory with the risk.
“I’ve lost a lot of money too on cows too. There was four of us in a partnership and we paid US$160,000 for a cow. I thought she’d be a cow to be Champion at Madison [WDE] and the year I had in my mind she could do it, she died. I didn’t have insurance on her, and I was fairly young at the time so it was a fair kick in the teeth. It took a lot to rebound from that one because it kind of cleaned me out.
“Usually the first loss is the best one.
“I built back up, and I made another dumb decision. Three of us bought a nice cow for US$98,000 and a week later she got on the trailer and split her bag. That hurt too.”
He says buying and selling commercial cattle is a big part of his business today because the work is consistent and busy. The commercial cattle help him enjoy registered cattle. They also help underwrite his “addiction” to show cows.
Judgement day
His journey into judging evolved naturally. While he wasn’t interested, he did have strong opinions that weren’t always in line with popular thought. It is part of the reason he dons a suit more often than he’d perhaps like to.
“Somebody asked me to do a County Fair once and I said I’d do it, but it wasn’t a great experience. I thought to myself: ‘I’m never going to judge again’, but then I got asked again, and I did it and it ended up being a nice show. The biggest reason for me personally to start judging is that I got sick of narrow, high-pinned, bad-footed cows winning because they were black.
“For me, that was the biggest push. I thought somebody has got to step up and change this a bit. I think that maybe some guys who milk cows every day come to the show and they see those high-pinned, narrow cows winning and they make fun of the showing business. We’re supposed to have these high-type cattle, and to their eyes, those cattle are not functional.
“That seems to become negative publicity for the show industry. I’m not on Facebook, but I do watch the question of the week on Dairy Agenda, and I read the comments, and they’re always negative about the show industry. I want to do something to help change that for the breeders that don’t necessarily show.”
Playing favourites
Sheeknoll Durham Arrow becoming immortal at last year’s WDE when judge Pat Conroy made her Grand. She is led by her breeder/owner Jeannette Sheeham, from Sheeknoll Farms at Rochester, Minnesota, USA. Photo: The Bullvine.
That brings him to his favourite cow he has made Grand Champion to date: the 2016 WDE Grand Champion, Sheeknoll Durham Arrow. Bearing in mind, there were 2423 animals at Madison in 2016 – including 640 Holsteins (the biggest breed show) and WDE welcomed 74,000 visitors from 102 countries through its gates last year. There is always a massive audience ring-side for the Holstein judging, and the pressure resting on the sole person to award Grand should never be underestimated.
“I think because I grew up at WDE in Madison, it was the show,” Pat says. “Making that cow [Arrow] Grand was fun and a good experience. I didn’t make her Grand because she was a no-name cow before the show and I wanted to find a new Grand Champion, like some – no doubt – thought. She won it because she deserved it. It was just nice that the cow got ready on her own, she looked the part, and she was an easy fit that day.
“Madison was the easiest show to judge because you can find your kind and just go for it. At some of the other shows, you make cows Champion, that perhaps don’t excite you – but they’re the best ones there on the day. You play the cards you’re dealt.”
Heifers need width
He stays true to form on the type of show heifers that he believes will go on and make cows.
“Some people might bust my arse a bit for this, but I’ll take a heifer a little thicker, and I’m okay with that if they’re sound. The Quebec guys – and many of them are my friends – don’t like the style of cows I like. They’ll take them narrow and black.
“I’ve always liked the stronger ones, because if there ever a problem at any of the farms I’d be working at, the one that was sick and off her feed was always the narrow one. Always.
“And then I started taking care of my own heifers when I bought my first little place and I would have heifers in and that included the big black fancy ones I bought, and shouldn’t have. When I’d go to grain them and it was -60 [-15 degrees Celsius], the one standing in the corner sucking their thumb would always be the narrow one.
“So, personally I can’t stand skinny heifers. It makes their legs look bad and they don’t have any substance. Maybe the next guy could take them skinny, but not for me. Heifers need to have muscle tone – like an athlete.”
Give it a couple of years…
Pat says patience is a virtue in the judging game.
“I always remember what they say if they’re unhappy with how I place them, and then I’ll wait a couple of years and have the conversation again. Not that I’m always right, by any means, but it’s interesting to see which of those animals last, develop and breed back,” he smiles.
The eternal question the industry has wrestled with has been the term “dairy strength”, and because it is subjective, it has proven to be an oft-confusing conversation.
“That’s another thing that pushed me into judging,” Pat says. “People have the assumption that ‘skinny’ is ‘dairy’. It’s not the case.” He says there’s a huge difference between “dairy strength” and being “half starved”.
“I think if the people making those calls had to write a cheque for one, milk them every day and calve them down, they’d learn quite a bit that way – and that includes the AI guys who don’t own or work with cattle, but who have had a role to play in starting this narrow high pins dairy, dairy, dairy crusade.”
Progress going backwards?
The impact of genomics and changing dynamics continues to be a concern when it comes to the future of shows, says Pat.
“I don’t want to be negative, and say there won’t be many shows in 10 to 15 years, but I’m afraid that might be the truth. I know how much it’s changed in the last 20 years, and I wonder where it will be in 20 more years.”
Pat says if he could use a time machine to choose his time to be involved in the industry, he would take the late 1980s and early 1990s.
“I’m certainly grateful for my career so far, but I almost would have loved to have been that earlier era when it was very competitive, and there was lots of investors,” Pat said.
“There were no cell phones, and no internet – it was exciting. Once in a while I grab one of my old Holstein Worlds and look through them, and it’s kinda depressing because we’re never going to have that again. It’s almost like the party’s over a little bit. I don’t know how we’ll ever get it back.”
Madison whispers
Pat confirms that this year’s lead-up to WDE in October is not rife with the usual energy and excitement that comes with cows changing hands for big money. The game has changed, and most marketers’ inventories remained available for sale when CrazyCow went to print.
“Certainly with the milk price we’ve lost a lot of good breeders and I think there’s just a bit of a negative atmosphere because of that,” Pat says. “The top-tier buyers that I would normally be selling to are disappearing. And so, the ones that are left aren’t faced with as much buying competition for animals.
“It used to be that you’d get a lot sold before the show because potential buyers knew if they looked at an animal one day and liked her, they better buy her because there’d be someone else coming to look at her the next day.
“At Madison, I think the final-tier guys will buy there, but they don’t have to be in a hurry right now because they know that the guys like me that are selling have ultimately got to sell them – that’s our business – and there’s only limited competition, so they’re going to be patient.”
Comical source
It’s a long way from the days when Milk Source, Butlerview, Arethusa, Gene Iager, West Coast, Gerald Todd, Howard Binder Jr and Clark Woodmansee (to name a few) were all competing strongly.
By the time everyone converges on the showgrounds at Madison, Pat says animals will then be compared with others on-ground – everyone will have an opinion – and the white noise will be distracting for buyers trying to make decisions.
“I think it’ll be so cut throat this year, and there’ll be a fair bit of back stabbing. It will be quite comical, I bet,” he smiles.
“And, some of that attitude can also be attributed, I think, to people who are doing a helluva good job at shows and when others know they can’t compete with them, they are starting to say: ‘Why go?’.”
In Wisconsin, that’s getting fairly evident because Milk Source and Budjon – to cite just two – are doing great jobs and it’s expensive to show and if you don’t want to sell an animal it makes it harder to pay for it all.”
Shrinking industry heightens ‘tall poppy’
He says the shrinking industry is heightening the tall poppy syndrome and jealousy within the US registered industry.
And he doesn’t back away from it.
“Shit, I almost feed off it a little bit. It’s like a pack of wolves in a pen. If you throw enough meat in there, it’s fine. If there isn’t enough meat, it gets pretty fierce. And the dairy industry is at that same point in the US, I think. There are a lot of wolves and not a lot of meat.
“Sometimes, I think I wouldn’t care if I never went to another show again, but the truth is I’ll never quit. I get too psyched about it.
“I said I wasn’t going to buy a thing for the rest of the year, and I bought a heifer a couple of weeks ago, and I’ll buy one at Madison too. I know I will.”
For more great articles like this one check out Crazy Cow in Print CrazyCow In Print, Australia’s favorite dairy magazine is produced by the well-known names behind Bluechip Genetics: Dean and Dianna Malcolm.
Be sure to check full coverage of this week’s Le Supreme Latier where Pat will be serving as the official Holstein show judge.
The heart of Australia’s dairy industry in Victoria is struggling through one of the toughest winters in living memory – as some milk companies continue to send farmers to the wall with undoable opening milk prices.
Mud sticks and none more so than the mud on Murray Goulburn’s reputation. As some farmers deal with a tough winter – they are also facing milk pricing challenges they never dreamed could happen. Photo: Sheila Sundborg
Farmer co-operative Murray Goulburn historically led the industry on pricing, processing more than one-third of Australia’s 9.6 billion milk pool. But the rhetoric has been hot and heavy since the news broke that the co-op would struggle to meet half of its net profit forecast that was outlined in the prospectus for its partial float on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) less than a year ago.
The feedback from other processors is damning – when it comes to the management strategies MG used and has tried to justify.
To recap
MG’s Managing Director, Gary Helou — who was MG’s highest paid CEO in history — resigned April 27, after he massively overestimated sales figures, plunging the company’s 2400 suppliers into a financial tub of iced water.
If that wasn’t bad enough, Fonterra then announced the price it paid its farmer-suppliers would immediately drop from between $6 and $5.60 for every kilogram of milk solids to just $4.75-$5/kg — equivalent to as little as 35c a litre of milk.
And it got worse
Not only would prices be slashed immediately, but they would be backdated or imposed retrospectively to the beginning of the 2015-16 financial year or milk season.
This meant that every litre of milk sold to MG and Fonterra during the past 10 months — for which farmers have already been paid — they are now paying back.
MG and Fonterra have offered low-interest loans, repayable after three years.
Or, the debt can be erased if suppliers accepted 14c a litre for their milk for the two months until July.
Some farmers could see no way out, and sent whole herds to slaughter. Suicides have become an overwhelming concern for the industry.
And opening milk prices (stripping away the confusing layers of smoke and mirrors) from July have been cold comfort – MG at best is $4.45/kgMS or 34c/litre and Fonterra has announced at $4.75/kgMS or 36.5c/litre. Australia’s cost of production is closer to 45c/litre. And one of the MG directors also named in the lawsuits that have followed MG’s fall from grace – Philip Tracy – remains as MG’s current leader.
Where to now
Increasingly, it appears the only way for Murray Goulburn (MG) to pave the road to recovery is to appoint an honest and approachable Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who understands the dairy industry and appreciates its co-operative culture.
Farmer lobby group Farmer Power rose up and has called MG on everything, asking for a 50c levy to be imposed on milk sales. Meanwhile, industry appointed industry watch-dogs (supported by farmer levies) have struggled to find their teeth.
Urban ally
Presenter Waleed Aly from Melbourne television show “The Project” (the 2016 Gold Logie winner) arguably did more for the industry in one newscast than many have ever been able to do. The result? The consumer listened. And sympathised. And bought branded milk. It proved one thing: the urban audience values Australian farmers.
Supported by intelligent and dogged journalism across mainstream media, MG — in particular – had few places left to hide.
Joe Aston, of the Australian Financial Review newspaper, called MG out for allowing Philip Tracy to take MG’s helm, given he was part of the initial board.
“Hasn’t Murray Goulburn’s Philip Tracy picked up right where ousted chief executive Gary Helou left off?” he wrote. “The dairy Chairman had an opinion piece in Melbourne’s Herald Sun on Thursday, which we’re seriously considering framing – so memorable it is for a scarcity of logic.
“Remember that on his watch, Murray Goulburn loaded the balance sheet with debt to lock in a decade of volume growth at paltry margins, failed to penetrate with its relaunched Devondale brand, and repeatedly fell short of profit forecasts, all while unrealistically promising its farmers $6 per kilo for milk solids, then retrospectively yanking it back to $4.75 and diluting 38 per cent of their equity to outside interests.
“Yet now Tracy sheets the blame to falling global dairy commodity prices and the fact that ‘Australia produces 35% more milk than it can possibly consume’.”
Trouser-deal stink
The journo also disagreed with Philip Tracy’s argument that MG’s 10-year contract to supply Coles with private-label milk was a “very good deal for our farmers”.
