Lorenzo just landed at +874 PLI while Powerhouse quietly took #1 proven — but the only bulls that balance PLI, TM, feet, and fertility are sitting well outside the headlines
Executive Summary: Lorenzo just landed at +874 PLI in the April 2026 UK run, while 70% of the genomic top 10 turned over, and not one of them appears in the TM genomic top 100. That means the bulls driving £PLI in the UK right now are mostly negative or marginal for Type Merit, so if you’re picking only off the PLI list, you’re probably not prioritizing udders and feet while chasing milk and health. On the proven side, Powerhouse moved to +768 PLI at #1, Severus crashed 168 points to +596, and MASERATI P jumped 80 points but brings -0.08 L&F, so some “safe” sires on old mating lists now look a lot riskier. The rare balanced sires — TROPHY at +769 PLI and +2.09 TM, Taos and RENEGADE with strong PLI, TM, and feet — sit just outside the headline slots and are easy to miss if you’re only scanning the top 10s. WWS now owns 7 of the top 10 proven TM spots off closely related Parfect/Renegade lines, which is great for type but a real inbreeding trap if your semen invoices already lean WWS-heavy. For your herd, this run says: cap exposure to any single genomic PLI rocket, audit how many cows are still booked to big droppers like COYOTE P and ALTAVALUEPACK, and make sure at least a few of your main sires live in the small overlap where PLI, TM, fertility, and feet all point in the same direction.
Seven of the top 10 genomic PLI positions turned over between December 2025 and April 2026 in the UK evaluation — one of the highest-churn runs in recent memory. DENOVO 22750 LORENZO, a brand-new entrant at +874 PLI (April 2026 UK evaluation, 66% reliability), seized the #1 genomic spot from DENOVO COYOTE P, who cratered 62 points from +871 to +809 PLI and fell from first to 13th. Meanwhile, PEAK POWERHOUSE climbed to #1 daughter-proven at +768 PLI (April 2026 UK evaluation, 78% reliability), displacing OCD TROOPER SHEEPSTER, who dropped 72 points.
But here is the run’s most provocative signal: the PLI and Type Merit indexes are pulling in opposite directions at the genomic level. Lorenzo’s +874 PLI comes with a -0.21 Type Merit. OCD MANNY, the new #1 Type Merit genomic bull at +2.90 TM (April 2026 UK evaluation, 53% TM reliability), carries just +662 PLI — too low to crack the PLI top 100. Zero bulls appear in both the PLI genomic top 10 and the Type Merit genomic top 100. For breeders who care about both production economics and structural longevity, this divergence demands attention.
What Changed at the PLI Genomic Top?
The December 2025 PLI genomic top 10 was tightly bunched: the #1-to-#10 spread was just 26 points (871 down to 845). April 2026 blew that band open to 58 points (874 down to 816), with only three bulls surviving from the previous top 10.
| Rank (Apr 2026) | Bull | PLI (Apr 2026, UK PLI) | PLI (Dec 2025, UK PLI) | Change | PLI Rlb | AI Company |
| 1 | DENOVO 22750 LORENZO A2A2 KCBB | 874 | New | — | 66% | GEN |
| 2 | PEAK ALTAROTATION A2A2 KCBB | 867 | New | — | 66% | ALT |
| 3 | PEAK ALTAVAUGHN | 853 | New | — | 66% | ALT |
| 4 | DENOVO 6856 HOTSHOT A2A2 KCBB | 846 | New | — | 66% | GEN |
| 5 | GENOSOURCE JUDO A2A2 KCBB | 845 | New | — | 66% | CBL |
| 6 | OCD SHEEPSTER MIKE | 828 | New | — | 67% | WWS |
| 7 | ADAWAY BEYOND FAITHFUL KCBB | 827 | 860 (#6) | -33 | 67% | SMX |
| 8 | OCD THORSON RIPCORD A2A2 | 822 | New | — | 67% | CBL |
| 9 | DENOVO 20723 COLUMBIA A2A2 KCBB | 819 | 864 (#4) | -45 | 66% | GEN |
| 10 | BADGER SIEMERS DAY TRIP | 816 | 870 (#2) | -54 | 67% | WWS |
The three survivors all dropped: ADAWAY BEYOND FAITHFUL fell 33 points, COLUMBIA lost 45, and DAY TRIP slid 54 points between December 2025 and April 2026. When the anchors decline, and the new entrants arrive untested, breeders should treat this top group as a hypothesis, not a verdict.
