MD-DELIGHT DURHAM ATLEE

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Archive for MD-DELIGHT DURHAM ATLEE

Durham vs. Goldwyn: A Clash of Two Titans

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Monday, January 14th, 2013

Inspired by the recent announcement of Regancrest Elton Durham siring the most excellent cows in the U.S. (Read more – Durham Passes Elevation to Become the Leading Sire of Excellent Cows in the U.S.) and Braedale Goldwyn the most in Canada (Read more – Goldwyn First Ever to 1000 EX Daughters in Canada), we here at The Bullvine thought it would be a great time to take a closer look at these genetic giants to see who has had more impact on the Holstein breed.

The Regancrest Elton Durham Story

Bred by Regancrest Farms, Waukon, Iowa, Durham was born in 1994 and would go on to be one of the most popular sires of the first decade of the new millennium. Durham’s pedigree combines Bell and Chief Mark bloodlines as he was by a son of Bell, and Snow-N Denises Dellia (EX). His dam was out of a Bell daughter. Also Dellia and Effie, his sire’s dam, were both from Chief sons and his pedigree shows four Ivanhoe crosses and two to Fond Matt. Durham has left a very consistent transmitting pattern in both his daughters and his sons. Due to his low production numbers, he was not used heavily as a sire of sons, but his daughters have seen extensive use as bull mothers.

For five consecutive years 2003-2007, Durham was Premier Sire at World Dairy Expo. This certainly establishes Durham as a once-in-a-lifetime sire of type. His pattern leaves long bodies, broad and flat rumps, udders that are well attached and wide rear udders. However what made him so successful in the show ring was that Durham also transmitted outstanding dairyness and style.

Durham Sons

Durham sons were extremely consistent in their pattern and, at one point, eight of them were in the top ten spots for P.T.A.T (2005). Some highlights include:

REGANCREST-MR DRHAM SAM
From the Saturday family, his dam was Sher-Est Emory Swanny (EX). Mr Sam is also the sire of the popular type sire Pine-Tree Sid, who is the sire of Micheret Alexandra Sid (VG-88-2YR) All-American (tied) and All-Canadian Senior 2yr old in 2010.
MESLAND DUPLEX
Sampled in Spain, Duplex was the highest type sire in the US for several summaries, with high numbers for udders and feet & legs. Similar to Mr Sam, Duplex was also from an Emory dam this time going back to Henkeseen Mark Marci (EX-94).
REGANCREST-LH MODEST
Modest was Durham’s highest production son from Meadow Bridge Aero Missy (EX).
TO-MAR D-FORTUNE
At one time, Fortune was in the top 10 on the Canadian LPI list. Probably best known now for being the sire of the winning 4 year old at the 2012 Royal, Macpes Fortune Koquine EX-94-Can.
WINDY-KNOLL-VIEW PRIMETIME
From a great maternal breeding family, Primetime was the Durham son of Windy-Knoll-View Peggy (EX-94), and had a high type proof and for a long time was among the top Herd Life sires in Canada. He was also the sire of the 2006 World Dairy Expo Junior Champion and All-American fall calf, Wm Ariannas Pt Aesha.

Durham Daughters

Daughters represent the area where Durham has had his greatest impact. There are many great daughters to choose from. Here are just a few:

KAMPS-HOLLOW ALTITUDE EX-95-2E-USA DOM 1*
Probably best known for being the dam of KHW Kite Advent who was Premier Sire of the Grand International Red and White show for three consecutive years and KHW Regiment Apple who was Grand Champion of the 2011 International Red & White Holstein show.
LYLEHAVEN LILA Z EX-94-CAN 14*
Probably best known for being the second highest selling cow in Canadian History (Read more – Lylehaven Lila Z: Was she really worth $1.15 Million? and 2012 Golden Dam Finalist) she is also the dam of 2012 Canadian Cow of the Year Nominee, Comestar Goldwyn Lilac (VG-89) who’s descendants led the way at the recent Genetics By Design Sale (Read more – Genetics By Design – Crosses the $4,000,000 Mark).
MD-DELIGHT DURHAM ATLEE EX-92-4YR-USA DOM GMD 6*
All-American in her own right as a 3yr old in 2005, Atlee is probably best known for her sons who dominate the current type evaluations: MS Atlees Sht Aftershock (+18 Conformation Dec*12); Maple-Downs-I G W Atwood (+17 Conformation Dec*12) and MR Atlees AltaAmazing (+16 Conformation Dec*12). Atlee herself traces back to the great brood cow AITKENBRAE STARBUCK ADA EX-CAN EX-94-2E-USA DOM 4* (Read more – MD DELIGHT DURHAM ATLEE – 2012 Golden Dam Finalist).
REGANCREST-PR BARBIE EX-92-7YR-USA DOM GMD 3*
BARBIE is the sixth generation of the Regancrest breeding program combining both the Dellias and the Brinas. Eleven of her daughters are ranked in the top 25 of the American type index list. Barbie’s offspring consistently generate top prices at international sales. In 2009, granddaughter and fellow 2012 Golden Dam finalist, Regancrest S Chassity EX 92, sold in a package with her offspring for $1.5 million. Barbie is the dam of 14 EX & 16 VG daughters and, currently, one of the breed’s leading type sires – Braxton EX-95.
MARKWELL DURHAM DAISY EX-92-6YR-USA GMD DOM
Daisy does it all. She has high production, fitness, longevity and outstanding type. This Excellent Durham granddaughter of Markwell Bstar Raven EX-95, who as a young cow made many waves at Madison, also transmits it all. Daisy’s dam Markwell Luke Rapture recently passed away at 18 years of age. Numerous daughters, granddaughters and their sons distinguish themselves in the genomic rankings. As a bull dam in 2010, Daisy had some fabulous results with the high-ranking O-Man sons Dakota (the Netherlands), Duke (Germany), and Osaka (Spain). In 2012, Daisy’s first progeny sampled grandson, Danillo, provided an impressive sequel with top position in the Netherlands. Also of note is her grandson Goldday (By Goldwyn) who is from A-L-H Destiny and currently the top International Sires on the BPI List (Read more – Bullvine Performance Index (BPI) – Top Sires December 2012)

While Durham daughters were not typically the hardest milkers they were some of the most trouble free cows and, as more attention is being given to this, Durham decedents are gaining more attention again. Because of their health traits, Durham daughters have been appearing on the Net-Merit lists and have A.I. studs using them heavily as dams of sons, not just to get type sires, but to also get Net-Merit list toppers.

The Braedale Goldwyn Story

Goldwyn has been an extremely popular sire worldwide since his initial proof in 2004. This is not surprising given the strong maternal line behind him. His dam Braedale Baler Twine (VG-86 23*) was Canada’s cow of the year in 2007 and his second dam Braedale Gypsy Grand (VG-88 36*) was the Canadian Cow of the year in 2003. While many think that Goldwyn made the name for this cow family, long before Goldwyn was proven the family was already proving itself with Gypsy Grand sons Goodluck, Freelance, Spy, Freeman and Bold topping the bull list and daughters Cheetah, Second Cut, and Clairvoyant topping the cow lists. This explains why Baler Twine was contracted as a virgin heifer at a time when the family name was not as prevalent as it is now.

According to E.Y Morwick in his book The Holstein History, “The pedigree of Braedale Goldwyn offers a clinic on the art of successful line breeding. He carried three close crosses to Madawaska Aerostar: Sharemar James, his sire, was out of the Aerostar daughter, Stelbro Jenine Aerostar (VG); Braedale Baler Twine, his dam, was sired by Maughlin Storm, an Aerostar son; and Braedale Moonriver, dam of Braedale Gypsy Grand (Goldwyn’s maternal grand-dam), was an Aerostar daughter. In Goldwyn’s lineage were three crosses to Walkway Chief Mark: Shoremar James and Braedale Gypsy Grand were both by Mark CJ Gillbrook Grand, a Chief Mark son; while Gypsy’s maternal granddam was Sunnylodge Chief Vick (VG 2*), a Chief Mark daughter.”

By February of 2009, Goldwyn had racked up a pretty impressive list of accomplishments, including finishing in the top six on the Canadian LPI list 14 out of 15 times. He was number one once and number two twice. He was also the top rated sire for conformation 11 times. In 2008 when Goldwyn won Premier Sire at World Dairy Expo (ending Durham’s long reign), he was not only the youngest sire in 25 years to do so, but he was also the first bull who topped the LPI list to do so. With his win in 2012, Goldwyn has now tied Durham in achieving five consecutive Premier Sire awards at World Dairy Expo.

