The Holstein breed says goodbye to an irreplaceable icon whose influence will echo through genetics and show rings for decades.
There are great cows. There are legendary cows. And then, once in a generation, there is a cow that rewrites what we believe possible.
Blondin Goldwyn Subliminal EX-97 was that cow.
Owned by Budjon Farms, Tom and Kelli Cull, and Peter and Lyn Vail of Lomira, Wisconsin, Subliminal passed away today at 16 years old—leaving behind a legacy so profound that future generations will study her pedigree, analyze her progeny, and wonder how one animal could accomplish so much.
The Pedigree Behind the Legend
Great cows don’t emerge from thin air. Subliminal’s genetics read like a masterclass in Holstein breeding.
Sired by Braedale Goldwyn—the legendary bull who became the first Canadian sire to have 1,000 Excellent daughters classified—Subliminal inherited his trademark dairy strength and show ring presence. Her dam, Blondin R Marker Sublime EX-93, came from Blondin Skychief Supra EX-93, a cow with more than 42 VG or Excellent daughters.[3][4][5]
Bred by Ferme Blondin in Quebec, Canada, Subliminal represented the culmination of generations of meticulous breeding decisions. With her EX-97 classification, Ferme Blondin became the first herd in history to breed two EX-97 females—the other being Blondin Redman Seisme EX-97 EX-99-MS, Grand Champion Red & White at World Dairy Expo in 2010 and 2012.
EX-97: A Score Reserved for Perfection
Subliminal earned her EX-97 4E classification in June 2021 at 12 years old, with eight calvings and a lifetime production already exceeding 120,000 kg of milk. Her mammary system was textbook—high, wide rear attachment with ideal teat placement that maintained its integrity through multiple lactations. Her feet and legs provided the foundation for a show career spanning more than a decade.
The Sunday Morning That Should Have Ended Everything
Every legendary career has a defining moment. For Subliminal, it came on a quiet Sunday morning that turned catastrophic.
A complete split in the cow yard—the kind of injury that tears ligaments, ends careers, and forces the hardest conversations in dairy farming. Veterinary wisdom said her show days were over before they truly began.
Subliminal disagreed.
The recovery was grueling. The conditioning was meticulous. Tom and Kelli poured everything into her rehabilitation, refusing to accept that her story ended in that cow yard.
Their reward? Watching her walk into the ring and claim Grand Champion of the Junior Show. Because quitting wasn’t in her DNA.
A Championship Resume Without Equal
What followed was a decade of dominance that established Subliminal as the benchmark for the breed:
- Supreme Champion, World Dairy Expo Junior Show 2015 — Her breakthrough moment on the colored shavings at Madison
- Class Winner, World Dairy Expo 2017 — Proving her dominance among the world’s elite
- Grand Champion, Midwest Spring National Holstein Show 2021 — First in the 150,000-pound Lifetime Production Cow Class
- Second Place, 150,000-Pound Production Cow Class, World Dairy Expo 2021 — At 18 months fresh, her eighth lactation
- Production Cow Class Winner, Royal Winter Fair — Showcased by Tom Cull at Canada’s most prestigious fall classic
- EX-97 4E Classification — The pinnacle of phenotypic evaluation
- Star of the Breed 2021 — Holstein Association USA’s highest honor, awarded at 13 years old—the oldest recipient in the 14-year history of the award
- Global Cow of the Year 2022 — Holstein International’s recognition as the world’s most influential cow
That final honor demands special attention. Global Cow of the Year typically goes to influential dams of popular AI sires—cows whose sons have generated millions in revenue and shaped breeding programs worldwide.
Subliminal won it without a single son in AI.
Her daughters did the talking. The judges looked at her female legacy alone and declared it unmatched. She was the clear choice for number one by both the voting public and the official judges.
Production That Matched the Type
Subliminal wasn’t just a show cow. Her lifetime production record speaks to the complete package:
- 310,707 pounds of milk (141,060 kg)
- 12,360 pounds of fat (5,611 kg)
- 9,869 pounds of protein (4,480 kg)
During her award-qualifying lactation in her eighth freshening, at 18 months fresh, Subliminal produced 44,740 pounds of milk. This wasn’t a cow that sacrificed function for form—she delivered both at the highest level.
The Daughters Who Carry the Crown
Subliminal’s genetic influence reads like a who’s-who of modern Holstein elite.
