Australian On-Farm Competition brings people together
Australia’s biggest dairy competition has never been more needed than this year.
The 16th annual Semex-Holstein Australia On-Farm competition – which wound up early in December – involved close to 3000 Holsteins, and 500 farms across the country. It celebrates the dairy cows that produce Australia’s milk without fanfare.
Cows were judged for their conformation on-farm without preparation. The first and second placegetters in each class within Holstein Australia’s 29 sub-branches then moved forward to the state finals – where they were re-assessed by a fresh over-judge to find the state champions.
There is no purer example about the impact of the On-Farm competition than this year’s Champion four-year-old from Queensland – Grade 744 Cox. One of her owners, Brian Cox, from Beaudesert, described her as “just a cow, in a cow competition.” However, Instyle Holsteins’ Rodney Thomas elevated her to first in the Morton sub-branch, and Bluechip’s Dean Malcolm liked her enough to then make her Queensland’s Champion four-year-old. Brian Cox was gobsmacked.
“It’s the first time we’ve entered, and we won a state Champion,” Brian Cox, 32, said. “It started as more of a social thing to go along to the dinner and say ‘hi’, to be honest.
“To be placed first by two people involved in the show scene – yep, we’ll take it.”
L-R Semex’s Joe Holloway and Jim Conroy join Jane Polson, judge Murray Polson, and Brindabella Holsteins’ Jade Sieben, and Jade’s daughter Georgia. Brindabella was Reserve Champion in the two-year-old class.
The On-Farm competition is also strongly about the networking, connecting and re-connecting. NSW state overjudge Jade Sieben (Brindabella Holsteins) covered 3500km in eight days to judge NSW’s best cows. She said after a tough season in Victoria at her home farm at Torumbarry, she relished sharing time with her fellow breeders.
“What was really nice for me was to arrive at the first few farms to find they were leased by young couples, who were having a go,” Jade said. “That was really positive, and it was good for me to see that there’s still young people out there willing to have a go. I think that I really needed that.”
For Western Australian judge Jenny Grey, the competition is about celebrating every day on the farm.
“One of the best things about this competition is seeing farmers get recognition who aren’t able to go to shows. It makes people realise that everybody has good cows,” Jenny said.
“We see all the good ones at the show. And there’s so many other good cows at people’s places working hard.
“I think that’s the brilliant thing about this competition.”
NSW was about the people too
State over-judging: New South Wales
JUDGE: Jade Sieben, Torrumbarry, VIC
Entries: 677 (2015 – 703)
Farms: 114 (2015 – 108)
The NSW state final in the Semex-Holstein Australia On-Farm Competition started with the cows – but judge Jade Sieben said much of her trip was also about breeder solidarity and hope.
She covered 3500km in eight days – from Wagga Wagga to Tamworth and everywhere in between – as she searched out her NSW State Champions.
“At the presentation, I did say that this competition is not just about the cows – it’s also about bringing people together,” Jade said.
For two of the finalists, Jade’s words resonated strongly, the On-Farm competition has rewarded them at pivotal times in their career when farming was really testing them.
The winning mature cow was Oxley Vale Regancrest Fussy, owned by the Polson family at Oxley Island. Fussy is a newbie in the mature class. She calved in the winter and while she had been shown as a youngster, she’d never won anything big before.
However, she now has two things in common with her granddam – Oxley Vale Jed Fussy EX92-3E – who won the same class in 2009 under judge John Gardiner. They have won when the family – who are supplying beleaguered processor Murray Goulburn – sorely needed a boost.
“Back when the Jed won we were in a bad milk contract and producing milk at a loss for three years,” Murray Polson said. “Selling cows was what kept us going…100%. Every time we got stuck, we sold 20 to 30 cows, and we even tried doing it privately to save money.
“When the Jed won that year that was what gave us the will to keep going. Because when there is no inspiration and all you can see are the bills – it’s great to see some long-term light in the picture and to have some distraction for a moment, and remember why we do this.
“This year’s win came when we needed it again and it was amazing really that it came from the Jed’s granddaughter.”
The Polson family are milking 320 cows and the team includes Murray (and wife Jane when she’s not working), two of Murray’s sisters, Sue and Julie, and Julie’s husband, Brad Barlin.
Jade paid tribute to the mature class.
“The overwhelming comment for me in the mature class, is that it’s a great effort to get a mature cow these days because it’s so hard to get cows back in-calf,” Jade said. “Oxley Vale’s entry was an easy winner because she’s so well balanced.”
Jade said the five-year-old really got her motor running.
“She would have been my highest pointed cow, if I’d been asked to acknowledge one,” Jade said. “She was a standout in a strong class and Reserve was Murray and Jane Polson’s Mario Park Sid Alicia.”
The three-year-old was described as the “hottest class” by Jade. It was won by the Hassett family, at Singleton. Glenorleigh Sid Lavender was on her second calf. Classified GP84, the Pine-Tree Sid daughter is from a VG86 Comestar Outside x EX91-5E Maughlin Storm.