Goldwyn Sons

In addition to Goldday mentioned above, there have been impressive sons. While maybe not LPI or TPI list toppers, they have certainly passed on the high type traits that Goldwyn has to offer. They include:

CRACKHOLM FEVER
Underrated by many, Fever is more than just a high type sire (+16 Conformation Dec *12) he is also a great mastitis and fertility improvement sire making him a great sire to address the major herd culling problems and should probably get greater attention from many breeding programs (Read more – From Fantasy to Reality – Top Sires to Address Herd Culling Problems).
LIRR DREW DEMPSEY
Similar to Durham, many Goldwyn sons did not excel in production but did offer great improvement in conformation and health and fertility traits. Dempsey is one such case. His daughters would not WOW you with their production, but their strong components, outstanding udders and legs, combined with long herd life and low somatic cell score, certainly make them favorites among their owners.
MAPLE-DOWNS-I G W ATWOOD
Atwood is probably the sire that is going to give Goldwyn the closest run for his money, over the next few years, at the Royal and World Dairy Expo. His daughters are already putting up some impressive show results (Read more – Breeding The Next Show Winners) and he was among our picks for one of the sires to breed the next World Dairy Expo Champion (Read more – 7 Sires to Use in Order to Breed the Next World Dairy Expo Champion). Of course Atwood is from the magic cross of Goldwyn on Durham that has produced many great results. His dam is one of the top Durham daughters MD-DELIGHT DURHAM ATLEE EX-92-4YR-USA DOM GMD 6* (Mentioned above).
COMESTAR LAUTHORITY
Lauthority combines two of Canada’s greatest cow families, the Gypsy Grand’s and the Laurie Sheik’s. His dam is COMESTAR LAUTELMA IGNITER who is proving she can leave top sons and top daughters as proven by COMESTAR LAUTAMIE TITANIC VG-89-2YR-CAN 14* who was Reserve All-Canadian Jr. 2yr old in 2006.
FUSTEAD GOLDWYN GUTHRIE
Guthrie is currently Goldwyn’s highest proven LPI son at +2494 that has him in the top 50 MACE gLPI sires. Guthrie is one of the few Goldwyn sons over 1000 KG of milk and combines that with extreme type (+16 Conformation) and solid health and fertility traits.

Goldwyn Daughters

Similarly to Durham, Goldwyn has made a bigger impact through the maternal side. Some of his most notable daughters include:

RF GOLDWYN HAILEY EX-97-2E
Is there a more popular cow in the world than the reigning World Dairy Expo and Royal Winter Fair Champion? (Read more – The 2012 Royal Winter fair Holstein Show – One of the greatest stories ever told! and World Dairy Expo 2012 Holstein Show – A Battle for the Ages). Since spending 2011 in the shadow of fellow Goldwyn daughter Eastside Lewisdale Gold Missy, Hailey has been making waves all year, including when she and her full sister dominated Expo Quebec (Read more – The Story behind How Two Full Sisters Dominated Expo Quebec).
EASTSIDE LEWISDALE GOLD MISSY EX-95
From helping cement Morsan Farms position in the world genetics market (Read more – Morsan Farms – Money Well Spent) to helping put Eastside Holsteins on the world map (Read more – Eastside Holsteins – Where Modern Marketing Rises to the Challenge), Missy has certainly had a big impact since winning Supreme Champion at both World Dairy Expo and the Royal Winter Fair in 2011. One area I think many miss is that many of Missy’s granddaughters are also appearing on the top index list. This is no doubt due in part to the great maternal line she has. Her Dam Stadacona Outside Abel VG-88 26* was a 2011 Canadian Cow of the Year Finalist and Missy herself has been nominated this year (Read more – 2012 Canadian Cow of the Year Nominee).
WINTERBAY GOLDWYN LOTTO (EX-95)
Of course, before there was Hailey or Missy, there was Lotto. Lotto was the All-American and All-Canadian in 2009 and 2010 and Grand Champion of the Royal Winter Fair in 2010. (Read more – Winterbay Goldwyn Lotto (EX-95) dies). As well-known cattleman Brian Craswell points out in our interview with him, Lotto was the greatest investment he ever made in terms of profit and how the animal turned out (Read more – Crasdale Common Sense: Go for the total package).
COMESTAR GOLDWYN LILAC VG-89
Lilac was purchased by GenerVations, Maplewood, and O’Connor Land & Cattle Co. for just under $60,000 as a heifer and went on to help establish Lylehaven Lila Z (mentioned above) as one of the greatest breeding cows in the world. Lilac herself is proving to be one of the greats as proven by her recent nomination for Canadian Cow of the Year (2012 Canadian Cow of the Year Nominee). Lilac’s own daughter by Planet topped the #1 LPI list in Canada and sold with 10 daughters for a combined $2,119,500 at the recent Genetics by Design Sale (Read more – Genetics By Design – Crosses the $4,000,000 Mark).
MS CHASSITY GOLDWYN CASH VG-87-2YR
Success for Goldwyn daughters has not all been in Canada as is evident by Goldwyn Cash. Cash is the Goldwyn daughter of 2012 Golden Dam Finalist Regancrest S Chassity EX-92 DOM (Read more – REGANCREST S CHASSITY – 2012 GOLDEN DAM FINALIST). Cash is also the dam of popular sons Cashmoney, Cashcoin, Cash-O, and Casher. (Read more – The Sensational 6 Top North American Genomic Holsteins We Would Invest In)

The Bullvine Bottom Line

There is no doubt that Goldwyn and Durham are the two greatest type sires since the turn of the century. However, they have yet to leave that legacy son that tops the lists. While Goldwyn does have Atwood who is going to give him a run for his money at the upcoming North American shows, there is no top index sire to continue the tradition. For both sires the greatest impact is going to come through their daughters and in that area Goldwyn holds much more opportunity, since Durham was found to be a carrier for CVM and could not be used in countries like Canada, greatly limiting his potential impact. Which brings us to the question, “Is Goldwyn’s dominance because he has had a greater opportunity than Durham did (Read more – Braedale Goldwyn: Is He the Greatest Type Sire Ever?). What is clear is that Goldwyn daughters have fared much better in the show ring while Durham daughters have proven themselves more when it comes to proven sons. Though the quality of both these sires’ progeny is certainly of the highest level, it will take time to determine just which one of these two sires will have the greatest final impact.

Breeding the Next Show Winners

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Friday, November 16th, 2012

Holstein USA recently released their analysis of the pedigrees of winning animals at the 11 National Holstein Shows held in 2012. Here at the Bullvine, we found the results very interesting and decided to take a closer look. The following is what we found:

187 Holstein heifers placed in the top three in their respective age classes at the National Holstein Shows, sired by 67 different bulls.
254 Holstein cows placed in the top three in their respective age classes at the National Holstein Shows, sired by 84 different bulls.
441 Holsteins placed in the top three in their respective age classes at the National Holstein Shows, sired by 125 different bulls.