Her daughters have earned multiple Excellent classifications of their own, including Blondin Success, a Raptor daughter now classified EX, who has been successfully shown at regional and national shows. Her progeny have entered breeding programs across North America and Europe, with families like Drouner Holsteins in the Netherlands showcasing Subliminal descendants at the highest levels.
What makes this transmission remarkable is its consistency. Subliminal didn’t produce one great daughter and a group of average ones. She stamped her offspring with recognizable quality—the dairy strength, the mammary structure, the presence—that made breeders line up for her genetics year after year.
Her influence in the show ring today isn’t historical. It’s happening right now, with daughters and granddaughters claiming championships while carrying her blood.
Tom and Kelli: The Partnership Behind the Legend
Behind every great cow stands dedicated caretakers, but the relationship between Subliminal and the Cull family transcended typical owner-animal dynamics.
Tom Cull’s credentials speak for themselves. In 2024, he was awarded the 82nd Klussendorf Award—the highest recognition given to a dairy cattle showman in the United States. His resume includes four National Supreme Champions, four World Dairy Expo Grand Champions, four Royal Winter Fair Grand Champions, over 180 All-American nominations, and over 80 All-Canadian nominations.
But Subliminal held a special place. Tom’s passion for showing her was evident to anyone who watched them work together at the Royal Winter Fair, where he showcased her in the production cow class. Kelli worked side-by-side with him every day, and together they poured their hearts into her care.
“Subby” wasn’t marketing terminology. It was the name they called her every morning when they walked into the barn.
Historical Context: Where Does She Rank?
The question inevitably arises: where does Subliminal stand among the all-time greats?
Consider the company she keeps. EX-97 cows are rare enough that each one represents a moment in breed history. Add her show record, her global recognition, and her maternal legacy, and the comparison pool shrinks dramatically.
At 13 years old, she was the oldest recipient in the 14-year history of the Star of the Breed award. Her Global Cow of the Year victory on the basis of female legacy alone may never be repeated. As genomics continues to shift industry focus toward young sires and genomic testing, the pathway Subliminal followed—building a legacy through daughters, demanding recognition through maternal transmission—becomes increasingly rare.
She may have been the last of her kind. Or she may have set a standard that future breeders will spend decades pursuing.
Either way, her place in history is secure.
The Industry Responds
News of Subliminal’s passing has generated an outpouring of tributes from across the dairy world.
Breeders who competed against her share memories of the first time they saw her in person—the moment they realized they were looking at something different. Judges who placed her recall the confidence she gave them, the way she made their decisions easy. Young breeders who grew up watching her videos describe her as the reason they fell in love with Holsteins.
The photographs flooding social media tell their own story: Subliminal at the Royal, Subliminal at Madison, Subliminal in the show barn with Tom at her side. Each image captures a moment in a career that spanned nearly two decades and touched thousands of lives.
What She Taught Us
Beyond the championships and classifications, Subliminal offered lessons that every breeder—regardless of herd size or operation type—can apply.
On resilience: A devastating injury couldn’t stop her. She recovered, competed, and won. The setbacks we face in dairy farming don’t have to define us.
On longevity: She was named Star of the Breed at 13 years old. In an industry increasingly focused on young animals and genomic predictions, she proved that the best cows get better with age.
On maternal legacy: Without AI sons to promote her, she let her daughters speak for her—and they shouted. Maternal lines matter. Female families build breed progress.
On partnership: The relationship between Subliminal and her owners demonstrated what’s possible when dedication meets natural ability. Great genetics deserve great management.
A Final Bow
The show ring will feel emptier now.
There will be other great cows. There will be other EX-97s, eventually. There will be other Royal champions and Madison winners, and Global Cow of the Year honorees.
But there will never be another Subliminal.
She didn’t just compete at the highest level—she elevated it. She didn’t just win championships—she redefined expectations. She didn’t just transmit her genetics—she launched a dynasty.
To Tom, Kelli, Peter, Lyn, and everyone who loved her: the industry mourns with you. The loss is profound, but the legacy is permanent.
To Subliminal: thank you. For the victories. For the comebacks. For the daughters. For reminding us, year after year, why we dedicate our lives to this breed.
Rest easy, Queen.
The crown was always yours.
The Bullvine invites readers to share their memories of Subliminal in the comments. How did she impact your view of Holstein excellence? What moment with her stands out in your memory?
