The journey of Rainyridge Talent Barbara EX95 3* to the 2013 Cow of the Year nomination is one where genetics, breeder passion and marketing potential all came together in one cow. Barbara is a 4th Generation Excellent Red Carrier recognized and admired worldwide for her exploits as a show cow. Her impact on the Rainyridge herd is the stuff that cattle breeding dreams are made of. The next chapter of Barbara’s intriguing story will no doubt be defined by her growing influence as a brood cow. (Read more: LASTING LEGACY: A Tribute to Rainyridge Talent Barbara and RAINYRIDGE HOLSTEINS: A Turn in the Road)
A Winning Pedigree
Rainyridge Talent Barbara EX95 3* comes from the Rainyridge Tony Beauty EX-5E 9* cow family. Tony Beauty goes down in history as the oldest Grand Champion that has ever won World Dairy Expo. This occurred in 1999. Beauty was a well respected show cow by all standards, having achieved All Canadian and All American Mature Cow status multiple times. Barbara`s own dam is RF Outside Breeze EX94 2*, with show winnings and two Superior Lactations. Behind Breeze is the EX 2E 6* Rainyridge Briana Milan. Then comes Barbara’s 4th dam Tony Beauty. On the sire side, Talent Barbara comes from a solid sire stack including Talent, Outside, Milan, and Tony. Superior Type and Extra and Gold Medal sires fill her pedigree.
Barbara, Breeze, Briana and Beauty all have low inbreeding percentages. In today`s day and age that is looked for.
The Spotlight Shines on Barbara`s Performance and Production Awards
In both production and classification, Talent Barbara was just like all the others in the Tony Beauty family. She kept improving with age. Talent Barbara first gained recognition early in her productive life when, at 26 days fresh as a two year old, she was made VG86. She continued to go 87 and 88 as a two year old in subsequent classifications. As a three year old, during her second lactation, she went VG89 (maximum score). In her third lactation she earned EX92. While in Canada she was raised to EX94 and in the US she scored EX95 in 2010.
Her production records also set her apart. Talent Barbara earned 1 Superior Lactation at three years four months. She has completed three lactations totalling 45,920kg.of milk, 3.9% fat and 3.2 protein. Rounding out her excellent career to date is her exceptional conformation index (CONF) which stands at +15, putting her in the top 1% of the breed in Canada.
Talent Barbara Has Got Talent!
Talent Barbara started her show career as a Junior three year old in 2008, when she placed first at the Manitoba Spring Show, first 3 year old at the Westerner Championship and Intermediate Champion and Reserve Grand there as well. Quite a start. She was 1st 4 yr old and Grand Champion at both the 2009 Manitoba Spring Show and the Morris Exhibition. She was Honorable Mention Grand at the Calgary Spring Show in 2009.
As a show cow, she really came to the forefront as a five year old with these outstanding results:
- All Canadian and All American 5 Yr Old 2010
- 1st 5-YR Royal 2010
- 1st 5-YR Madison 2010
- Grand Champion Morris 2010
Celebrity Barbara has Star Power Progeny
Talent Barbara was well travelled among elite breeders in both Canada and the US including Kueffner-St. Jacobs where emphasis was placed on producing show type progeny from this Bull Dam. Barbara currently has 38 progeny and in 2013 they shone. (Read more: KUEFFNER DAIRY TEAMWORK “2 Dream the Impossible Dream!” and The Judge’s Choice – Investment advice from Tim Abbott)
Her best mate was Charlesdale Superstition. She has three VG high indexing daughters from that mating. In June of 2013 her daughter Rainyridge Super Beauty classified VG87 as a two year old and topped the Rainyridge dispersal at $48,000. At that same sale in June 2013 she had six daughters sell for $97,200. Cornerstead bought many of those six daughters and already owned Rainyridge Super Belinda VG85 2yr old.
In July of 2013 Talent Barbara`s daughter, Rainyridge Super Beth VG86 sold for $75,000 in the Cormdale Summer Sale and Beth`s daughter, Calbrett Supersire Barb, topped the sale at $265,000. Barb, Barbara`s grand-daughter, was the number one gLPI and gTPI RDC heifer. Her DGV is very high at +3600 gLPI.
Talent Barbara`s first proven son came out in 2013, Rainyridge Perseus, sired by Jasper with +12 for CONF, +0.46% F and +0.11P. Barbara will have more proven sons because she was on the St. Jacob`s bull dam program.
To end off 2013 she had her first Excellent daughter, Rainyridge Rampage Barb RED EX92 as a third calver. Talent Barbara’s 10 daughters are 1EX, 8VG, 1 GP and their average BCAs are 221-230-217.
Many more progeny can be expected to make their mark. Talent Barbara has several Goldwyn daughters born in 2013 at River Valley Farm in Ohio. Furthermore she has young sons and daughters by Lauthority, Destry, Secure and Ladd P at EK-St.Jacobs.
As a Cow of the Year, Talent Barbara represents herself very well as a show cow and as the dam of elite progeny
The Bullvine Bottom Line
Each of the nominees is a winner in her own right simply for getting this far. Over the next few days we will get to know all of the nominees better. Some are already household names. Others are less familiar. Obviously they are all worthy of cheering on to the finish line. Who is your pick for 2013 Cow of the Year?
Please like and share if you think Barbara should be the 2013 Canadian Cow of the Year!
The Cow of the Year nominee booklet which includes a resume on each finalist and a voting card will be mailed to Holstein Canada members in the February-March 2014 Info Holstein. Voting options include mailing the postage-paid, tear-off voting ballot; faxing your ballot; emailing your vote to cowoftheyear@holstein.ca; or voting online from a confidential Holstein Canada online account.
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