| Two champions at Glenalbas |
News Release |
A heifer with an amazing international pedigree has helped Alan and Amanda Garratty of Glenalbas Holsteins, Nowra, to snare two championships in the NSW finals of the 2007 Semex-Holstein Australia On-Farm Competition.
Acclaimed as the largest livestock judging event in the southern hemisphere, the competition differs from traditional shows in that cattle are assessed for their structural correctness on their home property.
This unique format allows more than 3,000 entries from 500 breeders from throughout Australia to compete on an equal basis, regardless of their location.
The NSW section of the competition, which attracted a record 730 entries from 144 breeders throughout the State, was judged by Colin Daley of Ourway Holsteins, Millaa Millaa, Queensland.
The Garrattys had dual success with Glenalbas Talent Tonio VG85 and Glenalbas Stormatic Kooee VG88 being named the Two and Three Year Old Champions, respectively.
Tonio has an interesting pedigree, being bred from an imported embryo from a high-profile cow in New Zealand, who in turn, originates from a Canadian cow imported into Australia in the mid-1980s.
Her dam is Tahora Romeo Tonio EX, a dual NZ Royal Champion, All NZ Senior Champion and Mature Champion in the 2005 Semex-NZHFA On-Farm Competition.
Her grandam, Murribrook Inspiration Toni, is a daughter of Walkerbrae Triple T Toni EX, a Canadian cow imported by Murray and Margaret Sowter of Murribrook Holsteins, Moss Vale. A 24-star brood cow with more than 50 progeny, Toni has had a profound impact on the Holstein breed in Australia and now New Zealand.
Alan Garratty, who milks 90 registered Holsteins, said Tonio had been producing 41 litres a day at 4.1% fat and 3% protein since she first calved at the end of July. “She is classified VG85 and I think she’ll mature into a really good cow,” he said.
Tonio is by Ladino Park Talent, a Semex sire who is internationally-recognised as one of the world’s leading type and mammary sires.
The Garrattys’ second champion, Kooee, features an all-Canadian pedigree, being a Comestar Stormatic daughter from an EX Skychief x Starbuck dam bred by the Gardiner family of Avonlea Holsteins, Five Ways, Victoria.
“John Gardiner judged the local on-farm competition a few years ago,” Alan said. “He really liked one of our cows, so we agreed to swap six embryos each, and Kooee is one of the results of that swap.”
Kooee produced 12,072 litres of milk at 3.7% fat (446 kg) and 3.1% protein (380 kg) over 305 days as a two-year-old. She has four progeny, including three by Canyon-Breeze Allen.
Kooee’s previous credentials include 2006 All-Australian Two Year Old Dry Heifer, 2006 All-Australian Two Year Old Milk Heifer, Intermediate Champion at the 2006 NSW State Holstein Show and Senior Two Year Old Champion in the 2006 Semex-Holstein Australia On-Farm Competition.
Four Year Old Champion was Stonyvale Leduc Carol VG88, entered by Don Spence and his father, Don, of Stonyvale Holsteins, Bega. This is the first time the Spences have reached the State finals in the competition.
Carol is a daughter of Canadian sire, Lystel Leduc, and from a VG88 Raider x EX-3E Valiant x VG85 Cosmonaut dam. “We bought Bedales Cosmonaut Carol from Murray Sowter at the first Maple Leaf Sale,” Don said.
“Leduc Carol is really hitting her straps and is doing 50 litres at the moment. She’s a big cow with a great udder, good conformation and she’s a pleasure to work with.”
A class winner at this year’s Bega show, Carol produced 8,700 litres at 3.7% fat (328 kg) and 2.9% protein (257 kg) over 300 days on her last lactation.
Five Year Champion was Bowthorne Karl Alldalla VG87, entered by Dallas and Juliet Clarke and their daughter and son-in-law, Paula and Michael Gray of Bowthorne Holsteins, Wallalong via Maitland.
Alldalla is by a homebred sire, Bowthorne Brabant Karl, who is also the sire of the 2005 Champion Three Year Old, Bowthorne Karl Sweetalice. She is out of Bowthorne Winluke Alldalla. “Alldalla has good dairy bone, great capacity, a placid temperament and a balanced udder with good texture,” Dallas said.