The Big Movers: Up, Down, and Out
Biggest Drops Inside the PLI Genomic Top 100
The most consequential movement happened outside the top 10. Several bulls that were generating heavy semen demand in late 2025 took significant hits:
| Bull | Dec 2025 Rank (UK PLI) | Dec 2025 PLI | Apr 2026 Rank (UK PLI) | Apr 2026 PLI | Change |
| DENOVO COYOTE P A2A2 | 1 | 871 | 13 | 809 | -62 |
| PROGENESIS PRESTON A2A2 | 3 | 867 | 16 | 805 | -62 |
| PEAK ALTAVALUEPACK KCBB | 7 | 860 | 49 | 766 | -94 |
| PEAK ALTAMAXIMINO KCBB | 15 | 832 | 92 | 723 | -109 |
| PEAK ALTAREGALCROWN | 31 | 816 | Dropped out | — | — |
| PEAK ALTACASANOVA | 72 | 768 | Dropped out | — | — |
COYOTE P’s fall — from #1 at +871 PLI (December 2025 UK evaluation) to #13 at +809 PLI (April 2026 UK evaluation) — is a textbook reminder of what 66% reliability means in practice. Sixty-two points of movement in a single run. ALTAVALUEPACK’s 94-point decline from #7 to #49 is even sharper. ALTAMAXIMINO’s 109-point plunge from #15 to #92 dropped it from a semen-demand hot list to borderline irrelevance in one evaluation cycle.
Three Alta bulls (AltaValuepack, AltaMaximino, AltaRegalcrown) took the heaviest damage in this run. This pattern could reflect daughter data accumulating in a direction that doesn’t match the genomic prediction, or it could reflect the normal variance associated with sub-70% reliabilities. Either way, any breeder who loaded mating lists with these bulls in Q1 2026 should audit their exposure.
Risers to Watch
Not everything moved down. A few bulls that were already in the December 2025 list held their ground or entered with strong profiles:
- PEAK ALTATALLTALE entered at #11 (+815 PLI, April 2026 UK evaluation, 66% reliability) with a balanced TM of +0.54 and +0.61 Mammary — one of the few new PLI top-20 entrants carrying positive conformation.
- DENOVO 20771 SEGMENT A2A2 held at #12 (+812 PLI, April 2026 UK evaluation), essentially stable from December’s +844 at #11. A 32-point decline, but modest relative to the carnage around it.
- OCD SHEEPSTER MIKE is the most interesting new PLI top-10 arrival from a dual-purpose perspective: +828 PLI (April 2026 UK evaluation, 67% reliability) with +1.16 TM, +0.83 Mammary, +1.66 Legs & Feet, and +1.59 Locomotion. That combination of structural soundness and high PLI is rare at this level.
What PLI Is Rewarding This Run
The April 2026 PLI genomic top group has tilted decisively toward production and health economics at the expense of conformation. Across the top 3 bulls:
- Average Milk: +723 kg (Lorenzo +953, AltaRotation +745, AltaVaughn +471, April 2026 UK evaluation)
- Average TM: -0.21 to +0.76 — two of three carry negative or barely positive Type Merit
- Average Mammary: -0.14 to +0.54 — Lorenzo and AltaRotation both carry negative Mammary composites, AltaVaughn is modestly positive
- Average Fertility Index: +137 to +174 — strong reproductive values for all three
Compare that to December 2025’s top 3 (Coyote P, Day Trip, Preston), which averaged +940 kg of Milk but carried modestly higher TM scores (+0.76, -0.40, +0.93, respectively, in the December 2025 UK evaluation). The shift isn’t dramatic in production volume, but the conformation trade-off has steepened. Lorenzo and AltaRotation both carry negative TM values (-0.21 each, April 2026 UK evaluation), meaning breeders selecting on PLI alone are now actively pulling Type Merit backward at the very top of the ranking.
The Legs & Feet and Locomotion picture has also shifted. Lorenzo carries +0.82 L&F and +0.86 Locomotion — adequate. AltaRotation carries just +0.08 L&F and +0.13 Locomotion. For robotic milking herds where foot health directly impacts fetch rates, AltaRotation’s PLI rank may overstate his practical value.
How Volatile Are the UK’s PLI Genomic Rankings Right Now?
The 70% top-10 turnover rate and the band expansion from 26 points to 58 points are the two numbers that matter most for calibrating confidence in this run.
