In a rare opportunity the Bullvine sits down with Mario Comtois of Gen-Com Holsteins to discuss their success, their team, and the two great cows they work with RF GOLDWYN HAILEY and CHARWILL ATTIC MARCY.
Watch this video and find out, what makes Hailey and Marcy so special and the members of the team that do just a great job keeping these and all the cows at Gen-Com looking so great.
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There are certain cows that are known by one name only. Charity, Beauty and Frosty are three that come to mind quickly. With her win at the 2014 International Holstein Show, RF Goldwyn Hailey EX-97 3E 2* has now entered that illustrious stratosphere. (Read more: The 2014 International Holstein Show at World Dairy Expo)
While there have been many cows that have been able to win Grand Champion honors once at World Dairy Expo, very few have been able to repeat that achievement. That short list includes: Wind Drift Countess Nora (70, 72), Brookview Tony Charity (82, 84, 85, 87), Merkley Starbuck Whitney (92, 93), Rainyridge Tony Beauty (95, 99), Vandyk-K Integrity Paradise (00, 02) and Harvue Roy Frosty (09, 10). With her win this past week, Hailey now joins this celebrated group.
The question now becomes, “Does Hailey deserve to be among the greatest Holstein Show Cows of all time?” (Read more: The 8 Greatest North American Show Cows of All-Time). On the merits of her two wins at Expo ’12 and ‘14 and Grand Champion honors at the Royal in 2012, Hailey now enters the top 8 and stands in the league of #6 on our list MERKLEY STARBUCK WHITNEY EX-CAN EX-96-5YR-USA 3*, and #5, HARVUE ROY FROSTY EX-97-2E-USA,. It’s interesting that she now enters the league of Frosty as it was her battle with fellow EX-97 legend that first catapulted her to this stardom at the 2012 World Dairy Expo. That was a battle Hailey ultimately won.
Often described as Incredible Perfection, Brookview Tony Charity holds the record for most wins at Expo by a Holstein. Those four wins are a record that may never be surpassed. For her time, Charity was in a league entirely of her own. Even looking back now, it’s hard to believe how correct Charity looks some 30 years later. But the ideal cow has changed over the years. One could argue that at her best today, Hailey exactly fits the mold for the modern perfect cow.
Over the past three years, I have had the opportunity to see Hailey many, many times. At the 2013 NY International Spring Show, Hailey was as close to perfection as I have ever seen a cow in my life. (Read more: RF Goldwyn Hailey Rides to the Top Spot at NY Spring Carousel) That occasion is now rivaled by this year’s appearance at World Dairy Expo. While Hailey looked great during the Holstein Show at Expo this year, a few hours later just before she entered the Supreme Parade, she rivaled her appearance at the 2012 NY show, as she had made her already high and wide rear udder even more spectacular.
While there is often repeated discussion about her extreme balance, width and power, one point that I think does not get enough publication is her extremely strong udder cleft. Some cows, as they get older, start to lose the strength of udder cleft. Hailey at eight years of age and after 4 calvings and almost 100,000 lbs. of lifetime production has an udder cleft that is almost two hands deep. What an incredible testament to the greatness of this cow.
There is no question that, if you stood Hailey side by side with Charity, you would give the edge to Hailey based on what is the modern ideal cow. She would be much longer of her neck, wider of her chest, moves more correctly on her feet and legs and possesses more ideal udder texture. But the question remains, “Will Hailey compare well in thirty years?” One thing is certain. If she achieves at least one more victory at either Expo or The Royal, Hailey will confirm her well-deserved position beside the top 5 show cows in the history of the Holstein breed. She will definitely be in the league with THRULANE JAMES ROSE EX-97-2E-CAN 2*, ACME STAR LILY EX-2E-CAN EX-94-4YR-USA 8*, RAINYRIDGE TONY BEAUTY EX-5E-CAN 9* and the greatest of all time, BROOKVIEW TONY CHARITY EX-CAN EX-97-5YR-USA DOM 13*. A legend in the making …..Hailey.
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It had to happen and this past weekend it did. Over the past 21 months RF Goldwyn Hailey has been unbeatable. But this past weekend the inevitable happened.
Throughout her reign, Hailey has faced some stiff competition and came out on top. From the likes of the living legend, Harvue Roy Frosty (Read more: Who’s Next? World Dairy Expo Holstein Show Preview and World Dairy Expo 2012 Holstein Show – A Battle for the Ages), to the fan favorite Ebyholme Goldwyn Marcia (Read more: The 2012 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show – One of the greatest stories ever told), Hailey has faced the best. Each time Hailey rose to the challenge and came out victorious. This weekend she was coming into a battle with some more greats, namely, Jacobs Goldwyn Britany and Bonaccueil Maya Goldwyn. (For complete show results click here and click here for more photos)
RF Goldwyn Hailey
Getting ready for the show.
Given the fact that Hailey has been milking for 15 months and recently injured her non show hip, many wondered if she could do it. When I first heard that Hailey had been hurt and that she was at the show, I wondered if she had bitten off more than she could chew. Both Britany and Maya are fresh again and are looking amazing. Hailey was sure to have her toughest battle yet.
Jacobs Goldwyn Britany EX-96-2E
Getting ready for the show
As I watched Hailey over the 24 hours prior to the show, there was no doubt that she would come out looking great for a cow milking 15 months! But would that be enough? Maya and Britany were tied side by side in the Ferme Jacobs string (Read more: Ferme Jacobs: Success Is All In The Family! ) and it is there that I started to realize that Maya was in top form. Her width and power throughout and her udder was the best I have ever seen it. I started to wonder. Could this be the day? Could it really happen?
Bonaccueil Maya Goldwyn EX-95
Getting ready for the show
As Hailey walked to the show ring, I realized that her injury had not in any way affected her mobility and would not be a factor in the results. Then it came down to Judge Melanie Boulet’s preference. Both Hay and Maya looked great and you could give reasons either way. Certainly a tough decision. One that reminded me of the 1997 Royal. When Acme Star Lily faced off against Rainyridge Tony Beauty. Judge Marc Comtois had to choose between two amazing cows. It came down to preference and style. (Note: Comestar was not at this show as Marc was judging in South America. Also absent from the show was Ferme Boulet and Pierre Boulet, as their sister was judging and Ferme Blondin, yet the show still had a great turn out).
RF Goldwyn Hailey EX-97
1st place mature cow
Judge Boulet had done a very good job all day. Now the Mature Class would be her toughest decision of the day. Giving it lots of thought, Judge Boulet went with Hailey. A decision that got mixed reviews. But, until you are in that position, it’s easy to be a ringside judge. While I would have gone with Maya, who for me now becomes the mature cow to beat for the upcoming World Dairy Expo and Royal Winter fair, I do respect Judge Boulet’s choice.
Bonaccueil Maya Goldwyn EX-95
2nd place mature cow
After the mature cow class, everyone, including myself, thought that it would be smooth sailing to Grand for Hailey. But on this day that was not to be. As Judge Boulet was about to name the much anticipated but expected Grand Champion, I had my camera focused on Hailey. Thinking that I would get that perfect moment when the judge does the Grand slap. Then as Judge Boulet was walking around the Intermediate Champions, and I am taking a moment to rest my hands, thinking that she is just adding drama to an already inevitable decision, Judge Boulet slaps Roquet Jasmine Sanchez, also owned by Gen-Com Holsteins, as her Grand Champion.
Grand Champion – Roquet Jasmine Sanchez
Junior 3 Year Old, Gen-Com Holsteins Ltd, PQ
To say I was shocked would have been an understatement. While Jasmine certainly had a very impressive mammary system and loads of dairy strength for a Jr. 3 yr old, I did not see her contending for Grand. I actually thought she should have been Reserve Intermediate Champion, behind the winning Jr. 2yr old, Belfast Goldwyn Lasenza, a young cow with a great future. Two former classifiers at ringside commented that Lasenza should be used as the True Type Model for what a Junior 2yr old should look like. A special thanks to Gilbert Valois for the great visit to Ferme Boulet and Pierre Boulet’s operations, where I saw the great Kendra…..looking amazing at 13 years of age. My father first hired Gilbert many years ago as a classifier at Holstein Canada and the two share many stories.