Two members of the same cow family, Oberne Meadows Storm G Dolly EX90 and Oberne Meadows Red A Dolly VG89, claimed the top two places in the Mature class.
The Dolly family was developed by Ted and Georgette Keen of Oberne Meadows Holsteins, Ladysmith. A number of other cows from the same herd, which was dispersed several years ago, were finalists in the on-farm competition.
The Mature Champion, Storm G Dolly EX90, was entered by Jamie Drury of Caloula Ridge Holsteins, Attunga, while the Reserve Champion, Red A Dolly VG89, was entered by Anthony and Luke Keen – nephews of Ted and Georgette – of Oberne Meadows Holsteins, Ladysmith.
The two cows are the granddaughter and great granddaughter, respectively, of Oberne Meadows Tab Dolly VG88, who was Champion Cow at Canberra Show.
The Drurys bought Storm G Dolly two-and-a-half years ago from a Taree district dairy farmer who was leaving the industry. “We were expanding our herd from 180 to 300 head and moving from Taree to Attunga,” Jamie said.
“I bought half a dozen in-calf heifers and once I realised how good Dolly was and the potential she had, I made sure she was in that purchase. She comes from a very good type cow family which goes back to Carmar Dixie.
“Her sire, Maughlin Storm, has done exceptionally well for us. We’ve bred five EX Storm daughters that are in our herd at the moment and another four or five that classified VG89.”
The Drurys now have five of Dolly’s daughters – including three from an ET mating to Semex sire, R-E-W Buckeye – and two granddaughters in their herd. “She’s breeding on very well,” Jamie said.
Storm G Dolly, now 10 years old, produced 6243 litres of milk with 4.1% fat (254 kg) and 3.2% protein (199 kg) in the first 121 days of her current lactation, an average of 51.6 litres a day. Jamie expects her 300-day total to exceed 12,000 litres.
Other successful breeders included Terry and Jennifer Coombes of Kalulla Park Holsteins, Long Flat; Stephen and Dianna Shipton and Colin and Robyn Ferguson of Coola Holsteins, Cobargo; David and Marcia Shibble of Cooltah Holsteins, Narromine; and Clarence and Donna Rose of Rose Haven Holsteins, Coopernook via Taree, who entered the four other Reserve Champions.
The 2007 Semex-Holstein Australia On-Farm Competition was conducted by the breed association, Holstein Australia, in conjunction with leading artificial breeding organisation, Semex Pty Ltd.
“This competition aims to recognise the efforts of dairy farmers to improve their profitability by breeding quality dairy cows,” Semex General Manager, Jim Conroy, said.
“The sheer size of this event is a credit to the efforts of the hundreds of the Holstein breeders who enter each year and the numerous branch officials and judges who make it happen.”
Semex Pty Ltd is the exclusive Australian distributor of livestock genetics marketed by the Semex Alliance, the world’s largest artificial breeding organisation.
2007 SEMEX-HOLSTEIN ON-FARM COMPETITION
NSW FINALS
Two Year Old 1st: Glenalbas Talent Tonio-IMP-ET, A. F. Garratty Pty Ltd, Glenalbas Holsteins, Nowra. 2nd: Kalulla Park Luckystrike J Dawn, T. & J. Coombes, Kalulla Park Holsteins, Long Flat.
Three Year Old 1st: Glenalbas Stormatic Kooee-ET, A. F. Garratty Pty Ltd, Glenalbas Holsteins, Nowra. 2nd: Denda Park Kendall Rosella, Shipton Ferguson Partnership, Coola Holsteins, Cobargo.
Four Year Old 1st: Stonyvale Leduc Carol-ET, D. Spence, Stonyvale Holsteins, Bega. 2nd: Cooltah Terrason Alice, D. & M. Shibble, Cooltah Holsteins, Narromine.
Five Year Old 1st: Bowthorne Karl Alldalla, D. & J. Clarke & Family, Bowthorne Holsteins, Wallalong. 2nd: Rose Haven Rock Dora, A. Rose & Son, Rose Haven Holsteins, Coopernook.
Mature 1st: Oberne Meadows Storm G Dolly, J. Drury, Caloula Ridge Holsteins, Attunga. 2nd: Oberne Meadows Red A Dolly, A. & L. Keen, Oberne Meadows Holsteins, Ladysmith.
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