HISTORY was made as an Ayrshire cow claimed the interbreed supreme senior title at the Royal Adelaide Show for the first time.
Read about the Ayrshire judging here.
Read about the Guernsey judging here.
Read about the Holstein judging here.
Read about the Illawarra judging here.
Read about the Jersey judging here.
The cow, Boldview Bonaparte Spect, received a perfect score from the five interbreed judges to claim the broadribbon.
Judge Derek Hayward, Cambridge, New Zealand, said the eight-year-old entry from siblings Scott Braendler and Cheryl Liebich, Boldview Farms, Jervois, “oozed dairy quality”.
Steve Joyce, Girgarre, Vic, said the age of the cow made it evident it was “made the right way”.
“It’s a credit to the breed, to the breeders and to the dairy industry,” he said.
Mr Braendler said he was very happy with the result, which was a first for the breed.
“We knew she’d be up there but the win unanimously is awesome,” he said.
It was also a perfect score in the intermediate, with the points going the way of the three-year-old Holstein exhibit, Glenorleigh Brady Lilac, exhibited by Rob Walmsley and Rebecca Hehir, Mount Gambier.
Les Bennett, Macorna, Vic, said it was an “easy win”.
“It has the strength you like to see in a young cow and a hard-to-fault mammary system,” he said.
Mr Hayward said the entry was “very stylish” with good ease of movement.
For the juvenile class, the interbreed title also went to the Holstein, also in a unanimous decision.
Mr Hayward said the red Holstein, Bluechip EV Shesaawesome Apple, from B&J Gavenlock, Tallygaroopna, Vic, was a heifer that deserved admiration.
“It’s got such sheer power and volume,” he said.
Decisions became harder during the group presentations, with a split decision in the group of three going to the Holstein entry from Mason Farms, Tailem Bend.
Judge Wendy Harker, Te Awamatu, New Zealand, said the slightly different preferences of the judges were a sign of the quality of the groups presented.
Mr Joyce agreed it was difficult to separate the five good groups.
“The Holsteins are three cows I’d love to come out and milk everyday,” he said.
“They have longevity, capacity and depth of rib.”
During the group of five, Mr Hayward said, if the winning Holstein team had a fault, it was that they did not belong to him.
“They’re tremendous cows,” he said.
Mr Bennett said the Holsteins presented an outstanding lineup in the group of five.
“They’re super wedge-y and supermilking,” he said.
Most successful exhibitor of the show went to Illawarra breeders Warren and Cheryl Doecke, Springvale, Murray Bridge.
Elizabeth Anderson
Editor of Stock Journal.
Editor of Stock Journal.
