Iris eyes smiling in third-time Semex-Jersey Australian Great Southern Challenge title victory
THE Akers family reckon there’s something special about their Iris cow family and cattle judges seem to agree.
THE Akers family reckon there’s something special about their Iris cow family and cattle judges seem to agree.
Last week Geoff, Natalie, Lloyd, 5, and Olivia, 2, from Tallygaroopna took out the title of the highest pointed cow at the Semex-Jersey Australian Great Southern Challenge with Loxleigh Badger Iris 4.
It’s the third time in 10 years a cow from the Iris family has won this award. Last year it was taken out by Jersey Loxleigh Futurity Iris a maternal sister to the dam of the 2015 champion. In 2006 the grand dam of this year’s champion claimed the award.
“It was a great honour and thrill last year to win,” Mr Akers told the crowd at Rockbank last week. “But for the third time … it was a bigger honour even still.”
The Iris family was introduced to the Akers business through a dispersal sale where the great, great grand dam of this year’s champion was purchased for $1300. Mr Akers told the crowd at Rockbank last week that his purchase looked “plain on the day” but then her rump straightened out and “she went 90 points six months later”.
“She is a 94 (point) out of a 92 (cow) out of a 93 (cow) out of a 90 cow, which was out of a 92 (cow) and out of a 90 (cow),” he told the crowd. “You can breed cows, when you mate them to the right bulls, that give you lots of pleasure … she does give a lot of milk as well, which is really pleasing.”
Milked as part of a 400- strong Jersey herd, Loxleigh Badger Iris 4 produces 7000 litres a lactation but unfortunately hasn’t produced a heifer calf. She has just been recently joined again.
Mr Akers said they would consider taking her to International Dairy Week, but she has been a cow that likes to stay in the herd rather than be singled out for shows.
Competition judge Brian Rushton from Rochester described her as a “terrific cow” complimenting her spring of rib, udder ligament, teat placement and the way she walked. The Akers family not only took out the top honour with its mature cow, it also claimed the five-years-in-milk class with Loxleigh Resurrection Peace.
Winner of the two-year-in-milk class was first time entrants David and Lyn Parish from Winchelsea with Dornoch Astound 4640. Tony and Bev Edwards from Corryong finally cracked champion status in the competition and won two of them. They took home the three-years-in-milk title with Mickandan Vanahlem Ilagay and the four-years-in-milk with Mickandan T-bones Marie 2175. Colac and District Jersey Breeders club was awarded the most successful club.
Earlier in the month winners were announced for the Semex Holstein Australia On-Farm Competition. Winners for the south east Australia final included: Two-year-old: Tallelms Dempsey Topgirl, CD & SP Russell, Tallelms Holsteins Neerim, Three-year-old: Arrowstar Goldwyn Paradise-ET, ID & EJ Louden, Louden Holsteins, Modella, four-year-old: Dilee Esquire 433, KL & DM White, Dilee Holsteins, Leongatha South, Five-year-old: Brindabella Knowledge K Greta, J & S Sieben, Brindabella Holsteins, Torrumbarry, Mature: Mooramba Talent Randell, LP & VL Flanagan, Wood Lawn Holsteins, Finley.
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