Company News

A cow the Australia dairy industry universally mourned in 2005 came back into sharp focus during the final of the South Eastern Semex-Holstein Australia On-Farm competition recently.

Elmar Leader Jessica EX-3E was one of Australia’s most appreciated cows. Bred by the Hore family, at Leitchville, she was the 2003 Grand Champion Holstein at International Dairy Week (IDW) and she took Australia to the global stage when she won Reserve World Champion Holstein in 2003. She also won the mature class in the South Eastern Semex-Holstein Australia On-Farm in 2002 and 2004. She was All-Australian for her age from 2001 to 2003.

Her owners resisted several compelling offers to sell her in 2004 – despite genuine interest and big numbers from North America. She died, aged seven, 12 months later. Efforts to clone her produced four calves, which didn’t survive.

Recently two of her granddaughters, both by the world’s favourite sire, Braedale Goldwyn, won State Champion in the four-year-old and Mature age-groups. A great granddaughter was Reserve Champion in the three-year-old. It was a quiet nod to their world-famous matriarch and it meant that the Jessica family singlehandedly won 30% of the top-two places on offer this year, in the state that has 56% of the nation’s total competition numbers.

Semex’s General manager Jim Conroy confirmed there were 3011 animals (from 429 breeders) judged across Australia between October and December.

Of those numbers, 1616 animals from 225 breeders were entered in the South Eastern competition alone. The biggest sub-branch (Western Victoria) included 303 animals from 48 breeders and was judged by Marcus Young.

The event culminated with a luncheon at the Witchmount Estate winery where finalists gathered to hear how the overjudge Patrick Nicholson, of Jugiong Jerseys saw the cows after he had travelled 3500km and visited 60 farms in a week.

“Some winners’ names we hear every year, some names are heard occasionally, and some names many of us have never heard of before,” Semex’s Jim Conroy said. “That proves some of the real values of our competition. It is as relevant for rewarding families that have worked in Holsteins for the better part of 100 years, right through to people who have been involved for 20 minutes. Anyone can enter, win, and do well.”

In the case of Jessica’s family tree, however, there would have been no-one in the room who did not know the family, where it had come from and what it had achieved.

Both of Jessica’s granddaughters are out of Elmar Boss Jessica 3^rd VG89 with Leader Jessica right in behind her.

Elmar Goldwyn Jessica 11-ET VG89 won the four-year-old and Elmar Goldwyn Jessica 4-ET EX92-3E won the mature class, backing up from winning Reserve Champion Holstein at this year’s IDW. Elmar Shottle Jessica 10-ET was Reserve Champion in the three-year-old class.

When Steve Hore accepted the four-year-old championship he was typically low key.

“I thank Jim and his staff for organising a wonderful event and to Holstein Australia for their involvement,” he said. Then he smiled, adding: “Pat has obviously done a good job.”

“But on a more serious note, she’s a good young cow that we’re pretty fond of. And touch wood, we’ll keep going OK with her. I’d also like to thank Deanne [his wife], Kelsie and the boys [their children] for their help because it’s a big job working with these cows. We’re also lucky that we’re in a competitive sub-branch and that does keep you driving on to have them looking good.”

When he stepped up for the mature award, his smile said it all.

“I’m pretty happy now!

“To have these full sisters that are a fair few years apart is amazing really. Their granddam, Jessica was a special cow, and there’s a lot of Semex genetics in there. And to have three finalists from the same family win two Champions and a Reserve at this level is pretty special. It’s particularly pleasing that Leader Jessica was not only a great cow, she has bred on and developed into a brood cow that we are very proud of.”

Judge Pat Nicolson loved both cows, starting with his reasons on the four-year-old Champion, Goldwyn Jessica 11.

“No matter which way you look at it, she’s just exceptionally well balanced,” he said. “She covers so much ground. She’s got width right throughout, a high wide rear udder, an exceptionally strong fore udder attachment and a beautiful open rib and deep rib. She’s just a stand-out animal within the competition for me.”

He also targeted the fore udder attachment on his mature cow winner, Goldwyn Jessica 4.  “She’s just an exceptional dairy cow,” he said. “She’s clean and dairy throughout, she has a beautiful sharp bone and she’s got a beautiful texture to that udder. She’s a beautiful ribbed cow with a very strong ligament and an exceptional fore-udder attachment for a mature cow.”

Steve finished by adding that the family was one that he bought into when he was the same age as his sons, Brady and Marty. To continue it with his daughter, Kelsie, and the boys and his parents at this juncture made the journey special.

