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
2.30pm – The IDW Youth Showmanship Classes – Blackmore & Leslie Complex
4pm – Holstein Australia Victoria Youth Challenge Trials – Blackmore & Leslie Complex
6.30pm – Holstein Youth BBQ and Presentation of Awards – Wilson Hall
TUESDAY January 20
8am – National Illawarra Show – Blackmore & Leslie Complex
8am – National Ayrshire Show – Blackmore & Leslie Complex
8.30am LIC ‘Genetics for Profit’ Half Day Farm Tour – call Liz on 03 5480 3377 for information
9am – IDW seminars begin – Tennis Club Rooms
12pm – Machinery & Farm Field Days, supported by Dairy News Australia – Main Oval
12pm – IDW Elite Ayrshire Sale – Blackmore & Leslie Complex
1.30pm – National Guernsey Feature Show – Blackmore & Leslie Complex
1.30pm – National Brown Swiss Show – Blackmore & Leslie Complex
5pm – NAB Agribusiness Cocktail Hour – Blackmore & Leslie Complex
7pm – IDW Jersey Showcase Sale – Blackmore & Leslie Complex
7pm – NHIA 2015 International Dairy Dinner – Cellar 47 Restaurant, Shepparton
8pm – Virtual Farm Tours – Grange Farm & Van Exel Dairy – Wilson Hall
WEDNESDAY January 21
8am – National Jersey Show – Blackmore & Leslie Complex
8am – Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV) Industry Leaders’ Breakfast – Ballantyne Centre
8.30am – Semex Holstein Daughter Inspection Tour
9am – Machinery & Farm Field Days, supported by Dairy News Australia – Main Oval
9am – IDW seminars begin – Tennis Club Rooms
12.30pm – Jersey Australia Futurity Class – Blackmore & Leslie Complex
1.30pm – National Jersey Show Continues – Blackmore & Leslie Complex
5.30pm – NAB Agribusiness Cocktail Party – Blackmore & Leslie Complex
6.00pm – Genetics Australia Happy Hour – Blackmore & Leslie Complex
7.30pm – IDW World Wide Sires Evolution Sale – Blackmore & Leslie Complex
THURSDAY January 22
8am – IDW seminars begin – Tennis Club Rooms
8am – National Holstein Show – Class 1 to 8 – Blackmore & Leslie Complex
9am – Machinery & Farm Field Days, supported by Dairy News Australia – Main Oval
12.30pm – MaxCare Challenge – Blackmore & Leslie Complex
1.30pm – National Holstein Show Continues – Class 9
4pm – Grand Champion Presentations – Blackmore & Leslie Complex
4.30pm – Presentation of Lex Bunn Memorial Award – Blackmore & Leslie Complex
5.30pm – Presentation of Australia’s Grand Champion – Blackmore & Leslie Complex
Be sure to check back daily for complete results and joint coverage by The Bullvine and Crazy Cow In Print
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