Michael and his family sold their Denman farm just over a year ago, because there wasn’t room to grow on it. They tendered for a farm, owned by the mines at Singleton, and secured their current 1600-acre property with a 20 a-side rapid exit herringbone dairy. Michael and his wife, Melinda, are milking 260 cows with support from Michael’s parents Louis and Sharyn. They supply Parmalat and they are expecting their first baby in January. They run a grass-based regime and they are poised to flush Lavender to Braedale Goldwyn or Walnutlawn Solomon.
The four-year-old Champion, Cowarol Lirrdrew Cordie VG88 (one point off max), was owned by Terry and Valda Tout at Cowarol Holsteins in Tamworth. She is a Lirr Drew Dempsey daughter (more commonly known in the industry as Dempsey) out of a VG87 Jasper x VG88 Lystel Leduc x VG87 To Mar Blackstar x VG87 Hanoverhill Starbuck. Cordie comes from the couple’s favourite family – the Cecilias.
She was 5th senior three-year-old at IDW in January 2016. She has re-calved and two judges backed her in – even though she was very fresh. Todd Wilson placed her first in the sub-branch, just 10 to 12 days fresh. Three weeks later Jade saw her and agreed she was too good not to elevate.
“I used some forward thinking with my winner, because she was only a month fresh when I saw her. But come IDW I think that cow could be quite nice. She had a distinct advantage through her rear udder and in her strength of ligament, but I did grant that the cow in second had more depth and spring of rib.”
Terry Tout, who milks 260 cows on 320 acres, said Cordie was one of their special ones and she was on-track for IDW 2017, before she sees the classifier again next March.
The two-year-old class was won by Coolea Deuce Dolly, owned by the Crawford family, who milk 1000 cows at Numbaa. This is a busy operation where it’s hard to stand out. But when they do, brothers Andrew and Darren notice.
The family farms 1200 acres on the home farm and 2000 acres at Cootamunda (three and a half hours away). Andrew and Abbey Crawford’s morning alarm goes off at 2.30am, and six staff help get them through their daily workload. While this is an exceptionally well-run commercial dairy – showing cows is a passion the family also shares and enjoys.
TWO YEAR OLD
1st – Coolea Deuce Dolly – Crawford family, Coolea Holsteins (Numbaa)
2nd – Wyoming Darylrae Pontiac – ASR Shearer & son, Wyoming Holsteins (Singleton)
THREE YEAR OLD
1st – Glenorleigh Sid Lavender, Hassett family, Halewood Holsteins (Singleton)
2nd – Arrallik Bolton Meg – C Yarnold, Arrallik Holsteins (Killawarra)
FOUR YEAR OLD
1st – Cowarol Lirrdrew Cordie – TJ & VM Tout, Cowarol Holsteins (Tamworth)
2nd – Belmont Promis Tricia 4 – SG & EG Chesworth, Tomago Recluse Holstein (Dubbo)
FIVE YEAR OLD
1st – Fraser Goldwyn Meg – Leeanne Fraser, Fraserlee Holsteins (Miranda)
2nd – Mario Park Sid Alicia – Murray Polson, Mario Park Holsteins (Taree)
MATURE
1st – Oxley Vale Regancrest Fussy – AD & ZR Polson, Oxley Vale Holsteins (Oxley Island)
2nd – Austral Eden Alexander Wilga – MC & RJ Jeffery, Austral Eden Holsteins (Gladstone)
“Just a cow, in a cow competition”
State over-judging: Queensland
JUDGE: Dean Malcolm, Zeerust, VIC
Entries: 331 (2015 – 305)
Farms: 49 (2015 – 38)
Queensland’s champion four-year-old in the Semex-Holstein Australia On-Farm Competition was one of the competition finds.
Grade 744 Cox is owned by Les and Helen Cox, and their sons, Brian and David. They milk 170 cows on an immaculate property at Beaudesert. They don’t register, classify or herd test. Yet their dairy is adorned with multiple BMCC bulk milk quality awards from milk processor Parmalat. It underscores their attention to daily detail.
Brothers Brian and David met Rodney Thomas (from Instyle Holsteins at Dorrigo) during a Dairy Australia tour to Western Australia in 2015. Rodney suggested to fellow breeder and Morton sub-branch member Rodney Teese (of Glencrest Holsteins, at Beaudesert) that he approach the Cox family, and encourage them to enter their local on-farm competition.
When Rodney was appointed to judge Morton, Brian and David decided to enter – more to catch-up because they thought Grade 744 Cox was “just a cow, in a cow competition.” However, it was to be the start of an interesting ride because Rodney elevated her to win her age class – qualifying her for the state final.
Victorian dairyman Dean Malcolm, from Bluechip Genetics at Zeerust, who then judged the Queensland final, made her his four-year-old Champion within a quality list of cows from a state that carries a number of the country’s profile breeders.
“She stood out to me straight away,” Dean said. “She’d had three calves – more calves than any other entry in that class. She was in the strongest age-group, which included fantastic animals in their own right the way through. But, for me, she [Grade 744 Cox] is what the competition is all about. She was so dairy; she had so much quality, and from every angle she looked phenomenal.”