The Heifer Story

Leading Sires of Heifers

RANK	NAME	# OF DAUGHTERS	PTAT	Udder Comp	F&L Comp	Body Comp	Dairy Comp	Stature
1	BRAEDALE GOLDWYN	23	3.03	2.59	2.56	1.93	2.03	3.1
2	MAPLE-DOWNS-I G W ATWOOD-ET	21	4.16	3.41	3.46	3.44	2.97	4.31
3	REGANCREST S BRAXTON-ET	17	3.57	2.11	2.01	4.19	3.27	4.52
4	GEN-MARK STMATIC SANCHEZ	14	3.07	2.17	2.44	3.34	2.83	3.91
5	CRACKHOLM FEVER-ET	9	2.28	1.76	1.49	1.97	1.82	3.11
5	GOLDEN-OAKS ST ALEXANDER-ET	9	2.26	1.58	2.17	0.35	0.99	0.77
5	MS ATLEES SHT AFTERSHOCK-ET	9	3.32	2.7	2.24	2.3	2.57	2.45
5	REGANCREST DUNDEE-ET	9	2.06	2.18	0.75	1.29	1.55	1.18
9	WILCOXVIEW JASPER-ET	7	2.89	1.94	0.73	2.56	2.52	3.22
10	KINGSMILL GDWYN ASTEROID-ET	6	2.61	1.69	2.16	2.66	2.52	2.72

Some really interesting points came out regarding these sires of the top heifers. First that Goldwyn, after all this time, is still dominating the list. Secondly his own son Atwood appears to be the heir apparent. Finally, GOLDEN-OAKS ST ALEXANDER has Body Comp, Dairy Comp and Stature all below 1 point all key traits in breeding a show heifer and yet he still had 9 daughters place in the top 3 at the National Shows. And lastly that most of Atwood’s daughters and all of Aftershock’s daughters were a result of their use as young sires. Case in point, the winning Junior Yearling and Winter Yearlings at Madison were both sired by Aftershock (Read – World Dairy Expo 2012 Show Results)

Lafontaine Aftershock Arrie – Junior Champion World Dairy Expo 2012

Leading Sire Stack of Winning Heifers

RANK	NAME	# OF DAUGHTERS
1	ATWOOD X DUNDEE	6
1	SANCHEZ X GOLDWYN	6
3	FEVER X DURHAM	5
3	GOLDWYN X DUNDEE	5
5	GOLDWYN X ASPEN	4
5	GOLDWYN X DAMION	4
5	PICOLO X ADVENT	4
8	BRAXTON X GOLDWYN	3
8	CONTENDER X ADVENT	3
8	DUNDEE X GOLDWYN	3
8	JASPER X GOLDWYN	3
8	SANCHEZ X DUNDEE	3
8	SPIRTE X ALLEGIANCE	3

When looking at what crosses work well, the following came to light. It’s no surprise that the Atwood on Dundee cross would work well since it improves the feet & legs and provides the dairyness that many Dundee’s need. Dundee provides the body depth that Atwoods need. A great example of this cross is Jacobs Atwood Lilly Boy the 2^nd place Junior Yearling at Madison who is an Atwood x Dundee cross The same is true for Atwood’s sire Goldwyn when crossed on Dundee. The Sanchez on Goldwyn also appears to be a great cross as Sanchez provides the Dairy Strength improvement that many Goldwyn’s need and Goldwyn provides the bone quality and squareness of rump needed for the show ring. A great example of this cross is Welk-Shade Sanchez Kate the 2^nd place Summer Yearling from Madison. The cross that strikes me as interesting is Fever on Durham. While there is no question this cross offers extreme dairyness, I would wonder if there was enough width of chest as well as body depth in this cross to compete at the major shows.

Jacobs Atwood Lily Boy
2nd Junior Yearling at WDE 2012
3th Junior Yearling at Royal 2012

The Cow Story

Leading Sires of Cows

RANK	NAME	# OF DAUGHTERS	PTAT	Udder Comp	F&L Comp	Body Comp	Dairy Comp	Stature
1	BRAEDALE GOLDWYN	55	3.03	2.59	2.56	1.93	2.03	3.1
2	REGANCREST ELTON DURHAM-ET	21	2.47	2.31	2.13	1.7	1.98	2.13
3	KHW KITE ADVENT-RED-ET	19	2.53	2.24	1.6	2.04	1.65	2.41
4	REGANCREST DUNDEE-ET	18	2.06	2.18	0.75	1.29	1.55	1.18
5	GEN-MARK STMATIC SANCHEZ	14	3.07	2.17	2.44	3.34	2.83	3.91
6	WILCOXVIEW JASPER-ET	11	2.89	1.94	0.73	2.56	2.52	3.22
7	ERBACRES DAMION	8	3.2	2.22	3.17	2.83	2.72	2.76
7	MAPLE-DOWNS-I G W ATWOOD-ET	8	4.16	3.41	3.46	3.44	2.97	4.31
9	PICSTON SHOTTLE-ET	6	2.66	1.97	1.79	2.42	2.3	2.71
9	ROYLANE JORDAN-ET	6	2.07	1.94	0.32	1.53	2.06	1.93

In the cow classes there really are not any surprises, as many of the usual suspects are well represented. The biggest thing in the cow classes is how much Goldwyn dominates, having more than twice as many daughters as any other sire. It is interesting to note that Atwood has 9 daughters represented on this list. His oldest daughters are just Junior 2yr olds. There are big things yet to come.

RF Goldwyn Hailey – Grand Champion World Dairy Expo 2012

Leading Sire Stack of Winning Cows

RANK	NAME	# OF DAUGHTERS
1	GOLDWYN X DURHAM	13
2	SANCHEZ X GOLDWYN	5
3	ADVENT X RUBENS	4
3	GOLDWYN X DUNDEE	4
3	GOLDWYN X GIBSON	4
6	ADVENT X SEPTEMBER STORM	3
6	DAMION X BLITZ	3
6	DUNDEE X LEDUC	3
6	DURHAM X LEDUC	3
6	DURHAM X ROY	3
6	JASPER X GOLDWYN	3

There is no doubt that the Goldwyn on Durham crosses works. You might wonder if there is enough frame in this cross to make it happen, With 13 of these crosses topping the National Shows (more than twice any other cross) and Atwood himself being a Goldwyn son of 2012 Golden Dam Finalist, MD-Delight Durham Atlee, the simple answer is that it just does. (Read more – Golden Dam 2012 Finalists) With 6 daughters topping heifer shows and 5 in the cow classes, Sanchez is appearing to be the sire to mate your Goldwyns to. It also highlights why young sires like Regancrest-GV S Bradnick will also work well on your Goldwyns as he has Sanchez, Shottle and Durham in his sire stack. The Shottle on Durham cross has also produced MS Atlees Sht Aftershock the sire of Lafontaine Aftershock Arrie, the Junior Champion from Madison. (Read more – 7 Sires to use in order to breed the next word dairy expo champion).

The Bullvine Bottom Line

There is no question that Goldwyn is dominating the show scene today. If he’s to get a run for his money, it will most likely come from his own son Atwood. If you’re ready to take your Goldwyns to the winner’s circle, the 2012 National Show results put the spotlight on Sanchez, his sons and Aftershock.

2012 Golden Dam: The Results are In!

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Monday, October 29th, 2012

The Holstein industry’s hottest, newest contest looking for the complete cow didn’t disappoint. With over 2000 votes cast, there was certainly a lot of interest in this inaugural competition.

First we would like to thank the judges: Roger Turner, Brian Leslie, Larry Schirm, and Alessandro Ravanelli. Their analysis of the 2012 Golden Dam Finalists combined with your votes determined the 2012 winner. As Judge Alessandro Ravanelli explains “We are in the genomic era and when we have to do a ranking of the great cows that Bullvine has nominated as GOLDEN DAM, we have to look at not only what the cows did but, also, at what they could do in the future.” No easy task and we thank these gentlemen for the much needed assistance.

Without further ado, here are the top 5:

#5. AMMON-PEACHEY SHAUNA

AMMON-PEACHEY SHAUNA VG-87-2YR-USA

When it comes to consistently putting out top genomic animals that have DGV’s that are higher than their parent averages, you cannot beat AMMON-PEACHEY SHAUNA. As Judge Ravanelli says, “I think that SHAUNA is only just started to show us what she is able to transmit to her progeny!” Judge Turner points out Shauna’s outstanding track record of high Genomic results that includes the ability to produce progeny that top the GPA TPI lists but they also do well on the Canadian lists with 13 of her progeny over +3000 GPA LPI. The future is very bright for this budding superstar. As one voter, Greg Tiller, comments “As breeders we are always looking for the next generation. Shauna ticks the box.”

#4. LYLEHAVEN LILA Z

LYLEHAVEN LILA Z EX-94-CAN 13*

The “million dollar cow” Lila Z got lots of attention from both breeders and our judges. Judge Schirm describes Lila Z as “A true model of what the Holstein Breed can offer”. Judge Turner highlights her outstanding performance of type, genetics, pedigree and genomics. Lila Z daughters include Goldwyn Lilac VG-89, Comestar Goldwyn Lala VG-87, the dams of Genervations Lexor and Gen-I-Beq Lavaman, former #1 and #2 genomic sires in Canada. Judge Leslie adds “I have always been a fan of this cow. I had the pleasure of judging her at the Canadian Convention Show in 07 where I made her Reserve Grand.” Of course he is not alone as Lila Z was All-Canadian Jr Yearling, Jr. 2 YR, and HM Int. Champion at the 2004 Royal. As well she was Int. Champion at Quebec Spring show in 2005. She was Reserve Grand three times: at the Atlantic Spring Show in 2007, Ontario Summer Show 2007, and Autumn Opportunity Show in 2008. One reader, Brian Waldner, comments “She is a genetic powerhouse! The family of Lila Z is adding great males and females to the breed that will have positive impact for years to come.”

