Peak Spellbound-ET Surges to Top of Italian Genomic Rankings in August 2025 Evaluations

Overdrive son crushes it while former leaders take a hit in August evaluations

Executive Summary: Italy just dropped their August genetic evaluations and Peak Spellbound-ET jumped to #1 with his impressive +1.07% fat and +0.54% protein, while former top dog Peak Vindicate-ET fell 20 points to second place. But here’s the kicker – Cookiecutter Hadley-ET went from #2 to #10, losing 102 points in one round. Meanwhile, the proven bulls? Rock steady. ZFZ Crisalis RF actually gained 29 points and strengthened his #1 proven position with that killer +1.95 udder composite. The Italians are obsessed with cheese production profits (their ICS-PR€ index), and guess what – the bulls ranking highest on both genomic and economic merit are the ones staying power. You want my advice? Start weighting proven performance heavier in your breeding decisions, especially with feed costs still brutal in 2025.

dairy cattle genetics, genomic sire selection, Holstein bull proofs, dairy breeding profitability, Italian genetic evaluations

The August Italian genetic evaluations just dropped, and honestly? The reshuffling is pretty dramatic. Peak Spellbound-ET came out of nowhere to grab the #1 spot among international genomic bulls with a gPFT of 5458. This Overdrive son is putting up some serious numbers – +1.07% fat and +0.54% protein – which explains why Italian cheesemakers are paying attention.

But here’s what’s really catching my eye: while the genomic bulls are bouncing around like ping-pong balls, the proven bulls are sitting pretty with much more stability. Makes you wonder if we’re getting a little too excited about these genomic predictions, doesn’t it?

The Genomic Roller Coaster Continues

Rank	Bull Name	Sire	gPFT	ICS-PR€	Milk kg	Fat %	Protein %	AI Center
1	Peak Spellbound-ET	Overdrive	5458	1290	940	1.07	0.54	Novagen S.R.L.
2	Peak Vindicate-ET	Samson	5445	1385	1628	0.72	0.35	Novagen S.R.L.
3	Danhof Calculus-ET	Owen	5438	1258	1654	0.57	0.32	Semex Italia SRL
4	Smartie P-ET	Sega P RDC	5417	1398	1541	0.22	0.37	Novagen S.R.L.
5	Delta Morgan	Gladius	5394	1171	1810	0.21	0.31	Novagen S.R.L.
6	Peak Altasafezone-ET	Overdrive	5382	1501	1220	0.73	0.43	Alta Italia – MI
7	Peak Powerhouse-ET	Wheelhouse	5346	1240	1792	0.65	0.36	Novagen S.R.L.
8	Progenesis Vivify-ET	Royalflush	5334	1368	1258	0.42	0.25	Semex Italia SRL
9	OCD Rad Lightsaber-ET	Rad	5333	1244	2056	0.59	0.21	ST Gen Group
10	Cookiecutter Hadley-ET	Pattern	5332	1131	1657	0.83	0.27	Semex Italia SRL

Top 10 Foreign Genomic Bulls – August 2025

Peak Vindicate-ET, who was sitting pretty at #1 back in April, dropped to second place. Not a disaster by any means – he’s still at 5445 gPFT – but that’s a 20-point slide. This Samson son from Zemini bloodlines is still delivering solid milk production at 1628 kg with an impressive ICS-PR€ of 1385. The Italians love that cheese production index, and for good reason.

The real shocker? Cookiecutter Hadley-ET absolutely tanked from #2 in April all the way down to #10 in August. We’re talking about a 102-point drop here – from 5434 down to 5332. That’s the kind of volatility that should make any breeder nervous about putting all their eggs in one genomic basket.

What strikes me about these swings is how they contrast with the proven bull rankings. ZFZ Crisalis RF actually gained 29 points and strengthened his hold on the #1 proven spot. This Gywer son is showing what real daughter data looks like – +1.95 udder composite and solid type traits that actually hold up over time.

Rank	Bull Name	Sire	gPFT	ICS-PR€	Milk kg	Fat %	Protein %	AI Center
1	ZFZ Crisalis RF	Gywer	5169	921	1276	0.17	0.19	Intermizoo – PD
2	Idevra Royal Inseme Carlomagno	Bramante	5062	858	1539	0.07	0.27	Inseme
3	Isolabella Distefano ET	Hothand	4948	872	638	0.22	0.24	Italian Genetics
4	KNO Ecuador P	Hothand	4943	839	1374	0.05	0.22	Intermizoo – PD
5	K&L RM Inseme Barone Rosso R	Santorius	4844	354	992	0.09	0.25	Italian Genetics
6	All.Nure Wendat	Einstein	4837	919	1206	0.18	0.24	Intermizoo – PD
7	Smirne	Supreme	4832	867	643	0.16	0.25	Intermizoo – PD
8	SFH Redshift R	Gywer	4815	847	1545	-0.08	0.05	Intermizoo – PD
9	Wilder Holocron	Aristocrat	4812	623	817	0.23	0.33	Intermizoo – PD
10	Dotti Dorando	Letsgo	4780	895	585	0.13	0.24	Intermizoo – PD

Top 10 Italian Proven Bulls – August 2025

The Overdrive Factor

Peak Spellbound’s rise to the top signals something interesting happening with the Overdrive bloodline in Italian programs. His ICS-PR€ of 1290 puts him right in the sweet spot for Italian dairy operations focused on cheese production. When you’re dealing with Parmigiano-Reggiano and Gorgonzola, those component percentages matter more than raw volume.