Reserve Intermediate Champion – Belfast Goldwyn Lasenza
Junior 2 Year Old, Belfast Holsteins Enr. & Mary Inn Holsteins, PQ
I always say that as long as you get the correct group in the parade of champions, the judge has done a great job. On this day, Judge Boulet did just that. She moved through the heifer classes with relative ease naming Jacobs Windbrook Bally, Junior Champion. Here is a heifer that should be able to contend at WDE. And then she went with Jasmine and Lasenza as her Intermediate Champions. Again two cows that will be contending at WDE. Although Judge Boulet caught at least me by surprise by going with Jasmine as her Grand, I certainly do appreciate the added drama that her selection brought to this amazing show. For the Gen-Com team, there is a silver lining. If Goldwyn Hailey is going to be beaten, it`s certainly a good thing when it`s done by one of your own cows.
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Now there is a question that you will get many different answers to. From your die hard show supporters that believe the earth revolves around the show ring, to your commercial producers that would tell you there could be nothing further from what really matters. Everyone has an opinion. The question becomes, ”Who is right?” For me personally this question comes up as I prepare to head out to the Ontario Summer Show and then on to the International Intrigue Sale at Ferme Blondin on Saturday. On the one hand, I am questioning if this is really that important to 99% of the breeders out there? And beyond that, how much will the results of this show and the sale affect the dairy industry?
Probably not. For example, take a look at last year’s World Dairy Expo and Royal Winter Fair Grand Champion, RF Goldwyn Hailey. Are her genetics setting the breed on fire? NO.
RF GOLDWYN HAILEY EX-97-2E-CAN
GRAND ROYAL 2012
GRAND MADISON 2012
Will the standard from the show ring become the new standard for type classification? No. In many cases type classification and show ring evaluation could not be farther apart (Read more: Over-Scored and Over-Rated). Therefore, it’s not the show ring that is setting the standard for which all other cows will be measured.
Could it be the thrill of competition? There is no doubt that as a society we put our great athletes on pedestals and maybe the show cows are just like the great athletes, whom we idolize so much. Just as in every day society, the vast majority of us could not name the top executives at the world’s Fortune 100 companies, many breeders could not tell you the top ten gTPI or gLPI females in the breed. HOWEVER … we all can tell you our favorite show cow. And just like we have Green Bay Packer, Montreal Canadians or Toronto Blue Jays fans who would die for their team, there are fans of the many great show cows that would scorn anyone who says anything negative about them.
I think another great thing about shows is the way they bring everyone together. Whether you love showing cows or not, pretty much all breeders are passionate about dairy cattle. Anytime you can get this number of people together who are passionate about the same thing, you are sure to have a good time. There is no question that dairy breeders are very passionate about what they do. You certainly cannot say you got into dairy farming for the money, because there are much greater opportunities to make money in other industries. However, you certainly will be hard pressed to find a greater community where everyone shares the same passion as they do in the dairy industry.
Is the show ring the center of the dairy world? Probably not. But is it the perfect opportunity to see amazing cattle and talk with fellow breeders about what is great about this industry? Yes. I love to show…I love going to shows…..I love looking at great show cows…..most importantly I love talking with dairy breeders about cows. All of these things happen at a show. So for me, the answer is “Yes!” For that day, that show is definitely the center of the dairy industry!
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Not since Wayne Gretzky ripped Leaf fan’s hearts out in game 6 of the 1993 playoffs have they felt such pain as they did on Sunday night after having a 3 goal lead on Boston with just over 10 minutes to play. (FYI I had to forgive Gretzky as I married his cousin and it would cause bad in-law relations). Making Leaf fans more prime for pain was the fact that they have not been in the playoffs for the past 9 years. After watching what had to be one of the worst collapses in hockey history, I got to thinking about what it took to be great. What I came up with is that truly great players like Gretzky and Crosby don’t only make themselves look great but they also make the players around them that much better. Just like great cattle investments don’t only make themselves profitable but also help the animals around them more profitable.
![sidney-crosby-alex-ovechkin-game-7[1]](https://www.thebullvine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/sidney-crosby-alex-ovechkin-game-71.jpg)
Due to the lockout of 2004-2005, Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin both entered the NHL in the same year. At the time there was great debate about who was going to be the better player. Since then the stats would tell you that Ovechkin has been the better investment. He has 371 goals, 365 assists for 735 points, whereas Crosby has had 238 goals, 427 assists for 665 points. However, sometimes numbers don’t tell the whole story. Even though Ovechkin has won more individual awards (Rookie of the Year, 2x NHL goal scoring leader, 2x most valuable player, vs. 1 MVP and 1 scoring title for Crosby), ask any NHL player which one is better and they would tell you that Crosby is by far. That is because Crosby not only puts up numbers himself but he also makes the players around him raise their level of play. For example, before playing on a line with Crosby, Chris Kunitz highest goal total was 26 in an 82 game season. This year, playing with Crosby he had 22 in the shortened 48 game season. That is an almost 50% increase. This outstanding ability to inspire others around him has resulted in Crosby having played more playoff games than Ovechkin and has already won a Stanley Cup in his career.
When I got to thinking about how the truly great ones not only make themselves look great they also make the others around them better, it reminded me of a comment that Jeff Butler of Butlerview made in an interview we did with him just before Royal last year (Read more: Exciting Times for Butlerview). In the article Jeff say’s “type brings the foot traffic to the farm, but genomics and pedigree get them buying.” This further reminded me of an article I had written early this year about the great RF Goldwyn Hailey and how she herself may not be a great return on investment (Read more: RF Goldwyn Hailey: Cash Cow or Cash Hog?). While there is no question that Hailey’s own numbers alone are not the highest ROI in the market today, if you look at it from a marketing investment she and other great show cows could be the wisest marketing investment you could ever make. Now I am not talking buy these animals for the over 1 million dollar mark. But as Jeff says nothing drives traffic to your door like a great show cow. Something Jeff should know considering he owns 2 of the top 5 cult following cows in the world today (R-E-W Happy Go Lucky and Cookview Goldwyn Monique).
R-E-W HAPPY GO LUCKY VG-89-2YR-USA
ALL-CANADIAN MILKING 1-YR 2012
ALL-AMERICAN MILKING 1-YR 2012
The big thing you need to remember and as Jeff pointed out in our article is that you need the supporting cast in your herd to help convert that traffic into revenue. For Butlerview that means animals like Regancrest S Chassity, Regancrest G Brocade and De-Su 199 Chart Topper. These high genomic animals from big name pedigrees are the ones that help Butlerview’s big investment in show cattle pay dividends. Key to any of this is the fact that all animals need to be good embryo producers or you might as well kiss your money goodbye (Read more: What Comes First the Chicken or the Egg?).
The great hockey player to every play the game, Wayne Gretzky, always said don’t go to where the puck is but rather, see where the puck is going and go there. As we highlighted in our article about the marketing of Glen Drummond Aero Flower and DES-Y-GEN PLANET SILK, you need to see or even predict where the marketing is heading and make sure your marketing and breeding goals are in alignment with that (Read more: Marketing Lessons From Glen Drummond Aero Flower). As the dairy industry develops, efficient milk production that fills the consumers’ needs will gain greater importance. National indexes are always being adjusted to reflect the marketplace. In Canada it will not be long before greater weighting will be placed on health and fertility traits, this means you should already be breeding for this today so that your ahead of the curve when these changes occur. Remember that it’s not only about how much milk, or how many show winning daughters a sire produces, but it’s also important to breed to a bottom line that is consumer friendly. It’s only a matter of time before the national indexes reflect this even more.
DES-Y-GEN PLANET SILK *RDC VG-87-2YR-USA
David Dyment has kept Planet Silk ahead of the curve by combining both high index, Red Factor and polled in one complete package. Her sons and daughters dominate the top of the Red and the RC list (GTPI). Her son DYMENTHOLM S SYMPATICO is one of the highest GTPI and GLPI active bulls in the breed.
