Calder’s win challenge

AUSTRALIA’S biggest annual dairy livestock competition, involving close to 3000 cows and 500 farms is off and running and Meeniyan farmers Les, Louise and Tim Calder will be contesting the major award after their success in the South Gippsland region.
The South Gippsland area Holstein Semex on Farm Challenge has been judged recently on local farms.
South Gippsland Semex representative Stuart Mackie said the on farm challenge is like a show, except they take the judge to the cows and not the other way around.
“The competition is judged on the functional traits of a cow. Each cow is given points on specific traits. The cow with the highest points in each class is the winner,” he said.
“There are five classes and the first and second place getter from each class goes on to the Victorian Championship, which will start judging this month.”
Mr Mackie said farmers often prefer the on farm challenge as there is nowhere near the work required to get the cows prepared compared to an actual show.
“The farmers really enjoy that we bring the judge to them. Some of the bigger farms these days just don’t have time for showing,” he said.
“Doing well in the challenge is good advertising for breeders.”
This year, the judge travelled to 16 different exhibitors across South Gippsland, and judged around 145 head of cattle.
The results of this year’s contest were announced at a well attended dinner and presentation at the Inverloch Hotel with judge Jade Sieben of Brindabella Holsteins in Northern Victoria.
Now in its 13th year the Semex/Holstein Australia On-Farm Competition is now widely accepted as offering producers a key additional income stream from the associated exposure of winning regional and state championships.
Semex initiated the competition to acknowledge quality, functional dairy cows – often the unsung heroes of Australia’s dairy industry. It now includes a special application because cows that may not have enjoyed a profile before have a chance to shine and/or be discovered in the farmer-friendly time-efficient format.
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 this month to find the state champions.
The Victorian and South Australia’s South Eastern’s presentation date and venue (which involves over half the total numbers in the competition), will be held at the Witchmount Estate Winery, near Melton, on December 3.
South Gippsland Sub Branch competition attracted 145 entries with 16 breeders and winners included:
TWO YEAR OLD 1st: Hill Valley L Nona-ET, R. & H. Perrett, Hill Valley Holsteins, Kongwak 2nd: Town-View Putty Satin, P. Price, Town-View Holsteins, Leongatha THREE YEAR OLD 1st: Hill Valley Nonis Atwood-ET, R. & H. Perrett & C. & M. Gleeson, Kongwak 2nd: Kintore Shottle Beth, I. Cash, Kintore Holsteins, Korumburra FOUR YEAR OLD 1st: Calderlea Dolman Faith-ET, L. & L. & T. Calder, Calderlea Holsteins, Meeniyan 2nd: Lindon Jet FJ Kite-IMP-ET-RED, M. Clarke, Nerrena Park Holsteins, Nerrena FIVE YEAR OLD 1st: Harklaje Stormatic Tamsyn, T. & J. Clark, Harklaje Holsteins, Nerrena 2nd: Calderlea Pagewire Phyllis, L. & L. & T. Calder, Calderlea Holsteins, Meeniyan MATURE 1st: Coribass Ladino Coconut-ET, L. & L. & T. Calder, Calderlea Holsteins, Meeniyan 2nd: Calderlea Stormatic Gracie, L. & L. & T. Calder, Calderlea Holsteins, Meeniyan

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Posted by Sarah Vella on Nov 26 2013. Filed under Featured, Rural News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry