Jacobs High Octane Babe EX-96-2E-CAN 4* named 2025 Holstein Canada Cow of the Year at the AGM in Burnaby, BC — the second winner from the same Ferme Jacobs cow family in under a decade.
Honestly, if you had a shortlist for “modern Canadian Holstein perfection,” her name was probably at the top of it. Today at Holstein Canada’s Annual General Meeting, held during the 2026 National Holstein Convention in Burnaby, British Columbia, JACOBS HIGH OCTANE BABE EX-96-2E-CAN 4* was named the 2025 Holstein Canada Cow of the Year — adding the most coveted title in Canadian dairy to a résumé that already reads like a highlight reel.
Bred and owned by Ferme Jacobs, Cap-Santé, Quebec, Babe now joins the most elite roster in the breed — and keeps a piece of family history intact. Her dam, Jacobs Goldwyn Britany EX-96-2E 42*, earned the very same honour as the 2017 Cow of the Year. Mother and daughter, both Cow of the Year. That’s not a coincidence — that’s a cow family doing exactly what a great cow family is supposed to do.
Why Babe Won
Babe is the complete package: elite conformation, high production, show-ring presence, and a globe-spanning genetic footprint. A few of the numbers Holstein Canada voters couldn’t ignore.
- Classification: EX-96-2E-CAN 4* with a conformation score of +11 — the kind of linear profile breeders draft their mating plans around.
- Show résumé: B&O Champion and Reserve Grand Champion at The Royal Winter Fair 2022, and winner of the B&W Class at the National Holstein Show as a 5-Year-Old that same year.
- Donor power: More than 230 embryos produced, with significant numbers sold internationally — putting the Jacobs prefix in barns on multiple continents.
- Daughters on the ground: 38 daughters, 14 already classified (1 EX, 10 VG, 3 GP), and daughters still stacking up wins. Jacobs Destiny Balla VG-89 was All-Canadian and Intermediate Champion at the 2023 National Holstein Show; Jacobs Lambda Baz VG-87 sold for USD $320,000 at the International Intrigue Sale and placed 2nd in the 4-Year-Old class at the 2025 World Dairy Expo; Jacobs Alligator Bawl was 1st Milking Yearling at WDE 2025.
- Sons at stud: BRUINS, BULLDING, and BUBBLE are on rotation at Semex, carrying her influence into tens of thousands of matings worldwide.
Add it up and you get a cow who wins in the show ring, in the classification barn, in the flush tank, and on the proof sheet. That’s rare air.
A Deep Class of Finalists
The committee had no easy job. The other three 2025 finalists each made a legitimate case:
- Chanmar Adonis Miss Red EX-94-5E 4* — bred by Chanmar Holsteins & Glaustar Holsteins, owned by Century Star Holsteins (ON). Over 120,000 kg lifetime milk, still milking 40 L/day in her 7th lactation.
- Hendercroft Winbrok Gummybear EX-95-4E 4* — bred by Hendercroft (ON). Nearly 90,000 kg lifetime milk and the 2023 All-Canadian Production Cow.
- Vinbert Kingboy Birdy EX-95-4E 5* — bred by Ferme Vinbert (QC). Reigning Grand Champion at Le Suprême Laitier 2024.
Four cows, four different stories, one award. That’s what makes this vote matter.
A Win for Ferme Jacobs — and for a Cow Family
For Ferme Jacobs, this is now the second Cow of the Year title in eight years from the same maternal line — Britany in 2017, Babe in 2025. In a breed where great cows are hard to find and great cow families are harder still, the Jacobs program keeps proving that you don’t need to chase the catalogue if you’ve got the right dam behind the stall.
And for Babe herself? She’s a cow of character, as the Jacobs team likes to say — one of those rare ones that makes you stop what you’re doing and just watch her walk. Today, all of Canadian Holstein country is watching.
About the Award
The Holstein Canada Cow of the Year has recognized the most influential Canadian-bred Holsteins since its inception, with finalists evaluated on longevity, production, genetic merit, strength of pedigree, and ability to represent Canadian genetics on a global stage. Members cast their votes online and by mail; the 2025 winner was unveiled during Holstein Canada’s AGM at the National Holstein Convention, themed “Spirit of the West.”
Congratulations to Ferme Jacobs, to the Jacobs family, and to every breeder who had a hand in writing Babe’s story. Canada’s newest Hometown Hero is officially one for the ages.
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