Brian Cox was stunned.
“It’s the first time we’ve entered this competition, and we won a state Champion,” Brian, 32, said. “It started as more of a social thing to go along to the dinner and say ‘hi’. To be honest, I didn’t really think she would do that. I wouldn’t have thought our cows are show quality. But to be placed first by two people involved in the show scene – yep, we’ll take it.”
Judge Dean Malcolm’s overall champion came out of the mature class. Tony and Leesa Northfield, of Kaloola Holsteins at Tatham, won back-to-back mature Champion with a different cow. This year it was Kaloola Fortune Meg EX91-3E who took the limelight and the highest points in the competition. She is backed by a VG88 Maughlin Storm with fourth dam Wyoming Rising Meg 2nd-Twin VG86. She was peaked at 46.1 litres with 3.2% protein and 3.7% fat.
The couple milk 120-head on 260 acres. The eight-year-old, who had had six calves, descends from a purchase at the former combined Masterton and Wyoming sale.
Dean said the five-year-old, Leader Hialexander Satin, owned by Travis and Melissa Deans at Oakey was a fairly comfortable winner.
Travis and Melissa are currently milking 65 head after selling 30-head recently. They are on a 54.5 cent/litre milk price. While they had had a late spring and a subsequently drawn out harvest they finally had 14 months of hay and silage safely in storage with no weather damage, and they were bedding down to take their foot of the pedal for a couple of months, before heifers started calving in February.
Judge Dean Malcolm could not go past a young entry from Caniaba to win the two-year-old class. Clarkdale Defiant Bronze, owned by Allan and Julie Clark. The couple milk 180-head on 600 acres and are well-known for having incredible Guernseys as well as exciting Holsteins.
“The two-year-old was a pretty easy winner for me,” Dean said. “She was the most complete cow in that class by a fair way. She had no holes in her at all. I think she will go on and make a great cow if she does everything right. She had a beautiful rump, a beautiful leg and she had the right angles right through, along with a nice spring of rib and great balance through her udder. She’s a cow that wasn’t extreme, but I think she’ll be a great cow.
Julie Clark said the VG85 Bronze is out of Clarkdale MrSam Brooke EX90-1E (the Supreme Holstein exhibit at the North Coast National Dairy Spectacular for 2015 and 2016). Bronze’s second dam, Clarkdale Dundee Brooke App1 EX92-1E, was the 2013 Champion Holstein at the Brisbane Royal and Supreme Udder at the Ekka in 2013 and 2014.
Bronze is already adding her own accolades to the family name. She was Reserve Intermediate at the 2016 North Coast National Dairy Spectacular and Reserve Intermediate and Best Udder Intermediate at the 2016 Brisbane Royal.
The three-year-old was a tussle between Albion Park Alexander Precise 2ND-IMP-ET (owned by Bernice Jannusch, at Albion Park Holsteins in Pittsworth) and North Queensland’s Ourway Atwood Jackie 348 (owned by Ourway Holsteins at Millaa Millaa).
Bernice said Precise was the result of her investing in embryos after Semex advertised them. They were sired by Alexander out of MS Savage-Leigh Precise-ET. Precise 2nd was the result of that investment.
TWO YEAR OLD
1st – Clarkdale Defiant Bronze – Clark Partnership, Clarkdale Holsteins (Caniaba)
2nd – Leader Bradnick Ada – TW & MJ Deans, Leader Holsteins (Oakey)
THREE YEAR OLD
1st – Albion Park Alexander Precise 2ND-IMP-ET – B.E.R. Jannusch, Albion Park Holsteins, (Pittsworth)
2nd – Ourway Atwood Jackie 348 – CJ & SJ Daley, Ourway Holsteins (Millaa Millaa)
FOUR YEAR OLD
1st – Grade 744 Cox – Cox Partnership (Beaudesert)
2nd – Arabella Miss Olivia-ET – Arabella Farming Co., Arabella Holsteins (Brookstead)
FIVE YEAR OLD
1st – Leader Hialexander Satin-ET – TW & MJ Deans, Leader Holsteins (Oakey)
2nd – Anne Well Braxton Fairy – Black & Gold Dairies, Anne Well Holsteins (Monto)
MATURE
1st – Kaloola Fortune Meg – TK & LM Northfield, Kaloola Holsteins (Tatham)
2nd – Wild Oats Shottle Georgia – CR Parker and Miss Holsteins, Wild Oats Holsteins (Kenilworth)
South Australian operation wins without show cows
State over-judging: South Australia
JUDGE: Nicholas Flanagan, Tocumwal, NSW
Entries: 82 (2015 – 147)
Farms: 11 (2015 – 20)
Dual class winners in this year’s South Australian Semex-Holstein Australia On-Farm competition – Andrew and Angela Koch – deliberately left their Adelaide show cows out of the mix when they chose their entries.