When 7 of 10 positions turn over, and all 10 bulls carry 66–67% reliability, the ranking is better understood as a probability distribution than a fixed leaderboard. Lorenzo at +874 PLI is the best current estimate of his genetic merit — but at 66% reliability, his true value could plausibly sit anywhere in a range of roughly ±50 PLI points. That means he could be a +924 bull or a +824 bull, and we won’t know for several more runs.
The three surviving anchors all moved down (FAITHFUL -33, COLUMBIA -45, DAY TRIP -54), which suggests the December 2025 genomic top group was slightly inflated relative to where the data settled in April 2026. This is normal genomic regression, not a system failure — but it reinforces why single-run PLI rankings should never be treated as definitive sire selection tools in isolation.
Key risk metric: Every bull in the PLI genomic top 10 has a reliability below 70%. No exceptions. Treat accordingly.
Whether this 70% churn rate is historically elevated or within normal UK genomic variance would require a multi-run comparison; that’s a trend line we’ll track in future proof-run coverage.
| Reliability | Example Bulls | Estimated PLI Range | Practical Interpretation | Season Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50–60% | OCD Manny TM (53%) | ±60+ pts | Hypothesis, not a score | Max 5% of matings |
| 66–67% | Lorenzo, AltaRotation, Hotshot | ±50 pts | Good guess, will move | Max 15–20% of matings |
| 75–80% | Powerhouse (78%), Sheepster DP (79%) | ±35 pts | Solidifying | Up to 25% of matings |
| 85–90% | Maserati P (89%), Graziano (88%) | ±20 pts | Nearly final | Routine use justified |
| 95–99% | Captain (98%), Renegade (98–99%) | ±8 pts | Done moving | No cap needed |
PLI Daughter-Proven: Powerhouse Takes #1 as Sheepster and Severus Fall Hard
The daughter-proven PLI list tells a more stable story — but still contains surprises. Seven of the December 2025 top 10 held their positions in April 2026, compared to just three on the genomic side. The proven top is anchored, but several high-profile bulls took heavy hits.
| Rank (Apr 2026) | Bull | PLI (Apr 2026, UK PLI) | PLI Rlb | PLI (Dec 2025, UK PLI) | Dec Rank | Change |
| 1 | PEAK POWERHOUSE A2A2 | 768 | 78% | 746 (#3) | 3 | +22 |
| 2 | GENOSOURCE CAPTAIN A2A2 | 726 | 98% | 696 (#7) | 7 | +30 |
| 3 | OCD TROOPER SHEEPSTER | 711 | 79% | 783 (#1) | 1 | -72 |
| 4 | SDG-PH DELUX DOMINANCE A2A2 | 698 | 76% | 744 (#4) | 4 | -46 |
| 5 | PLAIN-KNOLL RENEGAD TROOPER | 675 | 85% | 710 (#5) | 5 | -35 |
| 6 | WINSTAR GRAZIANO HH6C | 669 | 88% | 694 (#8) | 8 | -25 |
| 7 | OCD DELUXE T REX A2A2 | 666 | 75% | 704 (#6) | 6 | -38 |
| 8 | WINSTAR MASERATI P A2A2 POC | 665 | 89% | 585 (#41) | 41 | +80 |
| 9 | COGENT KOEPON ROCKY HH6C | 662 | 84% | New to top 10 | — | — |
| 10 | DENOVO 17121 SARGENT | 649 | 86% | New to top 10 | — | — |
POWERHOUSE’s Rise to #1
PEAK POWERHOUSE gained 22 PLI points (+746 to +768, December 2025 to April 2026 UK evaluation) while most of his proven peers declined. At 78% reliability, he’s building confidence with each run. His profile is high-production, moderate-type: +1,111 kg Milk, +0.07 Fat %, +0.11 Prot %, but just +0.17 TM (April 2026 UK evaluation). His Mammary (+0.14) and Legs & Feet (+0.27) are minimal — he’s a PLI-efficiency bull, not a dual-purpose one.
GENOSOURCE CAPTAIN: The Quiet Climber
CAPTAIN’s +30 PLI gain (696 to 726, December 2025 to April 2026) on 98% reliability is arguably the most trustworthy number in the entire UK evaluation right now. At near-maximum reliability, his ranking is essentially final. His profile is balanced: +973 kg Milk, +1.09 Mammary, +0.73 Legs & Feet, +1.07 Locomotion, and +0.91 TM (April 2026 UK evaluation). Not flashy, but the data is done moving.