#3. MD-DELIGHT DURHAM ATLEE

MD-DELIGHT DURHAM ATLEE EX-92-4YR-USA DOM GMD 2*

Atlee’s sons, with their super-high genomic numbers for type, the bulls Atwood (by Goldwyn), AltaAmazing (by Goldwyn), and Aftershock (by Shottle) are now as well known in the Holstein industry as any daughter-proven sires. For Judge Leslie “At this point with sons like Atwood & Aftershock her influence is there, but for me those I have above her have even more proof at this stage.” Judge Schirm adds that in Atlee and her progeny “Type and Quality comes together into the Modern True Type Model Holstein Cow.” That is well proven in Atlee winning Reserve Int. Champion at Madison in 2005. She comes by it naturally with her grand dam being MS Kingstead Chief Adeen EX-94 (the full sister to World Champion Shoremar S Alicia EX-97). Atlee is also able to pass it on with daughters that include Madison Junior Champion MS Atlees Roy Autumn VG-89, MS Atlees Gold Abigal VG-89, MS Atlees Goldwyn Ariel VG-89, who sold for $1.5 million, and the outstanding MS Atlees Shottle Aubry. As one reader, Spike Lamoreaux, points out that Atlee was a “trend setter not a trend follower. Though she passed away fairly young her impact on the Holstein breed is legendary.”

#2. REGANCREST-PR BARBIE

REGANCREST-PR BARBIE EX-92-7YR-USA DOM GMD 3*

We think Judge Schirm sums it up the best “Barbie is time proven and an Icon for type in the breed.”As Judge Turner points out Barbie transmitted great genetics on to her daughters, sons and granddaughters. With her own granddaughter being on the list Regancrest S Chassity EX 92 tells you the level of impact Barbie has had. Judge Leslie adds “With 14 Ex daughters & a son like Braxton how can you deny her?” By 2010 she had an unheard of 8 EX and 19 VG daughters. Three of her daughters have held the number one Cow PTAT position and at least eleven have made it to the top twenty-five PTAT Cow ranking. One reader, Ian Crosbie comments “If Brood Cow was defined in the dictionary, Regancrest PR Barbie would be located just below.” Of special note is that Barbie is the only cow that all the judges had in their top 5

#1. GILLETTE BLITZ 2ND WIND

GILLETTE BLITZ 2ND WIND VG-88-3YR-CAN 35*

It’s unanimous GILLETTE BLITZ 2ND WIND VG-88-3YR-CAN 35* is our 2012 Golden Dam. As judge Schirm points out “few cows have ever had such success for high ranking sons.” Being the dam of five class extra sons is no small accomplishment. Nevertheless it is not a surprise for GILLETTE BLITZ 2ND WIND who is from the Braedale Gypsy Grand family that seems to do it with ease. Judge Turner adds “tremendous results in proven sires ranked in Canada in combination with outstanding females.” 2nd Wind has 10 daughters over +2000 GLPI in her native Canada. This six times number one LPI cow has been able to pass the torch to her daughter Gillette Bolton 2nd Sleep and her granddaughter Gillette S Planet 2nd Snooze. One voter, Justin Crowley, comments that she is “by far the most influential cow in the past 3 years! “ Judge Leslie points out “simply a wonderful line of the breed’s very best cows. For me the 2nd Wind cow is a standout, her own performance as a producer, then the performance of her daughters, but more importantly her incredible sons! They are among the best bulls in the breed. They leave the kind of cows dairy farmers all over the world like – powerful, productive cows. It is the fact that she has so many top sons that puts her on top for me.” Well Brian, we could have not said it better ourselves.

Ferme Gillette, as well as François Vermette who nominated 2^nd Wind, will receive a 10 x 14 digital portrait of 2nd Wind. As well Ferme Gillette will receive a jacket commemorating the achievement.

A Breakdown of the Scoring, Voting and Final Results

Final	Judges	Voting
GILLETTE BLITZ 2ND WIND	GILLETTE BLITZ 2ND WIND	GILLETTE BLITZ 2ND WIND
REGANCREST PR BARBIE	REGANCREST PR BARBIE	MD-DELIGHT DURHAM ATLEE
MD-DELIGHT DURHAM ATLEE	AMMON-PEACHEY SHAUNA	REGANCREST PR BARBIE
LYLEHAVEN LILA Z	MD-DELIGHT DURHAM ATLEE	LYLEHAVEN LILA Z
AMMON-PEACHEY SHAUNA	REGANCREST S CHASSITY	AMMON-PEACHEY SHAUNA
REGANCREST S CHASSITY	LYLEHAVEN LILA Z	REGANCREST S CHASSITY
RALMA CHRISTMAS FUDGE	BROEKS MBM ELSA	RALMA CHRISTMAS FUDGE
MARKWELL DURHAM DAISY	RALMA CHRISTMAS FUDGE	MARKWELL DURHAM DAISY
GOLDEN-OAKS PERK RAE	GOLDEN-OAKS PERK RAE	GOLDEN-OAKS PERK RAE
BROEKS MBM ELSA	MARKWELL DURHAM DAISY	BROEKS MBM ELSA

The Bullvine Bottom Line

We would like to give special thanks to all those who helped us pull this inaugural competition together. Thanks to the breeders and owners of all of these final animals who helped us compile the articles. Thanks to the discerning judges who helped us evaluate these fine animals. Last but not least, thanks to you, the dairy breeders, who in commanding form got out and voted for your favorites.

MD DELIGHT DURHAM ATLEE – 2012 Golden Dam Finalist

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Tuesday, October 9th, 2012

The first achievement of MD-DELIGHT DURHAM ATLEE EX-92-4YR-USA DOM GMD 2* was when she caught the attention of good cattle men. She was purchased by Fosters (North Carolina) as a young calf at the Maryland Convention Sale. That is where eventual owner, Mike Heath of Heath Holsteins, first saw her and couldn’t get her out of his mind. He bought her the following year.

The Right Heifer – The Right Pedigree – The Right Partnership

MD-DELIGHT DURHAM ATLEE EX-92-4YR-USA DOM GMD 2*

For $20,000 Heath was able to work with Atlee. The first step in the process was taken when she classified Very Good-85 as a two-year old. The partnership of Heath, Jason Lloyd and Rick Allyn got together to see if they could make money marketing and showing Atlee. She didn`t disappoint when she won her class in the Massachusetts State show. At Madison she placed 15^th in the senior two-year-old class and then, less than a week after calving as a three year old, MD-Delight Durham Atlee was named Reserve Intermediate Champion of the 2005 International Holstein Show.

Atlee Makes a Name for Herself with the help of Her Team

It was that great start in the showring that kick-started Atlee to international recognition. Heath, Allyn and Lloyd pulled together and their teamwork saw her through calving, show preparation and the rise to stardom at Madison. It`s not difficult to imagine the enthusiasm these cow men had for this descendant of the Adeen family.

Atlee`s Pedigree is Showy and Productive

MS KINGSTEAD CHIEF ADEEN EX-94-2E-USA DOM 2* – 2nd dam of Atlee

Show type is written all over Atlee`s pedigree. Her granddam (MS KINGSTEAD CHIEF ADEEN EX-94-2E-USA DOM 2*), great aunt (SHOREMARE S ALICA EX-97-3E-USA 6*) and great granddam (AITKENBRAE STARBUCK ADAEX-94-2E-USA DOM 4*) all have been All-American, All-Canadian or Grand Champion at Major Shows. Her dam was not shown but classified Very Good 88 during her first lactation. Additionally Atlee`s sire stack Goldwyn x Storm x Skychief x Starbuck has very high conformation numbers and above average production.