Headliners will get you attention, but their ability to make the others around you shine as well will be what makes you the money. Sidney Crosby is a great player, but it’s the ability to lift up the others around him better that wins the Stanley Cup. The same was true for Wayne Gretzky. It wasn’t just his own ability to dominate a game that created the opportunity for Gretzky to appear in 6 Stanley Cup finals, winning four of them. It was his ability to see the play developing and make his team around him shine too that did it. Until players like Ovechkin learn this key lesson he will never win a cup. The same is true when you are designing your genetic marketing program. Until you learn just how you are going to use your headliners to maximize the other genetic stars in your herd and look 3+ years down road and see where the market is heading, you are never going to generate as much return on your investment as you could.
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Face it, the tactics that have been used for the past 50 years don’t work anymore. The same old ads. In the same old magazine. Advertising the same old genetics. After you’ve seen one, or two, or 10, you’ve seen them all! Boring! However, a Purple Cow? Now that would be something. Are you remarkable enough to have a Purple Cow? In today’s day and age of in vitro fertilization, genomics and social media, you’re either remarkable or invisible.
![bigpc[1]](https://www.thebullvine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/bigpc1.gif)
Seth Godin’s book Purple Cow: Transform Your Business By Being Remarkable is perfectly titled for dairy breeders today. Godin’s understanding of dairy cattle is limited as represented by his comment “Cows, after you’ve seen one, or two, or 10, are boring,” but his point about needing to be remarkable, in order to stand out from the herd, is spot on.
Every day breeders come face to face with a lot of boring stuff – even a lot of the same old boring cows – but you can bet they would never forget a Purple Cow. Now getting a Purple Cow marketing idea doesn’t happen overnight. It’s not as if you can just wake up one morning and change your marketing to have your “Purple Cow” idea. You need to breed for it. You need to manage for it. And then and only then can you market it.
For years, generation after generation of consistent breeding was enough to have your genetics in demand around the world. However, that is no longer enough thanks to in vitro fertilization (Read more: IVF: Boom or Bust for the Dairy Industry and FAST TRACK GENETICS: More Results in Less Time). With so many breeders leveraging this technology and producing more and more cattle at the top end of the genetic scale, there has been a shift in the marketplace. What used to be unique is becoming commonplace. In this recent spring sale season, I saw no less than three full sisters (Uno’s from the great Apple) selling at three different sales in a 1-week period. And then of course there were still more sisters at home. IVF has changed things so much that even at the very top end, owners of the very best genetics are having trouble differentiating their product. Genetics that at one time would have been sale headliners, are now selling in those lull sections of the sale that minimize profits. Combine that with the cost to produce these animals and the ROI is shrinking. Of course IVF is a catch 22 technology. If you don’t use it and other breeders are using it on their top genetics, you’re still left behind.
In one sense you could say Genomics has brought harmony to the world (Read more: The impact of genomics on cattle breeding and How Genomics is Killing the Dairy Cattle Breeding Industry). No longer are cattle from different countries viewed as inferior or of lesser genetic merit. Genomic testing has brought uniformity to the world market. But as a result it has also brought globalization to the industry and breeders can no longer differentiate their genetics by country of origin. This means that instead of the top 1% of the genetics in the world being in high demand, it is now the top 0.1% (Read more: An Insider’s Guide to What Sells at the Big Dairy Cattle Auctions). Either you are at the very top of the lists or you had better find a new niche or way to differentiate your genetics (Read more: Marketing Lessons from Glen Drummond Aero Flower).
AMMON-PEACHY SHAUNA a very popular purple cow
If you want to get your message out to the world, there is nothing better than social media. The power of tools like Facebook to let breeders around the world know what animals you have is amazing (Read more: 7 Reasons Why Your Dairy Farm Needs To Be On Facebook and The Anti-Social Farmer: On the Verge of Extinction?). The thing is, it still takes those animals that are the “Purple Cows” in order to be noticed. Hailey, O’Kalibra, Missy, Happy Go Lucky and Rae Lynn are cows whose show ring successes have also caused social media success for their breeders. On the genomic side, cows like Shauna, Lucia, and Hue have attracted a lot of attention. Another aspect that helps pictures on Facebook go viral is the ones that comply with the Dairy Marketers Code of Conduct (Read more: Introducing the Diary Marketing Code of Conduct and Dairy Cattle Photography – Over Exposed ). However, in order to achieve this sustained viral status you first need to be unique. You need to know your niche. You need to be a “Purple Cow.”
Valleyville Rae Lynn is certainly a Purple Cow
In Purple Cow, Seth Godin urges you to put Purple Cow differentiation into everything you build and everything you do, to create something truly noticeable. It’s a manifesto for dairy breeders looking to take their genetics programs to a new level. Pretty ads, generations of VG or EX and nice cattle pictures will not pay the bills. Either you set yourself apart or you are wasting your time. What makes you unique? Have you found your Purple Cow breeding program or marketing idea?
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On an average day we get about 100-120 different comments on our website, Facebook page and other social media sites about how dairy cattle showing is inhumane and unethical. On Saturday alone we had over 200 comments on our Facebook page about how some of our udder shots were just downright cruel. (Read more: What PETA Does Not Know About Raising Dairy Cattle!) Now fortunately we do have filters and staff setup to handle this, but it still got me thinking about this issue. Is dairy cattle showing cruel and unusual treatment, or is it that the general public doesn’t understand that some cows just want to dance?
RF Goldwyn Hailey – A great show cow who just loves to dance
The image some would have you believe is that these cows are being badly treated, that they are in constant pain, and that they live a very harsh life. This quite simply is not the case at all. In reality these show cows receive the best possible treatment. They receive a bath pretty much every other day, they get all the best feed they can eat and are loved by those who care for them. And that is not just at the show. This treatment occurs on a daily basis.
Think about it, they get regular haircuts so that they look pretty. They get a little hairspray to make sure their hair stays in place. They receive a massaging bath to make sure they feel good. And they get all the nutritious food they could eat. What more could a pampered “lady” ask for?
Beverly Donavon and the great show cow Sweet Pepper Black Francesca
Oh yes, the love of a good man? Well they receive that as well. The breeders exhibiting these animals truly do love their show cows. Many times these cows become like family to the breeders who love and care for them and they wouldn’t do anything to hurt them. And to be “politically” correct there are many woman who love these great animals as well (Read more: The Magic of Francesca). In reality they do everything they can to provide for them. They give these animals names and they treat them, some would say, better than their own children because there are no mind games, or time out for bad behavior.
VALLEYVILLE RAE LYNN – Mammary System – RAWF 2012
Now there is the question about how cows mammary systems are prepared for show. While most can understand the washing, clipping and feeding, they just can’t get their head around the apparent “pain” they perceive that cow udders endure The practice of letting the cows udder fill to capacity has some thinking that these lactating boobs are about to explode. Well I look at it like this. When a young woman is out looking her best does she not put on her best dress and “push up” bra? That is the same as a cow has when she goes into the show ring. She wants to look her best and her “push up bra” helps her do that.
R-E-W Happy Go Lucky – Mammary System – NY Spring Show 2013
Now I know some would ask, “How do you know that the cow actually enjoys it?” Well look in their eyes. There are some cows that love to show. Just like there are some women who love to get all dressed up and go out on for a night on the town. The second these dairy-girls step in the ring, something changes, they just want to dance. And man can some of them do it. They walk into that ring as if they are walking down a runway in Paris, New York or Milan.
While some would condemn the treatment of show cows, those that actually understand the practice, appreciate that these cows are some of the best cared for animals in the world. You see, for some of these cows, it’s as if they are “moovie” stars walking down the red carpet at the premier of their next big film. They just love it!!! All eyes are on them and there is nowhere else they would rather be. They just love to dance.
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Over the past month I have been to 5 cattle auctions and 7 cattle shows in 4 different states or provinces. To say that I spent some time on the road driving from one event to the next is an understatement. And, while all of these events were amazing in their own unique way, there was one consistent thing that surprised me. Less and less people are attending these events.
