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International Dairy Week 2018: Youth numbers up at Tatura


RECORD-breaking entry numbers in the youth show headline a line-up for stud and commercial dairy farmers at this year’s International Dairy Week.

All roads will lead to Tatura, with action kicking-off on Sunday with the Holstein Australia Victoria youth challenge trials and the Victorian Agricultural Shows’ state junior judging final.

The highest number of entries — 253 — have been recorded for the national all breeds youth show on Monday. This is up 16 on last year and four more than the previous highest in 2009.

IDW director Brian Leslie said the high youth show numbers prove the importance of holding the event in January.

“The main reason to have the show then is because the kids are on school holidays,” he said.

The youth show had been a focus since IDW first started in 1990 — when it was just a Holstein and youth show, according to Mr Leslie.

The extra numbers in the youth show has resulted in the youth challenge trials being moved to Sunday.

A total of 192 cattle exhibitors from right across Australia (including 900 cattle and a total of 1100 entries) will compete across the seven shows next week. This is down a little on last year, which had 208 exhibitors and 950 cattle.

Mr Leslie said a mix of judges from across the globe showed why IDW was a little different, it didn’t just focus on attracting judges from North America and Canada. He said Holstein judge Kiichi Matsushima, from Key Holsteins in Kumamoto, Japan, has extensive judging experience. It will be the third time a Japanese judge has officiated at IDW.

But IDW is not just about shows and cattle sales, according to Mr Leslie. He said the 14 seminars meant the event had something for all dairy farmers.

Following a tumultuous time in dairy during the past 20 months, in the wake of shock farmgate milk price cuts, Mr Leslie said an event like IDW was crucial for dairy farmers to be social.

Sales will be held for four breeds during the week in what Mr Leslie said was a “shop window” for Australian cattle, advertising them to the world.

IDW 2018 PROGRAM OF EVENTS

SUNDAY January 21

9.30am Non-denominational church service and morning tea — Blackmore & Leslie complex

12.00pm Holstein Australia Victoria youth challenge trials — Blackmore & Leslie complex

3.00pm VASA state junior judging final — Blackmore & Leslie Complex

6.00pm Exhibitor BBQ — Wilson Hall

MONDAY January 22

8.00am ABS Australia/Ridley all breeds national youth show — Blackmore & Leslie complex

3.00pm The IDW youth showmanship classes — Blackmore & Leslie complex

TUESDAY January 23

8.00am Australia’s national Ayrshire show — Blackmore & Leslie complex

8.00am Australia’s national Illawarra show — Blackmore & Leslie complex

9.00am Dairy farm and machinery field days — main oval

9.30am IDW seminars commence — tennis club rooms

11.30am IDW elite Ayrshire sale (following Ayrshire judging) — Blackmore & Leslie complex

1.30pm Australia’s national Guernsey show — Blackmore & Leslie complex

1.30pm Australia’s national Brown Swiss show — Blackmore & Leslie complex

6.00pm IDW national Guernsey sale — Blackmore & Leslie complex

7.00pm Power of Women in Dairying function — Wilson Hall

7.00pm National Herd Improvement Association of Australia annual dinner — Cellar 47, Shepparton

7.30pm IDW virtual farm tours — Blackmore & Leslie complex

WEDNESDAY January 24

8.00am Australia’s national Jersey show — Blackmore & Leslie complex

8.00am IDW seminars commence — tennis club rooms

9.00am Dairy farm and machinery field days — main oval

11.30am IDW Jersey showcase sale — Blackmore & Leslie complex

12.30pm Jersey Australia futurity — Blackmore & Leslie complex

1.30pm National Jersey show continues — Blackmore & Leslie complex

7.30pm IDW World Wide Sires evolution sale — Blackmore & Leslie complex

THURSDAY January 25

8.00am RASV dairy leaders’ breakfast — Ballantyne Centre

8.00am Australia’s national Holstein show — Blackmore & Leslie complex

9.00am Dairy farm and machinery field days — main oval

11.30am RASV interbreed — junior champion presentation — Blackmore & Leslie complex

12.30pm The MaxCare challenge — Blackmore & Leslie complex

2.00pm Presentation of Lex Bunn memorial award — Blackmore & Leslie complex

3.00pm RASV interbreed — intermediate champion presentation — Blackmore & Leslie complex

4.30pm Grand champion parade and presentations — Blackmore & Leslie complex

5.30pm Presentation of Australia’s grand champion — sponsored by the Royal Agricultural Show Society — Blackmore & Leslie complex

Last year’s IDW champion is expected to hit the ring, but this year she has different owners.

Jersey Bushlea Van Fernleaf 10, EX 93 was sold by the Kuhne family of Bushlea Jerseys Leongatha South in October at the Global Impact Sale, Camden NSW. The reigning IDW champion set a new “Australasian” record price when she was sold for $50,000 to a syndicate that included Bradley Cullen from Launceston in Tasmania and US partners Cybil Fisher and Matt Senecal. The previous record was set 36 years ago when Warwick Daisy Lee made $34,000 at auction.

Mr Cullen explained there had been a number of partners join the syndicate since the auction and now the champion Jersey was 80 per cent owned by overseas interests.

He said it was “exciting” for Bushlea Van Fernleaf 10, EX 93 to return to IDW as she was not only looking good, but it would be the first time one of the international owners would get to see her. Additional partners in the IDW reigning champion include Canadian couple Andrew and Jennifer Vander Meulen of Avonlea Genetics.

Mr Cullen explained Mr Vander Meulen was a judge at the NSW state fair — the show held in conjunction with the Global Impact Sale last year — and approached the group to buy into the cow after the auction.

Other partners to join the syndicate after the auction include Jake Hanford from New York, who “hasn’t owned many cows but has a background in cattle” and US couple Diane and Frank Borba, who “invest in cows all over the world” according to Mr Cullen.

The Borba’s were part owners of the 2016 IDW senior champion Holstein cow Windy Vale Contender Rose, which then went on to win the grand champion title at the Victorian Winter Fair at Bendigo later that year. They were also part owners of Meadow Green Abso Fanny-Red-ET, the winner of last year’s US International Red and White Show at the World Dairy Expo, Madison, and the Royal Red and White Holstein Show held in Toronto, Canada.

 

Source: The Weekly Times


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