Atlee’s Stats Add Up

Most notable is that Atlee was Reserve Intermediate Champion at the 2005 International Holstein Show. A great follow up to placing 15^th as a Senior Two Year Old in 2004. In her second lactation Atlee scored Excellent-92. That is the maximum score achievable for a second lactation cow. In two lactations she produced 35,265 kgs of milk, 5.0% Fat and 3.3% protein.

Atlee Goes Beyond Pure Gold to Simply Magical

Lafontaine AFTERSHOCK Arrie – Junior Champion World Dairy Expo 2012

The magical cross – often referred to as “golden” is the one to Braedale Goldwyn because it resulted in many sons and daughters who are making significant contributions to the breed. That golden Goldwyn flush not only resulted in the current number one proven type sire , Atwood (PTAT 4.16) but also produced Alta Amazing (PTAT 3.77 ), Avalanche (PTAT 3.48) and Atlantic (PTAT 3.02) in the USA. Four sons above 3.0 PTAT. This is a “first” ever group. In Canada the flush produced Atticus (CONF +14) and Attic (CONF+11) both awarded Superior Type in 2012. Atlee’s Shottle son, Aftershock, is now officially proven in Canada at CONF +16 and he sired the Junior Champion and Reserve Junior Champion at the International Holstein Show 2012. Yet another Goldwyn son, Ridgefield Delete (PTAT 3.52) is superior proven in Spain. Genomic evaluations for type have played a significant role in Atlee’s sons being used extensively. Before being proven, Atwood was the number one genomically tested bull for type.

Atlee’s Daughters Rise to the Top Everywhere

MS ATLEES GOLDWYN ARIEL EX-92 EX-MS – daughter of Atlee

Atlee’s Goldwyn daughters are also outstanding. In the USA Ariel EX92 was Reserve All-American Junior 2 yr old in 2009 and subsequently sold for $1.5 million dollars for her, eleven daughters, six sons and four pregnancies. Abigail EX91 has had many daughters sell for high prices. Arista VG88 has had daughters top many sales. Avery VG87 2yr has many daughters and granddaughters near the top of the index lists. Ava VG88 2yr is on an extensive flushing program. In Canada Albany VG87 2yrs, already has four VG two year olds. In the UK, Golden Atlee VG87 and Gold Atlee VG88 are the foundation for new cow families in that country.

MS ATLEES SHOTTLE AUBRY VG-88 EX-MS- daughter of Atlee

Other high Atlee daughters include Aubry, her only Shottle daughter, who has many high genomic sons and daughters. Arlene VG86 (Adam) is a foundation for a new family at Reagancrest, Farnear and Siemers. Autumn (Roy) was the winning fall calf at the 2007 International Holstein Show and All-American Fall Calf and in 2008 was the All-American Milking Fall Yearling.

BVK ATWOOD ABRIANNA VG-89-2YR – 1st Jr. 2yr WDE 2012

BVK Atwood Ariana VG89-2yr is an Atwood daughter with a double dose of Adeen genetics. Recently she placed first in the Junior 2yr old class at the 2012 International Holstein Show after being Intermediate Champion at the 2012 Illinois State Holstein Show.

Atlee Had A Short Career But is Making A Colossal Impact

Unfortunately cancer claimed Atlee early in life but not before she had been flushed extensively. Her offspring, both sons and daughters, continue to build the outstanding legacy of this Golden Dam Finalist.

Do you think Atlee deserves to win our 2012 Golden Dam Contest? Let us know. Your vote counts.

Does Genomics Belong in The Show Ring?

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Friday, October 5th, 2012

In our recent article about the 7 Sires to Use In Order To Breed The Next World Dairy Expo Champion we highlighted six test sires and one proven sire as the best sires to use in order to breed the next generation of great show cattle. The response to this article has been insane. First from a readership perspective we had over 10,000 people reading the article in the first 2 days alone. Of even greater interest were the reactions that breeders had to this article (over 200 comments on Facebook, Twitter and our website). Many breeders felt that genomics had nothing to do with the show ring. Instead they felt that it was more important to stick to proven sires when mating their top type cattle.

Ignorance Is Not the Answer

This actually demonstrated to me that awareness of what genomics is and how to use it is desperately needed. Far too many breeders confuse genomics with the index system. Genomics is not a kin to Holstein USA’s TPI formula or the Canadian LPI formula. Rather, it is tool to use in order to predict each sires ability to transmit a certain trait.

Given that the genetic information for every animal is contained in its DNA, technology now makes it possible to predict a sire’s ability to transmit certain characteristics to their progeny. It has nothing to do with the relative weights or importance of one trait over another. Rather it is solely about a sire’s ability to transmit that specific trait. How you use that information and what weights you put on some traits over others is entirely up to you.

Less Science more Cow Talk

So that is all fine and good. It sounds very scientific but what does it mean at the show ring level? Let me take a stab at that in “show speak.” It doesn’t take much to know that some show cows are “managed” into greatness and others are bred for it. We have all seen the ones that on the average day look like they are a lucky to be “all-barn” let alone “all-world.” Those cows are the ones that I call managed into greatness. Then there are those other cows that have the complete package. They come from a strong type pedigree that and are sired by a sire who has proven to deliver top show cattle. These are the cattle that are bred to be great.

EASTSIDE LEWISDALE GOLD MISSY EX-95-CAN

A great example of this is last year’s World Dairy Expo Supreme Champion, EASTSIDE LEWISDALE GOLD MISSY EX-95-CAN. Missy comes from a strong type sire stack with a dam that has sired 35 daughters all have scored GP+, with 33 of them being VG+. No doubt that Missy’s dam, STADACONA OUTSIDE ABEL VG-88-4YR-CAN 29* is great at breading type cattle. In addition to that if you look at Missy’s own genomic test you will notice that she scores well above breed averages for type traits.

Another great example of a show cow that also has the genomic test to back it up are MD-DELIGHT DURHAM ATLEE EX-92-4YR-USA DOM GMD 2*. Of course, we all know Atlee as the All-American Sr. 3yr from 2005 where she also won Reserve Intermediate Champion at WDE. However, we also know Atlee as the dam of the top type sire MAPLE-DOWNS-I G W ATWOOD EX-90-4YR-USA. If you look at Atwood’s CDN type proof you see the following.

	Conformation	Mammary System	Feet & Legs	Dairy Strength	Rump
Official Proof	18	16	14	15	3
DGV	19	16	14	15	2
Parent Average	17	15	11	13	8
Estimated Daughter Performance	18	15	15	15	3

What you will notice is that his genomic test is the closest to his actual daughter performance. Rather than looking at the sires in his pedigree, or the performance of his maternal line (which by the way is one of the strongest type pedigrees in the world today), it’s his genomic test that would have accurately predicted that his rumps would not have been as strong as expected, and that his feet and legs would be better than expected. This is very valuable insight, when trying to breed the next great show cow.

So how does that help me breed a great one?

It’s great that we can show that genomics validates what we already know about sires like Atwood and great show cows like Missy and Atlee. However, how can we use that to help us to breed the next great show cow? To answer that question let’s take at two high genomic test type sires, MR ATWOOD BROKAW and CANYON-BREEZE AT AIRLIFT.

MR ATWOOD BROKAW

MR ATWOOD BROKAW is the Atwood son of REGANCREST MAC BIKASA VG-87-2YR-USA. In Brokaw you combine the two greatest type families in the breed today. No question that from all angles Brokaw has it all.

	Conformation	Mammary System	Feet & Legs	Dairy Strength	Rump
Official Proof	20	17	9	18	7
DGV	22	19	9	21	7
Parent Average	15	14	10	11	4

What we notice from his genomic test is that we can expect Brokaw to be far greater at transmitting dairy strength than his pedigree would indicate.

CANYON-BREEZE AT AIRLIFT

Then there is CANYON-BREEZE AT AIRLIFT the Atwood son from the same family as CANYON-BREEZE ALLEN.

	Conformation	Mammary System	Feet & Legs	Dairy Strength	Rump
Official Proof	17	12	18	16	16
DGV	19	12	21	18	21
Parent Average	15	12	11	13	4

What we notice here is that Airlift will sire rumps that are light years better than his pedigree would indicate while needing to be cautious on his mammary systems. Something that anyone who use enough Allen in their herd would attest to. What genomics does is it gives us this insight light years sooner that waiting for 100’s of daughters to help prove it out. That can be all the edge you need in breeding the next great show cow.