The Big Proven Losers
The December 2025 #1 and #2 both fell hard:
- OCD TROOPER SHEEPSTER: -72 PLI (783 to 711, December 2025 to April 2026 UK evaluation), #1 to #3. His TM actually improved slightly (+1.07 to +1.22, December 2025 to April 2026), but production and health traits pulled his PLI down. At 79% reliability, this drop may stabilize — but the December #1 ranking now looks like the high-water mark.
- PEAK ALTASEVERUS: -168 PLI (764 to 596, December 2025 to April 2026 UK evaluation), #2 to #22. This is the single largest PLI decline in the entire top group. ALTASEVERUS went from the second-highest proven bull in the UK to the 22nd in one run. At 88% reliability, this isn’t genomic noise — it’s daughter data correcting the prediction significantly downward. His TM moved from -2.64 (December 2025) to -2.53 (April 2026) — a marginal improvement but still deeply negative. Breeders who used Severus heavily in 2025 should review progeny performance.
- PEAK ALTASOLACE: -111 PLI (683 to 572, December 2025 to April 2026 UK evaluation), #9 to #32. Another Alta proven bull with a triple-digit decline.
- ALL.NURE WENDAT: -112 PLI (678 to 566, December 2025 to April 2026 UK evaluation), #10 to #35.
WINSTAR MASERATI P: The Biggest Proven Riser
MASERATI P surged 80 PLI points (585 to 665, December 2025 to April 2026 UK evaluation) to crack the top 10 at #8, jumping from #41 in December 2025. At 89% reliability, this gain carries weight. His profile is health-heavy: +0.38 SCC, +0.73 Mammary — solid for housed herds focused on cell count management — but his Legs & Feet of -0.08 is a red flag for any system where mobility matters. His TM of +0.55 and production of just +392 kg Milk mean he’s not a volume bull. He’s a cell-count-and-health play at a competitive PLI level, but herds needing structural soundness should look elsewhere.
Type Merit Genomic: OCD Manny Arrives at +2.90 TM — And the PLI Overlap Is Zero
The Type Merit genomic list runs on entirely different logic than PLI, and April 2026 makes that divergence impossible to ignore. OCD MANNY debuted at #1 with a +2.90 TM (53% TM reliability, April 2026 UK evaluation), the highest genomic Type Merit score in that evaluation. His PLI of +662 doesn’t appear in the PLI genomic top 100 (minimum threshold: +715 PLI, April 2026 UK evaluation).
TM Genomic Top 10: April 2026 vs December 2025
| Rank (Apr 2026) | Bull | TM (Apr 2026, UK TM) | TM (Dec 2025, UK TM) | Change | PLI (Apr 2026, UK PLI) | AI |
| 1 | OCD MANNY | 2.90 | New | — | 662 | SMX |
| 2 | SYNERGY KICKSTART A2A2 KCBB | 2.75 | 2.93 (#1) | -0.18 | 426 | WWS |
| 3 | NORTH-POLLED MAXUM-P RED A2A2 POC | 2.61 | 2.75 (#4) | -0.14 | 193 | SMX |
| 4 | CLWCH RHAPSODY EX90 | 2.56 | 2.73 (#5) | -0.17 | 94 | UKD |
| 5 | DG PHOENIX KCBB | 2.49 | 2.65 (#8) | -0.16 | 480 | CBL |
| 6 | MYSTIQUE ANIMATION KCBB RDC | 2.46 | 2.75 (#3) | -0.29 | 385 | SMX |
| 7 | WALNUTLAWN PG BENSON A2A2 | 2.45 | 2.66 (#7) | -0.21 | 148 | SMX |
| 8 | COGENT DG ELBA | 2.44 | New to top 10 | — | 507 | ALT |
| 9 | PROGENESIS KOMET | 2.40 | 2.49 (#14) | -0.09 | 305 | SMX |
| 10 | STGEN PARFT ROSEVILLE | 2.39 | 2.60 (#10) | -0.21 | 456 | CBL |
Every returning bull dropped TM this run — no exceptions among the seven anchors. SYNERGY KICKSTART fell from #1 at +2.93 TM to #2 at +2.75, a -0.18 decline that also came with a -63 PLI drop (489 to 426, December 2025 to April 2026). MYSTIQUE ANIMATION took the steepest hit: -0.29 TM (2.75 to 2.46) and -75 PLI (460 to 385).