“Sorry, but the Coles deal is a stinker for Tracy’s farmers. The contract includes a rise-and-fall provision so Coles trousers the greater margin when commodity prices are lower. And if, as Tracy claims, Coles is paying MG a premium above the farm-gate price (and who knows which price he’s talking about – the real price or the one he recently foisted on his suppliers), then why aren’t the farmers seeing any of it flow back to them? Oh and that ‘much-needed investment’ he’s talking about are the factories (built with bank debt) that pump out more milk than anyone can drink, thus creating the oversupply he was earlier blaming for MG’s woes. Go figure.”
No one had to go far to find the bad guys in this story – it lands at MG’s door, and to a lesser degree, Fonterra’s.
It led to May 16, when class action specialist lawyer Mark Elliott launched legal proceedings on behalf of unit-holders in MG, alleging the dairy company and its board misled investors in a product disclosure statement (PDS) issued last May. (Mark Elliot is a former partner of Minter Ellison, but in the past couple of years alone, the now-sole solicitor has launched several shareholder class actions, including against Banksia Securities, Leighton Holdings, Treasury Wine Estates, Downer EDI and WorleyParsons.)
In a statement of claim filed with the Victorian Supreme Court, Mark Elliott alleged MG knew sales forecasts in the PDS were “unlikely to be achieved” on the very day it filed the fundraising document, May 29.
Enter the watchdogs
The action comes on top of investigations by corporate regulator the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) and competition watchdog the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
Mark Elliott, who is acting for lead plaintiff John Webster (as trustee of Elcar Pty Ltd Super Trust Fund) in the class action, alleges every member of the Board at the time — including chairman Philip Tracy and then-CEO Gary Helou — are liable to pay compensation because they “each consented to the inclusion of the misleading PDS representations”.
Mark claims MG breached the Corporations Act by failing to disclose any problems when it listed on July 3, 2015, even re-affirming its forecasts as late as October 26, at its annual general meeting.
MG units plunged on February 26 this year when the company initially downgraded its profit forecast, and again on April 27 when it released a second downgrade.
The Directors who were named in the lawsuit are: Philip Tracy, Gary Helou, Kenneth Jones, Natalie Akers, William Bodman, Peter Hawkins, Michael Ihlen, Edwin Morris, Graham Munzel, John Pye and Martin Van De Wouw.
Damning words of fairness
One of the most damning commentaries came from Bega Cheese’s CEO Barry Irvin later in the proceedings. He resisted saying anything publically for a month, but in the end it became too much for him.
“It’s an emotional thing for me,” Barry said. “Trust is built by your actions, it’s not built by rhetoric. It’s built by actually doing things and understanding the impact of those things on the people that do indeed trust you.
“We’re a very polite industry, the dairy industry. We don’t name people and I actually think the trust is also cultural, and I think if we don’t be public and we don’t address this [MG’s price cuts] in a very direct way, we will see this happen again, and again and again.”
“When MG cut the price — and I want to be fair here — no one was mentioning Fonterra because they were openly saying the price was too high. Not only do they [MG] cut the price, they elect to hold a profit, and that doesn’t feel fair to me. And it doesn’t feel like it builds trust.”
Collective ‘fluff’
“The actual price for May and June is almost impossible to work out because it’s hidden by something that is called a ‘milk supply support programme’. It sounds like a collective loan to me.
“If you give somebody money, and you ask for it back with interest, to me that’s a loan, and that’s what it should be called. And the speaking should be plain.
“Why did we [Bega Cheese] not drop our price? Because it was the wrong thing to do. Bega had to hold its price because that’s the commitment we made. Whether it’s legal or whether it’s moral I don’t actually mind. It’s a moral commitment so I’ll hold and I’ll take the pain and I’ll build trust over a long period of time — by my actions, not by my words, and not by my rhetoric.
“And so for me, this is about actions, demonstrating that you’ve thought very deeply about the lives you affect. I had a 26-year MG supplier who burst into tears while she was begging me to take her milk. That’s not what we should have in this industry. We have a long way to go to build trust back.
Unfair impact
“Sadly, for me I’ve spent my life trying to build trust and I am actually impacted by this. Because suspicion doesn’t stop at a particular company — the damage to the industry goes across the industry.”
Gippsland-based Burra Foods has also been open about its position, with its CEO Grant Crothers not mincing words.
Its website says: “We all know we are in a volatile and cyclical industry, but the selfish disregard that MG has shown to its supply base is culpable (which may well be confirmed by ASIC, ACCC and/or a Class Action).
“The cycle is against us, as has been the case for some time now. Fonterra NZ was honest about the outlook some 12 months ago, enabling the NZ industry to prepare as best as possible for the cyclical low, whereas our ‘industry leader’ decided their new business model could withstand the downward pressure.”
Less honesty, more fallout
“At Burra we were extremely suspicious and gave as many indications as possible that a $6 or even $5.60 milk price was unsustainable. In the end, MG could not defy gravity any longer and the fallout is significantly worse than if they had been more honest with themselves and their stakeholders at a similar time as Fonterra NZ.
“Personally, I am ashamed to be grouped as a processor with MG and recently refused the opportunity to sit on a panel with [Philip] Tracy as I don’t want to be grouped as a processor with the current MG Board and senior management. I have more invested in the industry than most, have been adding more value to it than most for an extended period of time, and I value transparency and communicating the best information possible to stakeholders — our values refer to it as respect.”
Hubris contained at MG
Grant Crothers went on to say that dairy is viable going forward.
“This speed bump is a steep one, made worse by management hubris at the largest processor. Thankfully there is competition in our industry and that some organisations have a stronger set of values than MG, the financial hybrid that continues to refer it itself as a Co-Operative.”
The in-house commentary appears to overwhelmingly support a clean slate for MG with fresh legs, fresh ideas, more transparency and less jargon-loaded press releases.
Co-ops have a place
Paul Kerr, CEO and Executive Director of Australian Dairy Farmers Corporation (ADFC), says he still believes in the co-operative model, and that MG should be the leading co-operative in Australia.
Paul spent 27 years at MG, including 11 as its COO. He is a current member of accounting body CPA Australia, and the Governance Institute of Australia.
He says that dairy-farming nations in the western world are dominated by co-operatives and without that model, farmers have “no chance” of a fair price.
“People will say they are only taking the market price in a co-operative. But they are also having a say in the costs up the chain, and what markets they’re going into – not just getting what someone wants to pay them,” Paul says.
Processors must collaborate
Paul also believes the future of the dairy industry lies in the 250-500-cow family farm.
“Because it is the family farm that can manage the market volatility, and it has the heart to manage its cost structure and it can weather the storms. There’s nothing like a family farm. We should be trying to create a lifestyle. That’s what we’ve got to get back in to in the industry. It’s a people game, and farming is about farmers being profitable. It’s not about big corporations and robots.”
He hopes for more collaboration between processors moving forward in a way never before achieved.
“We need this industry to be attractive to our younger people. We have got to make sure farms are profitable. And as milk processors, we should also be collaborating with other companies to take the costs out of the supply chain.”
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Anger will die down…
He said farmer apathy would help no one.
“Dairy farmers are angry today. They’ll be a little less angry tomorrow. It’ll die down. It’ll rain, the grass will grow, the cows will start calving and all of a sudden it’s the peak of the season. You get tied up in your own world. It’s human nature.
“If I’m really positive about all of this, I see it as farmers having a great opportunity right now to move forward in a positive way.”
At the end of June, the UK voted on whether or not to stay in the European Union (EU). CrazyCow’s Dianna Malcolm asked British dairy specialist Bruce Jobson — and CrazyCow’s own Europe correspondent — to explain the reasons for the referendum.
DM “How did the UK’s referendum on the EU come about?”
BJ “Many British people have had longterm concerns with regard to continued EU membership. During the 2015 general election, Prime Minister David Cameron stated that if his ruling Conservative Government was re-elected for a second term, he would hold a referendum — albeit after he had negotiated terms for a reformed agreement with the EU.
The negotiations took place earlier this year and Mr Cameron has recommended that the British electorate vote in favour of remaining in a ‘reformed’ EU.
“However, there is still uncertainty as to whether the EU will fully ratify the negotiations, and many opponents consider the reformed negotiations as ‘worthless’. Hence the campaign to leave — or ‘Brexit’, which is an abbreviation for ‘British exit’.”
LAWS FROM BELGIUM
DM “Why has this all happened?”
BJ “In 1951, the concept of a free-trade zone and better economic integration was discussed, and, in March 1957, a six-country alliance of Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany was established [by signing the “Treaty of Rome”] known as the Common Market. The creation was a rebuilding process in a pretty much bankrupt Europe, resulting in mutual benefits as well as having the aim of preventing any future wars between member states. In 1961, the UK applied to join this exclusive club but the application was rejected by France, fearing US back-door influence, but eventually, the UK joined in 1973, following a ratifying referendum.
“The economies of these northern European countries was similar and the club became a huge success with the Common Agricultural Policy, or CAP, being the most successful policy implementation. Since then, the Common Market has changed from an economic alliance to a more political alliance, resulting in an extended 28-member ‘federal state’ of 500 million, changing the name along the way to the ‘European Community’ to the present, ‘European Union’, or EU. Turkey, with a population of approximately 80 million, is the latest country aiming to become a full member. “Large sections of the British public now consider the ‘new’, extended EU is not the organisation that the country voted to join in 1973. British sovereignty and border control has been eroded, and 60% of all laws applicable to British subjects are created and passed by the EU Parliament in Brussels, which is also the capital of Belgium. Many of the laws are created by faceless and unelected EU bureaucrats, and the UK has little power to influence or change laws that are seen as benefitting other 27 member states and economies.”
CAN’T PROMOTE OWN MILK
DM “Surely, the UK will be better-off by remaining in the EU?”
BJ “That’s the £55 million question [A$109.3m]. The UK pays £55 million every day — or £350m [A$695.5m] per week — as its contribution to being an EU member. The UK receives approximately 60% back as a rebate. The UK does not have any control over how and where the rebate money is spent. This is decided by the EU.
“However, it is the rules and regulation that are seen as restricting our industries. For example, AHDB Dairy is funded by a producer levy on all British dairy farmers — yet the organisation is not allowed to promote British milk. [AHDB Dairy is a subsidiary of AHDB, or the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.]. EU rules prevent AHDB Dairy from promoting its own members’ produce as this is seen as unfair competition against other EU member states.
“The same applied recently to the steel industry, which has been going through a severe downturn in the UK and globally. The UK Government was powerless to step in to support or ‘nationalise’ the steel industry, and two massive steel plants were closed with the loss of thousands of jobs.
“There are tens of thousands of these laws governing our countryside, including the distance that houses are built from heathland [five kilometres] to prevent cats from chasing birds. The EU is viewed by many as being out-dated — and now built to keep power with the EU elites, and not the people.
“The regulations imposed on agriculture are staggering, although it has to be stated that some rules are beneficial, while others are considered to be downright ridiculous. EU farm payments are a concern, as many farmers view the subsidies as a ‘necessary evil’, but the ‘red tape’ and bureaucracy involved is immense, and can only be undertaken by paying professional land agents to complete the necessary paperwork.”
PEOPLE STRAIN
DM “How much does immigration play on the fear-factor of the British public?”
BJ “Immigration is becoming a huge part of the Brexit campaign. Under the Treaty of Rome, free movement is allowed between member states – and that remains a fundamental part of EU membership. The UK is the second-largest economy in Europe, behind Germany, and the sixth largest in the world. People from the other 27 EU countries are free to move to Britain to work under the Treaty of Rome.
“There are two issues here. First: legal immigration; and secondly: illegal immigration. Last year, in the 12 months ending September 2015, more than 530,000 migrants entered the UK — including 256,000 from the EU. Over the same 12-month period, 630,000 migrants received National Insurance registration numbers so they could work, and subsequently receive UK benefits – such as housing, health, social welfare payments, and so on. Net migration into the UK has been regularly running high — last year was 330,000 — for several years.
“The sheer volume of numbers is placing incredible strain on housing, education and the National Health Service, which is a free service. The UK cannot build enough houses, enough schools or enough hospitals to cope with the increases. In London schools, an estimated 60 languages are spoken and education services have to provide interpreters. It is estimated that due to immigration increases, the UK has to build a new house every seven minutes.