Do you think this is all hogwash?

Well let’s take a look at the current undisputed show ring champion BRAEDALE GOLDWYN GP-84-8YR-CAN EXTRA’05 GM’12. Here is a sire that by his own conformation would have never been considered potential for greatness in the show ring. A sire that by his maternal line of high classifying cattle had no great show history to them at all. So let’s look at the numbers:

	Conformation	Mammary System	Feet & Legs	Dairy Strength	Rump
Official Proof	12	11	13	7	3
DGV	10	9	13	6	4
Parent Average	5	5	-1	4	2
Estimated Daughter Performance	14	13	13	8	3

As you can see by the numbers, Goldwyn’s direct genomic values would have predicted his type prowess long before anyone would have suspected it. This is especially true in regards to feet & legs. Something no one would have expected from a James son.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

We all know that to win in the show ring it takes more than just great genetics. It takes genetics, management, and luck. Slacking on any parts of these means that you have to go “outside” the rules in order to make things happen. Instead of putting yourself in that precarious position, stick to what has been proven to work and use the best genomic sires available.

Not sure what all this hype about genomics is all about?

Want to learn what it is and what it means to your breeding program?

Download this free guide.

Who’s Next? World Dairy Expo Holstein Show Preview

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Friday, September 28th, 2012

Excitement and speculation are at an all-time high for the 2012 World Dairy Expo Holstein Show. Exhibitors from around the world and cows from across North America have started making their way towards Madison. (Watch this great video featuring Ferme Jacobs, Ferme de La Plaine & ferme blondin on their way to World Dairy Expo). With the anticipation levels about to explode, let’s take a closer look at the early contenders.

The Judge

Michael Heath – 2012 World Dairy Expo Holstein Show Judge

Of course the final decision rests in the hands of 2012 World Dairy Expo Judge Michael Heath and his associate David Dyment, who combined have more than 45 years of judging experience and have judged over seventy shows at the state and national level in countries around the world. Michael grew up on his parents, Billy and Betty’s Spring Valley Farm in Maryland. After finishing college Michael’s passion for dairy cattle lead to him becoming a professional fitter for 14 years, and the respected position he holds as a great cattleman and marketer. He has owned cattle from some of the top families in the breed. Most notable of these is co-ownership of the MD-DELIGHT DURHAM ATLEE family (2012 Golden Dam Finalist).

Michael has judged many of the top state and provincial shows and highlights in a recent Cowsmopolitan article how pumped he was when he had the opportunity to make JACOBS GOLDWYN BRITANY Grand at Quebec last fall. Though he admits he had to be a little reserved in his “Champion Slap” because of the fact that so many Goldwyn’s can be skittish. Nevertheless, he says that the ringside can expect a slap on October 6^th Goldwyn or not.

Don’t be worried that Michael will be all work and no play. With David Dyment as his associate he is confident that they will have the balance of intensity and objectivity needed to make it through this enormous task, and when need more than capable of pointing out the “hotties”. Given that Michael has probably one of the greats “strappers” as his associate it is great that Michael comments the following in a the Cowsmopolitan article:

“I want people to know that, as long as their nerves don’t get the best of them and as long as they’re comfortable, they are invited to show their own cattle. I don’t care who is on the halter and I encourage young exhibitors to show their own animals as well. This is the chance of a lifetime – get out there and have fun.”

The Contenders for Junior Champion

Md-Dun-Loafin Lauth Elly, Will not be at WDE12 as she is owned by Michael Heath and David Dyment

With Md-Dun-Loafin Lauth Elly being owned by the two judges the remaining contenders are:

Devans Denzel Angela
Kingsway Goldwyn Artichoke
Lafontaine Aftershock Arrie
Liddleholme Asteroid Bird

(Thanks to our avid readers for catching our error and having R-E-W Happy Go Lucky on the JR. champion list, she will be in the Milking Sr. Yearling Class as she calved on Sept. 1st)

The Contenders for Intermediate Champion

CRAIGCREST RUBIES GOLD REJOICE – VG-89-2YR-CAN

While the recent move of Craigcrest Rubies Gold Rejoice to co-ownership with Duckett Holsteins, you have to consider her an early favorite. Others include:

Cookview Goldwyn Monique
Earlen Goldwyn Secret
Pappys Goldwyn Rave
RF Goldwyn Halona
Savage Leigh Gold Lona

The Contenders for Senior Champion

HARVUE ROY FROSTY – EX 97

With two EX-97 point cows, Harvue Roy Frosty EX-97 and RF Goldwyn Hailey EX-97 set to battle, this year’s show is set to go down in the history books as one of the all-time greats. This brings back memories of the Acme Star Lily with Leduc Broker Mandy at WDE in 1997 or her battle with Rainridge Tony Beauty at the 1999 Royal. Some cattle who could be “X Factors” are:

Rocky Mountain Talent Licorice (Reader added)
Savage-Leigh Leona
Whitaker Stormatic Rae

Life is Not All Black and White

BLONDIN REDMAN SEISME EX-96

While the Black and White Holstein show is going to be great, we must not forget some of the other great competitions. At the International Red and White Show, Judge Justin Burdette from Windy Knoll View Farms will do a great job of helping breeders and exhibitors to feel that each of their animals got the look that they deserved. You have to consider Blondin Redman Seisme Now EX-96 an earl favorite for Grand Champion, with Lake Praire Advent Aava-RED EX looking to give her a good run for her money. Drawing from his experience of being the Associate for Chris Hill a few years back, Justin will also do a great job of sorting out the contenders for Junior Champion that include: Flowerbrook Gyna-Red and Deckett P Lucy-Red.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

There is no question that this year’s World Dairy Expo Holstein Show is going to be one for the ages and that there is no better man for the job then Michael. I am sure he will have the time of his life.

For those of you looking to breed a World Dairy Expo Grand Champion check out – 7 Sires to Use in Order to Breed the Next World Dairy Expo Champion

7 Sires to Use in Order to Breed the Next World Dairy Expo Champion

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Wednesday, September 26th, 2012

Everyone loves winning. No one enters a competition to finish last. Regardless of who you are every purebred dairy breeder dreams of winning supreme champion at World Dairy Expo. Your dream of walking in the spotlight, on the colored shavings, with everyone applauding you, starts with choosing the right sires.

Logic would tell you that you take top 10 PTAT sires or Conformation sires and away you go. However, we all know what wins in the barn does not win in the ring. That is because the relative importance/weights are different in each area of the Dairy Cow Scorecard. Therefore, instead of your typical classification weightings that make up the basis of PTAT and Conformation indexes (Udder 40%, Dairy Strength 25%, Feet & Legs 20% and Frame 15%) we decided to place more emphasis on traits that make a difference in the show ring to come up with our short list of sires to use (Udder 35%, Feet & Legs 13%, Stature 13, Strength 13%, Body Depth 14%, Dairy Form 13%). For those of you who think great show cows don’t produce as well we recommend you read Show Cows: All Type and No Action)

We then went to Genomics. Yes genomics for show cattle. Many confuse the word genomics and TPI or LPI index when actually genomics is just a more accurate and earlier-in-life method of evaluating or predicting a sire’s ability to transmit improvement for that specific trait or composite. Therefore, it can actually be a huge tool for breeder who is looking to breed great show cattle. In the case of young sires, we were also careful to make sure we did not use sires with type genomic traits lower than their parent averages, as our previous analysis showed us (Read – 7 Reasons Why You Wouldn’t Use Sires with DGV’s Lower Than Their Parent Averages).

Let`s get a better understanding of what sires will help you win that elusive prize of breeding the next great show cow. The following are the lucky seven sires we would recommend in order to breed the next supreme champion. Having said that, we admit that all great breeding is two parts homework, one part intuition, and three parts luck. Let`s start with the homework.

#7 – MAPLE-DOWNS-I G W ATWOOD

MD-DELIGHT DURHAM ATLEE EX-92-4YR-USA DOM GMD 2* – dam of Atwood

It’s no fluke that MAPLE-DOWNS-I G W ATWOOD EX-90-4YR-USA is probably the next generation of great show bulls available today. Combining Goldwyn on Durham would normally be enough but added to that his dam is the exceptional MD-DELIGHT DURHAM ATLEE EX-92-4YR-USA DOM GMD 2*. Atlee also has extreme conformation herself, winning reserve Intermediate Champion at Madison in 2005, and going to be named unanimous ALL-AMERICAN SR.3-YR that year. She comes by it naturally with her grand dam being MS Kingstead Chief Adeen EX-94 (the full sister to the recently deceased World Champion Shoremar S Alicia EX-97). Combine that with the greatest type sire of the past half-decade and you have yourself an unbeatable show-winning package. Atwood offers the great mammary systems his pedigree would indicate but needs to be protected for flat loins and high pins, much like his sire.