Three bulls exited the top 10. SHELAND PARFECT LOCK transitioned from the genomic TM list (#2 at +2.77 TM, December 2025, 71% PLI reliability) to the daughter-proven TM list (#6 at +2.42 TM, April 2026, 91% PLI reliability). His TM dropped 0.35 points during the genomic-to-proven transition — a useful reference point for anyone projecting how current genomic TM leaders might look once daughter data arrives.
What the TM Top Group Looks Like
The TM genomic top 10 is a conformation-first population. Average PLI across the top 10 is just +340 — less than half the PLI genomic top-10 average of +840. Five of the top 10 carry PLI below +400. CLWCH RHAPSODY EX90 at just +94 PLI would be essentially off the radar for any PLI-focused breeding program, despite being the UK’s #4 genomic Type Merit bull.
Mammary composites run high: OCD MANNY +2.99 MAM, MYSTIQUE ANIMATION +2.71, WALNUTLAWN PG BENSON +2.29 (April 2026 UK evaluation). Legs & Feet are likewise elevated, with MANNY at +1.73 L&F and BENSON at +2.16. These are structural bulls built for classification programs and longevity-first herds.
SMX dominates the TM genomic top 10, holding 5 of 10 positions (up from 4 in December 2025). CBL holds 2, with WWS, UKD, and ALT each at 1.
Type Merit Daughter-Proven: Rimrock Takes #1 as WWS Locks Down 7 of 10 Spots
The Type Merit daughter-proven list saw dramatic reshuffling. BOMAZ RIMROCK RDC, a GEN bull, rose to #1 at +2.88 TM (89% TM reliability, April 2026 UK evaluation). He was #20 in December 2025 at +2.33 TM — a gain of +0.55 TM points as daughter data accumulated.
The December 2025 TM DP #1, SANDY-VALLEY ESQUIRE (+3.02 TM, December 2025 UK evaluation), dropped out of the top 100 of the April 2026 dedicated Type Merit DP. AOT HAMPSHIRE, December’s #2 at +3.00 TM, fell to #3 at +2.63 TM (-0.37). SIEMERS RENGD PARFECT slipped from #3 at +2.97 to #2 at +2.74 (-0.23 TM).
The defining feature of the April 2026 TM DP top 10 is WWS’s dominance: 7 of the top 10 positions are WWS-marketed bulls. Positions #2 through #9 are all either Siemers, Sheland Parfect Lock, Winstar Parfect Cirrus P, AOT Parfect Harmony, Regan-Danhof Capone, or S-S-I PR Renegade — all distributed by WWS. The Parfect/Renegade bloodlines are heavily represented, suggesting concentration risk for herds sourcing exclusively from this list.
LEANINGHOUSE TAOS, at #13 on the TM DP list (+1.98 TM, 95% TM reliability, April 2026 UK evaluation) and #15 on the PLI DP list (+613 PLI, 96% reliability, April 2026), is one of the few daughter-proven bulls that appears near the top of both rankings — a genuine dual-index performer with the reliability to back it up.
The Cross-Index Divergence: PLI and Type Merit Are Selecting for Different Animals
This is the structural story of the April 2026 UK evaluation, and it warrants explicit treatment.
Genomic: Zero Overlap
Not a single bull in the PLI genomic top 10 appears in the Type Merit genomic top 100. Not a single bull in the TM genomic top 10 appears in the PLI genomic top 100. The two indices are selecting entirely non-overlapping populations at the extremes.
| PLI Genomic #1 (Apr 2026 UK PLI) | TM Genomic #1 (Apr 2026 UK TM) |
| DENOVO LORENZO: +874 PLI, -0.21 TM | OCD MANNY: +2.90 TM, +662 PLI |
| Production-first, negative conformation | Conformation-first, moderate production |
| 66% PLI reliability | 53% TM reliability |
| GEN | SMX |
The best cross-index genomic performer in the April 2026 evaluation is TROPHY A2A2 (+769 PLI at genomic rank #46, +2.09 TM at TM rank #29, April 2026 UK evaluation). He carries +504 kg Milk, +2.54 Mammary, +2.04 Legs & Feet, +2.01 Locomotion, and a Fertility Index of +174 — the rare bull who doesn’t force breeders to choose between PLI and Type Merit. His AI company, SYN, may limit availability in some markets.