“The National Health Service is reported at breaking-point, and in some areas estimates state there are not enough local family doctors, and hospitals are unable to provide the required service owing to spiralling costs. The UK could build a new hospital every week if it did not have to contribute £55m each day to the EU!
“The ongoing EU migrant crisis is a huge concern, with over 1.83 million people illegally entering the EU last year — six times more than the previous year. More than 1.1 million migrants were welcomed by Germany alone last year; additionally, Germany is expecting 2.5 million migrants to arrive in the next five years.
“EU border checkpoints have been over-run, and concerns over terrorist infiltration is immense. Once registered, all will be entitled to an EU passport, and can therefore gain entry to the UK as part of the EU’s free movement of people policy under the Treaty of Rome. On that basis, there is nothing to stop 500,000 or one million people legally entering the UK on an annual basis.”
BREXIT TO BREAK EU?
DM “Will the EU be weakened if Brexit occurs?”
BJ “This is just my personal opinion: yes, I believe the EU will be weakened if the UK leaves. I consider the migrant crisis allied to a Brexit may, and I repeat, may, lead to the collapse of the EU in its present form. There is also the financial concern over the euro currency and Euro-zone. Britain maintained the pound sterling, as is not part of the failing currency union. The euro is in deep trouble and there may be another financial crisis similar to 2008.
“Financially, the euro currency is a potential future disaster area, with countries such as Spain having 55% unemployment in its population who are aged under 25.
“The Brexit campaigners want to be free of undemocratic EU centralist policy, passed by laws in Brussels, and pursue global markets in other countries such as Australia, Canada, China and USA and so one. Trade tariffs will have to be negotiated with these countries as well as within the EU, should the UK leave.
“It may seem confusing to Australians, where a points system determines immigration policy and effectively who can and cannot live and work in Australia. The old Common Market was originally similar to the 12-country Trans Pacific Partnership, or TPP — but with the free movement of people. [TPP members are: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, New Zealand, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam.]
“It’s not hard to imagine how Australians and Canadians would feel if 60% of their laws were made by unelected bureaucrats in a 12-country TPP parliament residing in another country? Or if the free movement was considered of millions of people to live and work in the USA from Mexico, Peru, Vietnam or Singapore?
“The USA would not allow 11 other countries to make 60% of its laws and overrule its democratically elected administration. Would Australia or the US open its border controls and allow unrestricted freedom of movement from the other 11 TPP countries without the need to produce a passport?
“One final point on security: the EU makes a strong play on the fact there have not been any wars — and is eager to bask in the acclaim. Since 1945, the security of Europe has been the responsibility of NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, of which Britain is a member. But in fairness, the United States has backed and guaranteed the security and freedom of Europe for the past 70 years, and this has been underpinned by the US dollar.”
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This year’s Brown Swiss show at International Dairy Week was not only about the cows.
In an oppressively hot day where temperatures peaked at 42 degrees there was also the weight of the knowledge that 30-year-old breeder Jeremy Josefski was not there.
Jeremy was tragically killed in a car accident in October on the final leg of his family’s shift to Victoria.
Jeremy Josefski’s family surround the Intermediate and Reserve Intermediate which was exhibited by Tandara Brown Swiss. Photo: Fleur Ferguson.
His wife, Leah, daughters Keeva and Cree and Jeremy’s family were at the show to watch friends and colleagues finish off and show Jeremy’s four-year-old Dryfesdale Fantastic Four. She would win her class, Best Udder of class and Honourable Mention Champion Brown Swiss in an emotional result.
Ben Govett with his 2016 Grand Champion Brown Swiss, Tandara Dynasty Fortuna 2.
Fantastic Four was the former Junior Champion at the Brisbane Royal under US judge Allen Bassler (Old Mill Brown Swiss) in 2012. Leah also spoke when the Intermediate Champion was presented in memory of Jeremy – to Tandara Brown Swiss. It was a moment few will forget.
Everyone knows how much Ben Govett loves his cows.
Outside of the many memories of Jeremy that surrounded the show ground, the day belonged to Tandara Brown Swiss. Ben Govett brought a team of 10-head. He would go on and win seven classes, Reserve Junior and Honourable Mention Junior Champion, Intermediate and Reserve Intermediate, Senior and Reserve Senior Champion, Best Udder and Grand Champion with Tandara Dynasty Fortuna 2. No-one was surprised when the Premier Breeder and Premier Exhibitor banner was handed Tandara’s way too.
Fortuna 2 is six years old with four calves. Judge Paul Trapp from the US (who judged the first Brown Swiss show at IDW when the show ) summed up his thoughts.
“She’s got that dairy strength I’m looking for,” judge Trapp said. “She’s got that width and capacity. She was Best Udder and she represents the Brown Swiss breed really well. We breed for longevity, outstanding feet and legs and beautiful mammary systems – and that’s what this cow has.”
As always, a strong team lies behind the popular Tandara team.
IDW show owner Brian Leslie summed up the Premier Breeder and Premier Exhibitor achievement: “Tandara have certainly won both banners – as they have many times,” he said. “You are great promoters of the Swiss breed. We thank you, Ben, and your family for the effort you put in. Congratulations.”
Ben said Fortuna 2 was a former Reserve Junior Champion at IDW. Yesterday was her first Grand title. She calved in September and she had just been crowned the Victorian On-Farm Competition Champion before IDW. Her dam has also held the IDW Grand title.
“I’m pretty happy with how the day went. Couldn’t have gone better – to win every class we were out in,” Ben said.
Wintergreen Brace Weave.
In the Guernsey show there was no getting around Wintergreen Brace Weave, owned by the Joyce family, of Kyabram. Weave won the five-year-old class (with three calves) under judge Murray Sowter, of Murribrook Holsteins in NSW.
Wintergreen Brace Weave (left) joins First Love McKenzie (1st six years) owned by the Shea family and 1st four years, Lawarra Aaron Bracelet (owned by the Joyce family). Photo: Fleur Ferguson.
The story becomes more interesting because some of her owners are also involved in the fairy tale story of Florando SD Koala 7th – who is the only cow of any breed to win International Dairy Week (IDW) four times in a row, the only Guernsey in Australia to achieve an EX94 classification and the first cow in the world to be crowned the Guernsey Global Golden Cow of the Year.
The best moment for any exhibitor.
Steve (and Renee) and Gary (and Nola) Joyce, who were better known in the Holstein breed until Koala, were back in the limelight with another outstanding exhibit that could not be caught.
They bought Weave in a private sale out of the South Australian herd, owned by the Butler family.
“Steve has a passion for cows of any breed,” Renee Joyce said. “And he wants to help get the Guernseys out there to be as good as the Holsteins.”
Weave calved in September 2015 and they plan to calve her down and return next year to defend her title.
An overriding factor came charging to the top on the first day of the breed shows at International Dairy Week (IDW) in Australia.
The toll tough milk prices and high water costs had taken on many was evident in the strain across the faces of competitors no matter the breed or the colour of the ribbons they won.
Once again, Australia’s biggest dairy show was a bright light on many registered breeders’ calendars. And the big guns came out when the results started to unfold in the Illawarra and Ayrshire breeds first up.
Llandovery Ja-Bob Stella, won the aged cow class, Best Udder, Senior and Grand Champion.
The Illawarra show had one subject line – Llandovery Illawarras. Owned by Tony and Elle Hayes, the family effort is put together by sisters Zoe and Taya Hayes. Today they won Junior Champion, Intermediate Champion, Grand Champion, Best Udder, Premier Breeder and Premier Exhibitor and they bred the Premier Sire, Llandovery Jinnys Empire.
The Champion contenders (l-r) were 1st four-year-old Llandovery JR Joan 982 (C Rapley and RK and JR Gordon), 2nd four-year-old Riversleigh Scarlet Dorris 2 (Tuhan family trust), 1st five-year-old Braelee BP Dairymaid 2-Twin (Glenbrook Illawarras) and 1st aged cow Llandovery Ja-Bob Stella.
“We didn’t expect to get all three Champions. We’re just overwhelmed,” Tony said. “It’s fantastic. I hought we had a good chance for Champion, but to win all three is a first for the breed, so pretty special, I guess.”
Intermediate Illawarra (right) was Llandovery Blushes Queenette (owned by the Hayes family) and Reserve was Riversleigh Zeus Stella 20 (owned by the Tuhan family).
The family is milking 530 cows on 800 acres three times a day. Tony confirmed the pressure of recent expansions and the challenging milk and water prices had contributed to a forgettable season.
Llandovery LB Betty (right) started the day off for the Hayes family when she won Junior Champion. Reserve was Glenbrook Poppy 6 (Glenbrook Illawarras).
The show was competitive throughout and from the four-year-old, judge Ryan Weigel, from the United States, had plenty of worthy options.
For me the dark red cow. I just love her from head to toe. She spells milk. I just love her Love the mammary system. The Reserve Champion is just a little bit different kind of cow. She’s maybe not as big as the other cows, but they don’t have to be big, they have to be good. And in my opinion…she’s pretty darn good.
The Hayes family left no stone unturned creating breed history when they won Junior, Intermediate, Senior and Grand Champion, Premier Sire and Premier Breeder and Exhibitor.
There’s a lot of things to love about her – her uphill run, her style and balance and there is just a little more quality in her mammary over our Honourable Mention. Not taking anything away from this Honourable Mention cow – she’s quite the cow in her own right.”
The Ayrshire show was all about Cheryl Liebich (Cher-Bar) and Boldview Ayrshires, who are run at the same farm by a family effort that travelled eight hours from Jervois in South Australia to compete. With a tough season and some personal challenges within the family, deciding to come was in the air until the last minute. But when they decide to do something, there is no going back.
Cher-Bar Rippa Lasselle on the way to the Champion she owned today. She is owned by Cheryl Liebich, Jervois in South Australia.
Their lead exhibit was Adelaide’s multiple and reigning Grand Champion for her breed, Cher-Bar Rippa Lasselle. Boldview and Cher-Bar have won Grand Champion Ayrshire at Adelaide for eight successive years with just two cows – Lasselle (2012-2015) and Cher-Bar MP Incarnate (2008-2011).
And now, their six-year-old EX92 entry, Lasselle, is the IDW Grand Champion after calving in June.
The aged cow class of Ayrshires made an impressive display
“We didn’t know if we were asking too much of her,” Cheryl said. “But she pulled it out in the end and it was just a huge relief and a much needed boost for us all.”
The aged cow class had the attention of the audience.
Boldview Ayrshires picked up Premier Breeder and Exhibitor. Hayley Braendler picked up the award.
Junior Champion (right) Regal Park Reality Solax (owned by Stew and Beck Cole of Wagga, NSW), centre is the Reserve Junior, Boldview Dream-A-Rilla (owned by Boldview Farms of Jervois, SA) and Honourable Mention (left) is Paschendaele Vicki Titan (owned by the Eagles Partnership of Gooloogong, NSW).
Two young people with multiple runs on the board – that credit International Dairy Week’s (IDW) youth show for helping shape their careers – were charged with making the decisions on the first day of action at the Tatura Show Grounds, two hours north of Melbourne, Australia.
All breeds were celebrated in the Youth Show.
Brad Gavenlock judging the Youth Show
Brad Gavenlock recently re-located back to Australia after nine months living and farming in Central Wisconsin.
Hayley Menzies is an integral part of the 600-strong Cairnsdale Holsteins and Rivendell Jersey herd at Nowra (NSW). Notably, she is also the daughter of Lyn and Maurice Boyd – of Brunchilli Jersey fame – who have won Premier Breeder in the Jersey show at IDW for the last 13 years.
Both spoke about their youth experience before placing this year’s champions at the show that welcomes many international visitors – including a strong North American contingent.
“I’ve been fortunate to show a few heifers out here, but at the end of the day we’re a small industry, we’re a tight industry, and I think we all need to respect every breed for what they are because every breed has its place,” Brad said.
“To see these heifers who are representing their breeds today is quite a compliment to the junior show at IDW.”
He said the experience was priceless.
Ella Young was on the same page as her lead, Calthorpe Vanahlem Cream.
“It was that and beyond,” Brad said. “IDW has grown immensely and the youth show is as strong as the open show in some respects. I give credit to all those that support it so early in the week. The day I got the email asking about judging IDW, it made a time during a pretty miserable winter (in North America) pretty good. The youth show has also given young people like myself and Hayley a chance to judge in front of international visitors. You never know where that will lead.”