RF Goldwyn Hailey – Grand Champion NY Spring Show
Now normally this would cause one to think that dairy cattle showing is dying, but in reality I actually think that the exact opposite is true. Consider this. The quality of cattle at these shows has been the best I have ever seen. I have had the opportunity to see the great RF Goldwyn Hailey multiple times, and this last time at NY Spring Show I would say that she looked the best I had ever seen her (Read more: RF Goldwyn Hailey Rides to the Top Spot at NY Spring Carousel and New York Spring Holstein Show 2013 Results). Also in NY I saw one of the most competitive Sr. 2 year old classes ever, where the legend in the making R-E-W Happy Go Lucky was beaten for the first time in milking form. Though in all fairness she is in the later stage of her lactation and the others are peaking.
R-E-W HAPPY GO LUCKY
At the Ontario Spring Show, I saw what I think to be a future World Dairy Expo and Royal Winter Fair Grand Champion, Valleyville Rae Lynn, giving Hailey a run for her money, though as Hailey has shown this spring she is untouchable. (Read more: Ontario Spring Discovery – Nothing Slipped Past Judge “Crack” and Ontario Spring Discovery Results). And at Quebec Spring Show I get to visit with many of the most passionate breeders in the world today (Read more: Do We Speak the Same Language? and Quebec Spring Show Results).
Valleyville Rae Lynn – Reserve Grand Ontario Spring Show
In discussing this with Randy Blodgett, newly appointed publisher of Holstein World and mastermind behind Holstein World Productions, the answer becomes pretty clear. They are all watching the coverage online.
Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra
Class 9 winner, Sr & Grand Champion – 2013 All European Championship
During the recent NY Spring Show, there were over 5,000 people watching on the live video stream. This reminded me of the video stream we shared of the EU Championship Show where there were so many people wanting to watch that we had up to 1,000 people waiting to get one of the coveted spots to watch the live stream on the Bullvine alone(Read more:The All European Championship Show: The Greatest SHOW on Earth and Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra Wins Grand at the 2013 All European Championship). Interesting note about the EU Championship show. The show itself did such a great job of covering the show, we here at the Bullvine didn’t even have to attend the show and we had the largest viewership in the world, thanks to the power of digital and social media.
3X as many people watched the 2013 All European Championships on www.bullvine.com then all other publications combined.
And now we are talking about just those who are able to take the time to watch it live. If you add in those that watch the coverage on the various publications and Facebook you would easily be over 12,000 viewers. There are more publications than ever covering the shows. Gone are the days when you were lucky to get covered in your national breed publication and that’s it. In today’s digital dairy media world, you are likely to have 4 or 5 publications there taking pictures and sharing the results. Who knows maybe someday we will have coverage comparable to a professional sporting event? Imagine it, commentators during the cow show bring you all the play by play.
From the great camera angles combined with the very professional in ring cameras combined with the outstanding music and exceptional ring announcer the experience was riveting for all at the 2013 All European Championships.
But already even this is starting to change. We here are the Bullvine try to do even more. While we have not gotten into the live streaming of the shows, we have started to do more and more stories about what happens beyond the placings. We try to bring you the story behind the story, such as (Read more World Dairy Expo 2012 Holstein Show – A Battle for the Ages and The 2012 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show – One of the greatest ever told!).
Brian and Rob Eby embrace after Ebyhomle Goldwyn Marcia is named Reserve Grand Champion at the 2012 RAWF
Actually, it’s almost scary how much some things have changed. Just write or share a picture of Hailey, O’Kalibra, Happy Go Lucky, or Rae Lynn and the piece goes viral. These cows have become “Moovie” Stars. They have their own cult following that would rival that of One Direction, Maroon 5 or Justin Bieber.
While I am sure that many dairy breeders are not “Beliebers”, they are very passionate about great cows and these four certainly are that. And yes I am sure that many of the showmen that show these animals do have egos as big as Justin’s is. Things have changed so much that the showmen of these cattle have gone from complaining about or at least ignoring the photographers in the ring, to a point where they make sure they have the animal set up correctly. They are all looking good and appreciate the exposure. So much so that in the past 2 weeks alone we have had over 20 requests by breeders for pictures from the show for use in ads and other marketing efforts. A “money shot” of their animal winning their class or better yet the show, brings coverage you just can’t buy and a boring side shot cannot compare with. (Read more No Cow Is Perfect – Not Even in Pictures and Introducing the Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct)
Starting today in Wisconsin is the Mid-West Spring National. This is a show that I am sure will be great. But I will not be there. That’s because between, myself and my trusty traveling partner (my father and Bullvine writer), we need time to rest. Yes the time in the car is fine for discussing many of the great events or challenges facing the dairy industry and leads to some great articles (Read more: Where is the Balance in Balanced Breeding?)., we need time to get caught up on the other things in our lives.
We were stressing out that we needed to be there but just couldn’t do the 11hr drive back and forth and still get everything done that we need to do. So we are not going. The amazing part is, when I mentioned on Facebook about the show and asked what animals were there and who looked good, we got some super responses. The best of them were the people that said they would take some pictures for us and share with us all the “juicy” details about the stories behind the story. To our faithful readers who are doing this for us we send a BIG thank you. To those looking for results, we say “Don’t worry we’ve got you covered”.
Now there is one event that I would love to be at. And yes it does happen today, and yes it is at a cattle show, but NO it is not happening in the show ring. Since starting the Bullvine we have had the opportunity to get to know many amazing people. One such case is Beverly Donavon, the passionate owner of the great Ayrshire show cow Sweet-Pepper Black Francesca. Their story has touched our hearts and made us huge fans of both (Read more: The Magic of Francesca).
Through the power of social media we have gotten to know Beverly and her husband Richard. Recently Richard mentioned to me that a great young artist, Emma Caldwell, had painted an amazing picture of “Frannie” and that he would be attending the Ayrshire Spring Show in Quebec today with Beverly to meet the artist and pick up the picture (Read more Emma Caldwell’s Art Stirs Mind and Heart!). Now you see Richard may come sometimes come across as a sarcastic wrangler but when you get to know him, you can’t help but like him. This special event that he has arranged, and that Beverly knows nothing about, is just another reason why. When Frannie passed this past winter, Beverly was understandably devastated and Richard has done everything he could think of to help her through this tough time. This picture is just one of the many things he has done to help her through it. Emma Caldwell has graciously agreed to auction of her latest painting “Hailey” with a portion of the proceeds to go towards a charity (click here to learn more).
Emma Caldwell’s painting of the great “Frannie”
So my interest in being there has nothing to do with the show, which I am sure will be great. It has nothing to do with covering this story, which I am sure will be a tearjerker. But rather, it has EVERYTHING to do with the power of the human spirit. Three amazing people will get to meet, share a few tears (Bev most certainly), and celebrate an amazing cow and a very thoughtful gesture by all in involved. There will not be a big presentation in the center of the ring. There will not be any announcement over the public address system. If you see Bev with tears in her eyes over her trademark heartwarming love for one of her favorites , be sure to give her a big hug and say, “Way to go, we all loved Frannie and she was one of the best ever.”
So this is where I will be this weekend.
While we here at the Bullvine will not be able to attend as many shows as we would like, I think that is also the case for many passionate dairy breeders. However thanks to the power of social media and the enhanced coverage many of the trade publications are providing, you can rest assured that you will be able to get the full story. To those who pioneered this, such as Randy Blodgett over 16 years ago, when he first did digital real time coverage at Expo, “Way to go Randy”. To those that have stepped up to help bring us the story behind the story at Mid-West Spring National, we say “Thanks”. Yes show attendance is down, but there is no question that the show passion lives on.
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This past weekend Switzerland hosted the 2013 All European Championship Show and sent a clear message to the world that NO ONE puts on a better SHOW than Europe. Think of it as the Olympics meets Cirque to Soleil and you have the 2013 All European Championships. From the outstanding cattle to the amazing production the 2013 All European Champion truly was the GREATEST Dairy SHOW on earth in 2013.