BEYOND HI-PACE (+722 PLI at #93, +1.93 TM at #39, April 2026 UK evaluation) is another dual-index bull with +1.35 Mammary, +1.01 L&F, and +0.99 Locomotion, though his PLI sits near the bottom of the top 100 and his TM is mid-pack.
| Bull | PLI Rank | PLI (£) | TM Rank | TM Score | Milk (kg) | Mammary | L&F | Locomotion | Fertility | Reliability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TROPHY A2A2 | #46 Genomic | 769 | #29 Genomic | +2.09 | +504 | +2.54 | +2.04 | +2.01 | +174 | 66% PLI |
| Sheepster Mike | #6 Genomic | 828 | Top 100 | +1.16 | n/a | +0.83 | +1.66 | +1.59 | n/a | 67% PLI |
| Beyond Faithful | #7 Genomic | 827 | Top 100 | +1.23 | n/a | +1.50 | +0.63 | +0.73 | n/a | 67% PLI |
| LEANINGHOUSE TAOS | #15 Proven | 613 | #13 Proven | +1.98 | +896 | +1.79 | +2.42 | +2.87 | n/a | 96% PLI |
| S-S-I PR RENEGADE | #27 Proven | 583 | #9 Proven | +2.25 | n/a | +1.54 | +2.41 | +2.81 | n/a | 98% PLI |
| Beyond Hi-Pace | #93 Genomic | 722 | #39 Genomic | +1.93 | n/a | +1.35 | +1.01 | +0.99 | n/a | 66% PLI |
Daughter-Proven: Slightly More Overlap, But Still Divergent
At the proven level, the gap narrows slightly:
- LEANINGHOUSE TAOS: PLI DP #15 (+613 PLI, 96% reliability), TM DP #13 (+1.98 TM, 95% reliability), April 2026 UK evaluation. The most balanced proven bull in the UK system right now. His +1.79 Mammary, +2.42 Legs & Feet, and +2.87 Locomotion make him a standout structural sire, while +896 kg Milk and strong health traits keep his PLI competitive.
- S-S-I PR RENEGADE: PLI DP #27 (+583 PLI, 98% reliability), TM DP #9 (+2.25 TM, 99% reliability), April 2026 UK evaluation. Near-maximum reliability on both indexes. His +1.54 Mammary, +2.41 L&F, and +2.81 Locomotion are elite linear scores with legitimate PLI backing.
- PEAK POWERHOUSE (PLI DP #1, +768 PLI, April 2026 UK evaluation) carries just +0.17 TM — not in the TM DP top 100.
- BOMAZ RIMROCK RDC (TM DP #1, +2.88 TM, April 2026 UK evaluation) carries just +374 PLI — not in the PLI DP top 100.
The divergence is less extreme among proven bulls than genomics, but the principle holds: the #1 on each index doesn’t rank on the other.
AI Companies and Bloodlines: Who Owns the Top and What Changed
PLI Genomic Top 10
| AI Company | Dec 2025 Top 10 (UK PLI YG) | Apr 2026 Top 10 (UK PLI YG) | Direction |
| GEN | 5 | 3 | ↓ |
| SMX | 2 | 1 | ↓ |
| ALT | 2 | 2 | — |
| CBL | 0 | 2 | ↑ |
| WWS | 1 | 2 | ↑ |
GEN’s December dominance (5 of 10) contracted to 3 of 10 in April. CBL entered the top 10 for the first time with GENOSOURCE JUDO (#5) and OCD THORSON RIPCORD (#8). ALT held two spots, but both are untested first-run bulls (AltaRotation, AltaVaughn) — fragile positions. WWS gained through OCD SHEEPSTER MIKE and BADGER SIEMERS DAY TRIP.
PLI Daughter-Proven Top 10
The proven list is more diversified: WWS (3), CBL (2), GEN (2), UKD (1), SMX (1), ALT (0 — a notable absence from the proven top 10 given Alta’s heavy genomic marketing).
Type Merit Genomic Top 10
SMX dominates with 5 of 10 positions. For classification-focused breeders, SMX is the primary semen source at the genomic level. CBL holds 2 spots.
Type Merit Daughter-Proven Top 10
WWS controls 7 of 10 positions — the most concentrated company share across any of the four rankings. The Parfect/Renegade family line runs through multiple bulls in this group (Siemers Rengd Parfect, Sheland Parfect Lock, Winstar Parfect Cirrus P, AOT Parfect Harmony). Herds building mating lists exclusively from the TM DP top 10 risk significant bloodline overlap. Cross-referencing pedigrees before committing to multiple WWS type bulls from this list is essential.