“That’s why we came back to Australia. We missed IDW and we missed showing with our close family and friends. It’s great to be home and it’s great to be settled.”
And it was Sun Vale Holsteins who dominated, winning Junior Champion (senior handler), Honourable Mention Junior Champion (junior handler), and Senior Champion (junior leader). It would take them through to the ultimate title – Grand Champion of the Youth Show with a young Red and White Holstein entry.
“We were hoping to make the top five,” Katie Anderson, of Sun Vale said. “We’re pumped with the day. We never expected it.”
Brad said he couldn’t go past Sun Vale Redliner Wonka-Red. Wonka is a Fradon Redliner from a Reality. Born March 2013, she freshened in October. Katie said her parents bought Wonka’s Advent granddam from Travis and Melissa Deans (Leader Holsteins). They bred the Advent to Reality and it was the Reality that had formed the backbone of the family at Sun Vale. Brad first made her Champion of the in-milk show for the Junior Leaders before taking her all the way.
Sun Vale’s triumphant display.
“She was so well balanced and she showed me the depth of fore and rear rib and more dairyness right through than the Reserve,” Brad said.
He made it clear early on he was looking for balance.
“If you’re going to get sick of listening to me saying ‘balance’, well, it’s probably a good time to leave because I’m going to keep saying it all day long,” Brad said.
“If they’re not balanced, then I’m probably not going to win with them.”
Avonlea Selector Figsie was Honourable Mention
While Brad was impressed by his two young in-milk Champions, a young heifer that gave away three months in her 2015-born class was right up in there with her 14-year-old handler, Ashleigh Van Leeuwen. Avonlea Selector Figsie, sired by a homebred Windbrook son, and owned by the Gardiner family, of Avonlea Holsteins, slid into Honourable Mention Grand beside two in-milk entries.
Elmar Zelgardis Jessica 3 (Brady Hore) was Senior Champion (senior leader) and Mikandan Vanahlems Caramel 2275 (Olivia Hendebo) was Reserve Senior Champion (senior leader)
“For me, that heifer gets me excited,” Brad said. “And for all the ones that think I’m crazy placing her there – when she wins next year – I’ll be the first one to tell you,” Brad said.
John Gardiner said that they were really good friends with Ashleigh’s family and she had asked to take a calf.
“We got one for her last year and she got second and we said we’d try and find one for her this year again,” John said. “We really just wanted to give Ashleigh the chance, even though we liked the calf, but we never expected to do anything like that. Ashleigh did a really nice job on her.”
In the showmanship classes, judge Hayley Menzies was taken back to the first year she competed in the youth show in 1999.
“I went in the paraders classes every year until I won,” Hayley said. “It was a real buzz to be out here today. I guess I’m a picky handler myself, and I’m very hard on myself, so I knew what I was looking for.”
She had a big job in a ring that was quickly heating up at the end of the afternoon. There were 43 handlers in the biggest class of the day – the Junior Handlers.
“As a whole, there was class where I asked every competitor when their animals had been born and everyone told me. Back when I started, hardly anyone would have known that. There is definite progression and to have more than 40 in a class was amazing,” Hayley said.
“Overall, it was wonderful to see so many young people out there today having a go.”
Complete Show Results
Grand Champion Heifer: Sun Vale Redliner Wonka-Red, Leader – Renee Anderson
Reserve Champion Heifer – Elmar Zelgardis Jessica 3, Leader – Brady Hore
Honourable Mention Lightning Ridge Armani Licorice-RED. Leader Sarah Dodd
Class 01 Heifer born 01/07/15 – 31/12/15 – Senior Leader
1. Lightening Ridge Armani Licorice – Sarah Dodd
2. Shirlinn Romney Queen – Jaclyn Lindsay
3. Enterprise Burette Gaiety 4533 – Hayley Maddern
4. Gorbro Atwood D Kassie – Corey Macgillivray
5. Billabong Attorney Dingles – Courtney Afford
Class 02 Heifer born 01/07/15 to 31/12/15 Junior Leader
1. Burn- Brae Baltimor – Isabella Mackie
2. Miami Tequila Girlie 5115 – ET – Abbie Hanks
3. Burn- Brae Max Maize – Scott Mackie
4. Eclipsepierce LR Class Cale IMP-ET – Anna Dickson
Class 03 Heifer born 01/04/15 to 30/06/15 Senior Leader
1. Sun Vale Armani Rommy – Katie Anderson
2. Juggling Babs 7262 – Matt Gregory
3. Riversleigh Pingerly Dorris 4 – Rachael Barnes
4. Kelenmare Liquid Gold Evelina – Rebecca Daley
5. Gorbro Atchez Shimmer – Caleb Quinn
Class 04 Heifer born 01/04/15 to 30/06/15 Junior Leader
1. Avonlea Sanchez Alarna-IMP-ET – Luke Gardiner
2. Carisma Dreamy paradise 1-ET – Mia Deenen
3. Hillview Park Kaliber Victoria – Tahlia Railton
4. Foleama Lix Rose II – Charlie Lloyd
5. Lloydstar Flawless Vanilla – Sarah Lloyd
Class 05 Heifer born 01/01/15 to 31/03/15 Senior Leader
1. Runway Veronicas Cupid-ET – Thomas Wade
2. Burnside Gun Honey – Olivia Handebo
3. Llandovery LB Betty – Zoe Hayes
4. Southern Star Shadow Pam – Sophia Wright
5. Elmar Guthrie Farley 2 – Brady More
Class 06 Heifer born 01/01/15 to 31/03/15 Junior Leader
1. Avonlea Selector Figsie – Ashleigh Van Leeuwen
2. Sun Vale Ninja Lady – Renee Anderson
3. Woodlawn McCutchen Delight 5657 – Josh Blake
4. Cleveland Dashdawn Butter – Mikaela Daniel
5. Ghinni Creek Hariette – Jess Eagles
Class 7 Heifer born 01/07/14 to 31/12/14 Senior Leader
1. Glenbrook Poppy 6 – Joanna Owers
2. Ripponlea Davids Duchess 2872 – Alana Schulz
3. Diamond Hill Maddison Bambi Star 2 – Cameron Lindsay
4. Quality Ridge Windbreak Bonnie 3-ET – Sarah Dodd
5. Gorbro Goldendreams Shimmer – Erika Quinn
Class 8 Heifer born 01/07/14 to 31/12/14 Junior Leader
1. Brunchilli Excitation Belle – Billy Michael
2. Langdale Verbatim Martha – Brianna Weaver
3. Brindabella Goldchip Natalie – Georgia Sieben
4. Diamond Hill CV Tequila Crystalyn – Mali Dillon
5. Wallumlands Ethel 22 – Charlotte Strong
Class 9 Heifer, Dry born 01/04/14 to 30/06/14 Senior Leader
1. Sun Vale Spectrum Renita – Katie Anderson
2. Camberfield Galaxy – Sam Hackett
3. Glenbrook Venus 30 – Brittany Liebich
4. Dryfesdale Tanbark Pretzel – Rebecca Daley
Class 10 Heifer, Dry born 01/04/14 to 30/06/14 Junior Leader
1. Calthorpe Vanahlem Cream – Ella Young
2. Three Creeks Rosarian 8 – Sophie Chittick
3. Brunchilli Gator Maquita – Jack Michael
4. Kookaburra Gwab Boondabar – Joseph Clarke
Class 11 Heifer, Dry born 01/01/14 to 31/03/14 Senior Leader
1. Sun Vale Attitude Jodie-RC – Katie Anderson
2. Shirlinn Tequila Dawn – Jaclyn Lundsay
3. Lemon Grove Honeymoon – Zoe Hayes
4. Wisteria Park Sweet Dreams – Sarah Ludington
5.Paschendaele Vicki Titan – Jamie Why brow
Class 12 Heifer, Dry born 01/01/14 to 31/03/14 Junior Leader
1. Rowlands Park Brax Shamrock-ET – Kaitlyn Wishart
2. Pooley Bridge -Rover kay 179 – Rachel Lucich
3. Emu Banks Shuttle Shade 7427 – Rachel Dickson
Class 13 Heifer, Dry born 01/07/13 to 31/12/13 Senior Leader
1. Bolview Dream-A-Rilla – Brittany Liebich
2. Pooley Bridge Fever Blackrose 48 – Sam Hill
3. Bolview Rhythm Atalia – Dylan McDonald
4.Sunshine Farm Fowler 5 – Dylan Morris
5. Inverell Fernleaf 193 – Tracey Millett
Class 14 Heifer, Dry born 01/07/13 to 31/12/13 Junior Leader
1. Burn Brae Baltimore Jolene – Jasmin Mackie
2. Bruncilli Glory belle 2 – Christopher Wright
3. Segenhoe Park Reginald Patsy – Cally O’Shannassy
4. Boldview Faraway Dreamer – Hayley Brander
Class 15 Heifer, in Milk born 01/07/13 to 30/06/14 Senior Leader
1. Wallacedale Topeka Melaine – Scott Lockeridge (sells Tuesday 11:30am)
2. Lindon deb Fire Kite-RED – Katie Anderson
3. Darrynvale Vans Cheryl – Ellie Hourigan
4. Juggling Hazel 6866 – Matt Gregory (sells Tuesday 11:30am)
5. Pooley Bridge-Aftershock – Sarah Dodd
Class 16 Heifer, in Milk born 01/07/13 to 30/06/14 Junior Leader
1. Crobico Shuttle Susette – Jake Scott
2. Pooley bridge fever Kay – Rachel Lucich
3. Gower Park tequila Marthas Joy – Allie McDonald
4. Chevron AS Lady – Taya Hayes
Class 17 Heifer, in Milk born 01/01/13 to 30/06/13 Senior Leader
1. Elmar Zelgardis Jessica 3 – Brady Hore
2. Mikandan Vanahlems Caramel 2275 – Olivia Hendebo
3. Strongbark Sid Georgette – Erika Quinn
4. Sensei Atwood Electra – Anthony Glennen
5. Bluechip Windbreak Paradise 2-ET – Rachel Mason
Class 18 Heifer, in Milk born 01/01/13 to 30/06/13 Junior Leader
1. Sun Vale Redliner Wonka-RED – Renee Anderson
2. Carisma Cairnhill Presence-1-ET – Zali Deenen
3. Hillview Park Brina Eve – Tahlia Railton
4. Rowlands Park Braxton Farlex – Kaitlyn Wishart
5. Hyena PP Caboose – Cally O’Shannassy
Two well-known Canadian barns have opened their doors to a decorated Australian cow family.
The news bubbled up in the lead-up to Australasia’s premier dairy show – International Dairy Week (IDW) – which will be held at Tatura (two hours north of Melbourne) between January 17 and 22.
This year’s Holstein judge is Pierre Boulet, from Montmagny, Québec and he is at the epicentre of the story.
Pierre and his partner, Katie Coates, milk 110 Holsteins. Pierre also deals in thousands of cattle annually for commercial dairies and export. He is the co-owner and auctioneer for Les Encans Boulet.
Pierre’s keen eye to find the good ones and develop them is well documented (particularly) through the achievements of three EX97 global household names in the business – Thrulane James Rose EX-97-2E 3*, Bruynland Storm Kendra EX97 and Loyalyn Goldwyn June EX97.
In November, Pierre bought milking yearling Fraeland After Bash VG87 for $24,500 from Fraeland Holsteins, in Ontario, through the Sale of the Stars at The Royal.
Fraeland After Bash VG87-2YRS-Can sold by Fraeland Farms to Ferme Pierre Boulet.
After Bash’s granddam was Australia’s two-time IDW Grand Champion Holstein (2005 and 2007) – Fairvale Jed Bonnie 94-ET EX-1E.
Fraeland Goldwyn Bonnie EX95 is owned by Fraeland Farms who imported her as an embryo to Canada. She has established the Australian family in North America.
The Aftershock daughter is out of an EX95 Goldwyn, which Ontario dairyman Steve Fraser (Fraeland Farms), imported in a package of embryos from Jed Bonnie. Steve came into the embryos because he is the co-owner of Jed Bonnie with Leslie Farms – his good friends and colleagues in Australia – who managed Jed Bonnie on behalf of the partnership during the height of her career from their northern Victorian base.