Andrew has judged the competition at state level himself, and it was no secret that in South Australia’s spring round of shows, Glenunga Holsteins, is habitually strongly in the mix.
The Moculta dairyman said he consciously resisted the natural impulse to put their best cows forward. Instead, they focused on their honest herd cows – his show team’s understudies – who had never been shown.
His decision was validated when they won the highest pointed individual in the competition under judge Nick Flanagan, from Woodlawn Holsteins and Flanagan Marketing Services, Finley (NSW).
The cow to take the top honours was their mature entry – 10-year-old Glenunga Dundee Ruby VG89, who was on her seventh lactation. Glenunga also took home Champion in the three-year-old class with Glenunga Ashock Butterjade, in addition to the Reserve Champion five-year-old [Glenunga Buck Buttersoot] and Reserve Champion two-year-old [Glenunga Medallion Hebe-TWIN].
In all, 40% of the titles were claimed by the family-run operation, which milks 230 cows and also runs up to 500 sheep on 800 acres of unforgiving country with no additional staff.
“I explain to a lot of people that I think the idea of the on-farm challenge isn’t to bring along all your show cows,” Andrew said. “It’s to give the other cows in the herd that you can’t get along to a show for whatever reason a chance.”
Judge Nick Flanagan saw 82 cows from 11 farms – down 65 head from last year. It was his first on-farm judging appointment.
“It was good – an interesting process,” Nick said. “I really like the concept, and the way Semex continues to support farmers and the industry with this competition – for no real direct financial benefit. It’s a terrific thing, I think. When we were driving around, I got to fully understand how much time everyone at Semex puts into the videos, photos and the logistics in general.
Esjay won two potent classes – the four and the five-year-old with Esjay Shout Rae and Esjay Breakout Mirela respectively. Rae is sired by Ladys-Manor Ruby D Shout and she was also the winning four-year-old and Best Udder of her class at Adelaide in September 2016. She was also Intermediate Champion at the Mt Pleasant Autumn Fair in 2015. She is currently classified GP84, and her pedigree includes five out of six generations of VG behind her – originating with Goldwyn Briarwood Roslyn – one of Esjay’s first buys. She was the only cow from Esjay’s 2016 show strings to be entered.
The five-year-old, Esjay Breakout Mirela, has never been shown. She is classified VG87 with eight generations of VG and EX. Mirela has achieved in her own right, but she really comes into perspective when the rest of the picture is coloured in by Esjay. Her dam, Esjay Trojan Maryann VG89, is sired by Esjay Forbidden Trojan, who Jess says is one of the best bulls bred at Esjay. The bull currently has 57 classified daughters – 32 VG and 1 EX90.
This year’s two-year-old Champion – Mooway Destry Carmel – made Colin and Glenda Dohnt happy. It gave the couple a back-to-back two-year-old Champion. Colin doesn’t have his own farm, but he does have more than 100 cows that live with Stephen and Helen Treloar, at Victor Harbour.
Colin, 64, milks most mornings at Treloars, in between taking some time to travel with Glenda. The arrangement has worked for several years and the four have found their fit. Colin said the season had been kind, and at the peak, the 220-cow herd was averaging just under 40 litres.
TWO YEAR OLD
1st – Mooway Destry Carmel – Glendalin Pty Ltd, Mooway Holsteins (Victor Harbor)
2nd – Glenunga Medallion Hebe-TWIN – A & A Koch, Glenunga Proprietors (Moculta)
THREE YEAR OLD
1st – Glenunga Ashock Butterjade – A & A Koch, Glenunga Proprietors (Moculta)
2nd – Jervois Shocker Jamboree – CG & FD Mason, Jervois Holsteins (Tailem Bend)
FOUR YEAR OLD
1st – Esjay Shout Rae, SJ & V Seeliger, Esjay Holsteins (Flaxmans Valley)
2nd – Billabong Trump Friday, KR & GD Afford, Billabong Holsteins Pty Ltd., (Woods Point)
FIVE YEAR OLD
1st – Esjay Breakout Mirela, SJd & V Seeliger, Esjay Holsteins (Flaxmans Valley)
2nd – Glenunga Buck Buttersoot, A & A Koch, Glenunga Proprietors (Moculta)
MATURE
1st – Glenunga Dundee Ruby, A & A Koch, Glenunga Proprietors (Moculta)
2nd – Misty Brae Goldwyn Granduer-ET – G & AS Pacitti, Misty Brae Holsteins Pty Ltd., (Myponga)
Western Australian numbers jump
State over-judging: Western Australia
JUDGE: Jenny Grey, Kiama, NSW
Entries: 98 (2015 – 82)
Farms: 18 (2015 – 12)
Six more farms were involved in the Western Australian leg of the Semex Holstein Australia On-Farm Competition.
It also contributed two Champions from a farm that has not entered the competition for close to seven years. Moonaralla Tennyson 4484 and Moonaralla Reginald 3892 won the four-year-old and the mature class respectively. They were entered by Moonaralla Holsteins’ Ken and Bonnie Ravenhill (with the support of Ken’s parents, Graham and Jan). The couple milk 1200 cows in three herds through a 60-stand rotary dairy near Albany – the port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, 418 km south-east of Perth.