#6 – PINE-SHELTER CLAY WOOD

PINE-SHELTER CHELSY SHO VG-86-2YR-USA DOM – dam of Wood

If you don’t want to use Atwood himself, how about one of his sons? Possessing the highest values of all the bulls on our list for stature (5.09), PINE-SHELTER CLAY WOOD will give you that punch of stature needed for show cows. Not surprisingly since his third dam is none other than 2003 World Dairy Expo Champion, PINE-SHELTER CHEYENNE EX-95-3E-USA DOM. Expect Wood to sire a very balanced cow that needs to be used on cows that have deep ribs and deep heals. He will give you those big wide rear udders that can do wonders when the judge is standing behind you making those critical decisions.

#5 – GIBBS-I CLAYNOOK DUDE

SONNEK BLT DOUBLE DIPPED VG-85-2YR-CAN – dam of Dude

Possessing the highest genomic values for most conformation traits is GIBBS-I CLAYNOOK DUDE VG-87-1YR-CAN. (Not to be confused with the Facebook sensation He is One Ugly Dude) This Atwood son from SONNEK BLT DOUBLE DIPPED VG-85-2YR-CAN has unbelievable genomic values for all major conformation traits, well above his expected parent averages. This is opposite to the situation for most recently proven Claynook bred bulls, whose PAs exceed their genomic values and whose indexes dropped in a major way from when they were sampled to when they were proven. (Read – The Hot House Effect On Sire Sampling). Dude has the genomic values to back it up. Expect Dude to sire breed leading mammary system improvement and loads of dairy strength, though he will need to be protected on high pins.

#4 – REGANCREST-GV S BRADNICK

REGANCREST BREYA VG-88-3YR-USA DOM 1* – dam of Bradnick

For those of you who want a sire other than Atwood and Atwood sons, I offer up the next two selections. In REGANCREST-GV S BRADNICK VG-87-2YR-USA you have no Goldwyn blood at all. From the REGANCREST-PR BARBIE EX-92-7YR-USA DOM GMD 3* (2012 Golden Dam Finalist) family, by way of a VG-88-3YR-USA DOM 1* Shottle daughter REGANCREST BREYA, and sired by GEN-MARK STMATIC SANCHEZ EX-94-6YR-USA ST’12. Breya is the former #3 PTAT Cow in the breed and continues the strong legacy that Barbie started. In Bradnick you get a sire who is over 3 points on all composites except Dairy Comp where he is at 2.92. In every major type trait Bradnick’s DGV’s are higher than expected from his parents.

#3 – SCIENTIFIC B DEFIANT

SCIENTIFIC GOLD DIOR RAE-ET *RC EX-92-4YR-USA DOM – dam of Defiant

As the REGANCREST S BRAXTON EX-95-5YR-USA son of the #4 GTPI RC cow, SCIENTIFIC GOLD DIOR RAE-ET *RC EX-92-4YR-USA DOM, SCIENTIFIC B DEFIANT is doubly blessed as his is also a red carrier. Of course Dior Rae is from none other the great show winning SCIENTIFIC DEBUTANTE RAE-ET EX-92-4YR-USA DOM GMD 2*, tracing back to the Queen of the Breed herself GLENRIDGE CITATION ROXY EX-CAN EX-97-4E-USA GMD 6*. In Defiant you get a sire stack of Braxton from a Goldwyn from Durham that just drips dairy strength. Expect Defiant to sire extremely tall framey cows that have strong, snug, shallow udders. However, you may want to protect him on the cleanliness of bone as well as slight curved legs.

#2 – CANYON-BREEZE AT AIRLIFT

CANYON-BREEZE S AUBURN EX-90 – dam of Airlift

Coming in at #2 is another Atwood son CANYON-BREEZE AT AIRLIFT. While the female side of this cow family may not have won any major shows, they do have generation after generation of outstanding strength, frames and feet and legs, tracing back to the same bloodlines as the great CANYON-BREEZE ALLEN. Combine that with Atwood’s udders and you have the potential for greatness. Expect Airlift to sire extreme feet and leg improvement as well as rumps. For the line breeding fans out there, Airlift would make a great cross with your Goldwyn’s. Bringing the needed rump and dairy strength improvement many Goldwyn’s need. However, much like Allen, you may not want to use him on cattle that are extremely straight legged. Airlift also makes a great option for those looking to sire show-winning calves as Airlift is almost over 4 points on all major type traits outside of mammary system.

#1 – MR ATWOOD BROKAW

REGANCREST MAC BIKASA VG-87-2YR-USA – dam of Brokaw

Leading the way, but surely not a surprise, is MR ATWOOD BROKAW. In Brokaw you combine the two greatest type families in the breed today. On the paternal side you have Atwood and his dam MD-DELIGHT DURHAM ATLEE EX-92-4YR-USA DOM GMD 2*, 2012 Golden Dam finalist and Reserve Intermediate Champion at Madison in 2005 followed by her grand dam being MS Kingstead Chief Adeen EX-94. On the maternal side you have REGANCREST MAC BIKASA VG-87-2YR-USA who is the daughter of REGANCREST-PR BARBIE EX-92-7YR-USA DOM GMD 3*, also a 2012 Golden Dam Finalist. Watch for Brokaw to be extremely tall (4.85 Stature) and have the necessary frame (3.89 Body Comp), dairyness (3.06 Dairy Comp) and bolted on udders (3.77 Udder Comp) to get the job done. While his rumps may not be ideal for classification, expect them to be bang on when it comes to the show ring, demonstrating the necessary width and boxcar rumps that judges love so much.

Side Note on Goldwyn

For those of you wondering how we could leave probably the most dominant show sire of the past decade BRAEDALE GOLDWYN GP-84-8YR-CAN EXTRA’05 GM’12 off of the list. Here is our explanation. While there is no question that Goldwyn is a great sire, and a fantastic type improvement sire, we argue that part of his success came through opportunity as much as through genetic ability. Since Goldwyn was used on so many cattle including the top type cattle in the breed, because of his outstanding proof, he had far more opportunity than most other sires to leave his mark. While he has not disappointed, his sons, such as Atwood and his grandsons as in Defiant, have now surpassed him.

The Bottom Line

The truth is everyone loves a winner. That`s the simple truth. Ask yourself, “How many times have you seen a packed house to hear the naming of the top new TPI or LPI sire?” This is not to say that you can’t strive for both. (Read – Show Cows: All Type and No Action?) Nevertheless, everyone would love to breed the next great show cow. That starts with using the correct sires. In then means using the bloodlines that have proven they have done it before. We have chosen Brokaw as the greatest sire for show type improvement. Of course, as is the case with all mating decisions, you need to make sure the sire you choose crosses well and is a corrective mating with the cow you are breeding.

For those of you looking for a more balanced breeding approach, check out The Top 12 Holstein Young Sires to Use for Maximum Genetic Gain.

Golden Dam 2012 Finalists

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Monday, September 10th, 2012

Choosing the greatest dam in the world can be very challenging. Choosing from over 100 nominations that our readers put forward can be almost impossible. Nevertheless the Bullvine staff is up to the challenge and here are the finalists.

We need your help to assist our official judges, Roger Turner, Brian Leslie, Larry Schirm, and Allessandro Ravanelli. Your vote counts. You can win great prizes. So get out and vote. (For full contest details visit Golden Dam 2012)

So here, in alphabetical order, are the ten finalists:

AMMON-PEACHEY SHAUNA

AMMON-PEACHEY SHAUNA VG-87-2YR-USA

When it comes to consistently putting out top genomic animals that have DGV’s that are higher than their parent averages, you cannot beat AMMON-PEACHEY SHAUNA. The added bonus is not only do Shauna’s progeny top the GPA TPI lists but they also do well on the Canadian lists with 13 of her progeny over +3000 GPA LPI. Shauna seems to be a cow that can do it all. Her Robust son, Supersire is the #1 Net Merit sire and the #2 GPA TPI sire. Again Shauna is a cow that flushes well and she has a great photo to market from!