Australia’s two-time IDW Grand Champion Holstein in 2005 and 2007 – Fairvale Jed Bonnie 94-ET EX-1E. Photo: CrazyCow In Print.
Steve, who last saw Jed Bonnie aged 15 when he visited Australia in 2014, says her Goldwyn daughter is a head-turner and a favourite at Fraeland.
Fairvale Jed Bonnie 94-ET EX-1E
“Even this fall, when she was milking about 19 months, visitors were amazed at the cow for her dairy length, udder and her mobility for an eight-year-old cow,” Steve said.
“We don’t fit her into our program, we try to work with hers. She is quite the cow to work with. She is the boss around here. She is an extremely dairy cow with an awesome udder. She may not have had the stature to run with some of the cows at the Royal or WDE in her prime. But she is fast becoming a great brood cow.
“I have sold heifers locally for people to show that are now developing them into VG two-year-olds. I have exported embryos from her to Europe, New Zealand, Australia and even sold some locally. She is due early March to Doorman and she will be flushed heavily again next year.
“With the few daughters she has, and how they have developed, we would really like work with her reproductively and not worry about how much we show her now.”
Although showing is no longer a priority, the Goldwyn held her own, winning Reserve All Ontario Junior two-year-old in 2009, 1st Jr 2yr and Res Int. Champ Autumn Opportunity 2009 and 2nd 4yr Dufferin Wellington show 2011. She was also 2nd 5yr and Res Grand Dufferin Wellington 2012, 2nd 5yr Autumn Opportunity show 2012 and 1st aged cow and Hon. Men Champ Dufferin Wellington 2014.
“I do rate the Aftershock as a tremendous young heifer with an extremely high-ceiling future. She has an incredible udder. She is so very correct through her loin, rump and rear leg. Currently she lacks a bit of balance. She is very tall with an open rib but you would like to deepen her rib and give her some more width of chest. To be honest, she is made quite a bit like her granddam, Jed Bonnie, as a first lactation animal. If all goes well, she could be quite a cow in a year or two.”
Pierre confirmed he had big plans for the young cow.
“I noticed her before the sale and kept my eye on her in the ring in hopes of buying her,” Pierre said. “She has an exceptional bone quality, she’s very dairy and has a great udder. When cows have feet and legs like hers, you know they’ll be around for a long time. To top it off she has a great pedigree behind her, and she comes from a good family.
“She’s due back in the fall so we will be working with her to get her in top shape to hopefully bring to the fall shows,” he said. “I really like bringing that kind of pedigree into the barn with a good sire stack and strong family because it’s the type of families that you want to breed from and develop.”
The root of the family comes from Master Breeders Fairvale Holsteins, owned by Ross and Leanne Dobson, in Tasmania.
Fairvale is Australia’s most successful prefix when it comes to breeding Grand Champion Holsteins at IDW – despite being separated from the mainland by 240km of ocean and expensive transit costs.
Still, three cows – bred and reared at Fairvale – have collectively won five IDW Champion Holstein titles (for three different exhibitors) between 2005 and 2014.
The anchors for the Bonnie family internationally is the EX95 Goldwyn at Fraeland and an EX94 Derry daughter at Bluechip Genetics in Australia (Fairvale’s longtime partner in marketing its profile animals).
The Derry, now 10, was the lucky result of the single C-grade embryo Fairvale and Bluechip retained after they sold Jed Bonnie to Leslie Farms and Fraeland in 2004 soon after she had won Reserve Champion Holstein at IDW milking over 300 days, set for IDW 2005.
Fairvale and Bluechip have since sold 40 embryos from the Derry, and 30 live animals. Ten Bonnies remain at Bluechip – including the 2015 IDW Junior Champion, Bluechip Goldchip Bonnie (x VG87 Shottle x EX94 Derry x EX-1E Jed Bonnie). The Goldchip will return to IDW this year as a milking senior two-year-old.
“Over the years, Bluechip have developed and shown many Bonnie family members from their branch of the family,” Steve said. “Our Goldwyn Bonnie does not have as many daughters as the Derry, but they all have been showable and marketable and I am starting to admire and like the consistency in which this family breeds for show type,” he added.
Fraeland has an 88-point second calved Sid and two October 2015-born Bradnick daughters. Goldwyn Bonnie is carrying a Doorman heifer and two more Doorman heifers will be born in the spring.
Pierre has never visited Australia before. Now, he has a vested interest in seeing what the country has to offer – including seeing the full sister to After Bash sell at IDW (she will be offered by Windy Vale Holsteins).
He also has Australian partners in Goldwyn June (Diamond Genetics – Justin Walsh, Phil Duncan and Matt Warnes) in addition to Kevin Doeberiener, of Ohio. The final piece to the jigsaw puzzle will be landing on Australian soil and seeing what the top cows in the southern hemisphere look like lined up in the ring together.
“I’ve always heard of the quality of the Australian genetics and wanted to make it to the show for several years,” Pierre said. “I guess the opportunity just never presented itself, and it all seems to be happening around the same time. Hopefully I will get the opportunity to visit a bit and check the cow families out.”
This is a journey that begs the question – could it signal a subtle shift as North American breeders widen their net looking for fresh genetics in a market, saturated with core families?
Two years ago Katie, 17, and Renee Anderson, 15, stood last in almost every class at the Royal Melbourne Dairy Show.
They made a decision that day to change those results, and late last month the teenagers dominated the new-look all breeds youth show under Canadian judge Brian Carscadden – taking home $4200 in prize money.
Katie and Renee Anderson with their Senior Champion and Supreme Champion heifer, Bluechip Toffees Apple-RC.
They won Champion, Reserve Champion and Honourable Mention in the senior heifer show, Supreme Champion of the show, and Champion and Reserve Champion handler.
It finished off a spring show programme that also notably included them winning Grand and Reserve Grand Champion handler at the Adelaide Royal two weeks earlier.
Their Supreme Champion heifer, Bluechip Toffees Apple-RC, headed off the winner of the junior heifer show, Quality Ridge Windbrook Bonnie-3-ET, owned by Jayke and Bec Fisher.
Judge Carscadden said Toffees Apple was “striking” with very few faults and she was “very easily” his champion. Sired by Aftershock, she was purchased at the start of this year from Bluechip Genetics and the 18-month-old Holstein heifer still boards at Bluechip. Her grand-dam is the $US1 million cow, KHW Regiment Apple EX96.
“It’s pretty overwhelming, I guess,” Katie Anderson said. “We weren’t expecting it at all. We were shocked how well we went – in everything.”
Katie and Renee’s father, Greg, said he was as happy for his daughters as “a dog with two tails”.
“They’re doing all the work themselves and they’ve taken all the information that has been shared with them, and they are working with it,” he said. “It makes them grow up quicker, but I think it’s better for them in the long run.”
Judge Carscadden had watched the two sisters throughout the day, so he knew what to expect once they hit the ring for the handlers’ competition. Brian is no stranger to leading high profile animals – he was booked three months ahead of World Dairy Expo to lead in every Holstein class for some of the biggest names in the global business.
“For me, the most important thing is: ‘who leads that animal the best they can at all times’,” Brian told the audience.
“Sometimes when I get to the senior handlers class, I ask myself: ‘If I owned a really good one and I was heading to International Dairy Week, for example, who would I choose to show that animal for me? And, there is one person out here that I would hire [his champion, Katie Anderson], because she never gives up.
“She has a big heifer. A difficult heifer. You’ll notice she came into line and she could have settled, but she kept working until she got her in the perfect position. When I came back around the end she had her heifer set up perfectly and I appreciate that effort, and I appreciate that she recognised the heifer wasn’t at her best and she got her to where she needed to be.”
YOUTH SCHOLARSHIP TO INDONESIA
For 18-year-old Keeley Warren, her first Melbourne Show has given her the chance to visit emerging dairy regions in South East Asia – courtesy of a $10,000 Dairy Youth Handlers’ Travel Scholarship. The award was announced at the end of judging and the first-year university student said she was excited and overwhelmed. She works part-time for well-known Holstein and Jersey breeders Stewart and Hayley Menzies, at Nowra, New South Wales.
MELBOURNE RE-BUILDING
The show had its detractors in the lead-up to the event, because it is a long way from the heady days when it was one of Australia’s most prestigious dairy shows.
Less than 50 dairy animals were on the ground, and there were no in-milk classes offered. There was also genuine confusion in the lead up to the event, about whether the show was for open exhibitors or for juniors. In the end, open exhibitors worked it out for themselves. Most spectators felt the show had a future with a junior focus.
Judge Carscadden agreed: “I think there’s something to build on from here and it’s up to the people if they want to make it work or not,” he said.
“It’s a really beautiful facility, even though it’s not easy to get in or out of. The quality of the show was good. They weren’t deep classes. They weren’t big classes, but the ones at the top were quite good and I was able to find the type that I like, which is nice. I hope they continue to make some good money available to these young people, because without the youth, where do we go?”
RESERVE – Brindabella McCutchen Nan – sire: BKM McCutchen (SD and JL Sieben, Torrumbarry)
HONOURABLE MENTION – Brindabella Woody Kay – sire: Pine Shelter Clay Wood (SD and JL Sieben, Torrumbarry)
SENIOR CHAMPION – Bluechip Toffees Apple-RC – sire: MS Atlees Sth Aftershock (GB and MM Anderson, Yarroweyah)
RESERVE – Sun Vale Attitude Sara – sire: Damartini Attitude-Red-ET (GB and MM Anderson, Yarroweyah)
HONOURABLE MENTION – Sun Vale Spectrum Renita – sire: Charpentier LFG Spectrum RC (GB and MM Anderson, Yarroweyah)
MOST SUCCESSFUL GUERNSEY HEIFER – Riverton Lewis May – sire: Riverton Wonder Lewis (EST HWR Troutbeck, Yuroke)
MOST SUCCESSFUL JERSEY HEIFER – Brunchilli Glory Belle 2 – sire: Rivendell Nates Glory IMP (owned by Brunchilli Jerseys – shown by Deniliquin High School)
A revolutionary rotary dairy platform that is 80% lighter than concrete and five times stronger will be operating in Australia within months.
The design has been patented by Waikato Milking Systems from Hamilton, New Zealand, and incorporates a product usually found in bullet-proof vests and aircraft.
Demand for the Centrus platform contributed to 40% growth in Waikato’s international business last year — principally driven from demand in the USA, the UK, China, South Africa and Australia.
Growth is expected to jump by a similar margin again this year — despite the reality that Waikato is operating in a dairying landscape struggling with disappointing milk prices.
The Centrus platforms have been the icing on the cake for Waikato’s most recent success story, but it is far from the only story. It has taken Waikato just three decades to become one of the world’s largest manufacturers of rotary dairy platforms and technology.
The Centrus platform is the latest hero in Waikato Milking Systems’ business.
The platform is made using a multi-layer laminate process that includes Kevlar®, a synthetic fibre used in a host of applications from bike tyres and racing sails to probably its best-known use: body armour. Because of its high tensile strength, Kevlar is one of the strongest man-made fibres on the market. Waikato infuses it with resin in a multi-layer design, which gives it extreme impact resistance. High profile rubber mats, that are water jet-cut in Germany, are fitted and secured into the recessed moulded platform at installation.
Kevlar’s lightness and strength has been a game changer for big dairies, says Waikato’s Chief Executive Officer, Dean Bell.
“The platform is more power-efficient, because it is so much lighter,” Dean says, “but the real gain on these systems is that a rotary platform is very much like a great, big bearing. And the more stress and load you can take out of it, the longer you can go between service intervals. It just makes a lot of sense to use modern materials that are strong and also very, very light.”
Dean says candidly that Centrus has fuelled recent international inquiry, but ultimately it has been Waikato’s ability to control design, manufacture at high quality and complete full dairy installations in house, that has completed the big picture.
The new Centrus dairy platform is 80% lighter and five times stronger than concrete. Photo supplied.
Turnkey ability a strength
The fully New Zealand-owned company is housed under one roof on 1.6 hectares in the heart of dairying country in the North Island. From there, Waikato designs, manufactures and installs everything used in the dairy – right down to the receival vessels.
Dean has been with the company 25 years, and says when it comes to milking componentry, Waikato has produced some of the most technologically advanced innovations on the market today.