Similar to the greatly anticipated battle at the 2012 World Dairy Expo between the great Harvue Roy Frosty and RF Goldwyn Hailey (Read more: World Dairy Expo 2012 Holstein Show: A battle for the ages), the 2013 All European Championship Show had its own much anticipated battle between DECRAUSAZ IRON O’KALIBRA EX-94 from Switzerland and ASHYLYN VRAY EX-94 from Spain. It didn’t disappoint. As predicted the Grand Championship came down to these two great cows with O’Kalibra taking Grand and Vray taking Reserve.
Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra
Class 9 winner, Sr & Grand Champion – 2013 All European Championship
In his reasons Judge David Boyd from Ireland commented that he thought O’Kalibra, exhibited by GS Alliance and Pat Conroy, could walk in any show ring in the world and compete. Many show experts agree 100% with his declaration. Two separate polls on Facebook demonstrated that the world agrees with him. O’Kalibra certainly would give the great RF Goldwyn Hailey a run for her money. With her outstanding fore udder, sweep of rib and strength of pastern she would certainly make it a very interesting class competing with Hailey’s outstanding balance, size and dairyness throughout. (Watch for more to come on this topic or click here to participate in our Facebook poll)
Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra
Class 9 winner, Sr & Grand Champion – 2013 All European Championship
LLERA ARIEL GOLDWYN (SPAIN)
Class 8 winner – 2013 All European Championship
Another show favorite that caught the eye of cattlemen was LLERA ARIEL GOLDWYN. For many she is the definition of the modern Holstein cow with her dairyness through the front end and snuggly attached udder that is high and wide. She certainly won many fans at the show. Also getting a lot of attention from Spain, who went on to win the much-coveted top country class, was HUDDLESFORD DUPLEX MEDORA. This silky black Duplex daughter rose to be Intermediate Champion over some outstanding young cows from Ponderosa Farms of Spain (Watch for our upcoming feature article with Ponderosa who had 5 Top 5 placing animals).
Huddlesford Duplex Medora (Spain)
Class 6 Winner and Int. Champion – 2013 All European Championship
A young cow with a very bright future is the Junior Champion C.M.E GOLDWYN VANITY (Note for North American readers at this show ALL animals are in milking form so Junior Champion is more like a 1st or 2nd calf cow). This young cow had the X factor that Judge Boyd was looking for. He loved her depth of fore rib over her classmate and Reserve Junior Champion SOUTHLAND ALEX CAROLA 11.
Complete 2013 All European Championship Show Holstein Results
C.M.E. GOLDWYN VANITY (Italy)
Jr Champion Holstein – 2013 All European Championship
Suard-Red Jordan Irene
Grand Champion 2013 All European Championship
The Red Holstein Show was very much dominated by the host country Switzerland with SUARD-RED JORDAN IRENE taking Grand Champion honors. This great Ja-Bob Jordan daughter used the power of her outstanding mammary system to take top honors in a show that featured many outstanding young cows.
Suard-Red Jordan Irene – Grand Champion 2013 All European Championship
Complete 2013 All European Championship Show Red Holstein Results
While some would argue that even the winners of some of these classes would not sit top five at World Dairy Expo or the Royal, one thing that this show does dominate over North America is the entertainment production value that even the emotional story of Ebyholme Goldwyn Marcia winning reserve at the Royal could not compete with (Read more: The 2012 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show: One of the greatest stories ever told!).
From the ring environment that is custom developed for this show to the passion the breeders in Europe have for this show, the whole experience is was like something you would expect at an expensive production like Cirque to Soleil or the closing ceremonies of the Olympics.
From the ring environment that is custom developed for this show to the passion the breeders in Europe have for this show, the whole experience is was like something you would expect at an expensive production like Cirque to Soleil or the closing ceremonies of the Olympics. At times the final class for champion country (a walk in class in EU compared to a points class in North American competitions) with appreciation presentations and flag passing ceremonies to the next host France in 2014 seemed to take a very long time. However, a lively ring announcer and a suspenseful environment made even that an enjoyable experience for the over capacity crowd. That same enthusiastic crowd went on to show the world how well they can party late into the night. Where no fewer than 2,000 people taking part in a typical Swiss dish: the fondue and some fine refreshments.
From the great camera angles combined with the very professional in ring cameras combined with the outstanding music and exceptional ring announcer the experience was riveting for all.
Not only was the experience outstanding for those in attendance but also for those who watched online. With a limited capacity of 2000 viewers (1500 on the Bullvine alone) streaming online the show did an amazing job showcasing itself to the world. From the great camera angles combined with the very professional in ring cameras combined with the outstanding music and exceptional ring announcer the experience was riveting for all. At one point that we had over 200 people on our website who were not able to watch, constantly hitting refresh hoping to get a chance to see this amazing event. (Click here to watch the highlight video)
A capacity crowd was on hand for the 2013 Swiss European Sale. Sale highlights include: 14,700 – Morsan Showdon Red, the daughter of the Goldbull Christian is a granddaughter of Blondin Redman Seisme and is the only female descendant of Seisme in Europe.
With the 2013 edition of the All European Championship show now complete Europe has sent a clear message to the rest of the world and specifically North America. They are a serious force on the world scene. All who attended or watched online saw high quality cattle and an amazing production. There is no question, from a presentation stand point, that the 2013 All European Championship Show was certainly “the greatest dairy show on earth”
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In the age of American Idol, Dancing with the Stars and countless other franchises where the fans decide the outcome, it’s about time for Dairy Breeders to join the decision-making fun.. That is why the Bullvine has created the Breeder’s Choice Awards. The Breeder’s Choice Awards celebrates fan favorites in the show ring, index cows, sires and dairy celebrities. It stands alone as the only major award where real people – not industry insiders – determine the winners.
Over the past month The Bullvine has been conducting surveys on our Facebook page to see exactly who the fans would choose as the top Holstein show cattle in North America for 2012. To qualify the animals in each class needed to place in the top five spots at either World Dairy Expo or the Royal (Read more: World Dairy Expo 2012 Holstein Show: A Battle for the Ages and The 2012 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show – One of the Greatest Stories Evert Told ). After thousands of votes here are the winners:
COBEQUID GOLDWYN DANNY – 2012 Breeder’s Choice Spring Heifer Calf
PETITCLERC GOLDWYN SIDNEY – 2012 Breeder’s Choice Winter Heifer Calf
MD-DUN-LOAFIN LAUTH ELLI- 2012 Breeder’s Choice Fall Heifer Calf
CO-VALE FEVER CAMILA – 2012 Breeder’s Choice Summer Yearling Heifer
JACOBS ATWOOD LILLY BOY – 2012 Breeder’s Choice Spring Yearling Heifer
Lafontaine Aftershock Arrie – 2012 Breeder’s Choice Winter Yearling Heifer
Kingsway Goldwyn Artichoke – 2012 Breeder’s Choice Fall Yearling Heifer
R-E-W Happy Go Lucky – 2012 Breeder’s Choice Fall Yearling In Milk
BVK ATWOOD ARIANNA – 2012 Breeder’s Choice Jr. 2yr old
Valleyville Rae Lynn – 2012 Breeder’s Choice Sr. 2yr old
Robrook Goldwyn Cameron – 2012 Breeder’s Choice Jr. 3yr old
Cookview Goldwyn Monique – 2012 Breeder’s Choice Sr. 3yr old
Macpes Fortune Koquine – 2012 Breeder’s Choice 4 yr old
Wendon Goldwyn Allie – 2012 Breeder’s Choice 5 yr old
RF Goldwyn Hailey – 2012 Breeder’s Choice Mature cow
Starbrite Lyster Lyndsay – 2012 Breeder’s Choice Lifetime Production Cow
While cows like R-E-W Happy Go Lucky, Cookview Goldwyn Monique and RF Goldwyn Hailey rode their almost cult like followings to dominant victories, it was really interesting to see the classes where there were different winners than at the Royal or Madison (Spring Calf, Winter Heifer Calf, Fall Heifer Calf, Spring Yearling, Winter Yearling, Fall Yearling, Junior 3 year old and 4 year old). Particularly surprising was that in two of these classes (Spring Calf and Spring Yearling) the winner was not a class winner at either the Royal or Madison. The biggest shocker of all has to be Royal and Madison Sr. 2 year old winner, Butz-Butler Gold Barbara, falling to Valleyville Rae Lynn. It was also interesting to see the battle between Madison Junior Champion, Lafontaine Aftershock Arrie, and Royal Junior Champion, MD-Dun Loafin Lauth Elli, going head to head as they did both did not attend both shows. Elli was the Breeder’s Choice.
