"From little things, big things grow..."
A split-second decision made at auction almost two decades ago still impacts on one of the states highest performing dairy herds, Fairvale Holsteins.
It was 1990 when Ted Dobson found himself bidding on a six-moth-old calf at International Dairy Week, two hours north of Melbourne. He hesitated when the priced reached $8000, fearing it was too much to spend on a baby calf.
One of the countrys most progressive Jersey breeders, Reg Broad, was sitting behind Ted. Reg leaned forward and uttered what would become a life-changing sentence for the Bracknell breeder: Go for it, boy. Shes a bloody good one.
Ted did go for it that day. He bought Paramount Inspiration Butter, and last week the EX-5E matriarchs great grand daughter, Fairvale Morty Butter 120, became the latest family member to win the states Semex/Holstein Australia On-Farm Competitions two-year-old title.
The nationwide spectacle, in its ninth year, has a number of unique points of difference. All the cows are judged on-farm for their conformation in their working cobber by judges, who move between individual farms in a collective logistical marathon involving thousands of kilometres and an army of people throughout the country.
Today Fairvale is run by Teds son, Ross, and his wife, Leanne. The couple milk 350-head. Morty Butter is the fourth member of the Butter family to win her age-group in the On-Farm Competition within the last two years and the fourth Semex-sired Stouder Morty daughter from the double Master Breeder Dobson herd to win in the last three years.
Although the Dobsons have become famous on the mainland for being the birthplace of two International Dairy Week champions, Fairvale Jed Bonnie 94 (2005 and 2007) and Fairvale Leader Josie 5 (2006), Ross says the Butter family remains a personal favourite and one of their best.
The Butters are right up there with the Josies for me, Ross said. I believe it is one of this countrys elite cow families and they just keep popping up and doing the right thing time and time again. And Stouder Morty is a bull that has done exceptionally well for us, and he continues to do so.
The couple no longer show cows in Tasmania because of the daily demands of developing their property, which has pushed out to 400 hectares (and 700 head total animals) in recent years. To that end Ross says the on-farm competition remains vital for their business.
Its really important for us to keep our name ticking over here in Tasmania. We have been lucky enough to win one or two classes every year since the competitions inception and we enjoy being involved in it.
The competition was judged by Colin Daley, of Ourway Holsteins, in Millaa Millaa, Queensland. Colin placed 117 entries from 18 breeders. His top-pointed cow, which was simultaneously named Tasmanias Cow of the Year, came from the Geard familys Green Glory Holsteins, at Broadmarsh. It is the Geards fourth successive Cow of the Year title.
Gowerville Derry Carmine-ET is part of Paul and Elizabeths 8000-acre operation, which includes sheep, beef and horses.
The six-year-old was named Champion Holstein and Reserve Supreme Dairy Cow (to her 11-year-old herd mate) at the Hobart Royal recently. She was also classified EX-90 this year after calving four times and she routinely produces between 9000 and 10,000 litres.
I bought Carmine on the mainland over the phone, sight unseen, because I liked her pedigree, Paul said. We dont use a lot of AI and I sell 80 to 90 bulls a year, so we need different bloodlines to give our buyers outcross selections.
Carmine is a young cow with a beautiful udder, shes a terrific milker and I think shell last for a long time. The On-Farm Competition makes it worthwhile to have the right sort of cattle.
The win was made more special by the family involvement, with four daughters, a son and 16 grand children to pass the baton to.
The three-year-old state champion is Jamala Talent Mist, owned by James Hortle, of Jamala Holsteins, Moriarty. James, 28, carries his herd within his parents Ian and MaryAnns farm, Panatana Holsteins. Mist, who is sired by Ladino Park Talent, is milked within the familys 220-cow herd. She finished fourth in the two-year-old class last year and is one of a number of Talent daughters in the Hortle herd.
We were hoping to do well and pleasantly surprised with the result, James said.
Garry and Bev Carpenter (together with their daughter Jayde Lee) were thrilled to win the four-year-old state title with a Silky Gibson daughter, Garerley Gibson Jamie 2nd-ET. Jamie is one of the familys most prolific maternal lines and the Gibsons dam is the well-known Rossett Storm Jamie EX2E, the two-time Tasmanian Cow of the Year and former On-Farm Competition winner herself. The Maughlin Storm daughter is backed by a Hanoverhill Lieutenant daughter, giving the Silky Gibson and ironclad Semex-sired pedigree within the South Riana familys 450-cow herd.