“We are one of the only companies in the world that can do everything from start to finish. I actually can’t think of anyone else. With all of our divisions together under the one roof, it means we can share the common designs right down to the smallest details. There is nothing we can’t build. It’s just a matter of getting the guys together and making sure it fits.
“We have lots of pretty interesting technology and componentry that historically we’ve sold to various parts of the world. But over the last handful of years we’ve really started to get focused on our rotary expertise. And as we’ve got bigger, we started exporting complete rotary solutions.”
Big targets
He says interest in the Centrus has mainly come from big dairies – many of which are milking more than twice a day.
“The one we’ve just finished the design on is for an 84-bail dairy and, to be honest, the target audience is almost exclusively international, and it’s almost exclusively for 24-hour dairies that milk big, North American-bred Holsteins.
“The Centrus also includes the new automatic aligning pivot roller, so it’s designed for high-use dairies that never shut down. For the big international dairies, we also use steelwork that is almost three times the weight of what we use typically here in NZ or in countries that are more grazing based.”
Waikato Milking Systems had a big presence in the trade exhibits at last year’s World Dairy Expo at Madison, in the USA. The event draws 70,000 visitors from 90 countries annually. Photo: Dianna Malcolm.
Staff at the ready
For the first Centrus installation, not only did Waikato ship the ready-to-assemble dairy in four containers, it also sent its development team. So, if any tweaks were needed, they had the qualified staff on the ground to make it happen. It takes two weeks to install the platform and another two to three weeks to install the milking system.
“It’s a bit different doing it that way, but we wanted to have the designers seeing how things worked in practice,” Dean says. “Then it can be more of an engineering assembly.”
Waikato also produces conventional concrete rotary platforms, one of which – the Orbit – has an extra-wide (2.7m) deck, providing protection for the milking machine and a larger standing area for the cows. Its range of herringbone systems includes one that has a single 100mm milk pipe, which drains into a receiver at the end of the pit, making milking fast and uninterrupted.
Innovation award
Dairy componentry remains an important part of the business.
“Earlier this year we introduced an electronic milk meter which won the Supreme Award at the Plastics Industry Design Awards. It’s the most accurate meter on the market, giving farmers real-time information on the production of each cow.”
Dean adds that the company’s SmartD-TECT mastitis identification technology continues to be one the simplest and most accurate ways to find mastitis in individual quarters early, with the system alerting the operator. More company innovations were expected to be unveiled at the New Zealand Fieldays, in Hamilton, in June.
“We understand farmers don’t want to invest in large capital items which become outdated, so future-proofing is factored into everything we do.”
Confidence builds quality
Dean says Waikato’s focus continues to be on customer satisfaction.
“We have grown in confidence over the years. We’re building very high quality products that are very innovative, in a space where no one has operated before.
“And so, to a certain extent, I think we are pretty good at this and we’re very, very fussy. We find when we bring customers from around the world to our office – and they go through the factories and meet with us – they almost always buy.
“So, we’re not really selling in that sense. Typically they have seen a lot of our competitors already, and if they are buying from us then we’re not doing too badly. And they are making an informed decision. If we’re not the right decision, then we’re not the right decision. We want people to get to the end of any major project and feel that we were decent to deal with.
“Ideally, it makes sense for our clients to make a quick trip to New Zealand – and, it’s not the worst place in the world to visit.”
Much has been written about what goes on in the market free-zone of the southern hemisphere.
The truth in 2015 is that unless the farms have no mortgage, private price contracts with niche companies or no paid staff, Australian producers are as exposed as any other nation’s to low milk prices.
It is hard to generalise on the producer’s position in the world’s third-biggest milk exporting country, because of its size and diversity. The state of Victoria produces 66% of the country’s total milk production (and 86% of the country’s export milk). So it is Victoria that gives the most complete focus to what the bulk of Australia’s dairy farmers face up to every day.
Most Australian dairy herds are challenged by extreme heat at some point of the season. Photo: Sheila Sundborg.
Australia is the driest continent in the world. Its farmers deal with extreme heat in the summer, and water is expensive and often restricted by the government. With heat also comes the risk of fire — and critical management decisions for animal safety and welfare. Floods are also more common that many would expect — both in the tropical parts of the nation and in other areas.
Most herds stand under sprinklers before and after milkings to ease summer temperatures that can reach regularly reach 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit). Photo: Sheila Sundborg.
In short, it’s an extreme climate that is home to volatile milk pricing.
And Australia has become a target for foreign investments hunting milk — encouraged by Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board regulations (FIRB), which are only triggered by the sale of Australian companies whose assets exceed A$231 million (US$176.67).
Canadian milk processor Saputo, spent more than half a billion Aussie dollars (US$382) early last year, to acquire 87.92% of Australia’s oldest surviving dairy company, Warrnambool Cheese & Butter Factory Co Ltd (WCB).
Cynics could argue they were not necessarily buying access to the Asian market (given that Vancouver is closer to Beijing than Warrnambool) and that they were, in fact, perhaps buying access to the world’s cheapest milk.
Australia’s genetics are competitive on the world stage, with North American embryo sales now well established. And the world’s best families are represented throughout the country. Here are two Golden Dreams from the Sid daughter of O’Kalibra.
Most processors paying 40-45c/litre
AUSTRALIA LAND MASS: 7.7 million sq km POPULATION: 22 million IN PERSPECTIVE: Australia is the planet’s sixth largest country after Russia, Canada, China, the USA and Brazil. It is the world’s largest island and the only one of the largest six nations that is completely surrounded by water. Roughly 20% is desert so it’s hardly surprising that it’s the world’s driest continent. MILK PRODUCTION: 9.2 billion litres of milk
Most of the major milk processors in Victoria are currently paying around 40-45 Aussie cents a litre (0.31-0.34 US cents), which is the cost of production per litre on most farms — without factoring in a return on investment.
Players pulling the strings include the milk processors and two supermarkets, Coles and Woolworths, who between them have a 72.5% market share of Australia’s grocery sector. None seem too interested in the farmers’ financial struggles.
A milk processor can change the game in the blink of an eye – as Parmalat did at the start of February.
Without warning, it sent an email stripping 23 cents/kgMS (kilogram of milk solids), that’s 18 US cents, off some of its suppliers, leaving mid-season prices at A$6.09, or 47c/litre (US$4.66, US$0.36). And it closed its door to step-ups — which are price rise opportunities — for the rest of the year.
However, it didn’t touch the price for many of its New South Wales suppliers. The price inequality between states and regions (at the discretion of the processers) has long been a bone of contention for producers, regardless of whether milk is being used for manufacturing (export) or for the fresh milk market.
And sadly, sudden price cuts have become routine.
One of Parmalat’s producers, Lloyd and Cathy Chesworth, of Willette Holsteins, said the decision would cost them A$90,000 (US$68,830) this season on a 700-cow herd producing seven million litres.
Lloyd, 66, said, “We had all but ordered an activity system for the cows [to monitor heat and herd health]. As soon as we read that email, we changed our mind.
“When you lose $90,000 in a season without doing anything wrong, it knocks the system. The Australia dollar is down 30% compared to last year and world milk prices are down too. It’s doesn’t make sense, and I think they’re being opportunistic at our expense.”
In summer, much of Australia has no pasture in the wake of tougher water restrictions.
Numbers horrify
Nutritionist and dairy farmer Andrew “Ange” Angelino, of the Dairy Business Centre, agrees. He has been heavily involved in the industry for more than two decades. He advises many of the best operators in the country, and has deep and credible knowledge of the costs and the margins in both Australia and New Zealand.
“The supermarkets are screwing us without any doubt, and the government is not stepping up to stop it.” – Andrew “Ange” Angelino.
He also operates Kentgrove South, a dairy farm at Mt Schank in South Australia, which this season will milk 700 cows — down from 850 because of low milk prices. In addition, he also owns shares in other dairy farms that milk, in total, about 2200 cows.
He paints an ugly picture of Australia’s future dairy industry unless things change. He says rising core costs on-farm — coupled with milk prices that can drop harder and faster than aeroplanes in heavy turbulence — are taking their toll on this generation, and scarring the next.
Ange says producers need higher and more reliable margins against what nature throws at them, and, more importantly, to encourage their children to get involved.
Tasmania is Australia’s most natural milk-making climate; it’s separated from mainland Australia by 240km of sea.
No happy farmers
NEW ZEALAND SIZE: 268,680 sq km POPULATION: 4 million IN PERSPECTIVE: New Zealand is the size of Colorado. New Zealand’s two main components are the North Island and the South Island, separated by Cook Strait. For a small country, it packs a punch. It’s the world’s biggest producer of dairy products, aided by its near-perfect climate for dairy farming. MILK PRODUCTION: 20.7 billion litres of milk
I can’t sit here and say I know a happy farmer in Australia at the moment,” he said. “Why is it food around the world is a similar price, if not cheaper than in Australia, but the gap between the price of food in Australia and its farmers is bigger? What is happening to our margin.
“The supermarkets are screwing us without any doubt, and the government is not stepping up to stop it. We were supposed to be flying high when more than 50% of our milk production was being used domestically. It’s now at 60% and we’re still done over.”
“Australians have to feed 3.5kg of grain a day, just to get the same value out of their grass as a Kiwi [New Zealand] farmer feeding no grain.” – Andrew “Ange” Angelino
Ange said in the past five years, his farm’s power bill had lifted from A$70,000 (US$53,535) a year to A$220,000 (US$168,255) — backed down to A$160,000 (US$122,370) after a forthright “chat” with the power company. The hourly rate of contractors used for specialist repairs and maintenance had lifted from A$50/hour (US$38) to A$120/hour (US$92/hr) in some cases.
“They charge like doctors, and may as well arrive in an ambulance when you factor in their travelling,” he quipped.
He said staff costs were also debilitating.
“In Australia we battle to get anyone to work for less than A$50,000 to A$60,000 [US$38,240-$45,890], and you often have to follow them around all day because they don’t know what they’re doing,” Ange said.
“We hear about all these seminars about how to farm more efficiently or how to cut costs. We’ve done all that for years. We are among the most efficient producers in the world now — how about we have a conference about revenue raising?”
Australia’s National Holstein Show (International Dairy Week) held each January is the largest dairy show in the Southern Hemisphere. (See 2015 Results here)
Australia and NZ trail the world on payday
Ange said he wasn’t surprised that Australian and NZ producers are also at the wrong end of the deal when he lined up global farm-gate milk prices on an independent website.
Australia is routinely 30-40% behind its EU and US counterparts. Farmers in China are paid 2.5 times more, and Canadians receive almost double Australia’s price for their milk.
“And what really annoyed me about that, was that the prices were factored last year when NZ was paid the highest prices it had ever seen,” Ange said. “And they were still three Euro cents a litre behind the EU. And once you convert that through the exchange rate, they were six to seven cents a litre behind the EU. Again, that’s on the back of the best price New Zealand had ever seen.”
Ange says generally Australia has the world’s cheapest milk and the core (daily) running costs of pasture-based farmers he assessed eight years ago were A$1250 (US$956) a cow. It meant that they were covering their costs once the cows produced 4000 litres/cow (on a 32c/litre payment, which is US$0.24).
A re-assessment of those numbers in today’s market reveals that core costs have risen to $1800-$2000 (US$1375-$1530) a cow. So, to cover the costs (on pasture) at 4000 litres per cow, producers now needed 46 cents a litre (US$0.35), just to achieve par.
“And in the last eight years, farmers have seen 46 cents a litre just once. How do you think everyone went at 36 cents [US$0.28] two years ago?” he asked rhetorically.
Australian farmers have access to much cheaper land than in NZ. But NZ’s dairy producers do not have to compete against mining for its government’s attention. Consequently, it also enjoys markedly more respect as an industry. It also has the power to slow the country if its farmers are not spending.
Searching for the positives, Ange dug deep. The best he could find was that Australia was “a nice spot to live”, and that milk was mostly produced from pasture, and therefore the protein in the ration for the southern hemisphere was relatively cheap.
“If cows can get most of their protein from grass, their producers are a long way ahead of the game. And one day the world will wake up and realise that pasture-based farming does produce a better product … but that’s another story for another day.
“NZ can do that even better because their climate and grass quality is also better. In the TMR [total mixed ration] world, high-production herd rations are generally corn based, which has no protein. So there is subsequently a high requirement for protein and usually they have to feed 7-8kg soya bean meal to keep the ration in balance.
