New owners share in Guernsey glory at IDW 2022

A late entry, Kerrilyn Pistoll Peach, was shown by the Wilkie family, Crookslea, Bacchus Marsh, Vic, who only bought the cow three months ago.

The cow was bred by Kerry Childs, who said it was the first-ever show for the cow, which had bred three calves.

"She was from a cow family I acquired years ago and just kept breeding from, but this was just luck," Mr Childs said.

Simon Wilkie said the immediate aim was to keep her fit and healthy.

"We will try to get her back in calf and set her back for dairy week next year," Mr Wilkie said.

He said they were "only hobby farmers milking six to 12 cows".

It was an expensive hobby - but there were no cheap hobbies, he said.

"We feed a heap of black-and-white bull calves to finance our hobby," he said.

"It was unfortunate for Kerry, but he's now got a dairy week champion and he wouldn't have had that otherwise."

The August 2016-drop cow was by Maradore Gary Pistoll out of Kerrylin Mentor Peaches.

He said it had been a fast preparation for the cow.

Judge Pat Nicholson said the eventual champion was a five-year-old that "covered a lot of ground with a tremendous frame".

Mr Nicholson said the cow was also best udder of the Guernsey show and was "just a magnificent dairy cow".

The cow had a strong ligament and the widest rear udder of the class and teats placed well on the corners.

While the number of Guernseys was not high, the quality of the entries had been "fantastic".

The three cows in the senior champion judging really represented the breed.

Mr Nicholson said exhibitors should be proud of what they had brought out.

Breeder of the intermediate champion, Lyndon Cleggett, Brookleigh, Glencoe, SA, said the cow was on her second lactation and had been shown as a yearling heifer at Adelaide three years ago but had been off the show circuit due to COVID-19.

Mr Cleggett said she was one of the good young cows in the herd and came from a cow family that had done well at dairy week before.

He said they had noticed the break, which had impacted settling cows into showing.

The heifer would go back into a 300-cow herd and they would see what happened.

"We will follow her and if she is right and there is a show then she will go," he said.

Mr Cleggett said this year's show was "the best quality show" he had seen.

It was starting to "give us a good feel".

The Sydney Royal in 2021 had been a great result winning reserve cow, intermediate cow and breeding the champion cow and junior heifer.

Junior heifer champion owner, Renee Joyce, Tongala, Vic, bought the heifer's dam four years ago.

The heifer, by Drone, was an honourable mention in the IDW youth show and her dam had been reserve champion at previous dairy week shows.

Grand champion: Kerrilyn Pistoll Peach, Crookslea, Bacchus Marsh, Vic.

Senior champion: Kerrilyn Pistoll Peach.

Reserve: Kearla Latimer Koala 4, M & R Shea, T & S Shea, Bacchus Marsh, Vic.

Best udder: Kerrilyn Pistoll Peach.

Intermediate champion: Brookleigh Butterworld, LF & JM Cleggett, Glencoe, SA.

Reserve: Portbridge Kakadu Annette, Harrop & Lenehan, Princetown, Vic.

Junior champion: Kalaso Drone Weave, Steve Joyce, Tongala, Vic.

Reserve: Rockmar Tango Graceful, M & R Shea.

Premier breeder: LF & JM Cleggett.

Premier exhibitor: LF & JM Cleggett.

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