South East has lion-share of competition numbers

News Release

The South Eastern Australia section of the Semex-Holstein Australia On-Farm Competition had something for everyone when the champions were unveiled at the picturesque Witchmount winery at Melton on December 4.

One of the country’s most successful Jersey studs, Bushlea Jerseys, signalled its intent in the Holstein arena, winning its first championship in only its second year competing, while a 77-year-old Leitchville breeder collected his first title, and the competition’s first Red and White Holstein qualified for the finals.

The 90 finalists from nine sub-branches were distilled by judge Daniel Holmes, of Arabella Holsteins at Brookstead, in Queensland.

Holstein Australia’s federal president Adrian Dee was sweeping in his praise of the contest which included 1335 animals – a lion share of overall state numbers. Entries peaked at 253 at the sub branch level (with more than 60 entries in some classes) – put forward by 189 breeders.

“We thank Semex for co-sponsoring this event, because everyone really looks forward to it,” Adrian said. “To be honest, it’s so big now it’s almost a logistical nightmare and a big commitment for the judges that give up their time. It has been a huge effort to get to today.”

Judge Daniel Holmes kept his head by focussing on the job at hand.

“I’ve done a few On-Farm Competitions now and the thing I’ve found works for me is that I keep a clear image of my ideal cow (for age) in my mind’s eye as I work through the animals,” he said.

“It was an honour to be involved and I was humbled to be asked. I just hoped that I did the job with as much professionalism as Semex display in their business and with as much enthusiasm and dedication as the farmers have for their cows.”

His two-year-old champion was a Semex-sired Braedale Goldwyn daughter owned by one of Australia’s premier Jersey herds, Bushlea. The Leongatha family of Keith, Patsy, Wayne and Lisa Kuhne has won multiple champion cow titles and premier breeder and exhibitor banners at International Dairy Week (IDW). It has been six years since Wayne decided to also pursue his personal interest in Holsteins. He had subsequently approached Bob and Glenys Calder, of Wandilla Holsteins, about buying some embryos from a group their Maughlin Storm daughters he had been impressed by. Bushlea Gold Crinkle-ET was one of the resulting offspring, giving the family their first state championship in only its second year competing.

“The Holsteins were something for me to diversify into,” Wayne said. “They have a bigger market and I’m really happy to win this for Bob (Wandilla) too, because he has never entered this competition.”

Milking more than 40 litres on her first calf, Wayne said Crinkle had been rejoined and they will let her continue to quietly develop at home this season.

Daniel was impressed.

“She had such power and refinement,” Daniel said. “I saw her in the second last herd on the second last day. There was a lot of heifer there – more than you think when you first look at her. As I started to break her down there was not much you’d want to change about her. I especially admired her feet and legs, her angle or rib and her depth of fore-rib. She had been in for 10 weeks when I judged her and she will only get better.”

The three-year-old champion also came from a farm new to centre-stage in this competition. Zella-Ville Minda 3735, is owned by Ken and Lilian Allez, who milk 200 cows at Leitchville with their son, John. The Cedarwal Spirte x GP81 Millyfirst x GP81 Murribrook Linesman gave her 77-year-old breeder, Ken, his first finalist and his first champion.

“We just thought it was fantastic she made the final,” Ken said. “You put up what you think are good cows and then you hope. We’re now eagerly waiting for the classifier to see if they think she’s as good as the two judges (sub-branch and state) thought she was.”

Minda 3735 almost did not get to meet the judge. She was disgruntled being separated from the herd and she cleared the gate looking for company. Daniel said he had seen enough to know he needed to point her.

“I could see how good she was and I wasn’t going to let her get away because I don’t think we would have got her back,” he said. “So I shot around her and turned her back. It was her cleanness of bone, width and height of rear udder that really impressed me. This heifer was so soft.”

The four-year-old winner, Orchard Vale Informer Tiffany-ET VG87, is the highest PIing (Production Index) cow in the Gorbro herd of the Gordon family at Cohuna. She was milking more than 40 litres with a PI of 133. Owned in partnership with Marcus and Becky Rees, the second calver (x Informer x VG87 Tiller) was bought at IDW.

They were so impressed with her, they doubled back, later buying her granddam, Orchard Vale Snowstorm Tiffany-ET EX90 3E, at Orchard Vale’s major dispersal sale. The Informer has given the family four heifers, and she was recently flushed for eight embryos. The granddam had contributed a Red and White heifer, sired by Ladino Park Talent.

“We’re rapt and it’s a great honour,” Chad said of the victory.

Daniel said Tiffany was in a class of her own.

“She overpowered everyone with her tremendous spring of rib and capacity and it was that capacity that allowed her to carry that great vessel. She also had a lovely udder texture,” he said.

A West Gippsland regional winner in the four-year-old class also carried the Orchard Vale prefix. Orchard Vale Redsilk Tiffany-R, owned by David and Wendy Orchard, was the first Red and White Holstein to qualify for the finals.

“We do work with Red and Whites, but we weren’t trying for a Red and White with this heifer,” Dave said. “She’s out of a Silky Gibson that doesn’t carry any Red factor. She must have picked it up through the Enhancer in the paternal side of her pedigree.”

Fresh in March last year, they said she peaked at 55 litres on her second calf and the VG86 heifer has produced (in 246 days continuing) 8951litres and 604kg milk solids. She had been seen before, winning the IDW Youth Show as a dry heifer and her granddam, Orchardvale Snowstorm Tiffany, was a regional On-Farm Competition winner and reserve state champion in the four-year-old class in 2003. Her Maughlin Storm great granddam also excelled in the four-year-old contest winning the regional leg of the competition in 2001.