Gibson Jamie is a bit taller and a bit longer and perhaps does not have as much dairy strength as her dam, Garry said. But she has a beautiful clean bone, she runs uphill and shes a large cow. Shes a really honest herd member who is in the first run every milking, he said of the recently crowned Supreme Dairy Exhibit from Ulverstone Show. The win was welcome as the family has been battling to recover from recent power outages that lasted 48 hours on their farm.
They have not herd tested since the drama and are only just getting on top of the mastitis spike because of the extended time before they could get a generator to power the dairy.
The five-year-old Tasmanian champion is Rengaw Luckystrike Manne, owned by George Wagner, at Winnaleah. Manne has been identified as an elite genomic bull mother and she has a son in AI. She had a heifer this year and is milking 46 litres two months into her lactation. This is the first time she has been entered in the On-Farm Competition.
I almost did last year, but this year she just looked exceptional, George said. Weve had several people through the herd and everyone has commented on her. I havent got the time to show her and the On-Farm Competition is the only option to have my cows compared to everyone else. There were 27 in the class and the judge said she won it pretty handily. I was pleasantly surprised.
Manne also has components on her side with 3.9% protein and 4.5% fat. She finished her third lactation with 318Kg protein and 372Kg fat and this year her Production Index (PI) is running at 111.
Mannes Roylane Jordan sister won the 2008 three-year-old title, proving the depth in the family.
The On-Farm Competition remains a high profile showcase event for Tasmanian dairy producers.
This is the second most recognised award dairy cows can win outside a first place at International Dairy Week, Semexs general manager Jim Conroy confirmed. But for many it is the No.1 event and a vital part of their marketing programmes.
TASMANIA
State over-judging
State Over-Judging: TASMANIA
Judge: COLIN DALEY, Ourway Holsteins, Millaa Millaa, QLD
Numbers: 117 entries from 18 breeders
TWO YEAR OLD - 1st: Fairvale Morty Butter 120, R & L Dobson (Fairvale Holsteins, Bracknell) - 2nd: Silkydale Talent Sondra, M & S Armstrong (Silkydale Holsteins, Smithton).
THREE YEAR OLD - 1st: Jamala Talent Mist, J Hortle (Jamala Holsteins, Moriarty) - 2nd: Fairvale Iron Butter 96, R & L Dobson, (Fairvale Holsteins, Bracknell).
FOUR YEAR OLD - 1st: Garerley Gibson Jamie 2nd-ET, G & B Carpenter & Family (Garerley Holsteins, South Riana) - 2nd: Silkydale Lancelot Ebony, M & S Armstrong (Silkydale Holsteins, Smithton).
FIVE YEAR OLD - 1st: Rengaw Luckystrike Manne, G Wagner (Rengaw Holsteins, Winnaleah) - 2nd: Tarkine Ladino Rosebud, S Maxwell, (Tarkine Holsteins, Smithton).
MATURE - 1st: Gowerville Derry Carmine-ET, P & E Geard (Green Glory Holsteins, Broadmarsh) - 2nd: Panatana MS Dixie, I & M Hortle (Panatana Holsteins, Moriarty).
Background information:
Australias biggest dairy display underway
Approximately 2500 dairy cows from 500 Australian farmers will be judged throughout the country next week in the countrys biggest livestock competition the Semex/Holstein Australia On-Farm Competition.
The spectacle, in its ninth year, has a number of unique points of difference. All the cows are judged on-farm for their conformation in their working cobber by judges, who move between individual farms in a collective logistical marathon involving thousands of kilometres and an army of people.
It also means cows that may not have enjoyed a profile (because of the work, time and knowledge needed to show cattle) now have the chance to shine or be discovered, not unlike Network Tens Australian Idol mantra.
This is the second most recognised award dairy cows can win outside a first place at International Dairy Week, Semexs general manager Jim Conroy said. But for many it is the No.1 event.
Early numbers suggest we have equal entries to last year in the south and we may be even stronger in the north.
Each of Holstein Australias 29 sub-branches involved are currently running their own in-house competitions. Entries peak at close to 300-head in some of the strongholds of the breed.
The first and second placegetters in each class at the sub-branch level then move forward to the state finals where they will be re-assessed by a fresh over-judge in early November to find the state champions.
The state lines are divided into Northern Queensland, Southern Queensland, New South Wales, South-Eastern Australia (incorporating Victoria, New South Wales Riverina and South East South Australia), Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia.
There are many hundreds of cows and people involved now and it is also now an international concept with New Zealand functioning very well. We also continue to have contact from other countries enquiring after the concept, Jim said.
Semex initiated the concept to promote quality, functional dairy cows, who were previously often the unsung heroes of Australias dairy industry.
And it gives our non-showing customers the opportunity to compete and be recognised, Jim said.
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