A ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ feeling for supreme champion winners
A Southwest Victorian family have taken home top gongs at International Dairy Week. See the full report, results and photos.
Interbreed Supreme Champion
A Cooriemungle farming family has taken the dairy showing world by storm, after winning Australian Grand Champion two years’ running.
Instyle Holsteins’ Rod Thomas manages 200 milking cows with his son Brenton Thomas, and started attending International Dairy Week three years ago. They won Australia’s Grand Champion at International Dairy Week on Thursday.
“It’s the second year running, we didn’t really expect it. When you see the class of cows that are here, you can’t expect to win all the time,” he said.
The family won Australia’s Grand Champion in 2024 with Instyle Solomon Dahlia, and celebrated this year with co-owned Lightning Ridge Cmd Dback Barbara.
“Juddy Jennings (Rusty Red Holsteins and Jenbro Jerseys) sent her around to get her ready for dairy week, and he offered her as a half-share to get her ready and she’s lived at home ever since,” Mr Thomas said.
“She made reserve last year, and supreme this year. To get the grand was awesome.”
He said he never expected to be part of the showing society, but had enjoyed his swift start.
“You do it to get the respect of other breeders, and when you get here you meet international guys, and it’s a big thing. You never think when you’re growing up you’ll get respect from anyone overseas, but you get to this stage and it’s there,” Mr Thomas said.
International Dairy Week director Declan Patten believed breeders had stepped up their cattle preparation with increased competition.
“Every stand has a better display, every cow has better comfort. It really stood out to me this year,” he said.
“It’s getting more competitive, so with more competition we’re seeing longer periods of people focusing on the cows and preparation.”
A dream for Templetons
For the Templeton family, this year’s dairy week was a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience.
Third-generation dairy farmer Nicola Templeton was born and bred on the family dairy farm in Queensland, before she moved to Gippsland and later Dixie, in western Victoria.
She celebrated the win of a co-owned junior three year old, View Fort Lambda Butter, which won intermediate champion and overall grand champion.
“She actually beat the senior champion cow, which is quite a feat. A few cows have been able to do it but not many,” she said.
Ms Templeton said View Fort Lambda Butter had moderate size, a beautiful mammary system, great locomotion and had the traits they aimed for on-farm.
Matt Templeton also received the Lex Bunn Achievement Award for 2025.
Ms Templeton said they had a five-year-old cow which won senior champion cow, and a nine-year-old cow won the aged cow category.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime sort of thing, it doesn’t happen very often. We’ve been so lucky enough to have one supreme champion back to back in 2020,” she said.
“In 2022 we nearly got the hat-trick and we were reserve champion cow, but this doesn’t happen every day.”
Ms Templeton said the move to Dixie meant they could grow their herd numbers, aiming to milk up to 400 cows.
“My grandfather was a supreme showman, he judged all over Australia and my father has as well,” she said.
“It’s ingrained in us, we love it, and it drives our passion for the dairy industry.”
Bette Hall Power of Women in Dairy Award
Cobden dairy farmer Fiona Hanks puts the dairy industry at the top of her priority list, leading to her taking home a top accolade for her contribution.
Ms Hanks received the Bette Hall Power of Women in Dairy award at International Dairy Week on Thursday, after her fellow judges kept her nomination a tightly-held secret.
“It really was a major shock and a huge surprise,” she said.
“The committee did an amazing job being able to hide that from me.”
Ms Hanks manages her own marketing and advertising business, consults two major AI companies, helps manage small dairy industry events as well as the celebrated International Dairy Week.
“I also do smaller jobs for a few smaller dairy companies who need promoting or help running an event,” Ms Hanks said.
“I love the dairy industry and pride myself on it, everything I do except for a small bit of beef is dairy-focused.”
She grew up on a Simpson dairy farm with her two siblings and parents, before she had her own farm at Cobden.
“I’ve had a strong background in dairy all my life and had tremendous mentors along the way who have helped me a lot, especially my parents,” she said.