“I know we had so much fun with Jessica, and to know that we have the kids to take the next journey with makes it really exciting, Deanne Hore concluded. “It’s a bit more of a shared thing – more intense because the competition is so strong today, but still it’s great to share it. We still know that we need to remember that to do a good job, you have to enjoy it.”

Another stand-out individual Champion was the second-calved three-year-old winner, Luccombe Damion Shale, owned and bred by Robin and Lowis White’s Luccombe Holstein operation at Finley.

Every year when Robin wins his humble comments include how terribly lucky they have been. In reality, this operation ticks all the boxes, works hard and is run by great farmers and talented cowmen. Once again they were in the limelight and they quietly have an eye on January’s IDW.

“I would like to thank Holstein Australia and Semex for the competition you’ve put on here – between the elite and the best,” he told the audience. “This young animal is one of the best young animals we have ever bred. I can share that she scored VG89 Max just the other day with new classifier Phil Hentschke, and she’s an absolute pleasure to work with.”

He went on to say that Luccombe had never had an animal classify maximum points (for age) before. Robin said she had only been calved eight to 10 days during the sub-branch judging and they worried she might have been too fresh. But both the sub-branch judge, Lindsay Marshall, and Pat were never going to deny her. She was milking 45 litres a day at State judging time.

One of the newbie winners was Ashley and Jane Harrison, of Krishlaye Holsteins, at Nerrena. They won the two-year-old class with a Stantons Steady daughter Krishlaye Steady Pixie NYC. Pixie’s dam, Krishlaye Dictator Pindari EX90 finished fourth in the Mature class. Pindari is the first of three generations of EX that support Pixie. Pindari’s dam is an EX91 Braedale Goldwyn, who is backed by an EX90 Townson Lindy.

Ashley said he was thrilled to make the final – and he had no further expectations other to enjoy the ride. The couple milk 220-head.

“I did get a shock when they read out the results,” Ashley said. “I was just happy to be here, to be honest. I guess it will hit home when we get home and start really looking at her.”

He said Pixie was milking 28 litres, having calved in the first week of June. The competition is his only avenue to market their registered cows, given their commitments to a busy farm and a young family.

“This [On-Farm competition] is a lot easier for us to do than show cows,” he said. “For me, I can see a good cow, but I’m not in the loop to prepare those show cows. We have two little boys [Cohen, 5, and Raidyn, 3] and they’re taking all of our spare time right now.”

The five-year-old was won by Pyelanda Toystory Magpie VG85, owned by the Seidel family of Pyelanda partners, at Mt Gambier. Magpie is out of Pyelanda Snow Magpie VG88 (who is sired by a Comestar Lee son, Fantasia Lee Snow), who is (in turn) out of Pyelanda Juror Mae (sired by Ked Juror) x Park Farm Inspiration Mae VG85 (sired by Hanover-Hill Inspiration).

State Over Judging: South-Eastern

Judge: Patrick Nicholson, Jugiong Jerseys, Girgarre, VIC

1616 entries (2013 – 1372)

203 breeders (2013 – 203)

TWO YEAR OLD

1st: Krishlaye Steady Pixie – AJ Harrison, Krishlaye Holsteins (Nerrena)

2nd: Burnvale Lauthority Connie-ET – LP & VL Flanagan, Wood Lawn Holsteins (Finley)

THREE YEAR OLD

1st: Luccombe Damion Shale – R & L White, Luccombe Holsteins (Finley)

2nd: Elmar Shottle Jessica 10-ET – S & D Hore, Elmar Holsteins (Leitchville)

FOUR YEAR OLD

1st: Elmar Goldwyn Jessica 11-ET – S & D Hore, Elmar Holsteins (Leitchville)

2nd: Glenorleigh Goldwyn Malin-ET, MC & AL Taylor, Urramy Lodge Holsteins (Timboon)

FIVE YEAR OLD

1st: Pyelanda Toystory Magpie – P & N Seidel, Pyelanda Partners (Mt Gambier)

2nd: Hill Valley Planet Noni 3-ET – R & H Perrett, Hill Valley Holsteins (Kongwak)

MATURE

1st: Elmar Goldwyn Jessica 4-ET – S & D Hore, Elmar Holsteins (Leitchville)

2nd: Avonlea Leader Fige – JH & CJ Gardiner, Avonlea Holsteins (Cardinia)