SLEEPING GIANTS AWAKENED IN NEW SOUTH WALES

News Release

Avonlea Holsteins’ John Gardiner was excited to uncover some sleeping giants in the New South Wales final of the Semex-Holstein Australia On-Farm Competition.

The well-known Gippsland two-time Master Breeder was entrusted to find the champions in the state, which included 774 entries from 121 breeders.

Two of the big stories to come out of the final was the news that the three-year-old winner, Rosmel Dundee Startler, entered by Neil and Roslyn Smith, at Austral Eden, now has a new home with high profile breeders Fraser Holsteins. Neil, a former butcher, only returned to dairying six years ago and his herd includes 60 head.

John said he knew as soon as he got a good look at the young cow that he was dealing with a potential champion.

“We arrived at 6pm at night after milking and Neil was bringing her up towards us and I thought: ‘This is a heck of a good young cow’,” John said. “Before I could get a complete look at her I was wondering is she just another cow, or is she more than just another cow? When he got her to us, I knew she was going to be right up there and I hadn’t seen any other finalists at that point. She was outstanding, with an exceptional rear udder. It was a refreshing experience because I’d never met this farmer.”

Neil was still trying to find the words to describe his reaction minutes after accepting his award.

“I’m tickled … speechless,” he said. Although involved in showing and living near fellow breeders who do show, he said the decision to sell her sat easily with him. She was recently herd tested at her new home and was milking 48 litres.

“I wanted to see her promoted in some way,” Neil said. “I knew she’d be looked after and she carries my prefix, so it’s a feather in my hat that she’s won an on-farm and she’ll go on and hopefully do something for Mark and Leeanne (Fraser).”

Startler’s legacy at Smith’s property is a heifer, sired by Jenny Lou Marshall.

A similar thing happened when John and his team reached Geoff and Bob Herne and Tracey Russell’s property. This was the home of the four-year-old winner Boscawen Blackstorm Dolly 3554.

“She came out of a 500-cow herd that was milking three times a day and averaging 43 litres per cow,” John said. “She has quite a mammary system on her. Outstanding.”

Bob Herne said the VG85 second calver that was milking more than 50 litres is back in calf so she can do what she does best next season … milk. She is backed by a VG86 Duncan Progress.

The mature cow winner was a more familiar name – Oxley Vale Jed Fussy. The nine-year-old EX91 exponent from Doug and Zandria Poulsen’s 300-cow herd has been a regular top-two finisher at the New South Wales State Show. Their son, Murray, was on-hand to collect the award and he had no idea Fussy had even made the finals, let alone won the matriarch’s class. He said Fussy routinely produced in excess of 10,000 litres.

The five-year-old winner was a Ladino Park Talent daughter, Coolamount Ladino Fayne, from Brent Pepper’s herd and the youngest winner was another familiar face in the industry despite her youth. Arrallik Policy Meg has International Dairy Week championships to her name and the VG86-pointed youngster, owned by Cameron Yarnold, who had been milking eight months, has long been touted as a young cow with a long future in front of her.

“The five-year-old was pretty exceptional for her class,” he said. “The four-year-old was a lot closer placing because the cow in second had enormous rib, but not the mammary system of the four-year-old winner. The Dundee Startler was a stand-out in her class and the mature cow winner (Oxley Vale Jed Fussy) was a stand-out for her age because she still looked so youthful despite having had seven calves.”

The ones John could have packed in his bag?

“The three, four and five year old were all stand-out entries for their age-group,” John said. “I would love to have any of them in my herd to work with. The two-year-old had been milking eight months and she has a big future in front of her, but she was a bit stale for this competition.”

He said that spectators needed to be aware that lots could change between sub-branch and the state judging.

“The key to this competition is that the cows are placed at a particular time and that they can change a lot within a month,” John said. “Some cows may have been very fresh when they were first judged and then they could have stripped off by the time the state judging comes around and stale cows could have put more cover on.”

STATE OVER-JUDGING: New South Wales
Judge: John Gardiner, Avonlea Holsteins, Five Ways, Victoria.

Hanoverhill Inspiration TWO YEAR OLD class - 1st: Arrallik Policy Meg (C Yarnold, Arrallik Holsteins, Killawarra) - 2nd: Wyoming Abigail Mavis (A Shearer and son, Wyoming Holsteins, Singleton).

Glenafton Enhancer THREE YEAR OLD class - 1st: Rosmel Dundee Startler (N Smith, Rosmel Holsteins, Austral Eden) - 2nd: Cairnsdale Spirte Gracie (Menzies Farms, Cairnsdale Holsteins, Numbaa).

Hanoverhill Raider FOUR YEAR OLD class - 1st: Boscawen Blackstorm Dolly 3554 (G and R Herne and T Russell, Boscawen Holsteins, Brundee) - 2nd: Murribrook Igniter Panda (D and C Snowden (Snowdale Holsteins, Wagga Wagga).

Townson Lindy FIVE YEAR OLD class - 1st: Coolamount Ladino Fayne (B Pepper, Coolamount Holsteins, Worrigee) - 2nd: Smallridge Gibson Christy (J and M Jessop, Smallridge Holsteins, Cobargo).

Hanoverhill Starbuck MATURE class - 1st: Oxley Vale Jed Fussy (A and Z Polson, Oxley Vale Holsteins, Oxley Vale) - 2nd: Oberne Mewdows Storm G. Dolly (J Drury, Caloula Ridge Holsteins, Attunga).