Continuing in our Breeder’s Choice competition, over the next few weeks we will be conducting polls on Facebook in the following categories:
So be sure to “like” our Facebook page and Click on “Show” in the News feed as Facebook now only shows you about 20% of posts on pages you like. Don’t miss any of the great polls and great conversation.
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.
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 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:
Daughters represent the area where Durham has had his greatest impact. There are many great daughters to choose from. Here are just a few:
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.
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.
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:
Similarly to Durham, Goldwyn has made a bigger impact through the maternal side. Some of his most notable daughters include:
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.
2012 was certainly an amazing year for RF Goldwyn Hailey and her owners Gen-Com Holsteins. There was a time that when winning Supreme Champion at both the World Dairy Expo (Read more – World Dairy Expo 2012 Holstein Show – A Battle for the Ages ) and The Royal (Read more – The 2012 Royal Winter fair Holstein Show – One of the greatest stories ever told!) would have been a license to print money. Your name would be legendary and you could milk that cash cow for years and years to come (Read more – The Story Behind How Two Full Sisters Dominated Expo Quebec). However, with recent changes in the marketplace (Read more – Who Killed the Market for Good Cattle? and the Insiders Guide to What Sells at the Big Dairy Auctions) the question becomes,”Is Hailey a cash cow or a cash hog?”
RF GOLDWYN HAILEY EX-97-2E (CAN)
GRAND QC INTERNATIONAL 2012
GRAND MADISON 2012
RES.GRAND ROYAL 2011
In years past a cow such as Hailey would have been a cash cow for her owners Gen-Com Holsteins. Today she appears to be more of a cash hog, not only is she not providing the rivers of cash that most would expect but actually she requires that capital/cash that being a show cow at the level of Hailey demands.
Before you think I am certifiably crazy, let’s take a closer look at the numbers. First of all consider the recent World Classic Sale at Madison. Hailey’s Sid daughter sold for $30,000 (Read more – World Classic 2012 Highlights). It is also well known that embryos are in high demand, so let’s put a value of $5,000 per embryo from Hailey. Now a couple of factors that make Hailey a little different from your average cow is that you cannot flush her as often and that she costs a lot to take care of. Often Hailey is housed a custom facility costing a lot more than your average housing. Using the Return on Investment Calculator, we plugged the follow numbers in using a conventional embryo transfer program:
What we find, when using Microsoft Excel’s Goal Seek function, is that the current break even value for RF Goldwyn Hailey is $212,808.40. This is what she is worth based on the sale price of her genetics currently. If you think using IVF makes things better think again, remember that you have about an extra $5,000 to $7,500 in expense in order to produce an IVF female (Read more – IVF: Boom or Bust for the Dairy Industry).
Now I know you’re saying, “Hey Hailey is the greatest show cow in the world, and we see cows like Cookview Goldwyn Monique EX-92 sell for $490,000 at the International Intrigue Sale (Read More – International Intrigue – The Secret Is Exposed).” Looking for answers, I figured I would go directly to the source. In our interview just before the Royal with Monique’s co-owner Jeff Butler of Butlerview Farms, Jeff made a very interesting comment that caught my attention. He pointed out that “Type brings the foot traffic to the farm. But genomics and pedigree get them buying.” (Read more Exciting Times at Butlerview).
COOKVIEW GOLDWYN MONIQUE VG-89-3YR-CAN
Show Winnings:
INT.CHAMP ROYAL 2012
INT.CHAMP MADISON 2012
RES.GRAND MADISON 2012
Think about it. Here is a guy who very clearly understands the marketplace and has invested in what is probably the best show string in the world today. With some of the prices they have paid, you wonder how they could ever make a profit on these animals. But then his comments start to make more sense to me. They don’t need to make their profit from each of these animals. Some of these animals are purchased to get people through the door.
It’s with that single change in thinking that everything becomes much clearer. It’s like having a great playmaker in Hockey. They may not score all the goals (i.e. make all the profits) but what they do is make every player around them play much better. You see you can have a team of super stars but if they can’t work together, you can’t win (Look at the NBA’s L.A. Lakers our Baseballs L.A. Dodgers). The same is true in the elite genomics world. Having a team of show super stars on their own will not make you rich. What you need, in addition to them, are cattle that you paid far less for, but since the super stars are attracting the attention, buyers are willing to pay more for the progeny of these other great animals.
In Butlerview’s case, this model still means buyers are accessing some of the best genomic animals in the world. Furthermore, instead of Butlerview having to spend that much more in marketing or advertising, the money spent on these top show cows helps decrease marketing expense of these Genomic animals, They drive up traffic and demand so that Butlerview can make their margins with the Genomic animals. When you start to look at it as a genetic operation as a whole and not so much on a cow by cow basis only, purchases like Monique make a lot of sense. Dollars and cents.
There is no question that everyone loves to win, and that RF Goldwyn Hailey did a lot of that in 2012. It’s also important to make money. That is where the Butlerview model makes a lot of sense. Use the type super stars to get buyers through the door and have plenty of other high genomic and high pedigree animals right there to help convert that traffic into cash. It’s not that you make your money off the super star herself. You make your money from how much easier the super star makes it to sell the genetics from your other cattle. It’s at this point that I realize that some of these show super stars are not cash hogs, but actually agents for other cash cows.
Not sure how much to spend on that great 2 year old or heifer?
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Recently Braedale Goldwyn became the 1st sire ever to produce 1000 Excellent daughters in Canada (Read more – Goldwyn First Ever to 1000 EX in Canada). At this year’s Royal Winter Fair Goldwyn sired 27% of the animals shown, including Grand, Reserve, Honorable Mention, Intermediate, Reserve Intermediate and Honorable Mention Intermediate Champions (Read More – The 2012 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show – One of the Greatest Stories Ever Told). It is no surprise that many enthusiasts declare Goldwyn to be the greatest type sire ever.
Grand Champion Selection at the 2012 Royal Winter Fair. All sired by Braedale Goldwyn
At the Bullvine we wanted to determine the secret to Goldwyn’s tremendous success. When you look at Goldwyn’s conformation values for Chest Width (-3) and Body Depth (-4) you don’t instantly assume that he would be such a dominant type sire. In order to analyze Goldwyn’s type transmitting ability versus other great sires, we looked at his ability to sire the pinnacle of the breed – an Excellent cow. To make it a level playing field, we looked at sires that had a significant number of their daughters that were 5 years or older. In other words, that were eligible to go Excellent. Here is what we found.