“Imagine if soya bean meal when to $600-$700/tonne [US$460-$535]. It is almost undoable financially. We [Australia] have to be careful not to over-complicate our ration to the point we are that reliant on buying protein.”
China buying up
Ange said increasing sales of Australia’s agricultural land to Chinese buyers did not bother him.
“I hope they [China] buy it all. Many Australians don’t care. The government doesn’t care — why should we? It would be good if the gap between domestic and export was swallowed up, because then we would have more power against the supermarkets, as they do in NZ, and they would have to negotiate with us.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to tell Mr Supermarket, ‘you can go and buy milk powder from China and bring it back here [Australia] and add chlorinated water to it and try and sell it as fresh milk’, because that’s all generic $1/litre [US$0.76] of milk should be. Ask British farmers how they feel at the moment?”
Some of Australia’s top show cattle could easily compete at the worlds largest shows like World Dairy Expo in the US or The Royal in Canada.
World needs quota
Ange’s summation cuts to the core of what Canada faces right now.
“The whole world needs some sort of quota in my opinion,” he said.
“The world needs more milk, we can do it, but we need to get paid for it. I believe we need more control over supply and demand for this type of industry.
“I look at Canada and at 82 cents [A$0.86] a litre (to the farmer) the Canadian consumer doesn’t complain. They know they have a farmer making money and the town he supports is making money. I’m not sure if Coles and Woolworths have taken over every town in Canada, but weren’t regional centres good when everyone went to the butcher for their meat, the baker for their bread and the pub for their beer?
“That’s when towns were vibrant. I drove through Girgarre and Stanhope on the way to Rochester [in northern Victoria] recently and it was a wake-up call to see the buildings that were shut and the general lack of energy in the community.
“These towns are all located in the heart of Australia’s dairying country and they are struggling. These towns were hit hard by prolonged drought and water restrictions, but there’s more going on now.”
‘We have made people uncomfortable … and we are comfortable with that’
No one saw it coming.
The Bullvine arrived like a speeding freight train.
It also knocked the media outlets off their axes. It challenged everyone. Its early online stories rampaged through the industry like a bull in a china shop.
It wrote the calls people thought, but never said.
People were shocked, even horrified … and they starting talking.
And that was exactly what founder Andrew Hunt wanted. Conversation and dialogue. Because this dramatic entry almost three years ago was no fly-by-the-seat-of-your pants’ decision. This was a strategic start to a fresh age of media coverage in the dairy industry.
And as everything starts to shake down and settle in, The Bullvine has rapidly become a power player with purpose and 30,000 readers. Its reach and impact is now unquestioned.
The publication is heading into 2015 with big plans that have yet to be revealed, but in an exclusive interview at World Dairy Expo (WDE), Andrew briefly stopped and allowed a tour of the frenetic and clever brain that is poised to dominate this industry’s media…
Andrew Hunt, 37, is a man of many layers. He comes from a powerful, tight well-connected family within the Canadian industry, who all had something to lose when their son/brother made the decision to initiate the outwardly controversial, online media outlet, The Bullvine.
He appeared — to many — to come from nowhere. The opposite is true.
His parents, Murray and Karen, are not only Master Breeders (Huntsdale Holsteins) but also integral industry leaders at the highest levels in the Canadian Holstein industry.
His brother, Paul, is the Chief Operating Officer for Alta Genetics (based in The Netherlands) and his sister, Heather, is a nutritionist for ANC (Agri-Nutrition Consulting, based in Ohio, USA). All are strong personalities with responsible roles. They are also potentially visible targets for any Bullvine detractors.
Strong connections
However, that is not how this close family works. Andrew has his parents’ and siblings’ support. They often disagree, but they are always in each others’ corners. And they were all sitting ringside together at WDE.
Andrew says, “If you know Paul, you know him as Paul Hunt and respect him for who he is. He’s not Andrew, Murray, Karen or Heather Hunt. If you judge any of my family because of what I do on The Bullvine, then you are discrediting yourself, not my family.
“We are all A-type personalities and we have all charted our own courses. But it doesn’t mean we’re not close. We’re family. We just had to learn to separate our work from our family time, and I have to say that kids have been amazing for changing that Christmas dinner-time conversation!”
Andrew’s mother, Karen Hunt, muses, “The first discussions about The Bullvine were colourful. You might say we were as surprised as anybody. However, with a lifetime of experience with Andrew’s somewhat unorthodox approach to technology and communication, we were ready to trust his instincts.”
Dad Murray adds, “And there was only two weeks between the time Andrew first ran the idea of The Bullvine up the flag poll, and the day the first article went up on February 24, 2012.”
Murray and Karen are the only additional official team members working for The Bullvine today, although staff from his two other companies play roles when they’re needed.
Murray says, “We both love it! Every day brings new ideas, challenges and contacts. It has taken the discussions that we’ve always had around our kitchen table and expanded them more than a little … to around the world.”
Driven back to dairy
Andrew went to the University of Guelph in their Bachelor of Commerce, Agricultural Business and Management programme, and earned his stripes on a six-figure income in the Fortune 500 consulting services world.
He was always a ballsy, driven and restless personality.
So it did not surprise the people who knew him well when he left the security of his former employment with the full support of his new wife, Dr Zosia Hunt (who was still a student then). They also had a two-year-old and a newborn child at the time.
He established his own marketing agency from the ground up, Inbound Sales Network (which would also later include Inbound Accelerator, for tech start-ups). Today it has over 100 team members. The company has been incredibly successful and, for many, that would have been plenty.
Not for Andrew.
“I love the dairy industry. That’s why I left and came back. It’s a drug that I’m hooked on. And it’s what I’m most excited and passionate about,” he says.
The Bullvine is the result of Andrew’s ongoing passion to work within the dairy industry, blended with a skill set and history that brings new dynamics to a sometimes-predictable news medium.
Real and edgy
He did not launch The Bullvine to make money. He launched it to create energy and a strong message for the industry.
The opening salvo on The Bullvine’s webpage remains as a reminder that things were going to be shaken up:
“Let’s start with what we are not. We’re not just an event reporting magazine. We’re not a billboard or promoter of whoever will pay us the most money. We are something different, something real.”
Andrew says, “When we first looked at the publications in the marketplace, we knew we were up against well-established, traditional family-around-the table reads. If we did the same thing, we were never going to be successful. We had to use the power of community and conversation to really drive our growth.
“We also needed to be edgier — especially in the first year. We have made people uncomfortable, and we’re comfortable with that. Over time, some would say we have softened our stance. But I think the industry has also adjusted and there is greater acceptance of what we do. I think the industry has come to us somewhat.”
Shock and relief
There was no question that the opening stories shocked some. Others were relieved someone had finally put a voice to what they were thinking.
In the beginning, 2000 people read The Bullvine’s email and online messages a day.
Today, it reaches that number within an hour of an article being posted. In a week, 30,000 dairy people are reading what The Bullvine shares. In any given day it has between 7000 and 10,000 visitors. It’s a bustling outlet that publishes five feature articles a week and 10 news releases daily on anything from show time and profiles, to genomics, sire breakdowns, politics, innovation and education.
Andrew says it’s not so much the shock value that drives him, as the desire for transparency.
“Yes, we wanted to get people’s attention and knock people off their centre and be as far from the norm as we could be. But we have always been about clarity and transparency. In my industry, those are your staples. In the dairy industry everyone has been too worried about being friends with everyone else. It is a small community, so there is pressure to not offend anyone.
“But because of our monetisation strategy, I don’t depend on income from the typical sources, so I can say what I want to say and take it for what it is. What I don’t think a lot of people understand is that because we had planned our strategy for the first three years, we didn’t take the initial feedback personally.
“We knew it would be coming. The interesting thing for us was because we weren’t connected to the industry as a financial driver, it gave us the freedom to express ourselves honestly.”
Honesty achieves
And honest they have been.
They have called out many people from many parts of the industry, and entertained stories few dare to write. They have tackled taboo topics such as Photoshop and show previews.
The Photoshop editorial prompted Andrew to introduce the Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct, designed to make photographers, AI centres, breeders and graphic designers accountable for any changes to cattle photographs.
“I discovered many new issues with current photography practices. The biggest one is just plain old laziness,” Andrew says. “They are too lazy to do it right. ‘Photoshop saved careers’, they told me. I say, ‘Photoshop has made many photographers lazy.’”
Advertising pressure
Yes, today The Bullvine carries advertising. But that has not changed who or what they write about.
“I’ve always written what I’ve wanted to write. There’s been some people we’ve written about that most would argue that we shouldn’t have because of their backgrounds and/or industry perception.
“But if I think they are interesting and I’d like to know more about them, then we’re going to write about it. And if I’m the only person that reads it, cool. We have done those stories. But I say to the people who challenge me on that, that the decision’s on me since I’m paying for it. So I guess I can have that opinion. If they don’t like it, they don’t have to read it.”
God or data
Andrew has also called opposing media outlets to account for making claims on readership. The most notable and recent being readership demographics.
“You need data to back what you say with regard to that. Here’s my analysis: in God we trust, everyone else better bring data.
“When you have a number of Facebook followers from India and Pakistan — that have an average herd size of three cows — those readers are not showing cattle or selling genetics. The top four cities that register on The Bullvine are Quebec, Madison, Toronto and Montreal. We’re Canadian. It’s self-explanatory who has the most useful readers.”
Hefty research into ringside photography
One of the strongest evolutions of The Bullvine has been the initiation of ringside online show coverage and extensive ring photography.
“When we started I wasn’t going to do it because everyone else was,” Andrew says. “I’d never done photography, but soon realised that I needed photographs, and, being a techno guy, I thought, ‘let’s rock’ n’ roll’.
“I was a huge fan of Han Hopman [Holstein International photographer] and I used my technical skills to study his photos and assess his camera settings. I have also spent close to $50,000 on camera equipment since we started, and received training from photographers outside the industry and drove everywhere in North America to get better. I also bored my kids senseless picturing them. But we do have some insane family memories because of it.
“I still think Han is the best composition photographer there is in the world and he does an amazing job of telling a story with a photograph. This journey for me has turned out to be very rewarding and helped the growth of the company.”
It has also added to the workload, because, while many outlets have several staff ringside, Andrew is mostly either on his own or accompanied by his parents as back-up. He uses his technical skills to overcome running a smaller team, and makes it look more effortless than it probably is.
Coffee-table book + picturing for free
Picturing led Andrew to producing a coffee-table book of photographs post WDE and he has many showman ask for photographs for their marketing campaigns. It is something he does for free.
“They work so hard to get those animals out there, how can I have the right to charge them and reap the benefit of ‘snapping a photo’ of a cow that looks amazing?
“It’s an honour to have that opportunity and that’s why I put every photograph on Facebook. All I ask of the breeders and owners of the cows I picture is that they don’t remove my logo. Other than that, they can go nuts with them.”
Last year, over 14 photographs taken by The Bullvine were used for industry magazine covers.
Next steps: education and mentoring
Taking on the photography pushed Andrew to embrace the next step — something he likes to do.
“If you stay in your comfort zone, you are not progressing and if you don’t challenge yourself every day by either improving your strengths or working on your weaknesses, then you’re not developing as a person. The day that happens, I will quit.”
The business has evolved from its base as a genetics, show and genomic-based commentary, through to also being an educational tool. It now has as much focus on dairy industry issues as it does on the subjects it began with — genetics and shows.
The Bullvine recently initiated The Milk House — the World Wide Dairy Breeding and Dairy Genetics Group on Facebook. It is a closed chat room for producers from all around the world to share ideas. Already, all manner of things have been covered, connecting the industry in a new way at the grassroots level. There are more than 2000 posts a week.
Andrew has also established a network where dairymen can be part of conference calls with a “board of advisors”. Andrew is not involved, other than to facilitate. It is purely actioned to help dairy farmers. “The quality of discussion on these calls is very informative and helps us understand our industry better and how we can better serve it.”
It’s learning from others that first got Andrew started in the dairy marketing industry.
“When I was in university, I was approached by Albert Cormier and Dave Eastman to do the marketing for their soon-to-be-released sire Champion and their new company GenerVations. Albert is legendary for his ability to market dairy cattle and David’s one of the smartest guys in the industry and at the forefront of breeding circles.” Andrew says they were a “great breeding ground for what he has become”.