Peak Altasafezone-ET, another Overdrive son sitting at #6 with 5382 gPFT, is showing similar strengths. The economic merit on that bull is even stronger – ICS-PR€ of 1501. That’s the kind of number that gets Italian producers’ attention, especially with feed costs still brutal in 2025.

The thing about Overdrive genetics… they’re delivering this combination of components and economics that works really well for the Italian market. But I keep coming back to the volatility issue. These genomic predictions are jumping around based on relatively small daughter groups, while the proven bulls with thousands of daughters are showing much more consistency.

Proven Performance Tells a Different Story

While genomic bulls are doing their volatility dance, the proven rankings tell a more stable story. ZFZ Crisalis RF moved from 5140 to 5169 gPFT between April and August. That’s real improvement based on actual daughters in real herds.

Idevra Royal Inseme Carlomagno held steady at #2 with only a 3-point drop to 5062. This Bramante son continues putting up solid milk production numbers – 1539 kg – with the kind of consistency you want to see from proven genetics.

What’s particularly noteworthy is Isolabella Distefano ET jumping 43 points to secure #3 at 4948 gPFT. This Hothand son is showing exceptional type traits with a +2.93 udder composite. Those are the kind of numbers that translate to longevity in commercial herds.

The Economics Tell the Real Story

Here’s what I find fascinating about the Italian system – they’re putting serious weight on economic merit through their ICS-PR€ index. Smartie P-ET leads all bulls with matching IES€ and ICS-PR€ values of 1398. That kind of balance between total merit and cheese production profit is exactly what Italian operations need.

The proven bulls average around 800-900 ICS-PR€, while the top genomic bulls are pushing 1200-1400. Either the genomic predictions are overly optimistic, or we’re seeing some real genetic progress. Given the volatility we’re witnessing, I’m leaning toward the former.

Bloodline Diversification Continues

Owen, Samson, and Overdrive sons are all making strong showings in the top rankings. Danhof Calculus-ET and Progenesis Pellegrino, both Owen sons, are performing particularly well in milk production traits. The maternal grandsire diversity is providing some balance to these genetic packages, which is encouraging.

But here’s the thing – we’re seeing the same sire lines dominating across multiple countries. That concentration should make us nervous about long-term genetic diversity, especially when genomic predictions are driving so much of the selection pressure.

What This Means for Your Program

If you’re looking at these Italian evaluations for breeding decisions, here’s my take: Weight the proven performance much more heavily than these genomic predictions. Peak Spellbound might be #1 today, but will he still be there in December? The 102-point drop for Cookiecutter Hadley suggests probably not.

The proven bulls like ZFZ Crisalis RF are showing the kind of consistency that translates to profitable daughters. When you’re dealing with real farms, real feed costs, and real milk prices, that stability matters more than chasing the latest genomic superstar.

For Italian operations specifically, those ICS-PR€ numbers are critical. Don’t get distracted by flashy gPFT scores if the economic merit isn’t there. Cheese production profitability is what pays the bills, especially in today’s economic environment.

The volatility we’re seeing in these genomic rankings should be a wake-up call. We’re making multi-generational breeding decisions based on predictions that can swing 100+ points in a single evaluation. That’s not the foundation for sustainable genetic progress – it’s speculation.

Focus on proven performance, diversify your genetics, and remember that consistency often beats peak performance when you’re building a sustainable dairy operation.

Editorial Note: Following publication, ANAFIBJ Technical Coordinator Maurizio Marusi provided important statistical context regarding the evaluation changes highlighted in this article. Key technical clarifications include:

The correlation between April and August genomic evaluations was 99%, indicating high consistency in the underlying genetic predictions – The standard deviation of the genomic gPFT index is 700 points, meaning the 100-point changes discussed represent approximately 1/7 of a standard deviation – well within normal statistical expectations for genomic evaluations – The differential between genomic and proven bull averages in Italy (TOP 20 genomic: 1108-1325 ICS-PR vs. TOP 20 proven: 827-1067 ICS-PR) is comparable to similar differentials seen in other international systems, including the United States – Ranking changes of 8 positions with minimal genetic value differences should be interpreted within the context of 75% reliability levels and the addition of competitive new bulls to the genomic pool

These statistical insights provide important context for interpreting genomic evaluation movements and underscore the importance of understanding the technical framework underlying these genetic predictions. We appreciate ANAFIBJ’s commitment to transparency and technical accuracy in their evaluation system.

(T188, D1)