The Netherlands has a special place in global Holstein breeding, as the country is regarded as the cradle of the global Holstein breed. After all, the original black & white cow from the Netherlands were regarded in North American at the end of the 19th century as one of the best dairy cows in the world. For that reason, North Americans imported several thousands of black & whites into the US and Canada, and developed these animals into a breed with even more production and better conformation – the breed that back then received the name Holstein-Friesian. Precisely to provide North America (and other interested countries) with the right black & whites, already in 1874, the first herdbook was established in the Netherlands. That is 150 years ago – a milestone that is rightly celebrated. A reason for a look at breeding in the “lowlands”.