Sire Born Conf %GP EX VG GP G F %EX
ERBACRES DAMION 23-Jul-00 15 90 104 962 1254 257 7 4
BRAEDALE GOLDWYN 3-Jan-00 12 85 1017 10837 14493 4450 271 3
SHOREMAR BKB ALLEGRO 1-Sep-00 11 88 22 103 136 33 2 7
WILCOXVIEW JASPER 5-Jun-99 11 84 159 2517 3926 1211 56 2
INNWOOD TERRASON 21-Jun-96 10 82 238 1583 2562 914 48 4
LADINO PARK TALENT-IMP 31-Mar-98 10 79 517 4624 8843 3583 194 3
BKB AFFIRMED 17-Sep-01 10 84 3 77 144 42 0 1
RENAISSANCE TRIUMPHANT 7-May-95 9 88 101 446 434 131 5 9
FUSTEAD EMORY BLITZ 2-Mar-96 9 75 213 2118 4399 2062 153 2
SUNNYLODGE LINJET 1-Mar-92 8 87 282 392 1244 365 7 12
EK-OSEEANA ASPEN 4-May-00 8 83 24 101 161 54 6 7
REGANCREST DUNDEE 3-May-99 8 83 480 3871 5737 1984 91 4
ROYLANE JORDAN 1-May-96 8 81 195 1591 2583 1022 47 4
WINDY-KNOLL-VIEW PRIMETIME 8-Mar-00 7 81 91 529 468 317 9 6
DUPASQUIER CARISMA 25-Sep-01 7 83 59 714 1377 417 9 2
BOSS IRON 17-Jul-96 7 75 21 427 948 439 23 1
MARKWELL KITE 12-Mar-99 6 79 77 619 1017 432 27 4
VALLEYRIVER RUBEN REDMAN 17-Jun-99 6 80 91 814 1403 536 25 3
INDIANHEAD ENCOUNTER 28-Nov-99 5 79 17 200 353 148 7 2
OSEEANA ASTRONOMICAL 15-Sep-90 4 81 219 1157 1582 638 55 6
HANOVER-HILL-R SPIRIT 26-Dec-92 2 80 127 569 783 347 16 7
HANOVERHILL STARBUCK 26-Mar-79 -1 71 419 7257 19324 10818 177 1
DONNANDALE SKYCHIEF 24-Aug-86 -2 74 277 2573 4429 2423 124 3
MARSHFIELD ELEVATION TONY 6-Aug-72 -6 73 36 776 1869 960 7 1
What stands out when looking at these sires is that, even though Goldwyn has a high conformation index, there are no less than 12 sires (Linjet, Triumphant, Allegro, Aspen, Spirit, Primetime, Astronomical, Damion, Terrason, Dundee, Jordan and Kite) that actually had a higher percentage of their classified daughters score EX. Linjet, Triumphant, Allegro, Aspen, Spirit, Primetime, and Astronomical have more than double the percentage of their daughters scoring Excellent compared to Goldwyn.
RF GOLDWYN HAILEY EX-97-2E-CAN
2012 Supreme Champion World Dairy Expo
2012 Supreme Champion Royal Agriculture Winter Fair
Let’s take a closer look at Linjet, Triumphant, Allegro and Aspen. These sires not only have a higher percentage of daughters classifying Excellent, they also have a lower percentage scoring Good or lower. This highlighted something very interesting. On average, the 2 yr old daughters of this group of sires actually scored lower than Goldwyn’s daughters, but as they matured, they tended to significantly increase in score. Since the sire conformation index only uses classification scores as 2 year olds, this age improvement was not reflected in all of their conformation scores. Not being able to foretell this age improvement had a significant effect on semen sales of these bulls because most breeders use conformation to determine what type sires to use. As a result breeders missed out on these sires whose daughters matured later and scored higher later in life. This was especially true for Allegro and Aspen, whose later-maturing daughters developed outstanding dairy strength post first lactation.
There is no question that Goldwyn has had the most number of Excellent daughters, nearly double the number produced by second place sire, LADINO PARK TALENT-IMP. But why is this? Is it the result of his great type transmitting ability, or is it his type proof combined with his high LPI proof resulted in much greater use. In other words, is it volume or is it quality? Undoubtedly, Goldwyn has been the most dominant type sire of the past decade, the bottom line question is,”Does Goldwyn dominate because of ability or because of opportunity?”
Looking to find out what to breed your Golwyn’s to? Check this out Breeding the Next Show Winners
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:
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
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 2nd 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 2nd 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
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
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).
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.
It would be easy to just take the winners from this year’s World Dairy Expo (Read more – World Dairy Expo 2012 Holstein Show – A battle for the ages) and predict that they will win at the Royal. But that is not always the case. It’s a different day, different judge, and new animals have calved and others have been fresh longer. Instead let’s take a look at the highlights of what is sure to be a truly Royal show.
Callum McKinven – 2012 Royal Holstein Show Judge
At Lookout Holsteins in North Hatley, QC, Callum McKinven, his wife Kathy Beerwort and their three daughters work hard to create a comfortable, low-stress environment for their herd of show winners and genomic stars. When they first built their facility in the beautiful hills of Quebec, all details were put into place for sensible cow comfort. Callum has shown well-known heifers and cows to victory at major shows, including World Dairy Expo and the Royal. McKinven is a very active, respected judge, both domestically and internationally. Lookout in partnership has had several sale toppers lately including LOOKOUT PESCE EPIC HUE at the Planet Holstein Sale (Read – The Planet Explodes at World Dairy Expo – 2012 Planet Holstein Sale Recap) and RALMA-RH MANOMAN BANJO VG-88-2yr at the Gillette Visions sale (Read – Gillette Visions 2012 Sale – Great People, Great Cattle = Great Results)
Lafontaine Aftershock Arrie – Junior Champion World Dairy Expo 2012
While the Junior Champion from Madison, Lafontaine Aftershock Arrie, certainly has to be considered the early favorite, it really could go any way. Nowhere is there greater variance every year than in the nod for Junior Champion. While many might go on to win their class at the Royal, winning Madison does not guarantee the Royal win that many would expect. Other heifers to watch for include the recent Quebec International Holstein Show Junior Champion Jacobs Jordan Babe (Read more – Expo International Holstein Quebec Heifers Results). Another one to watch for is Crovalley Knowledge Akika who looked very impressive winning junior champion at the recent Autumn Opportunity Show (Read more – Autumn Opportunity Holstein Show Results). In addition, note that the Madison Reserve Junior Champion Jaslyn Aftershock Avila will not be there as she is owned in partnership by Lookout Farms.
Cookview Goldwyn Monique (Right ) and Whittier Farms Jasp Kinetic (Left) – World Dairy Expo 2012
While Cookview Goldwyn Monique looked extremely impressive (Read more – World Dairy Expo 2012 Holstein Show – A Battle for the Ages) and is the early front runner, other contenders include fellow class winners from Madison, Butz-Butler Gold Barbara and T-Triple-T Gold Prize (Read more – World Dairy Expo Winners: Investment Worthy). Other contenders would have to be the recent Intermediate Champions from Quebec, Robrook Goldwyn Cameron and from Ontario Quality Gold Danzi (Read more – Quality Holsteins – Well-Deserved Congratulations). Another X Factor might be Craigcrest Rubies Gold Rejoice. While not looking her best at Madison, don’t let her fall too far off your radar. With her massive frame and dairyness, the two times All-American and All-Canadian is always within striking distance.
RF GOLDWYN HAILEY- Grand Champion Quebec International Show 2012
I would like to say it’s in doubt, but that simply is not the case. If RF Goldwyn Hailey EX-97 comes out looking as good as she did at Madison and the recent Quebec International Holstein Show, there really is no doubt. She is on a roll that doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon, and she should easily assume the crown (Read more – The Story Behind How Two Full Sisters Dominated Expo Quebec). Other cows to keep an eye out for include Boulet Goldwyn Chalou and Quality Goldwyn Flansco.
Blondin Redman Seisme EX-96 (98-MS)
Just like Hailey, Blondin Redman Seisme, should be considered the strong favorite to win Grand yet again.
While you never know how the cows will settle in and what they will look like on show day, this group certainly has to be considered the early contenders.
It’s seems like every day there is some new rumor about an astronomical price being paid for the “next great one” and many breeders find themselves asking themselves “How can they afford to pay that money for those cattle?” While there is still some element of “all I want to do is win” the real way most of these breeders will make money is to sell off the fancy calves out of these great type cattle.
With that in mind we looked at the class winners from the recent World Dairy Expo and analyzed which ones that we feel have the proven genetics that you can be confident will stamp out those top type calves that will bring you the big prices in the sale ring. Here are our top 5:
R-E-W HAPPY GO LUCKY – WDE 2012
Talk about a cow with a bright future. Not only did R-E-W Happy Go Lucky win honorable mention as a milking yearling at the world’s premier Holstein show but also she has the pedigree and sire stack to back it up. Happy Go Lucky is out of Arethusa Outside Leslie (VG-87) and the next dam is All-Canadian Milibro Cousteau Leila (EX-94). Her outstanding type sire stack goes Goldwyn x Outside x Cousteau. While the rumors about just how much Butlerview paid continue, there is no question this is one of the most valuable type cows on the planet.
