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Well-known Australian dairyman Murray Sowter brought two critical qualities to the table when judging the final of the Semex-Holstein Friesian New Zealand On-Farm Competition recently.

First mobilised a decade ago, this year’s competition again boasted record entries, including 778 entries from 118 herds throughout the nation.

One of the competition’s biggest drawcards for busy farmers has always been that animals are judged (without preparation) on their conformation on-farm — setting it apart from the show-ring, and making the competition accessible for hectic producers. Because of the sheer numbers and logistics involved, entries were first assessed by regional judges.

The first two finishers in every class (16 finalists) were then re-appraised over eight days by the national judge — Murray Sowter.

New Zealand Holstein Friesian Association (NZHFA) General Manager Cherilyn Watson, said she was thrilled to see entry numbers spike again this year, despite the challenging season.

“The entries always enforce the event’s popularity,” Cherilyn said. “It has been well supported by the New Zealand members, Semex and the NZHFA. All three groups have worked together to build a competition that today carries significant credibility.”

Officials used Skype at the well-attended finals awards evening at the NZHFA’s annual conference at Invercargill in June to include comments from Murray, who had returned to Australia.

 

Cows that work hard and look good

Murray runs the high-profile Murribrook Holstein stud at Moss Vale in New South Wales. At the recent Sydney Royal Easter Show, Murribrook won Grand Champion Holstein, all three Intermediate Championships, and Premier Breeder and Exhibitor.

However, Murray is also just as respected for the shrewd way he runs his business — where the dollar is king. His ultimate respect for the bottom line, combined with his equal passion for cows that look good while working hard, was a perfect fit for New Zealand’s On-Farm Challenge.

It was Murray’s first visit to the North Island, and he was impressed by the cows, the people, the scenery and the hospitality.

And across the country, it was the three and five-year-old Champions that left the strongest impression with him.

South Island won five of six Championships

The South Island won five of the six Championships (with the sixth winner being bred in the South Island), while the North Island polled strongly in the country’s top six picks. Of the 36 national finalists, 67% were from the North Island. However, most of the competition’s entries (60%) also came from the North Island.

Murray said, “While there is probably a bit of a feeling that cows in the South Island dominated, when you look at those top six results the split becomes a little more balanced.

“However, there was no denying that that the majority of the top-six winners were sired by North American genetics. That was also very interesting for me.”

 North American sires powerful

In total, 86% of the finalists were sired by North American sires, and of that, 44% were sired by Semex sires — including four of the six Champions (67%). This underscored Murray’s comments, and documents the ongoing impact of North American genetics in New Zealand’s most successful herds.

Murray was also impressed with quality of his older finalists.

“I thought the older cows, as a group, were very impressive. There were lots of good old cows that had had lots of calves.”

New Zealanders as competitive with cows as with their rugby

Murray said he was looking for attractive cows that made lots of production, with the capacity, frame and mammary to perform for many lactations with ease.

“Another interesting fact to come out of this competition, for me, is that New Zealand is known as an industry for being commercial. But people were definitely keen to see their cows excel. They may not believe in showing, but when push came to shove, they wanted to see their cows do well and they were as competitive as the next guy.”

Murray said it proved there was money in cows with good conformation — outside of the obvious health and functionality benefits that contribute to them achieving long, productive careers.

“We see this every day. If two grade cows are sold, and they are full sisters with the same production and the same pedigree, the one that looks decent will make more money than the plain one. It happens time and time again. It tells me that farmers will always pay more — even the guys who make their income solely from milk — for the cow that has better type. It’s undeniable.”

 Stand-out Champions

The stand-out champions for Murray this year were his three-year-old and five-year-old. Both came from the Deloraine herd of Alister, Bridget and James Sherriff, who farm at Temuka, in South Canterbury. The Sherriff family won three of the five titles and was an easy Premier Exhibitor.

Deloraine is also focused on the bottom line, and has been crowned New Zealand’s highest dollar-earning dairy herd for three successive years in the past five seasons. In 2012, it won a Champion and two Reserve Champions in the On-Farm Competition — routinely reminding everyone why it is one of New Zealand’s premier herds.

Its three-year-old Champion was Deloraine Sam Phebe VG89-Max, and the five-year-old was Deloraine Talent Vila EX. Its third champion was in the veteran class: Deloraine Stormatic Merle EX3.

Murray said, “I guess the ultimate accolade as you look at these cows is if you want to buy them. The Mr Sam and the Talent [0200HO07030  Ladino Park Talent] were stand-outs for me. They’d be the kind that I’d think: ‘you could eat my grass’.

 “The Talent [Vila] brought everything to the table, and she was an easy winner in an extremely strong class. She had quality, she was extremely dairy, structurally correct, a beautiful mammary and she spelt ‘milk’ all over. She would reduce your overdraft, no problem at all. If I had a choice to reduce my overdraft with dollars or breeding worth, I’d go with the currency you can bank — money.”