The five-year-old winner comes from the well-known herd of Bill and Jo Thompson at Mt Gambier. Glenorleigh Outside Marra. The EX91-1E exhibit was crowned Grand Champion Holstein at the Royal Adelaide Show in September under Daniel. Jo got the credit for singling Marra out of the herd for the show season. She also won Mt Gambier. Jo’s choice was rubber-stamped by Semex’s Vaughn Johnston (who fitted Marra at Adelaide) when he visited. The cow family has a rich history transversing two countries. More than 55% of the Thompson’s herd can be traced back to the Marlenes from Craigmore Holsteins, owned by the Kilpatrick family. They bought the foundation cow for $1000 in 1978 shortly after they were married.

“It shows you can start with a fairly modest investment and end up down the track with something that can give you a lot of pleasure,” Bill said.

The couple had traced Marra’s family roots back to Tarata Marlene in 1944 in Australia and they recently received a 10-page trace from the New Zealand Holstein Friesian Association going deeper into her Kiwi parentage, which was able to be traced to the start of New Zealand’s herd book. The immediate lineage of the Comestar Outside daughter includes VG85 Jed x VG85 homebred Warden son x VG86 Shore Stylist.

“The family’s always been there – it’s just that people haven’t seen them,” Bill said. “It’s exciting to win this competition and, to me, really fulfilling.”

Jo echoed his thoughts.

“Today shows how incredibly good this industry is at its heart,” she said. “It is so good to be recognised in this arena and for Marra to be appreciated at this level is fantastic.”

Daniel acknowledged he knew the cow well, after following her around the ring when he judged at Adelaide. “She looked just as good in this competition,” he said. “She had perhaps milked down more than at the show. I liked her texture of udder and her softness combined with her power, overall balance and width of muzzle.”

Daniel found one of his highlights of the competition in the mature cow class. He said his winner, Sky View Durham Hazel, owned by Tony and Kathy Hogan, from Merrigum in the Northern sub branch was a stand-out.

“As I walked into the yard, I just had to stand and look at her,” he said. “She had so much power in her front end yet she was so clean in the bone and her hide just oozed milk. I also loved the depth and spring of rib, texture of her udder, her teat shape and size, her rump structure and her strength of top line. This was a wonderful class throughout,” he said.

The big, black entry VG88 Durham daughter who had won Shepparton Show seven days fresh will be entered for IDW.

“This year it was quite a surprise to get a placing and to win it is a thrill,” Tony said. “We just want to thank Semex and Holstein Australia for organising it all.”

2009 Semex-Holstein Australia Victorian On-Farm Competition champions -

Two years in-milk - 1st: Bushlea Gold Crinkle-ET, Bushlea farms (Koonwarra, South Gippsland region) – 2nd: Brindabella Buckeye Fran, S and J Sieben (Torrumbarry, North-West region) – 3rd: Edenburg Toystory Lovely-ET, W and J Thompson (Mount Gambier, South East Australia region) – 4th: Gowerville Hope Marlene, N Goodfellow (Kyabram, Northern region) - 5th: Starcrest Ladino Marty, H and D Dodd (Westbury, West Gippsland region).

Three years in-milk – 1st: Zella-Ville Minda 3735, K and L Allez (Leitchville, North-West region) - 2nd: Krishlaye Goldwyn Madilyn-ET, A and J Harrison (Leongatha, South Gippsland region) – 3rd: Elmar Goldwyn Jessica 7, S and D Hore (Leitchville, North-West region) – 4th: Creswick Kendall Peace, G and M Male (Caldermeade, West Gippsland region) - 5th: Woodlawn Gold J Coconut, L and V Flanagan (Finley, South-West Riverina region).

Four years in-milk – 1st: Orchard Vale Informer Tiffany-ET, R and J Gordon (Cohuna, North-West region) – 2nd: Haverdale Jocko Dekol, S and J Mills (Rochester, North-West region) – 3rd: Corra Lea Ladino Faith, Bluechip and L Prout (Zeerust, Northern region) – 4th: Southern Star Talent Tonio-IMP-ET, R and S Robertson (South Purrumbete, Western District region) - 5th: Yurunga Lee Jisele, Yurunga Farms (Finley, South-West Riverina region).

Five years in-milk – 1st: Glenorleigh Outside Marra, W and J Thompson (Mt Gambier, South-East Australia region) – 2nd: Lightning Ridge Skychief Tabaret-ET, S and V Patten and D Patten (Maffra, East-Gippsland region) – 3rd: Calderlea Ladino Faith, L and L and T Calder – 4th: Woodlawn Hunter Myra, L and V Flanagan, (Finley, South-West Riverina region) – 5th: Barostin Roy Joanne 423, R and B Stinchcombe (Simpson, Western District region).

Mature – 1st: Sky View Durham Hazel, A and K Hogan (Merrigum, Northern region) – 2nd: Minnamurra Marty Sing, R and L White (Finley, South-West Riverina region) – 3rd: Gorbro Stormatic Cretonne-ET (Cohuna, North-West region) – 4th: Calderlea Transit Teresa, L, L and T Calder (Meeniyan, South Gippsland region) - 5th: Ryanna Boss Polly, S and V Patten (Maffra, East-Gippsland region).