Adelaide Show: Interbreed royal show ties before decision could be made

The judges Jake Mathews, Ray Fiebiger, David Peglar, Steve Joyce, Roger Heath, Laurie Dunne couldn't arrive at the decision.

To break the deadlock, microphone steward Mike Hentschke, Glencoe, was sworn in to make the final call, awarding it to Ashtaney Floodgate Tinsel, exhibited by AP&AM Koch, Moculta.

Ashtaney Jersey's Andrew Koch, Moculta, said the winning cow was a given at home.

"She calved right, she just has so much balance and her udder is right," he said.

"She follows on from being the intermediate champion here at the last Adelaide Show in 2019.

"She was always gonna be here because there just isn't time to do it all so she hasn't been in any other shows."

He said the champion would be put back into calf.

"If she isn't already back in calf, we will try very hard to get her back in calf so that she's here next year in form," he said. "That will be our main priority with her."

Mr Koch said winning the group of three was the pinnacle of the show.

"That actually is even more satisfying than the supreme cow, because that's three cows that you have bred that have come up best in show and just the quality of the cows," he said.

"We're just so blessed to have cows like that all in form at the same time.

"But for me the pen of three - I've lost count of how many times we've come second to the Holsteins with the Jerseys in the best of three - to win it, is the best feeling."

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He said they also put up four cows in the pen of five.

"The fifth cow was Leibich's, which was bred by Klatt, so all SA breeders," he said. "That was really satisfying, it was awesome."

Mr Hentschke said he was looking for three things in splitting the Jersey from the Holstein.

"Both both cows were incredibly productive," he said.

"Both cows had tremendous udders with the way in which they were attached, their shape and their symmetry.

"But when I looked for the three differences, I got around the front of the cow, I found the Jersey cow more open through the nose and through the muzzle.

"I found her cleaner and more refined through her thigh, hock and cannon bone and also blended more smoothly with the extension of the neck carriage, from the weather to the shoulder to the neck. Those are three areas where I was where I found differences, and they were in favour of the Jersey."

Mr Hentschke said he was looking for a cow that indicated it had the ability to perform and produce.

"Then I go looking for balance and for attributes within the scale of the animal," he said.

"I loved the power and rib of spring in the Holstein and the attachment of the mammary system in the back end.

"But there was no difference in those features in comparison to the Jersey - the difference was in the front, the quality of bone and the ability of natural extension."

While Jersey judge Steve Joyce could not vote for the Jerseys in the interbreed, he said the comments made aligned with his judging.

"The quality was great and the way they've cleaned up everything was a perfect example of that," he said.

"It's a true credit to them."

The supreme interbreed group of three was also from Ashtaney Jerseys, as was the juvenile champion, Ashtaney Kazamm Alani, while the group of five also went to the Jersey breed.

Intermediate cow was Holstein Lightning Ridge MB Casino Fernleaf 1, from Robsvue stud, Myponga.