Bonnie Ravenhill said they had been working through succession planning in recent years, focusing on setting up their future in dairying. In addition, they have four young children Heath, 12, Georgina, 10, Thomas, 5, and Lola, 3. Heath and Georgina are now starting to show interest in showing, and it has also naturally re-ignited their interest in the On-Farm competition.
It took judge Jenny Grey, of The Pines Holsteins, 3.5 hours to reach the Ravenhill family farm. She said the journey was worth every second.
The four-year-old – Moonaralla Reginald 4484 – is a Regancrest Reginald daughter – who was 70 days fresh milking 49.1 litres (PI: 111). Last season on her second lactation, she had a completed production record of 10,739 litres, 435kg fat, 376kg protein with a PI of 130.
“We like big milk, and good type cows and to achieve they need to be structurally sound,” Ken Ravenhill said.
Ken said their herd averages 8700 litres with 610kg Milk Solids on a milking platform of 2200 acres (with another 760 acres 10km away for the replacement heifers). They run three herds of around 450-head – split by autumn, spring, and summer calving patterns. They run a staff list of around 10 people.
His mature winner – Moonaralla Tennyson 3892 – is a Burlane Tennyson daughter.
The five-year-old Champion is a back-to-back winner and she needs no introduction. Nairobi Mercury 15 was sold through Colin Gilbert’s second stage dispersal in 2013 for $7500. The Fry family, from Brunswick Junction, took her home that day and they have continued to develop her within their 140-cow Katandra Park operation. She recently won Supreme Champion at the Brunswick Royal Show. The VG88 exponent was milking 32 litres at her last herd test.
Katandra Park Holsteins also won the three-year-old title with a Stantons Steady daughter – Katandra Steady Perfection VG85.
Katandra Park Holsteins and Jerseys is today run by two of Don and Lorelle Fry’s three sons, Lachlan, 25, and Corbin, 22. Don and Lorelle are involved in Professionals Real Estate Business at Bunbury. The herd is an even split between Holstein and Jerseys. They run at a 9500-litre and 6800-litre average (Holsteins and Jerseys respectively).
“It’s good the way it’s working,” Lachlan said. “Corbin and I both have our strengths. I prefer the cows, and he prefers the machinery. When you put it together, it’s a pretty good combination.”
The two-year-old class was won by Ieravale Steva Blackrose. She is owned by Albert and Traci Ieraci. The couple farm at Cookernup with the support of their family, Jonica, Jamay, and Joseph.
Judge Jenny said the highlights for her included the two-year-old, three-year-olds and the five-year-old classes. Jenny has judged throughout Australia and she has been heavily used in the on-farm state finals. She is well positioned to judge Western Australia’s strengths. She said she also enjoyed her visits to the Harvey Agricultural College (Logue Holsteins at Harvey), which won Reserve Champion in the Mature class – and to the state gaol herd, which was also in the mix.
“It was outstanding – incredible really,” Jenny said. “Western Australia exceeded my expectations. The two-year-olds were outstanding. And in the three-year-old class, I was really impressed – that all bar about two of the 20 that were entered were on their second calf and most were also well through their second lactation.
“It was good to see young cows that had calved two-year-olds and again as three-year-olds, and they were looking really good. I think people are really getting their money’s worth out of their young cows if they can do that.”
TWO YEAR OLD
1st – Ieravale Steva Blackrose – J & GM Ieraci & sons, Ieravale Holsteins (Cookernup)
2nd – Carenda Atley Vissy – Kitchen Farms, Carenda Holsteins (Boyanup)
THREE YEAR OLD
1st – Katandra Park Steady Perfection – DM & LM Fry, Katandra Park Holsteins (Brunswick Junction)
2nd – Carenda Supersire Freaky-ET – Kitchen Farms, Carenda Holsteins (Boyanup)
FOUR YEAR OLD
1st – Moonaralla Reginald 4484 – GS & JS Ravenhill, Moonaralla Holsteins (Narrikup)
2nd – Angelis Jodie Skinny 244-RED – Angi Bros, Angelis Holsteins (Yarloop)
FIVE YEAR OLD
1st – Nairobi Mercury 15 – DM & LM Fry, Katandra Park Holsteins (Brunswick Junction)
2nd – Moonaralla Jack 4169 – GS & JS Ravenhill, Moonaralla Holsteins (Narrikup)
MATURE
1st – Moonaralla Tennyson 3892 – GS & JS Ravenhill, Moonaralla Holsteins (Narrikup)
2nd – Logue 8039 – Harvey Agricultural College, Logue Holsteins (Harvey)
Tasmanian farms shattering glass ceilings
State over-judging: Tasmania
JUDGE: Kelvin Cochrane, Amamoor, QLD
Entries: 147 (2015 – 140)
Farms: 20 (2015 – 17)
Tasmanian operations impressed Queensland judge Kelvin Cochrane just as much as the exciting individual cows he was pointing during the 16th annual Semex-Holstein Australia On-Farm competition.
