Lightning strikes three times at Albion Park

News Release

It was a case of “third time lucky” for Albion Park Storm Teena, who was named Mature Champion in the Southern Queensland finals of the 2007 Semex-Holstein Australia On-Farm Competition.

Entered by Merv and Bernice Jannusch of Albion Park Holsteins, Pittsworth, Teena has been reserve champion in the same competition twice before but has never quite managed to snare first place.

A delighted Bernice Jannusch said the nine-year-old cow was from a very consistent cow family. “Teena is by Maughlin Storm, while her dam is Albion Park Romeo Tanya EX,” she said.

“Tanya has given us daughters by Storm, Silky Gibson and REW Buckeye and we have another two Storm pregnancies due in December. We also have eight embryos from her by Regancrest Dolman.

“Teena has an eight-month-old heifer by Buckeye and two pregnancies to Bofran Lucky Star due in December. She is classified EX91 and was Junior and Supreme Champion at Toowoomba Show in 2002 and Reserve Champion in 2005.”

The Jannuschs milk an elite herd of 60 cows which average about 9,100 litres at 3.9% fat and 3.3% protein. “Our philosophy is to only have cows that are worth milking,” Bernice Jannusch said. “We can’t afford to have free-loaders. If they don’t produce, they get a ticket on the next truck.”

Acclaimed as the largest livestock judging event in the southern hemisphere, the Semex-Holstein Australia On-Farm 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 Queensland section of the competition, which attracted about 320 entries from 45 breeders throughout the State, was judged by Adrian Dee from Clydevale Holsteins, Cohuna, Victoria.

Two cows from the same family at Travis and Melissa Deans’ Leader Holsteins, Oakey, snared another two of the five championships awarded in the competition.

Two Year Old Champion was Leader Himetro Satin GP83, who is by Sikkema-Star-W Hi Metro. Her dam, Leader Rudolph Satin EX90 4*, won the four year old class in the same competition five years ago. She has produced more than 90,000 litres of milk over six lactations, including an impressive 14,551 litres at 4.0% fat and 3.3 % protein on her fifth lactation.

Her grandam, Toolamba Broker Satin EX-1E 19*, was the 1997 All-Australian Five Year Old Champion and 2005 Australian Cow of the Year. Broker Satin, who produced 17,020 litres at 3.6% fat and 3.0% protein as a four-year-old, is one of the foundation cows at Leader Holsteins, with her progeny accounting for more than one third of the Deans’ herd.

Another daughter of Broker Satin, Leader Stormatic Satin EX91, was named Four Year Old Champion in this year’s on-farm competition. This Comestar Stormatic daughter won the Senior Two Year Old Championship two years ago.

One of her daughters, Leader RJ Satin VG85, was sold for $10,750 at last year’s Semex Champagne Sale. Now owned by Richard Ellis of High Green Holsteins, Leongatha, RJ Satin was placed second in the two-year-old class of the South Gippsland section of this year’s on-farm competition.

The Holmes family of Holmes family of Arabella Holsteins, Brookstead, also continued its winning streak by claim the Three and Five Year Old Champions with Arabella Champion Blaze GP82 and Arabella Gibson Charm VG89, respectively.

Daniel Holmes said Blaze was from a high production Lindy dam who is classified Excellent. “We have three outstanding daughters from her: Blaze, a VG88 Comestar Lee and a VG87 Rapid Bay Light Year,” he said.

“Gibson Charm, who won the four year old championship last year, is a Silky Gibson daughter from an Approval x Astre Starbuck dam. She produced 9,032 litres at 3.9% fat and 3.0% protein over protein over 268 days on her last lactation.

“She was Champion and Best Udder at the State Feature Show at Beaudesert in September and Supreme Intermediate Heifer and Best Udder at Brisbane in 2005.”

The Holmes family had further success in entering the Reserve Champion Two Year Old, Arabella Roy Satin.

Other successful breeders included the Clark family of Clarkdale Holsteins, Caniaba, NSW (Reserve Champion Three Year Old); Errol, Pam and Natalie Crank of Minash Holsteins, Kingsthorpe (Reserve Four Year Old Champion); Jim and Jocelyn Rafter of Jimilyn Vale Holsteins, Brooloo (Reserve Five Year Old Champion) and T. & L. Northfield of Kaloola Holsteins, Tatham, NSW (Reserve Mature Champion).

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 AUSTRALIA ON-FARM COMPETITION
(QUEENSLAND)

Two Year Old 1st: Leader Himetro Satin, L. & M. Deans, Leader Holsteins, Oakey. 2nd: Arabella Roy Satin, Arabella Farming Co, Arabella Holsteins, Brookstead.
Three Year Old 1st: Arabella Champion Blaze, Arabella Farming Co, Arabella Holsteins, Brookstead. 2nd: Clarkdale Talent Concert, Clark Partnership, Clarkdale Holsteins, Caniaba.
Four Year Old 1st: Leader Stormatic Satin-ET, T. & M. Deans, Leader Holsteins, Oakey 2nd: Minash Leduc Nita 2nd-ET, E. & P. & N. Crank, Minash Holsteins, Kingsthorpe.
Five Year Old 1st: Arabella Gibson Charm, Arabella Farming Co, Arabella Holsteins, Brookstead. 2nd: Grade 608, J. & J. Rafter, Jimilyn Vale Holsteins, Brooloo.
Mature 1st: Albion Park Storm Teena, M. & B. Jannusch, Albion Park Holsteins, Pittsworth. 2nd: Kaloola Leader Liz 2nd, T. & L. Northfield, Kaloola Holsteins, Tatham.

Five Year Old Champion Arabella Gibson Charm VG89,
entered by the Holmes family of Arabella Holsteins