A feisty four-year-old cow stole the show at the Victorian Winter Fair on Thursday, taking the supreme senior champion award ahead of older cows in the event.
The owners Glen Gordon, Gorbro Holsteins, Cohuna, Vic, and the farm's employee Alexz Crawford picked up Eagle Ridge Amazing G Pollyanna at the Eagle Ridge first stage stud dispersal in April.
The VG88 cow is by Mr Atlees Amazing out of Eagle Ridge Goldroy Pollyanna.
"We bought her as a show cow for this show - we knew how good her udder was," Mr Gordon said.
"We knew she was going to show as a second-calf four-year-old.
"We just thought she had the quality to come and compete, and we thought we could have a fair bit of fun with her."
Judge Matt Templeton agreed with the assessment, also awarding Pollyanna supreme senior udder.
He said the four cows he selected for the final judging were tremendous representatives of the Holstein breed.
"Our senior champion today, this cow comes to the top of the line," he said.
"She's just been growing on me all day.
"She blends so well through all her parts."
Mr Gordon said they had joined Pollyanna with the plan to try to get her back to the event next year.
"Being her first show, she's only new to it; she has taken a little bit of breaking in so hopefully next year we think she will look better," he said.
"We will get her a little bit more developed out through her rib and her flank, and we think she will make a very nice third-calf five-year-old next year."
For now the cow would return to be part of the Gorbro 600-strong herd.
"She's got plenty of will, so she's a big herd cow," he said.
"She will get in and compete."
Mr Crawford, who grew up on a dairy farm on the NSW south coast, said the win was rewarding and satisfying.
He has worked at Gorbro for the past 14 months and has about 20 cows that run in the herd.
"One day I would love to be able to run my own herd and my own farm," he said.
"It's just the way the industry is going, you have just got to try to work and build equity."
Mr Gordon said the win was rewarding, particularly when things were challenging at home on the farm.
"So to have the release and excitement and the adrenalin rush, I guess the show is something to look forward to," he said.
But Mr Gordon was hopeful of a better year.
"The industry is in a better position today than it was six weeks ago," he said.
"Milk prices look good, we are getting good rain; the Mallee's got the rain, so hopefully grain and hay prices will come back.
"Whether the government will ever sort this water job out is a whole different story."
Championship results
Supreme Senior Champion: Eagle Ridge Amazing G Pollyanna, Gorbro Holsteins & Alexz Crawford.
Reserve Senior Champion: Glenunga Wind Butterbrook, JH & CJ Gardiner.
Honourable Mention: Benlargo Sid Furry Imp ET, Benlargo Holsteins.
Supreme Senior Udder: Eagle Ridge Amazing G Pollyanna, Gorbro Holsteins & Alexz Crawford.
Premier Breeder: Gorbro Holsteins.
Premier Exhibitor: JH & CJ Gardiner.
Related reading:
- All the fun of the fair | Day 3 - senior judging - classes 19-23 - with gallery
- Success second time around for intermediate champion - with gallery
- All the fun of the fair | Day 3 - intermediate judging - classes 15-18 - with gallery
- Victorian Winter Fair junior champion epitome of breeding program - with gallery
- All the fun of the fair | Day 2 - junior judging - classes 4-14 - with gallery
- All the fun of the fair | Day 2 - handlers' competition - classes 1-3 - with gallery
- All the fun of the fair | Day 1 - with gallery
- Victorian Winter Fair to be held in Bendigo
This story first appeared on Australian Dairyfarmer
Carlene Dowie
Carlene Dowie is the editor of the Australian Dairyfarmer magazine and has more than 30 years' experience as a rural journalist.
Carlene Dowie is the editor of the Australian Dairyfarmer magazine and has more than 30 years' experience as a rural journalist.