The Amamoor dairyman was charged with placing the Apple Isle’s state finalists in the nationwide contest that includes close to 3000 cows and 500 farms. Kelvin said he was well aware of the profile cows who have come out of Tasmania and excelled at International Dairy Week (IDW). But he was also interested to see what Tasmania contributes to Australia’s dairy industry demographic across the board.
“I knew there was going to be tremendous cows down there – obviously,” Kelvin said. “We have all seen the profile cows come to the mainland and do damage at International Dairy Week (IDW). But what probably did surprise me was just how many top quality herds there were, and how they were getting it done.”
Several of Kelvin’s champions came out of herds that have conquered the bottom-line of their dairying operations with innovation and progressive thinking.
Garry and Bev Carpenter are a case in point. The South Riana couple won the mature class with Wandilla Goldwyn Amelie 4-IMP-ET. Amelie is milking in their first robotic dairy – just one of the family’s three dairy operations on different farms. With the support of an investor – who has bought the land for two of their more recent operations – they are now establishing their third (and their second robotic) dairy.
The home farm – which the Carpenters own and base themselves from – is currently milking 580 cows through a 26-aside double up herringbone.
Amelie is the top producing cow in their 160-cow herd, which is being milked by three robots at Gunns Plains, 10 minutes from the home farm. She was milking 58 litres a day (off grass with support of up to 12kg of pellets/day). When judging was completed – with 10 hours milk on – Amelie gave 37.5 litres.
Judge Kelvin Cochrane described Amelie as a lasting memory for him.
“She was a cow that really grabbed me,” he said. “As soon as I saw her I went straight to her, whipped out my phone and started making a video of her before I knew who she was, or what she was. She’s the best cow I saw down there.”
The Carpenter’s third farm will be operational by February 2017 and it will include another four working robots (but it will be plumbed for six).
In the three-year-old class John Evans was at the heart of another diverse good news story that included struggle and success. He reared his three daughters largely on his own from when they were teenagers, and as a family they are all farming.
John recently bought a tree plantation, which adjoins his farm, and he is clearing it with the aim of adding value to the home farm. John’s registered name is a blend of his three daughters’ names – Kristy (who is in the industry along with her English partner Ben Maile), Samantha (Armstrong, who farms at Smithton with her husband Steven), Donna (and partner Mike Rollins who farm at Caveside on a farm they lease from John).
John, 58, today enjoys life with fiancée Colleen Breen. He feeds 6kg pellets/cow through the dairy and doesn’t irrigate. John prefers to buy in Lucerne silage, hay and grass silage. He also makes a lot of his own fodder. With a rotation herd of 40 days – his aim is to protect the herd – which averages 500kgMS/cow – from potential drought.
It was John’s second-calved three-year-old, Krisamdon Guthrie 322, who impressed Kelvin ahead of the state’s best.
“The Guthrie was left-field,” judge Kelvin said. “She was a strand-out in her herd. I have since told a few people to go buy her, and put a halter on her. She was tall, super-dairy and she had a cracking rear udder.”
John was understandably modest: “She’s tall for her age and if she can get a few more calves on her she’ll be one of the best cows I’ve ever owned,” John said. “She surprised me actually.”
This year’s four-year-old Champion gave a nod to arguably and historically the strongest competitor in Tasmania – Ross and Leanne Dobson of Fairvale Holsteins at Bracknell. Fairvale Dazzler Repa 57 hit Kelvin between the eyes. The Dobsons are milking 370 cows, shipping four million litres a year off their 1000-acre property. In addition to Repa heading her class, Fairvale had two Reserve Champion titles.
“For me, the four-year-old in particular was a ridiculously strong class,” Kelvin said. “Anywhere down to 10th could have won our local on-farm in Queensland. The cow that won was in the best form and carrying the best rear udder in the competition.”
The five-year-old State Champion was Datumvale Dolman Ding, owned by Marcus and Jacqui Young, of Ridgley. The couple milk 250-300 cows year-round. The VG87 Regancrest Dolman is backed by her VG89 Canyon-Breeze Allen dam x VG87 Juniper Rotate Jed x VG87 Lengora Sultan Valentine. Ding was the Reserve Champion On-Farm four-year-old last year.
Marcus said they targeted buying into the Ding family early in their career and today there are 61 Dings in their herd (not counting the dry heifers). It is their most prolific family – helped by its penchant for dropping heifers.
“Ding is milking 57 litres/day at the moment and she is our second top production cow,” Marcus said. “We haven’t put her in an ET programme to this point, but we will look at it down the track when there is some more money kicking around.”
Datumvale also finished third in the three-year-old.
“This competition was great for us. It was a really good feeling because the milk prices are not the greatest and everyone is having to work through that. We do have a fixed contract for half our milk, which is a bit of a blessing in disguise.”
The two-year-old Champion or originally intended for the state’s informal Progeny Test class. However, she proved too compelling. Dial View Echo Max, was moved to the open class where she would take the title.
