Jirza, a Meridian daughter owned by the Ryckewaert family triumphed over her herdmate Ifaroma (<AltaCaliber) at Agriflanders in Belgium. In the Junior classes, Hilltop Tonka Lilac was the winner, followed by Alana (<High Octane) from Van Hoof-Boonen. The Ryckewaerts were also successful in the Red-Holstein classes, with Senior Champion Annelies 4 (<Jotan). Junior Champion was her daughter Annelies 8 owned by De Smet & Vander Schueren.
Andrew grew up on a dairy farm in southern Ontario — which means he learned about herd management, hard work, and tight margins long before it became a career. He went on to build an animal genetics marketing company, running campaigns that actually moved the needle in a notoriously tough-to-reach industry. Today he channels that background into The Bullvine, where he writes about genetics, farm business, and the decisions that separate profitable operations from struggling ones. He doesn’t pull punches, and dairy farmers seem to appreciate that.