 On-Farm concept perfect show case

James Sherriff confirmed Vila, who has had three calves, has been admired before. She was Reserve four-year-old in 2012, and her EX 0073HO02400 Shoremar James dam was the Veteran Reserve Champion in 2012. Talent Vila’s third dam is sired by 0073HO01876 Shoremar Mason. Vila’s four-year-old completed lactation was 10,327 litres, with 327kg protein and 357kg fat in 305 days. She is part of a 400-cow herd that milks all year round.

Keeping up to speed on a busy farm has meant the On-Farm Competition has become the perfect showplace for the South Canterbury herd.

Deloraine Sam Phebe finished third last year in the regional on-farm competition. James rates her alongside Vila as his second herd favourite. She is out of a VG88 0073HO02759 Summershade Igniter dam from a home-bred (x Stardom) EX third dam.

The veteran winner, Deloraine Stormatic Merle EX3, was sired by Semex’s 0200HO04144 Comestar Stormatic. Murray said she was so youthful and she “looked so good” he could not go past her.

 Merle won the Mature class two years ago. She has had seven calves and her latest completed lactation is 8701 litres in 290 days.

 NZDE Champion also wins On-Farm

The four-year-old was won by a young cow that has had the country talking for some time. Tahora Talent Theresa VG89-Max is the reigning New Zealand Dairy Event’s Supreme Dairy Cow. The VG89 max classified four-year-old was bred by Dean and Jo Geddes, of Tahora Holsteins in Canterbury.

She was bought by Dean’s cousins, Tim and Jo Barclay, of Okawa Holsteins at Te Awamutu (North Island) as an in-milk two-year-old. Together with their family (twins Rob and Brett and daughters Teri and Kelsi), they have developed the Ladino Park Talent daughter into one of New Zealand’s most exciting young cows. She finished fourth in the on-farm three-year-old class last year.

Tim said, “She’s turned out to be so much more than we expected. She has brought us a lot of pleasure. She’s such an all-rounder. She has low SCC, great production, she’s easy to get in calf. She’s just an ideal commercial cow that keeps making us money. When she has such great type [conformation] as well, you can’t go wrong.” 

Theresa’s third dam was the 2002 and 2004 Royal New Zealand Champion, Tahora Romeo Tonio EX. Today, Theresa is owned in partnership by Tim and Jo, Rob and Brett and Tahora Farms. The Okawa herd milks just on 200 cows through a 18-a-side herringbone dairy.

The four-year-old has calved twice and will re-calve in August. Barclays have a Goldwyn daughter and a bull from her. Her four-year-old production was 9900 litres, 360kg protein, 423kg fat in 296 days.

First-time Champion

The mature class was won by Rowalan Allen Sucie, owned by Rowalan Holsteins at Gore at the bottom of the South Island.

 Murray said, “She was the first cow I saw on the very first farm visited. And she had to win. She was a great cow — and she had to be — because that class included a lot of good cows that were very competitive.”

 For her breeders, Willie and Sharon Muir, it was their first national championship from their 400-cow herd — and they were thrilled. A half share of Sucie, who is sired by 0039HO00750 Canyon Breeze Allen, has since been sold to the regional judge Kerry Robbins, of Rye Valley.

 Sucie produced 10,734 litres last season, with 750kg of milk solids in 280 days. The herd gets 1.5-4kg of grain a day, in additional to a customised mineral pellet. They began registering their herd in 1991.

 Willie said, “My father had a nice herd of Holstein Friesian cows that weren’t registered. What is nice for me is that there is not another prefix in Sucie’s pedigree. We have developed this family here.”

 The couple has a VG85 two-year-old (sired by Ladino Park Talent) daughter from Sucie. Her 0200HO04608 Mr Samuelo daughter recently sold for $6000 to Grant Lilly, from Southland.

 Two-year-old Champion gives young breeder third title

 The two-year-old gave young South Canterbury breeder Philippa Trounce her third successive national title. The 29-year-old’s Tahora Million Tori is housed at her parents’ (Lindsay and Alison Trounce) 400-cow Timaru dairy, called Fairview Holsteins.

 Philippa, who works at the 800-cow farm of Hayden and Jessie Dorman, at Rakaia in mid Canterbury, bought Tori at the 2011 Canterbury Association’s branch sale as a yearling for $8000.

 It is worth noting that her maternal pedigree is close to the four-year-old winner because her pedigree also includes three countries (New Zealand, Australia and Canada), tracking back through the former Royal New Zealand Champion, Tahora Romeo Tonio EX.

 Judge Sowter was clear in his comments.

 “She was quite a comfortable winner in a class that had lots of nice functional heifers,” Murray said. “She had the dairyness and the functionality, but she also brought style and balance. There were a lot of heifers in this class that would make a lot of milk in a lot of different locations, but they didn’t bring the style too.”

 Philippa said, “I was very surprised about the win. Then later on that night, she won the All-New Zealand Junior Cow photographic competition. I couldn’t believe the luck I’ve been having and I was very, very stoked when I heard. I wasn’t expecting it at all.”

