IT WAS an all-family affair in the dairy interbreed judging at the Royal Adelaide Show, with the Tweddle family, Glencoe, SA, claiming four of the broadribbons, and having some involvement in a fifth.
Benlargo Holsteins, operated by Ben and Angela Tweddle, won the supreme senior champion, supreme intermediate champion, the group of three, and had cows in the Holstein's winning entry for the group of five.
Their daughter, 11-year-old Shae Tweddle, also won the supreme juvenile champion with her Jersey - the foundation for her own Silver stud.
Five-year-old Benlargo Sid Furry was declared the senior champion winner, ahead of second-placed Ayrshire Magic Park Shady Maiden, Munden Farms, Warragul, Vic, and Illawarra Braelee BP Dairymaid, from IL&JA Mueller, Murray Bridge, SA, with a perfect score.
Judge Rob Dolman praised the cow for its "style, balance and high, wide udder".
The 2.5-year-old Benlargo Elijah Ding was named intermediate champion, also in a unanimous decision from all eligible judges.
Judge Todd Wilson, Tamworth, NSW, said it was a "pretty clear winner", hard on top, long through the neck, with great teat placement.
After last year's need for a tiebreaker, overjudge David Peglar was installed in an official capacity as overjudge, and he was put to work quickly, trying to split the second and third places for the intermediate judging, with Illawarra Glenbrook Belle 63, from IL&JA Mueller, Murray Bridge, SA, second, and Jersey Ashtaney Floodgate Tinsel, from AP&AM Koch, Moculta, SA, in third.
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The tiebreaker was also needed in the juvenile judging, with decisions split between Jersey Merseybank Tequila Song, shown by Shae Tweddle, and Ayrshire Finesse Martha, from Casey Treloar, Victor Harbor, SA.
Juvenile judging also required an extra judge, Brian Leslie, to step into the ring, to account for the show's sole Brown Swiss entry, two-year-old Bridge View Lola, shown by Damien Doecke, Murray Bridge, SA, and praised by interbreed judge Rob Dolman for its "power".
In the end, the decision went to the Jersey dubbed "neat, sweet, lovely and feminine" by judge John Green, Kiama, NSW, with the Ayrshire in second and Holstein Misty Brae Diamondback May, Misty Brae Holdings, Hindmarsh Tiers, SA, in a close third.
Shae, at only 11 and with only one Jersey, was "very excited" to have done what many cattle breeders spend their life trying to achieve - winning an interbreed.
Coming from a family of Holstein breeders, after selling her pony, she asked to buy a Jersey "because they're small and I'm small".
Her next goal is to buy another cow that has already had a calf, as well as to breed from Tequila Song.
Benlargo Holsteins then won with a group of three that impressed the judges to another perfect score, with judge Dale Chupp, Oklahoma, United States, praising their power and "beautiful" mammary systems.
The Holsteins then won the group of five in another unanimous decision.
Ms Tweddle said the success was almost "overwhelming".
"In 2015, we got the supreme intermediate and senior, but to have our daughter take away supreme juvenile as well, then the breeder's pen of three," she said.
"We breed the cows for home and if we can get a show cow amongst it, all the better."
Ms Tweddle said she knew going into the show that their team included a "good group of in-form cows", but she also knows that winning show champions was "not easily done, that's for sure".
She said the chance to be picked out as winner by five judges, meant it was five different people's opinions that supported their breeding direction.
Andrew and Angela Koch, Moculta, SA, were declared the most successful exhibitors across all breeds.
INTERBREED
Judges: Rob Dolman, Dale Chupp, Lisa McKay, John Green, Todd Wilson, Brian Leslie (juvenile) and David Peglar (overjudge)
Supreme senior champion: Benlargo Sid Furry, Benlargo Holsteins, Glencoe, SA
Supreme intermediate champion: Benlargo Elijah Ding, Benlargo Holsteins
Supreme juvenile champion: Merseybank Tequila Song, Shae Tweddle, Glencoe, SA
Group of three females: Holstein - Benlargo Holsteins
Group of five females: Holstein
Most successful exhibitor: AP&AM Koch, Moculta, SA
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Elizabeth Anderson
Editor of Stock Journal.
Editor of Stock Journal.