Running a responsible line
Day to day, The Bullvine is growing and Andrew Hunt is growing with it — including his presence in the dairy industry.
With that comes greater responsibility — and that’s something he does not take for granted.
Of his direct approach, Andrew says, “I am more apt to run you over than stab you in the back.”
But helping the industry share ideas and progress is what drives him and makes him happy.
“I’m the luckiest man there is in the world,” he says. “I have a wife who ‘gets me’, who supports me and who is out of my league. She is the biggest stabilising factor in my life outside of my parents, who taught me to always believe in myself.
“When you are doing what you love and you can pay your bills, what else is there? The Bullvine can go on forever if I still have passion for it. How do you get bored with something that at your core is who you believe you are?”
As Australia rounds the corner of 2014 to see in 2015, the first thing that the registered industry zeros in on is International Dairy Week (IDW).
The Tatura venue in Northern Victoria (two hours from Melbourne) will welcome all breeds from throughout the country between January 18 and 22.
The biggest breed show is the Holsteins, and 2015 judge Ken Proctor will be a first-time visitor to Australia. The UK dairyman, his wife Rebecca, and sons Robert, 33, and Ralph, 28, milk 500 cows on an intensive system on a 405-hectare (1000-acre) holding in Norfolk under the Airfield prefix.
Ken says he was “honoured and excited” when Brian Leslie approached him.
“I love other cultures, I love visiting other dairy industries and seeing what other farmers face in terms of various challenges and how they go about producing their milk.”
Ken says he loves type and longevity in his herd, and they breed for no-nonsense cows giving a lot of milk. While Ken hasn’t visited Australia before, oldest son Robert had previously worked in Australia for nine months, so he wasn’t flying blind.
Ken says he will judge with complete honesty and integrity.
“Obviously in terms of the cows, it will be a little bit of suck it and see. But I’m really looking forward to it, and we are prepared for the heat and the flies!”
Ken has served thrice on the Holstein UK board — having been Non-executive Director of Research & Development, Breed Development & Classification, and National Show Director, and was the UK Holstein President in 2009. Ken is also the Chairman of East of England National Farmers Union (NFU) Dairy Board and a member of the NFU Dairy Board. He believes in serving to be in a position to effect change.
Other judges include:
Matt Templeton – Australia ABS Australia/Ridley All Breeds National Youth Show
Matt was raised on a registered Holstein farm in Victoria, Australia. He worked as a professional cattle fitter for 13 years, travelling throughout Australia and into New Zealand, the USA, Canada, Brazil and Germany. He has had the privilege of helping prepare some of the best cows in the world, including 2012 World Dairy Expo Supreme Champion, RF Goldwyn Hailey. He has also worked with the Budjon Show String at Madison, USA, for seven years. Matt is now working with Coomboona Holsteins (Toolamba, Victoria) as its Show Herd Manager. Matt also operates his own 50-head herd under the View Fort prefix.
Glen Gordon – Australia Sheri Martin Memorial Youth Showmanship Classes
Glen works on the family farm in Cohuna, Northern Victoria, where his family milks 600 cows — predominantly registered Holsteins, with a limited number of Jerseys and Illawarras. Glen and his brother Drew manage the farm, with their father Ross in support. They have a 50/50 split with registered and commercial cows on 486ha (1200ac). Glen has been showing cows since he was nine years old, starting with Elmar Holsteins and then Corra Lea Holsteins.
Duncan Hunter – England National Ayrshire Show
Duncan Hunter is from Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire, just outside the famous M25, London’s orbital motorway in England. He is married to Sarah and they have four children. Glen bred Ayrshire cattle all of his life under the Haresfoot prefix. He sold his herd in 2011 for a record-breaking UK average after selling Haresfoot Farm, which has since been developed into a new horse livery business with commercial lettings at the farm. Duncan is still is involved in breeding through his syndicate partnership under the prefix Smartmove. He has judged most of the UK’s major shows, including the National All Breeds Calf Show, Royal Highland, South West Dairy Show, Great Yorkshire, the new UK Dairy Day and Balmoral among others. He has also judged in Finland. Duncan works for the UK Ayrshire Cattle Society as its breed manager for Ayrshires UK.
Laurie Chittick – Australia National Illawarra Show
Laurie was the fourth generation to own and operate the Lemon Grove herd until its final dispersal in October 2014. Born at Kiama, NSW, in the heartland of Illawarras, the family ran stud Illawarras until 1989, when Laurie, his wife Sandra and children Andrew, Murray and Nicole, moved south to Victoria’s Goulburn Valley to continue dairying. Laurie has served 40 years on the Breed Classification Committee, with more than 20 years as Chairman, and was on the Board of Directors for 17 years, with three as Federal President. He holds Life Membership of both the federal and state bodies.
Allan Clark – Australia National Guernsey Show
Allan Clark owns and operates Sunny Valley Guernseys at Lismore, NSW. Together with his wife Julie and daughter Shannon, Allan also operate Clarkdale Holstein. They run a pasture-based dairy, milking around 200 cows, calving all year round in Australia’s sub-tropical region. Allan is the current Guernsey NSW State President and Federal President. Sunny Valley Guernseys has been breeding and showing Guernseys for four generations since 1938. One of the most distinguished Guernseys that Sunny Valley has bred was Sunny Valley Lorry Maretta who scored 94 points as a six-year-old.
Rebekah Mast – USA National Brown Swiss Show
Rebekah grew up on the family dairy, Calori-D Holsteins, in Denair, California. She has enjoyed significant success in the show-ring at the state and national levels with both Holsteins and Brown Swiss. Some of her most recognised animals include the 2004 All-American senior two-year-old, Lylehaven Durham Marriet-ET, the 2012 California Grand Champion, Calori-D Jasper Marigold-ET, and the 2012 Western National Reserve Senior Champion, Bekah-Jo Vanguard Sandy. In 2005, Rebekah was the National Youth Ambassador for the Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders Association. Rebekah graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where she majored in Dairy Science and minored in Agriculture Business. While at Cal Poly, she was a member of the Cal Poly Dairy Judging Team that was high team at the 2004 National Intercollegiate Dairy Judging Contest in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. She was second-highest individual overall at the same contest. Rebekah has served as an official for the Collegiate and Post-Secondary Dairy judging contests at the World Dairy Expo for the past seven years. She was approved for the Holstein Association USA Qualified Judges List.
Hank Van Exel – USA National Jersey Show
Hank and Carolyn Van Exel have a family farm in Lodi, California, USA. They have three children and seven grandchildren, who are all involved in the dairy business with their son still on the farm. The Van Exels farm 972ha (2400ac), milking 2000 cows, of which 1600 are Holstein with the rest Jerseys. Their prefix is Exels and their herd average is 32,830 on the Holstein and 22,500 on the Jerseys. The Van Exels have more than 130 EX Holsteins and 72 EX Jerseys. In the show-ring they have had over 30 All American nominations and Reserve Grand with both Holsteins and Jerseys at WDE as well as winning the Jersey Jug in Louisville, USA. Hank has judged in 11 different countries, including at Louisville Jersey Show (USA), WDE Jersey and Holsteins and the Royal and IDW Holstein Shows.
Stephen McCarthy – Australia Jersey Futurity
Stephen and his wife Jenny own and operate Ascot Jersey Stud at Budgee in Queensland. They exhibit their cattle at the Toowoomba Royal and Royal Brisbane Shows each year.
Ken Proctor – England National Holstein Show
Born on a dairy farm in Norfolk, UK, Ken has milked cows all his life. He farms in partnership with his wife Rebecca, and two sons Robert and Ralph (their daughter is a self-employed physiotherapist). The Proctors milk 500 cows on an intensive system, producing all forage on their 405-hectare (1000-acre) holding in Norfolk under the Airfield prefix. They like to produce trouble-free cows that perform well to help maintain the 10,000kg herd average. They have more than 90 EX cows in the herd.
Ken believes in the importance of good cows, so has served for three terms on the Board of Holstein UK, been Non-executive Director of Research & Development, Breed Development & Classification, and National Show Director, as well as breed president in 2009 — its centenary year. Ken is also the Chairman of East of England National Farmers Union (NFU) Dairy Board and a member of the National NFU dairy Board. He is a great believer in serving on these bodies so if something is amiss he is in a position to do something about it.
Be sure to check back daily for complete results and joint coverage by The Bullvine and Crazy Cow In Print
2015 PROGRAM OF EVENTS
SUNDAY January 18
9.30am – Non-denominational Church Service – Blackmore & Leslie Complex
1pm – Youth Clinic – Blackmore & Leslie Complex
MONDAY January 19
8am – ABS Australia/Ridley All Breeds National Youth Show – Blackmore & Leslie Complex
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Join the Revolution!
Riverdane Holsteins have now been involved in four EX97 classifications – including their latest and first homebred individual – a great granddaughter of global household name Thrulane James Rose EX97-2E-CAN 3*.
Another of the photographers who has more recently led the charge in candid ring photographs is Andrew Hunt, of The Bullvine. Never backward in coming forward, he doesn’t mince his words. (Read more: 
Kueffner Cows’ Terri Packard is a rare mix of elegance and grit. 
Terri is not only ready to step up to judge, she is also ready to speak up about the registered industry, her defining moments, what it takes to market cattle, and the extreme solution the couple has been mulling over to combat the cancellation of this year’s World Dairy Expo (WDE)…
More recently, Terri and Ernie were the co-owners, masterminds and grunt behind the 2019 WDE Grand Champion Holstein, Butz-Butler Gold Barbara EX95, who was 65 days fresh after a break of two years.
Terri has overhead people saying it’s easy to market great cows on the budgets they’ve had access to over the years. Her reply is simple.
Terri says Ernie still gets up every night between midnight and 2 am to check the cows whether there is a show on the horizon or not.
As always with industry couples who are both talented, Ernie has often been given the lead. However, his respect for his wife runs deep, and he says her judging role at Louisville’s National Jersey Jug Futurity is overdue.
Ernie says his wife is one of the special ones, and when asked what she has brought to their operation, he doesn’t hesitate to give her the credit she deserves.
What some don’t know about the couple’s dominating run at Arethusa is that for the first 12 months of their full-time association, Terri managed Arethusa while Ernie continued to run their home operation – six hours away.
“It was like being a parent in many ways, but I also had the responsibility of the cows. It was a lot. But I enjoyed it. There were days in the beginning where I was out mowing the lawn, trimming bushes, and mowing the pastures, because in the beginning, we did it all. When it got to that first successful year at Madison, that put me in the office full time, and I then became the relief milker.”
Terri and Ernie were planning a sale in conjunction with the Franchise Kind in June.
“We still have Radiant here too on behalf of the Hogans, because we had planned to prepare her for Madison. Hopefully, Louisville will go ahead, so we can get her out there.”
“It’s hard to see them go, and I still cried when we left after visiting them, but they look good,” Terri said. “They’re doing well and they’re happy. The first day we walked in there they were so buried in this beautiful oat hay they were eating that they didn’t even want to talk to us. Which was good. They’ve adjusted well, and it couldn’t be more opposite living for them.
Another Jersey recently joined them – a daughter from Radiant – who was sold last year. She’s owned in partnership with RCD Jerseys (Rankin, Ceresna and Deist).
When the talk turns to achievement and favourite cows, Terri says for Barbara to go all the way last year under judge Chad Ryan, of Fond du Lac in Wisconsin, was a personal sweet spot in her career. 
“I don’t think anyone would feel that he didn’t give their cows time that day.
People who know cows, know that if they get great care and management, they have the confidence to show their personality and intellect. 
“Norman [Nabholz] used to lead her, but I remember one year we took her to Louisville, and she was pissed that day. Norman saw her come out of the chute really mad, she was hauling arse as she stormed up the aisle and into her stall, and he was like, ‘I can’t do it. I’m out. She’s gonna take me for a ride’.
“Everything she did was always extreme. It was great to be around her. I led her twice over the years – once at The Royal as a second-calved two-year-old when she was Intermediate Champion and Reserve Grand under Steve Borland – and, as a 10-year-old at the Spring Show where she was Reserve Grand. But she was a handful and headstrong. Her great-granddaughter acts just like her.
In closing, Terri hopes there is room in the industry for the next generation to come through.
Planning starts early for the triennial All-European Championship.
