Eleven Australian farmers whose bulls have made a huge contribution on the national herd and many herds across the globe have been added to the Genetics Australia Honour Board.
Six Jersey, three Holstein and two Australian Reds breeders received the honour during the GA 2024: Today, Tomorrow and Beyond conference at Geelong, Vic, on March 18, joining an elite group of master breeders.
Genetics Australia chief executive officer Anthony Shelly said the honour board, which took pride of place in the GA boardroom, featured Australian as well as several overseas breeders who had bred bulls that had made a significant mark on genetic improvement in Australia.
"Our latest breeders added to the list thoroughly deserve this accolade," Mr Shelly said.
"While they all have different approaches to their breeding, all have made a massive contribution to the growth and genetic improvement of their respective breeds in Australia."
Traditionally, selection to the honour board was based primarily on proven bulls but now it is a broader combination of genomic and proven bull successes.
Johville Australia Reds, owned by Greg and Kris Goulding at Leitchville, Vic, has supplied a number of bulls to the GA team, including the current number one Balanced Performance Index (BPI) bull Skeeta.
Skeeta has been popular in Australia and has had significant export sales into Europe and Pakistan.
Other Johville bulls of significance include Scarebear, BooBoo, Tedebear and Yogibear.
Waikato Australian Reds is owned by Michael Green, formerly of Mt Schank, SA, amd now farming in Irishtown, Tasmania.
The herd transitioned to have a heavy influence of Australian Red cows following the purchase of the Bosgowan Australian herd, and it is currently the number two 2 BPI Australia Red herd.
Bulls such as ARBPrimestad and ARBCaesar have been bred by Waikato Australian Reds as well as several formerly available through AUZRED XB, now sold by Genetics Australia.
Calister Holsteins, owned by Craig Lister, Calivil, Vic, has made a mark with two bulls, one from an embryo and another he bred.
Maebull at 99 per cent reliable has proven to be a popular bull and is still in active service with farmers appreciating his reliable health traits.
In the next few months there will be thousands of Maebulls calve in Pakistan.
Popular sire Decipher was also bred by Calister and offers a good balance of dairy strength and high BPI.
Wilara Holsteins, owned by chair of Genetics Australia Holdings Trevor Henry, Tinamba, Gippsland, has a well-recognised prefix and bulls that have been highly valued around the country, including proven successes such as Giles.
Newer bulls including Lukie, Tinamba and Twitter are all above 500 BPI and are making an impact on the market with high demand.
Vala Holsteins, owned by Alex Arena and based at Toolamba, Vic, initially started as Coomboona Holsteins and in its peak was implanting some 1500 embryos.
One of the most significant bulls to come from the program was homozygous polled Red carrier bull Mirand, which was heavily exported around the world.
Joining Mirand are Emmett, Escer, Lemonade, Beacon, Douglas, Epic, Len and MrRight and several others.
Mr Arena aims to be ahead of the pack by placing emphasis on polled, A2 and, in recent times, slick.
Wallacedale Jerseys, owned by Luke and Mel Wallace, Poowong North, Gippsland, Vic, has some popular bulls in the current GA line up including homozygous bull Stark, as well as GoldbandP, Pickett, Depole, Lemonpeel and former number one bull Pickle.
A number of the herd's high-rated genomic heifers have also been sold to Pakistan where they are showing the quality of Australian Jerseys, paving the way for increased semen sales.
Rob and Kerrie Anderson's Kings Ville Jerseys, Drouin West, Gippsland, Vic, has developed some of the breed's finest cow families.
Kings Ville Bedford continues to sell in large numbers in South Africa and other Kings Ville bulls include Boost and Qantas.
In the past year Bashful, sire of Bedford, obtained his first ABV.
A few new Kings Ville bulls are likely to be added to the 2024 sire line up.
Con and Michelle Glennen, Noorat, Vic, have waved the Australian Jersey flag in several counties including the United States, South Africa, New Zealand and Ireland.
Their White Star Jersey herd is the current number one BPI, Health Weighted Index (HWI) and Sustainability Index (SI) herd.
The Glennen herd was one of the early adopters of artificial insemination and the herd has used AI ever since bulls became available.
Standout bulls include Douggan, Dobson, Valenblast and recently Enmore.
Robert and Sandra Bacon developed Brookbora Jerseys at Tennyson in Northen Victoria, currently the number two BPI herd.
Brookbora Askn has been a popular bull internationally and has daughters in US, Canada, South Africa, Pakistan Europe, United Kingdom and Jersey Island.
Borung is the highest bull with milking daughters from an Askn daughter.
The third Brookbora bull is Aeroglen, sired by Borung.
After Robert's death last year, the herd is being continued by Sandra and their son Daniel.
Bercar Jerseys, owned by Bernie and Carol McManus, Bamawm Extension, Vic, bred a bull called Passive in the mid-2000s and today Ardent, the number two Jersey bull with milking daughters, and Bestyet are also successful Bercar bulls.
The couple has now retired from dairying but Bercar will continue to have an impact through these bulls for many years to come.
Loxleigh Jerseys, owned by Geoff and Natalie Akers, Tallygaroopna, Vic, is another Jersey herd that ranks with the best in the world.
Invincible, Izuku, Irymple and Ventura are all bulls having an impact now and will continue into the future.
