Doug Savage
DAIRY MACHINE
Jean-Baptiste Decheppe of Gaec du Tombuy at Gimecourt in the north-east of France has a cow with a special story. ‘Gourmande was not born on our farm. It was our friend and neighbor Adrien Dailly, who sells seeds, who found her in a good herd that was about to stop milking. Thus, we bought her together,’ explains Jean-Baptiste. ‘When she arrived, we had never seen her before and Adrien was not too proud and not too sure about her anymore. Gourmande had not seen a brush or clippers. Later, a week after she delivered her third calf, she scored EX-90.’ Gourmande is sired by Jaiz out of a VG Matson and then a Manchoman. She has produced mostly bull calves, though she does have a good Artist in the herd that has two daughters. ‘Gourmande has been to a lot of shows and the older she gets the more she enjoys it,’ continues Jean-Baptiste. Her best results include Reserve Senior Champion in Paris 2022 behind her herdmate Kansas City, and first mature cow at the European Show in Libramont 2019. Recently she was first in the 100,000kg class at the Swiss Expo 2024. ‘She is a simple cow that ages wonderfully and her udder is exceptional and full of quality,’ adds Jean-Baptiste. A medium-sized, deep bodied cow, Gourmande is a well-balanced, efficient dairy machine...scored EX-96 with a 98 mammary!
COLOMBIA
Colganados Apple Magia-Roja-Red EX-95.
Colganados Apple Magia-Roja-Red EX-95 is the highest classified red cow in Colombia. Indeed, she is the first red cow ever to score EX-95 in South America. We should hardly be surprized because her mother is a clone of Apple! Franciso Rodriguez from Colombia purchased the 2-year-old Apple clone KHW Regmnt Apple A1-Red ETN in 2012. Magia-Roja-Red has a number of maternal sisters in the US, including the highly respected Colganados D Avianca-Red EX-96 (<Destry) at Oakfield Corners, NY. There are also two EX full sisters to Avianca in the US: Colganados Destry Amarti-RC EX-90 is owned by Larry Griffith, OH, while Colganados Destry Alma-RC EX-91 went to Mason Dairy, OK. Magia-Roja-Red has certainly inherited her mother’s transmitting ability, being the dam of the promising young cow Colganados Apple Modelo-Roja-Red EX-92 (<Defiant). Incidentally, Magia-Roja is sired by Redburst meaning she is exactly the same breeding as Miss Apple Snapple EX-96, the mother of World Champion Shakira. Other successful clones of Apple include the mother of type-specialist Avalanche-RC, while another clone is the mother of Westcoast Defiant Addison-Red EX-95, Honorable Mention Grand Champion in Madison 2018.
LONGEVITY
Oman daughter Ballydehob OJ Trixie EX-94.
She is the living embodiment of profitability and longevity – fresh in December on her 14th lactation having produced over 140,000kg/309,000lb and with an average calving interval of 357 days. Ballydehob OJ Trixie EX-94 is the star of the 80-cow herd of Robert Shannon that goes to pasture every day throughout the summer. The herd was established 65 years ago by Robert’s father William Shannon and took its name from the local town of Ballydehob in County Cork, Ireland. Trixie is sired by O-Man and is out of an VG-88 Katshaar Brendan backed by an EX-90 Richesse Stoneham, an EX-90 Eastland Cash, and an EX-90 Sunny Boy. So far Trixie has produced 10 daughters, including 2 scored EX, while her latest calf is by Boghill Glamour Hailstone. In the background of the picture with Trixie is her great granddaughter Ballydehob Yamask Trixie EX-90, dam of the AI bull Ballydehob Ringo. Another Trixie descendant in AI is Ballydehob Jota, with both bulls being part of the NCBC program.
