Winner 2007
Fraser Skychief Perfection 2nd IMP-ET

Mark Fraser was lost for words when Holstein Australia President Michael Perkins announced the Cow of the Year award on judging day at IDW. On being invited to address the small crowd that had gathered at the Holstein stand to hear that Fraser Skychief Perfection 2nd had taken top honours from among the four finalists, Mark said he was "overwhelmed".

This cow has had a very big influence on our herd", he said, "and we've still got her there at home.

"Every heifer that she has seems to come up with the goods."

In his introductory speech, the president praised the high standard of entries, especially the final four. "This year we had four really, really good finalists" he said.

The Meg Nita cow from Queensland was a finalist last year as well and was not successful but made it back again this year as a result of her prolific productivity."

Strongbark Broker Candy, he said, was "a cow that everybody knows around Australia as one of the great Holstein cows and is obviously proving that she's breeding along exceptionally well and having a direct influence on our breed".

Michael also had high praise for Ourway Shotime Jackie 8, describing her as "just a wonderful, wonderful dairy cow".

And the ultimate winner, Skychief Perfection, he said was "an outstanding type of cow" who not only had "a huge impact on the breed" but also had some relatively young and promising bulls coming into the system - Fraser Gold Premium ET, Fraser Perfect Leduc. Perfection's daughters and grand daughters also have bulls entering AI, three of whom are Fraser Samuel, Fraser Perfect Blitz and Fraser Dundee Policy.

Sired by Donnandale Skychief and with the dam WW-Silver-Shade, Skychief Perfection was born in September, 1995. Her best lactation was in 2003 with a total of 10,001 litres, 360kg fat (3.6 percent) and 316kg protein (3.16 percent).

Both she and her progeny have done well in the show ring. Her Storm daughter won the Six Years In-Milk class and championship at the NSW State Show in 2003 and the same class plus Best Udder at IDW in 2004. Her other Storm daughter was Champion Cow at the 2004 Sydney Royal, while her Sam grand daughter was Reserve Champion cow at the NSW State Show the same year.

And it's her progeny that makes her so valuable to the Frasers: 13 females and three males, mostly through ET. Of her 12 daughters classified, two have gone EX, four VG and six GP.

On their COTY entry form the Frasers wrote: "We consider this cow's genetics invaluable and have put her on a continuing flush program ... she has proven to be the most lucrative and had the most impact within our breeding program."

As Michael Perkins pointed out at the presentation: that impact extends nationwide.

FRASER SKYCHIEF PERFECTION 2ND
HdBk: 720720
DOB: 09/09/95
Owner: M N & L M Fraser
Breeder: Shoremar Holsteins

Classification: Vg88
Dairy Strength: 91
Rump: 85
Feet & Legs: 80
Mammary: 89

Awards: 4*SBC
Showring and other: - 1996 Finalist All Australian Calf class

Best Lact: 7.10Y 10001L 3.16%P 316kgP 3.60%F 360kgF 305days 100PPI
Progeny Performance: 16 Prog: 13 Fem (10-ET), 3 Male (2-ET);
12 Fem Classified (2EX, 4VG, 6GP)
123 Grand Progeny (1EX, 1VG, 15GP, 2G&F)
177 GGProg,
6 GGGProg