BVK ATWOOD ARIANNA VG-89-2YR – WDE 2012
In BVK ATWOOD ARIANNA VG-89-2YR-USA has many great things going on. Linebred by Butlerview and Ruppert’s to be great, Arianna is just that. Her sire Atwood’s MD-DURHAM ATLEE EX-92-4YR-USA DOM GMD 2* (2012 Golden Dam Finalist) is a granddaughter of Arianna’s own dam the great MS KINGSTEAD CHIEF ADEEN EX-94-2E-USA DOM 2*. While some would call it inbreeding, anyone who was at the show and saw Arianna and her sisters knows that this is linebreeding at its best. When you look at Adeen’s progeny, you notice an area of potential improvement is the mammary systems and especially her feet and legs, two areas that Atwood excels greatly in. When you look at enough Atwood’s you would say that maybe they would need some improvement in their rumps, something Adeen has proven she can stamp out. There is no question Arianna and her sisters are a great example of modern linebreeding.
BUTZ-BUTLER GOLD BARBARA VG-87-2YR – WDE 2012
When BUTZ-BUTLER GOLD BARBARA VG-87-2YR-CAN sold for $187,000 at the recent International Intrigue Sale, many where asking was she the one? (Read – International Intrigue: The Secret Is Exposed) Well all those questions were answered on the colored shavings. Barbara dominated the class. The freak factor is extremely low on this one as Barbara probably has one of the greatest type pedigrees I have ever seen. Her dam is none other than REGANCREST BRASILIA EX-92-2E-USA DOM 1* who of course is the daughter of 2012 Golden Dam finalist REGANCREST-PR BARBIE EX-92-7YR-USA DOM GMD 3*. For me there is no question that Barbara will just keep stamping out great calves. As both her pedigree and type index show that she will just keep putting out big dairy cows with great legs and udders and boxcar show rumps. As Judge Heath noted, she is just one massive milk truck, both genetically and in the ring.
4yr old class – WDE 2012
Now, for me, this next one came in from off the radar a bit. Since winning T-TRIPLE-T GOLD PRIZE VG-89-2YR-USA junior champion at the 2009 World Dairy Expo as well as the Royal I had not heard that much about her. But man did she send a resounding message on the colored shavings at this year’s expo winning the 4yr old class. Prize’s sire stack reads as a who’s who of the show sire world, (Goldwyn x Dundee x Linjet x Chief Mark). In that sire stack you pretty much have every sire of a recent Expo Champion represented (when you factor in that Goldwyn is a James son and Chief Mark is the sire of Skychief). It really should not have been a surprise that Prize has such an amazing udder given that such sires as Goldwyn, Linjet and Chief Mark are in her pedigree. Those are also the exact reasons why you can be confident she is going to produce great daughters.
RF GOLDWYN HAILEY EX-97-2E-CAN EX-94-5YR-USA – WDE 2012
No list is complete without RF GOLDWYN HAILEY EX-97-2E-CAN EX-94-5YR-USA. As we have mentioned before, Hailey is the real deal (Read – The Story Behind How Two Full Sisters Dominated Expo Quebec). Her dam, MELLHOLM LOUIE HANAH EX-92-2E CAN 2* was a show winner in her own right, winning HM. All Canadian Sr. 2YR honors back in 2005. When you cross the chest width, body depth and pin width of Hanah on the bone quality and set of legs and the proven ability to sire show winners of Goldwyn, the real question is, “How could you miss?” When you add in the fact that she also has two full, sisters RF Goldwyn Halona VG-88-2YR-CAN and RF GOLDWYN HALTON VG-86-2YR-CAN then you understand why Hailey is the real deal. It’s for that reason you realize why her daughter sold for $30,000 at the World Classic Sale (Read – World Classic 2012 Highlights).
There is no question that if show style and high type indexes are in the pedigree, it shows in the ring. There are exceptions and, no doubt, it’s finding the exceptions to the rule that makes breeding cattle so addictive. Your chances of getting back your investment rise exponentially if show quality is in the pedigree. Smart investors applaud all the winners as it takes a great deal of intelligence, and skill to breed and develop cows to this level. The question then becomes once you have taken a cow to this level how can you maximize your return on your effort? For us that means doing your homework knowing which ones have the highest probability to pass it on.
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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.
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 6th 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.”
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:
(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)
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:
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:
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.
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
As one of the last shows before Madison, Expo Quebec marks a great opportunity to figure out who are the contenders and who are the pretenders. Arguably, Quebec breeders have one of the strongest passions for exhibiting top Holstein cattle, and this year’s edition of Expo Quebec did not disappoint. That why it is so amazing to see two full sisters dominate such a competitive show. It has been a long time since two full sisters dominated a major show, but that is exactly what happened this past weekend when RF Goldwyn Hailey and RF Goldwyn Halona took home the Grand Champion, HM Grand Champion and the Intermediate Champion honors. To figure out how this happened we decided to find the story behind the story.
RF Goldwyn Hailey Expo Quebec 2012
After spending the 2011 show season in the shadow of Eastside Lewisdale Gold Missy, it now appears that Hailey is ready to shine, while Missy is off making eggs. Since earning Res. All Canadian and America honors last year, Hailey is ready for 2012. It makes you almost wish Missy was back. What a battle that would be.
Mammary System – RF Goldwyn Halona – Expo Quebec 2012
While Hailey is well known to most show enthusiasts, Halona is just emerging on the scene. Despite a strong showing at Madison last year where she finished 10th, Halona, has only one show victory to her credit at Ayer’s Cliff last year. However, never underestimate the power of great genetics and a great “hotel”. And there is no better hotel than Lookout Holsteins for Halona to mature in. Callum and the team give the cattle the best care in the world so that they can live up to their potential. Halona is certainly responding.
When it comes to many great show cattle, we have to recognize that they are such an extreme of the breed that often it is hard for any of their other family members to achieve similar success. That’s part of what makes this story so intriguing. Here we have two full sisters achieving success at major shows. So how does happen?
Well in this case it isn`t a fluke it’s great genetics. Their dam, MELLHOLM LOUIE HANAH EX-92-2E CAN 2* was a show winner in her own right, winning HM. All Canadian Sr. 2YR honors back in 2005. When you cross the chest width, body depth and pin width of Hanah on the bone quality and set of legs and the proven ability to sire show winners of Goldwyn, the real question is, “How could you miss?” When you add in the fact that along with these two daughters another full sister, RF GOLDWYN HALTON, also went VG-86-2YR, and you realize the odds are stacked in their favor!
Judge David Crack Jr.
From November 2006 until September 2007 the Judge David Crack Jr. and his family Crackholm Holsteins owned Hailey, and are currently marketing a VG-86 2yr Baxter daughter, CRACKHOLM BAXTER HANNAH. Does that make easier for David to win with Hailey? Yes and no. “Yes!” because the judge has had firsthand knowledge of how great the cow performs. “No!”Because he knows that all eyes are on him and he had better be 100% sure in his decision. But David is not afraid to make the tough decisions as we have pointed out before on The Bullvine (read Dairy Show Judging – It Takes Courage), when he showed the courage of his convictions by choosing to win with Earlen Goldwyn Secret over the highly touted Craigcrest Rubies Gold Rejoice. This time he is taking the 10th place Sr. 2yr old from Madison last year (where Rejoice was the class winner) and making her his intermediate champion.
Does this build or break David’s credibility? “It definitely builds.” He is not afraid to stand behind what he thinks. I have always had great respect for David from the time I first met him at 4-H shows.
Gen-Com paid $100,000 to purchase Hailey back in July 2010 at the Excellence of Cowtown International Sale, but if she marches to the head of the line at Madison or The Royal ,she will look cheap compared to some others that where purchased for upwards of a million dollars attempting to get the same thing done. And, who knows, maybe Halona will be right behind her. That would make them the first full sisters to win the honor. At the Bullvine, we pride ourselves at bringing you more than just the results. We try to bring you the story behind the story. Now you have it.
For the full show results check out – Quebec Holstein Show Results
