Last year we took a lot of heat for putting a list of mostly Genomic test sires out as the bulls that would sire the next World Dairy Expo Champion (Read more: 7 Sires to Use in Order to Breed the Next World Dairy Expo Champion). The funny thing was that, as this past year unfolded, you started seeing more and more of the sires from our list – Atwood, Bradnick, and Brokaw heifers – were winning shows at the county and championship level. Therefore, this year we thought we would take another look at just what sires, proven or genomic, stand the best chance of siring the next show winner.
#7 GIBBS-I CLAYNOOK DUDE
Atwood x Bolton x Shottle
Making the list for the 2nd year in a row is Dude. Not to be confused with the Facebook sensation (He is One Ugly Dude). Dude’s numbers are just too high to refuse. Even if, or should I say “when”, his numbers drop, they are just too high to ignore. 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. Expect Dude to sire breed leading mammary system improvement and loads of dairy strength, though he will need to be protected on high pins.
#6 CANYON-BREEZE AT AIRLIFT
Atwood x Shottle x Morty x Bellwood
Dropping from his #2 ranking last year to #6 this year is Airlift. Like we said last year, 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 Goldwyns. He brings 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.
#5 SILVERRIDGE AVALANCHE
Meridian x Man-O-Man x Goldwyn
New to the list, Avalanche is a kind of a sneaky sire. His sire Meridian and maternal grand sire Man-O-Man, don’t say show type. However, go one generation back from that and you have the Goldwyn sister to Atwood and Aftershock, Allyndale-I Goldwyn Albany-ET VG-87-2YR-CAN 1* from the great D-Delight Durham Atlee-ET EX-92 GMD DOM. While some might be skeptical of the Meridian part in the equation, Avalanche has a DGV of +17 for conformation and excels in udders and dairy strength. Combine that with the great feet and legs of Man-O-Man and back it up with a Goldwyn x Atlee cross and you start to see why this sire is worth your consideration.
#4 HEAVENLY GOLDEN DREAMS
Goldwyn x Durham x Storm
A newcomer to our list, but a sire that should get a lot of attention, is Golden Dreams. The reason for that is he is the full brother to Atwood. However, he actually has higher genomic tests for all the major conformation traits than Atwood, especially in rumps, an area that if I was going to fault Atwood is an area that I would protect him on, though Golden Dreams daughters may not be as deep. The daughter pictures I have seen have them looking pretty similar to Atwood, so if you cannot get any Atwood semen, or want to protect your mating on rumps a little more, Golden Dreams may be the option for you.
#3 MR ATWOOD BROKAW
Atwood x Mac x Durham x Juror
Another returnee from last year’s list is Brokaw. The early Brokaw calves are pretty impressive. Now he has dropped from his #1 rank from last year. But what do you expect? New genetics are coming out every day. It’s only natural for a bull to drop in rank after a whole year has passed. 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 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 and have the necessary frame, dairyness and bolted on udders 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.
#2 MR LOOKOUT PESCE ALTA5G
AltaKool x Atwood x Shottle
The number one genomic type sire in the world comes in at number two on our list (CDN DGV Conformation). As we all know there can be a big difference between a high conformation score and a sire that can sire show winners. While Alta5G does have a high stature rating, it is his lack of body depth that has him not at the top of our list. He will give you outstanding udders with great feet and legs. That makes him the ideal mating for that big deep old brood cow you have that needs to be cleaned up in the legs and snugged up in the udders. You also will need to protect him on his rump angle as he is high even for the show ring. Like Dude, Alta5G’s numbers are just too high to not take a look at, even if it’s for limited use.
#1 MAPLE-DOWNS-I G W ATWOOD
Goldwyn x Durham x Storm
Over the past year I have had the opportunity to go to many shows and see daughters from many different sires. While Goldwyn’s still dominate in the older cow classes, if I had to choose a sire that would get the job done, outside of Goldwyn, it would be Atwood. First you have the magic Goldwyn on Durham cross, then you add in his dam who 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 on 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. Combine that with the greatest type sire of the past half-decade, Goldwyn, 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. While he may not pass his sire in accomplishments, there is no question that Atwood is establishing himself as the heir apparent.
Again a Note on Goldwyn
Yes, I acknowledge that Goldwyn has been the most dominant show ring sire of the past decade. Moreover, he has done so like no other ever before him. But there comes a point where you have to use something on your Goldwyn’s. That means you can either line-breed as some of the greats have done in the past and use sires like Atwood and his sons, or you can corrective mate and go with sires like Alta5G or Avalanche.
The Bottom Line
As we will see next week, everyone loves to win and, as we have already seen with our viral Fantasy Exhibitor© competition, everyone dreams of being on top at World Dairy Expo. In reality there are only two ways to get there. Either win the lottery or breed your way there. Using sires like the seven above will help you achieve the latter.
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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.
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.
