AN ENTRY described as the “ultimate Jersey cow” has won the supreme title in the Jersey feature breed competition.
Nyowee Galaxies Opal, exhibited by Andrew and Angela Koch, Ashtaney, Moculta, was also the senior champion female.
Judge Peter Gilbert, Canterbury, New Zealand, said the five-year-old winner had style and strength.
“It’s so good in the udder and so good everywhere,” he said.
Opal had won the intermediate champion at the Royal Adelaide Show two years ago and was reserve senior champion last year.
Mr Koch said the cow was bred by Peter and Wendy Ness, Nyowee, Mount Compass, and was one of three heifers they had bought a few years ago.
“We were told we had the pick of the farm except for one animal that was not for sale,” Mr Koch said.
After viewing the heifers, they found the one they liked best was that one not on offer.
But when they went to pick up their other two, Mr Ness had changed his mind, letting them buy Nyowee Galaxies Opal.
“All three from Nyowee have done well – it’s been an honour to work with Peter and Wendy’s cows,” Mr Koch said.
Mr Koch said Opal had performed well in and out of the show ring.
“(Opal) is not just a pretty face, it really produces – some 366 kilograms of fat on its second lactation,” he said.
The Koch family also exhibited the juvenile champion, 18-month-old Ashtaney Gotchya Flossie.
Mr Koch said they had bought the heifer’s mother, Cedar Vale DP Floss, from the Bushlea Jersey herd.
“We had been wanting to get into the Fernleaf cow family and the opportunity came up to buy the mother,” he said.
“(The dam) was recently classified Excellent 91.”
The young heifer was reserve juvenile champion at the Mount Pleasant Autumn Fair.
Mr Gilbert said Flossie was the type of heifer he liked.
“It has beautiful openness, depth of rib and is a great example of the Jersey breed,” he said.
The reserve senior champion Ashtaney Premier Blackrose, and reserve intermediate champion Ashtaney Tequila Silvermine were both from the Koch family, who also won most successful Jersey exhibitor.
“Any champion is special but this year is the feature breed,” Mr Koch said.
Reserve juvenile champion was Barossa Heritage Tequila Pearl, which was shown by Westminster School, Marion, and bred by Michael Wohlstadt, Williamstown.
Intermediate champion went to three-year-old Zenith Park Tequila Mockingbird, which had previously won the juvenile interbreed at Adelaide as an eight-month-old in 2016.
Mr Gilbert praised the heifer for its maturity and style.
Exhibitor Niki Davies, Murray Bridge, said the cow was one of three in the stud she shares with daughter Jackie.
They bought its mother at the Homelands dispersal sale, and have it and two daughters.
The mother, Homelands Reagans Silvermine, won the juvenile champion in 2015.
“It's in the blood – it’s a good cow family,” Niki said.
Niki said she used to come to the show as a child and was “honoured” to win the champion.
“I knew back then how hard it is to win a champion,” she said.
“They don’t come around that easy so this is a dream.”