BROEKS MBM ELSA

BROEKS MBM ELSA EX-90-5YR-NLD

In 2009 Elsa impressed breeders with her many daughters with remarkable production, type scores, breeding values, genomics and show results. In 2010 her breeding achievements were equally as strong helping her earn the 2010 Global Cow of the Year Award. Daughter success includes FG ESLA 12 VG-88 as a 2 yr. old and who is also dam of Broeks Bolton Else VG-86. Of course you cannot forget her extremely popular son Flevo Genetics Snowman.

GILLETTE BLITZ 2ND WIND

GILLETTE BLITZ 2ND WIND VG-88-3YR-CAN 35*

Being the dam of five class extra sons is no small accomplishment. Nevertheless it is not a surprise for GILLETTE BLITZ 2ND WIND who is from the Braedale Gyspy Grand family that seems to do it with ease. 2^nd Wind is also able to achieve it on the female side with 10 daughters over +2000 GLPI in her native Canada. This six times number one LPI cow has been able to pass the torch to her daughter Gillette Bolton 2^nd Sleep and her granddaughter Gillette S Planet 2^nd Snooze.

GOLDEN-OAKS PERK RAE

GOLDEN-OAKS PERK RAE EX-90-5YR-USA 2*

Perk Rae is an 8^th generation EX, and she is a Red Roxy. On top of that she is polled. What more could you ask for? She has a Durham daughter scored EX-92, as well as 8 VG daughters. Perk Rae has been a popular contract cow with sons in AI and embryos exported around the world. Perk Rae has seven EX sisters and her dam is an EX Rubens sister to Scientific Debutant Rae. She is also the winner of the 2012 Red Impact Award from Holstein International.

LYLEHAVEN LILA Z

LYLEHAVEN LILA Z EX-94-CAN 13*

The “million dollar cow” Lila Z has now produced 11 VG first lactation daughters. She was All-Canadian Jr Yearling, Jr. 2 YR, and HM Int. Champion at the 2004 Royal. As well she was Int. Champion at Quebec Spring show in 2005. She was Reserve Grand three times: at the Atlantic Spring Show in 2007, Ontario Summer Show 2007, and Autumn Opportunity Show in 2008. Lila Z daughters include Goldwyn Lilac VG-89, Comestar Goldwyn Lala VG-87, the dams of Genervations Lexor and Gen-I-Beq Lavaman, former #1 and #2 genomic sires in Canada.

MARKWELL DURHAM DAISY

MARKWELL DURHAM DAISY EX-92-6YR-USA GMD DOM

Daisy does it all. She has high production, fitness, longevity and outstanding type. This Excellent Durham granddaughter of Markwell Bstar Raven EX-95, who as a young cow made many waves at Madison, also transmits it all. Numerous daughters, granddaughters and their sons distinguish themselves in the genomic rankings. As a bull dam in 2010, Daisy had some fabulous results with the high-ranking O-Man sons Dakota (the Netherlands), Duke (Germany), and Osaka (Spain). In 2012, Daisy’s first progeny sampled grandson, Danillo, provided an impressive sequel with top position in the Netherlands.

MD-DELIGHT DURHAM ATLEE

MD-DELIGHT DURHAM ATLEE EX-92-4YR-USA DOM GMD 2*

Atlee’s sons, with their super-high genomic numbers for type, the bulls Atwood (by Goldwyn), AltaAmazing (by Goldwyn), and Aftershock (by Shottle) are now as well known in the Holstein industry as any daughter-proven sires. Atlee also has extreme conformation herself, winning reserve Int. champion at Madison in 2005. She comes by it naturally with her grand dam being MS Kingstead Chief Adeen EX-94 (the full sister to World Champion Shoremar S Alicia EX-97). Atlee’s daughters include Madison Junior Champion MS Atlees Roy Autumn VG-89, MS Atlees Gold Abigal VG-89, MS Atlees Goldwyn Ariel VG-89, who sold for $1.5 million, and the outstanding MS Atlees Shottle Aubry.

RALMA CHRISTMAS FUDGE

RALMA CHRISTMAS FUDGE VG-88-2YR-USA DOM GMD

In addition to 7 EX daughters, Fudge is dam of the proven O-Man sons Cricket (Netherlands) and Focus (US), as well as the Goldwyn son Confirm (US). Her grandsons include Gold Crown and Goldwyn Coach (from her O-Man daughter Christmas Cookie), Shottle Chariot (out of her EX Finely), and Twin-B Cassino, (a high genomic Ramos out of her Shottle daughter). Her show winning September daughter Crystal EX-93 had a full sister that is the dam of the Bolton mother of Sandy-Valley Colt P-Red.

REGANCREST PR BARBIE

REGANCREST-PR BARBIE EX-92-7YR-USA DOM GMD 3*

REGANCREST PR BARBIE is the sixth generation of the Regancrest breeding program combining both the Dellias and the Brinas. Eleven of her daughters are ranked in the top 25 of the American type index list. Barbie’s offspring consistently generate top prices at international sales. In 2009, granddaughter and fellow finalist, Regancrest S Chassity EX 92, sold in a package with her offspring for $1.5 million. Barbie is the dam of 14 EX & 16 VG daughters and one of the breed’s leading type sires – Braxton EX-95.

REGANCREST S CHASSITY

REGANCREST S CHASSITY EX-92-4YR-USA DOM

Chassity was the world’s top selling cow of 2009, selling along with offspring for $1.5 million. In 2010, Chassity’s daughter Goldwyn Cash was the world’s top-selling individual, being purchased for $205,000. The full brother to Cash, Mr. Chassity Gold Chip, has been the #2 GTPI sire in the US. Sky-high genomic numbers on Chassity’s progeny, especially for type, help keep this granddaughter of Regancrest PR Barbie constantly in the news and helped her tie for the 2011 Global Cow of the Year.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

This year’s finalists represent a great cross section of the Holstein breed. We have some of the greatest cow families in the history of the breed as well as some of the ones that are still starting to make their mark. Which cow do you think has had the greatest impact? Let us know. Your vote counts.

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Archive for MD-DELIGHT DURHAM ATLEE

The Regancrest Elton Durham Story

Durham Sons

Durham Daughters

The Braedale Goldwyn Story

Goldwyn Sons

Goldwyn Daughters

The Bullvine Bottom Line

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The Heifer Story

Leading Sires of Heifers

Leading Sire Stack of Winning Heifers

The Cow Story

Leading Sires of Cows

Leading Sire Stack of Winning Cows

The Bullvine Bottom Line

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#5. AMMON-PEACHEY SHAUNA

#4. LYLEHAVEN LILA Z

#3. MD-DELIGHT DURHAM ATLEE

#2. REGANCREST-PR BARBIE

#1. GILLETTE BLITZ 2ND WIND

A Breakdown of the Scoring, Voting and Final Results

The Bullvine Bottom Line

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The Right Heifer – The Right Pedigree – The Right Partnership

Atlee Makes a Name for Herself with the help of Her Team

Atlee`s Pedigree is Showy and Productive

Atlee’s Stats Add Up

Atlee Goes Beyond Pure Gold to Simply Magical

Atlee’s Daughters Rise to the Top Everywhere

Atlee Had A Short Career But is Making A Colossal Impact

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Ignorance Is Not the Answer

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MR ATWOOD BROKAW

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The Bullvine Bottom Line

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The Contenders for Intermediate Champion

The Contenders for Senior Champion

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The Bullvine Bottom Line

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#7 – MAPLE-DOWNS-I G W ATWOOD

#6 – PINE-SHELTER CLAY WOOD

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#1 – MR ATWOOD BROKAW

Side Note on Goldwyn

The Bottom Line

Other posts you might like:

AMMON-PEACHEY SHAUNA

BROEKS MBM ELSA

GILLETTE BLITZ 2ND WIND

GOLDEN-OAKS PERK RAE

LYLEHAVEN LILA Z

MARKWELL DURHAM DAISY

MD-DELIGHT DURHAM ATLEE

RALMA CHRISTMAS FUDGE

REGANCREST PR BARBIE

REGANCREST S CHASSITY

The Bullvine Bottom Line

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