SPLENDOR
Hyland Duke Smoothie
In 2006, the Calderwood family emigrated to Canada from Northern Ireland, and today have a 400-cow herd at Kippen, near London in western Ontario. They brought with them their Hyland prefix that they established in 1978. In 2014, in partnership with Braemar Holsteins, they purchased the dry donor cow Misty Springs Shottle Smoothie VG-88 2-yrs, who traces through Freelance and Convincer to Glen Drummond Splendor. Her granddaughter, Hyland Duke Smoothie EX-90, has become an important link in building the family. Her oldest daughter Hyland Hotline Smoothie VG-87 has a record of 3.04 305 13,884kg/30,609lb 4.5% fat 3.2% protein, while younger daughters include a Zircon and 3 Lambda’s that are 6 months old. Granddaughters of Duke Smoothie include the highest Rozline daughter for conformation at +11. Other popular families being developed at Hyland include Vogue Luster Esteem-P (full sister to A2P2), Progenesis Imax Oleander EX-90 (descending from Ammon-Peachy Shauna), Fradon Ryder Mud Run (sister to Vogue Illustrator-P from the Calbrett Kingboy Miranda-P family) along with pregnancies from Comestar Latinet Parfect VG-87.
DISTINGUISHED
The winners of the US Holstein Association’s Distinguished Young Breeder award in 2023 were Tyler & Heather Etgen from Etgen-Way Holsteins, a 100-cow herd near Harrod, Ohio. Etgen-Way currently has 36 EX cows, of which 31 are home-bred! A cornerstone brood cow is Toppglen Atwood Waki EX-94, a 10-year-old with a top record of 7.03 365 31,940lb/14,488kg 4.5% fat 3.4% protein. ‘We bought her as a calf at the Ohio Convention Sale, and she has now produced over 400 embryos,’ comments Ty. Waki’s pedigree traces through an 88 Gold Chip x 91 Damion x 93 Astronomical x 90 Rudolph to Dupasquier Starb Winnie, Grand Champion at the Royal in ’91 and Reserve Grand in Madison ’93. The oldest daughter of Waki is a Sidekick fresh on 3rd lactation and scored EX-92, while there are another 4 EX Sidekick’s on 2nd lactation. ‘She also has 7 VG 2-year-old Unstopabull’s while younger heifers are by Chief, Lambda and Unix so her best may be still to come,’ adds Ty.
BELGIUM
Arrianna: Icon of a prominent cow family.
Jean-Pierre Vanderlinden and his son Gerben farm at Huldenberg, Belgium, just south-east of Brussels in a region renowned for the production of grapes grown in greenhouses. One of the stars of the herd is Arrianna, who is now in her 5th lactation and has produced 51,773kg/115,320lb with a top record of 354d 15,589kg/34,368lb 3.60% 3.25%. She has two daughters in the herd: A Pharo on 3rd lactation and a Huey in 2nd lactation that has two Parsly daughters. ‘Last time Arrianna gave us a beautiful Lambeau heifer,’ adds Gerben. Arrianna is a Racer that traces through Shot Laser and Bradnick to a Beacon daughter, Alabaster. ‘We bought Alabaster at the Top Genetic Auction in Osnabruck,’ explains Gerben. ‘She was a Beacon out of a Goldwyn and was bred by Bunge Agrar. This family is defined by flawless conformation and they age extremely well, becoming better with each lactation.’ In addition to the Bradnick, foundation cow Alabaster also produced three Shamrocks, two of which (scored EX-91 and VG-89) are still in the herd on their 8th lactation approaching 100,000kg/220,000lb….and they have lots of daughters and granddaughters in the herd too.
ON-FARM WINNER
If you aren’t familiar with the herd-name Instyle then its time to pay attention. At Australia’s National Holstein Show at International DairyWeek they claimed the Grand Champion title and Supreme Champion All-Breeds with Instyle Solomon Dahlia, along with Reserve Senior Champion of the Red-Holstein Show with Lightning Ridge CMD DBack Barbara-Red. In 2023 they had the Grand Champion of the Victorian On-Farm competition with Instyle Doc Amy, who went on to be 2nd 5-year-old at DairyWeek in January. ‘The Amy’s would be our best cow family,’ comments Brenton Thomas, who along with his wife Ellie and father Rodney, milks 200 cows at Cooriemungle, Victoria. King Doc daughter Amy EX-92 is backed by an EX-92 Lauthority and then an EX-91 Shottle. ‘The Lauthority has been a super brood cow, with her other daughters being a EX-91 Bankroll, two EX Solomon’s, and an VG-89 Bankroll,’ adds Brenton. ‘We received lots of positive comments on Doc Amy at DairyWeek and we plan to use IVF on her and on Solomon Dahlia.’ We are sure to hear much more from InStyle in the future.