 For more information on Semex, Genetics for Life, or our industry-leading sires and programmes visit www.semex.com

 For additional information please contact:

Jim Conroy, General Manager Semex Pty Ltd

Mobile: Aus + 0418 107 868:

jimconroy@semex.com.au • www.semex.com.au

 

Maughlin Storm TWO YEARS IN-MILK

•         1^st:  Tahora Million Tori (Philippa Trounce, Timaru, South Canterbury)
•         2^nd: Tahora Debonair Rascal (Langlands Farms Ltd, Opunake, Taranaki)
•         3^rd: Fantastic Lobby Like S1F (Fantastic Farms, Dargaville, Northland)
•         4^th: Mokoia Spearm Robyn S0F (Mokoia Holsteins, Woodville, Hawkes Bay)
•         5^th: Tahora Trevor Largesse (Larissa Gates, Palmerston North)
•         6^th: Rivendell S July-ET S3F (Rivendell Farm Ltd, Otautau, Southland)

 

Comestar Leader THREE YEARS IN-MILK

•         1^st: Deloraine Sam Phebe (AM, BV & JJ Sherriff, Temuka, South Canterbury)

•         2^nd: Membury Gold C Rama 16-ET (Faulkner/Cunliffe P/Ship, Levin, Manawatu)
•         3^rd: Bushview Planet Horizon (ID McCormack Trust, Stratford, Taranaki)
•         4^th: Waipiri Goldwyn Pix-ET (Ferdon Genetics, Otorohanga)
•         5^th: Sherraine Fortune Carra (Sherraine Holsteins Ltd, Kaiapoi, Canterbury)
•         6^th: Karatane Damion Anna VG88 (Karatane Dairies Limited, Wyndham, Southland)

 

Townson Lindy FOUR YEARS IN-MILK

•         1^st: Tahora Talent Theresa VG89 (Tim and Jo Barclay, Te Awamutu, Waikato)
•         2^nd: Rotodale Stratus Mandy VG85 (Hudson Farming P/Ship, Levin, Manawatu)
•         3^rd: Karatane Damion Rosa VG86 Karatane Dairies Limited, Wyndham, Southland
•         4^th: Annalea Talent Essie VG88 (Karalea Ltd, Rakaia, Mid Canterbury)
•         5^th: Uhuru Jatz Moonbeam VG86 (Uhuru Farms, Atiamuri, Bay of Plenty)
•         6^th: Ferdon Lady In Red S1F VG88 (Ferdon Genetics, Otorohanga, Waikato)

 

Hanoverhill Raider FIVE YEARS IN-MILK

•         1^st: Deloraine Talent Vila VG88 (AM, BV & JJ Sherriff, Temuka, South Canterbury)
•         2^nd: Brookview Dun Dee Ba EX (V & S Steiner, Tokoroa)
•         3^rd: Crossroads Wman Bizzy EX (A & N Harvey Family Trust, Dargaville, Northland)
•         4^th: Rivendell Dup Mary-ET EX (Rivendell Farm Ltd, Otautau, Southland)

•         5^th: Okawa Tony Serenity EX (Tim and Jo Barclay, Te Awamutu, Waikato)

•         6^th: Findowrie Cut Babe VG88 (Findowrie Farm Ltd, Bulls, Manawatu)

 

Conant Acres Broker MATURE IN-MILK

•         1^st: Rowalan Allen Sucie (Rowalan Holstein Farm, Gore, Southland)
•         2^nd: Parkville Storm Pat S3F EX (D & P Capes, Eketahuna, Wairarapa)
•         3^rd: Fantastic Lartist Like S2F EX (Shelly Muller, Rotorua)
•         4^th: Annalea Zander Lana EX2 (Karalea Ltd, Wahor Rakaia, Mid Canterbury)
•         5^th: Crossroads Gold Kolin S3F EX (A & N Harvey Family Trust, Dargaville, Northland)

•         6^th: Maire Allen Fabrianne-ET EX (Maire Farms Ltd, Wyndham, Palmerston North)

 

Comestar Laurie Sheik VETERAN IN-MILK

•         1^st: Deloraine Stormatic Merle EX3 (AM, BV & JJ Sherriff, Temuka, South Canterbury)
•         2^nd: Belrose Trademark P Clear EX (V & S Steiner, Tokoroa, Waikato)
•         3^rd: Rivendell Aspen Julia S2F EX (Rivendell Farm Ltd, Otautau, Southland)
•         4^th:  Fantastic Lavina S0F EX3 (Vaughan & Kirsty Clarke, Fantastic Farms Ltd, Rotorua, Bay of Plenty)
•         5^th: Oakura KO Sasha S0F EX (Riverlea Dairies 2007 Ltd, Winton, Southland)
•         6^th: Clover-lane Lee Audrey-ET EX2 (Pipe/Boxsell P/Ship, Canterbury)