International Dairy Week Guernsey champion has the 'X' factor, says breeder

Neville Wilkie, Pentland Hills, Vic, is no stranger to the top of the Guernsey judging at IDW - with his champion cow at last year's event Kerrilyn Pistoll Peach described as the best Guernsey cow in the world.

So he clearly knows how to spot a champion.

And he rates this year's grand and senior champion Crookslea Ruby 2^nd as up there with the best.

The cow took all before it despite coming from the youngest class in the senior division, the four years in milk.

Judge Brian Leslie, Kialla, Vic, also rated the cow highly.

"I am going to tell you she's one of the great Guernsey cows that this country has ever seen, ever," he said.

"We haven't seen a cow in the Guernsey breed that combines dairyness and strength any better than this one.

"She's tall, she's open, she's wide, she's got tremendous milk in her - the most important part of a dairy cow is her udder, and she's got a wonderful, wonderful udder."

PHOTOS: Check out our picture gallery from the Guernsey Show

Mr Wilkie said he spotted the champion's potential two years ago when she calved down as a heifer.

He sent a photo of her to the Coburn family, who help prepare the Wilkie string for IDW, tagged '2024 champion'.

The win provided some comfort for Mr Wilkie as last year's champion Kerrilyn Pistoll Peach died the week before IDW.

Mr Wilkie said Crookslea Ruby 2^nd represented 30 years of breeding - coming from a cow family originally bred by his family.

"She's only a young four-year-old with a lot of 'X' factor," he said

"She's so well balanced, and she's got more length and strength than a lot of cows.

"And we need that to get a good dairy cow, we were getting them too short.

"Wherever you look at the cow, she's very hard to fault.

"Possibly the biggest fault in the cow is her brain, she's a bit dizzy.

"We've got to settle that down."

Mr Wilkie thinks the young cow still has some improvement to come - predicting she will peak in two or three years.

The exhibitors of the intermediate champion Kalaso Drone Koala, the Joyce family, Tongala, Vic, are also no strangers to winning at IDW.

The intermediate champion is a daughter of the family's famous four-time IDW champion Guernsey Florando SD Koala 7.

Mr Leslie said the intermediate champion was well balanced and correct with a tremendous mammary.

"This intermediate champion is complete in capital letters - she is a wonderful, wonderful shaped dairy cow," he said.

Mr Joyce said Koala's legacy in the Guernsey breed was evident in the IDW show.

"A lot of descendants from that cow are here today winning," he said.

The Guernsey junior champion Ocean Breeze JC Gemma was shown by Laang, Vic, dairy farmer Corey Couch and renowned former dairy man Darby Norris.

Mr Couch said the pair bought the heifer's dam about three years ago.

"She was a good dairy cow with a tremendous udder and hopefully this heifer can follow on and have an udder just like her mother," he said.

Mr Couch milks 140 mostly Jersey cows, with a handful of Guernseys.

"Guernseys are a breed on the way up and it's good to be involved with them," he said.

"Hopefully, we can breed a couple of good ones."

Mr Leslie said the heifer had all the things he wanted in a dairy heifer.

"Wow, a heifer that's just put together like a hand in a glove, just a beautiful balanced dairy heifer," he said.

"I've looked at a lot of junior Guernsey champions and I don't reckon I've seen a better junior Guernsey champion.

"She is just super, super well put together."

GUERNSEY HONOUR ROLL

Grand champion: Crookslea Ruby 2nd, N & S Wilkie , Pentland Hills, Vic.

Senior champion: Crookslea Ruby 2nd.

Reserve: Brookleigh Jocette, LF & JM Cleggett, Glencoe, SA.

Senior best udder: Crookslea Ruby 2nd.

Intermediate champion: Kalaso Drone Koala, Joyce Family, Tongala, Vic.

Reserve intermediate: Brookleigh Beauty, LF & JM Cleggett.

Junior champion: Ocean Breeze JC Gemma, C Couch & D Norris, Kolora, Vic.

Reserve: Glamorous Penney Fancy, A & A Crawford, Numbaa, NSW.

Junior premier breeder: LF & JM Cleggett.

Junior premier exhibitor: LF & JM Cleggett.

Premier breeder: LF & JM Cleggett.

Premier exhibitor: LF & JM Cleggett.