Dial View’s home farm is owned in partnership by Matthew and Rachel Radford, and Matthew’s brother, Andrew. It milks 300 cows on 250 acres. The family partnership also milks 300 cows on a second 300-acre property (which is sharefarmed by Matthew and Lyndal Luck). The family partnership has also teamed with Matthew and Lyndal Luck (in partnership) on a 200-acre leasehold farm milking 200 cows.
TWO YEAR OLD
1st – Dial View Echo Max – Radford Bros., Dial View Holsteins (Riana)
2nd – Garerley Showman Semester 2 – GW & BJ Carpenter & family, Garerley Holsteins (South Riana)
THREE YEAR OLD
1st – Krisamdon Guthrie 322 – J & A Evans, Krisamdon Holsteins (Caveside)
2nd – Fairvale Adair Josie 97 – R & L Dobson, Fairvale Holsteins (Bracknell)
FOUR YEAR OLD
1st – Fairvale Dazzler Repa 57 – R & L Dobson, Fairvale Holsteins (Bracknell)
2nd – Hindlee Lauthority Dazzle 12401-ET – J & V Lillico, Hindlee Holsteins (Smithton)
FIVE YEAR OLD
1st – Datumvale Dolman Ding – M & J Young, Datumvale Holdings Pty Ltd., (Ridgley)
2nd – Fairvale Damion Josie 75 – R & L Dobson, Fairvale Holsteins (Bracknell)
MATURE
1st – Wandilla Goldwyn Amelie 4-IMP-ET – GW & BJ Carpenter & family & Wandilla Past. Co., (South Riana)
2nd – Linsand Apple Dixie – LR & SJ Thompson, Linsand Holsteins (Bracknell)
Inaugural supreme award goes to the Oakwood partnership
State over-judging: Victoria and South-Eastern South Australia
JUDGE: Murray Polson, Oxley Island, NSW
Entries: 1285 (2016 – 1616)
Farms: 187 (2016 – 203)
For the first time in the 16-year history of the Semex-Holstein Australia final for Victoria and South-Eastern South Australia, a Supreme Champion has been awarded.
Historically, the competition celebrates Champions in their respective age classes, but it has never before taken the step of singling out an individual cow for overall glory in the biggest and arguably most competitive state of the nationwide competition. It was announced during an annual luncheon for the owners of the finalists at the Witchmount Estate winery at Melton recently.
Announced by Holstein Australia’s chief executive officer Graeme Gillan, the award slightly wrong-footed Semex’s Jim Conroy because it has been named after him – and his team had worked hard to hide it from him. Jim has – so far – given 47 years to the industry, and he was the first to back the On-Farm movement.
L-R Holstein Australia’s Graeme Gillan, Semex’s Joe Holloway, Jane Polson, Judge Murray Polson, Nick Flanagan (Oakwood Park parternship, Tocumwal) and Semex’s Jim Conroy. Oakwood won the five-year-old and Supreme Champion.
This year’s Supreme was awarded to the five-year-old winner Sleepy Hollow Jasper Posey-ET, owned by the Oakwood partnership at Tocumwal, just over the NSW border. Judge Murray Polson, from Oxley Island, in NSW, was the man in the hot seat and, for him, it came down to two cows.
Posey is part-owned and managed by the Flanagan family at Wood Lawn Holsteins. The Oakwood partnership includes investor Graeme Turner, of Australasian Global Exports (among a number of other businesses). Posey’s journey started in South Australia with her breeder, David Peglar. She was sold through the Bluechip Genetics sale as a calf in Victoria for $5600 to the Oakwood partnership and they have developed her.
Posey won the senior three-year-old class and Honourable Mention Intermediate Champion at International Dairy Week (IDW) in 2015. Now in-form on another calf, she has 2017 IDW firmly in her sights. She is now a name everyone will be watching for – because she heads into the danger class where Champions are often found.
The Wilcoxview Jasper daughter is out of Pooley Bridge Damion Posey 4-Imp-ET EX90-1E x Windy-Knoll-View Posey-ET EX90-1E x Windy-Knoll-View Ultimate Pala EX94-3E
“One thing’s for sure, I know it’s nicer to accept this award in a winery over a great lunch, than it is to be standing in the middle of the ring at IDW in 35-degree heat with the flies all over you,” Oakwood partnership’s representative Nick Flanagan said.
“I was just sort of hoping to finish in the top five, I guess. She’s a tremendous cow, and we’ve had a lot of fun with her. She does just about everything right. She makes embryos, she does seem to have bull calves herself, but her embryos seem to be heifers. She goes to shows and wins, and it’s unique to have a really good two-year-old go on – and as she matures – be able to compete with the best cows in the South-East of Australia.”
Nick said Graeme Turner had made it possible for Wood Lawn to invest in some exciting individuals.
L-R Semex’s Jim Conroy, Jane Polson, judge Murray Polson, Jennifer Van Rijthoven and Semex’s Mitchell Clark. Grasslands Holsteins won the Mature Championship.