Mr Patten said the award recognised significant contribution from women in the dairy industry.
“Fiona is one of the best, she’s an absolute champion. She’s a champion for International Dairy Week, and a champion for the dairy industry as a whole,” he said.
“She’s a person you can ask to do anything and she’ll do it. With Fiona, nothing is ever a problem.”
Wisconsin judge’s first-time visit
A first-time Australian traveller took to the dairy showing stage this week, and says Victorian cattle compete on a global stage.
Mike Duckett, who hailed from Rudolph in Wisconsin, USA, made the 25-hour flight to judge the cream of the dairy crop.
He was the Holstein judge at International Dairy Week this week.
“As we’re part of Showbox Sires we wanted to come here to meet people who were using our bulls, and it was the opportunity to come. It made sense,” Mr Duckett said.
“It’s a long ways here, but once we got here it was a great time and the weather co-operated for me, it cooled down.”
He managed two farms at home, with a 350-head commercial dairy farm and a 60-head farm for showing cattle.
Mr Duckett hoped to return to Australia soon with his family.
“They are cattle that would go on and compete at shows all over the world. The champion Holstein, I thought a lot of her, and the supreme champion red cow, both of those cows would do well wherever you take them.” he said.
“You can tell the breeders here are very passionate about their cattle. It’s fun to see, and it’s fun to judge a show when the quality is so good.”
Results
Australia’s Supreme Champion
Lightning Ridge Cmd Dback Barbara, Instyle and Rusty Red, Simpson, Victoria.
All Breeds Senior Champion
Lightning Ridge Cmd Dback Barbara, Instyle and Rusty Red, Simpson, Victoria.
Reserve Champion, Windy View Chief Justine (Chief), First Class 18, Gorbro Holsteins, Cohuna, Victoria.
All Breeds Intermediate Champion
View Fort Lambda Butter, Holstein, View Fort Holsteins & Avonlea Holsteins, Dixie, Victoria.
Reserve Intermediate Champion, Munden Farms Lexus Vinca, Ayrshire, Munden Farms Farms, Buln Buln East, Victoria.
Grand Champion
View Fort Lambda Butter, Holstein, View Fort Holsteins & Avonlea Holsteins, Dixie, Victoria.
Interbreed Junior Champion
Gorbro Lambda Violet (Delta Lambda), Holstein, Gorbro Holsteins, Cohuna, Victoria.
Reserve Junior Champion, Impression Kiss N Tell Imp Et (Ferdinand), Jersey, M & L Flemming, Newry, Victoria.
Junior Champion
Gorbro Lambda Violet (Delta Lambda), First Class 3, Gorbro Holsteins, Cohuna, Victoria.
Reserve Junior Champion, Brindabella Warrior Natalie (Warrior), First Class 7, Brindabella Holsteins, Torrumbarry, Victoria.
Grand Champion Jersey
Rivendell Victorious Vienna (Victorious), 1st Class 17, Riverlane Dairy Pty Ltd, Numbaa, NSW.
Senior Champion Jersey
Rivendell Victorious Vienna (Victorious), 1st Class 17, Riverlane Dairy Pty Ltd, Numbaa, NSW.
Reserve Senior Champion, Jersey
Bushlea Irwins Jenny (Irwin), Rocky Allen, 1st Class 19, Omeara Family, Weeksdale & Borba, Cobargo, NSW.
Junior Champion Jersey
Impression Kiss N Tell Imp Et (Ferdinand), 1st Class 5, M & L Flemming, Newry, Victoria.
Reserve Junior Champion, Signature Victorious Eileen (Victorious), 2nd Class 5, Signature Jerseys, Pyree, NSW.
Premier Breeder Award, Junior Premier Breeder, Holstein
Gorbro Holsteins
Premier Exhibitor Award, Junior Premier Exhibitor Award, Holstein
Gorbro Holsteins
Exhibitor Encouragement Award
Kellie Malcolm
Premier Sire Award
Delta Lambda
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