Judge Murray Polson said he had sat on the Supreme decision for a day and a half. It came down to Posey and his mature Champion, Grasslands Lou Lois (x Jenny-Lou Marshall), who was represented at the luncheon by her overwhelmed owner Jen Van Rijthoven (Grasslands Holsteins, Mt Gambier). Jen is better known for her profile Brown Swiss.
Judge Murray said the mature class was incredible.
He said it could have gone either way for Supreme. However, for him, it was the five-year-old that ticked all the boxes.
“There’s very little between these two cows,” he said. “But the five-year-old puts it all together for me. She has so much presence and so much size and length right throughout. I’m giving her the advantage in breed character through the head, and the way she tracks on her feet and legs – and that probably sounds picky, but that’s what this came down to.
“I love competitions like this that can make a cow’s career, or unearth a cow that hasn’t been seen before – and the Supreme award has done both.”
The two-year-old Champion went to Cardina breeders Avonlea Holsteins with Budgeree McCutchen Angelina-ET.
L-R Semex’s Alex Mathews, Jane Polson, judge Murray Polson, Lowis and Robin White (Luccombe Holsteins at Finley) won the three-year-old Championship.
The three-year-old Champion went to well-recognised Finley farmers Luccombe Fulton Lady. The VG85 second-calved homebred entry is backed by her Shottle dam x VG85 Silky Cousteau x EX90-1E BossIron. Luccombe Holsteins is headed up by Robin and Lowis White, who regularly dine with the finalists in Melton. Robin said he was “truly honoured” to win the class.
Judge Murray said the talent in the three-year-old class was deep.
L-R Semex’s Stu Mackie with Jane Polson, judge Murray Polson, Maree Deenan (Carisma Holsteins) and Maree’s father, Trevor Zanders (Cairnhill Holsteins). Carisma was Champion four-year-old.
The four-year-old Champion came with a personal story for Maree Deenen, of Leongatha. Carisma Demolish Victory is a VG87 Budjon-Nitzy Demolish daughter out of Murribrook Goldwyn Victory VG86 x the 2008 IDW Intermediate Champion – Strongbark Linjet Victory EX90-1E.
Maree said, that together with her parents, Trevor and Rosalie Zanders, they had bought the four-year Champion’s dam, Murribrook Goldwyn Victory. They later split the partnership by taking pick-for-pick on the calves.
“She was my pick,” Maree said with a huge smile.
Murray was excited to see her. “She put it together for me,” he said. “She had so much width and openness of chest, and you look at her side profile, and she has that beautiful sharp shoulder; she’s so wide in her pins and she tracks so nicely on those feet and legs.
The five-year-old was to be Murray’s favourite cow of the competition, so it was no surprise he had plenty to say about her in her class.
Semex’s Alex Mathews, Jane Polson, judge Murray Polson and Avonlea Holsteins’ John Gardiner. Avonlea won the two-year-old and was Reserve Champion in the five-year-old to the Supreme Champion.
“The top three cows in the five-year-old class are all great individuals in their own right,” he said. “The cow in Reserve [Avonlea Braedale Bettine] had been milking 11 months, the cow in Honourable Mention was fresh, but what three outstanding quality cows.
“My Champion commands a fair bit of attention, and she certainly gets my motor running. She’s a cow that has that beautiful wide, open muzzle and a big long head. She’s one of those cows that ticks the boxes. She’s hard-topped, and she has tremendous length right throughout. She maxed out a lot of my scores in the frame component of the competition. She also has a tremendous set of feet and legs, and she excels in her udder too.”
TWO YEAR OLD
1st – Budgeree McCutchen Angelina-ET – JH & CJ Gardiner, Avonlea Holsteins (Cardina)
2nd – Brindabella Goldchip Natalie – J & S Sieben, Brindabella Holsteins (Torrumbarry)
THREE YEAR OLD
1st – Luccombe Fulton Lady – R & L White, Luccombe Holsteins (Finley)
2nd – Harklaje Boliv Japonica – TJ & JE Clark, Harklaje Holsteins (Nerrena)
FOUR YEAR OLD
1st – Carisma Demolish Victory – J & M Deenen, Carisma Holsteins (Leongatha)
2nd – Gunwilla Park Freida Medallion – RL Gundry, Gunwilla Park Holsteins (Gunbower)
FIVE YEAR OLD
1st – Sleepy Hollow Jasper Posey-ET – Oakwood Partnership, Oakwood Holsteins (Tocumwal) 2nd – Avonlea Braedale Bettine, JH & CJ Gardiner, Avonlea Holsteins (Cardinia)
MATURE
1st – Grasslands Lou Lois – AH & JA Van Rijthoven, Grasslands Holsteins (Mt Gambier)
2nd – Fairvale Baxter Josie 64-ET – Fairvale Holsteins & Sun Vale Holsteins (Yarroweyah)
SUPREME CHAMPION
Sleepy Hollow Jasper Posey-ET – Oakwood Partnership, Oakwood Holsteins (Tocumwal)