What This Means for Your Matings This Season
For Housed, High-Input Herds Prioritizing PLI
If your breeding goal is maximum economic index in a housed TMR system, LORENZO (+874 PLI, April 2026 UK evaluation), ALTAROTATION (+867 PLI), and HOTSHOT (+846 PLI) sit at the top — but all carry 66% reliability and negative or barely positive TM. Use them as part of a diversified sire portfolio, not as blanket picks. Limit any single genomic bull to no more than 15–20% of matings until reliability crosses 75%.
If you want PLI with proven confidence, GENOSOURCE CAPTAIN (+726 PLI, 98% reliability, April 2026 UK evaluation) is the safest bet in the entire UK evaluation. His numbers aren’t moving. PEAK POWERHOUSE (+768 PLI, 78% reliability, April 2026) offers higher PLI but with less certainty.
For Grazing and Lower-Input Systems
Grazing herds that need moderate production with strong fertility and structural soundness should look at TROPHY A2A2 (+769 PLI, +2.09 TM, Fertility Index +174, +2.54 Mammary, +2.04 L&F, +2.01 Locomotion, April 2026 UK evaluation). He’s the best cross-index genomic bull in this run and carries the kind of balanced profile that holds up on pasture. His SYN distribution may require proactive sourcing.
At the proven level, LEANINGHOUSE TAOS (+613 PLI, +1.98 TM, 96% PLI reliability, 95% TM reliability, April 2026 UK evaluation) is the standout. His daughter’s proof is essentially confirmed, his Legs & Feet (+2.42) and Locomotion (+2.87) are outstanding for grazing longevity, and his +1.79 Mammary supports functional udder quality alongside +896 kg Milk.
For Robotic Milking Herds
| Bull | PLI (£) | TM | Mammary | L&F | Locomotion | PLI Rlb | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S-S-I PR RENEGADE | 583 | +2.25 | +1.54 | +2.41 | +2.81 | 98% | Elite foot/leg certainty |
| LEANINGHOUSE TAOS | 613 | +1.98 | +1.79 | +2.42 | +2.87 | 96% | Best overall balance, proven |
| SHEEPSTER MIKE | 828 | +1.16 | +0.83 | +1.66 | +1.59 | 67% | Highest PLI + structural genomic |
| BEYOND FAITHFUL | 827 | +1.23 | +1.50 | +0.63 | +0.73 | 67% | PLI + udder; weaker feet |
| GENOSOURCE CAPTAIN | 726 | +0.91 | +1.09 | +0.73 | +1.07 | 98% | Proven, balanced, stable |
| PEAK POWERHOUSE | 768 | +0.17 ⚠️ | +0.14 ⚠️ | +0.27 ⚠️ | n/a | 78% | PLI leader only; not a robot pick |
| MASERATI P | 665 | +0.55 | +0.73 | -0.08⚠️ | n/a | 89% | Cell count bull; avoid on mobility herds |
| LORENZO | 874 | -0.21 ⚠️ | -0.14 ⚠️ | +0.82 | +0.86 | 66% | PLI rocket; structural cost |
| ALTAROTATION | 867 | -0.21 ⚠️ | -0.14 ⚠️ | +0.08⚠️ | +0.13 ⚠️ | 66% | Worst feet in PLI top 3 for robots |
If you’re running robots, screen for Mammary and Legs & Feet first, PLI second. OCD SHEEPSTER MIKE (+828 PLI, +1.16 TM, +0.83 Mammary, +1.66 L&F, +1.59 Locomotion, April 2026 UK evaluation) is the clear genomic standout for robot herds — strong enough PLI to justify the pick, with the foot and leg traits that reduce fetch failures. His Mammary at +0.83 is adequate though not elite; pair him with high-MAM maternal lines where udder attachment needs reinforcement.
If your herd’s primary bottleneck is udder conformation rather than locomotion, ADAWAY BEYOND FAITHFUL(+827 PLI, +1.23 TM, +1.50 Mammary, +0.63 L&F, +0.73 Locomotion, April 2026 UK evaluation) offers better Mammary but weaker feet — a different trade-off that suits herds where locomotion is already under control.
Among proven bulls, S-S-I PR RENEGADE (+583 PLI, +2.25 TM, 98% PLI reliability, +1.54 Mammary, +2.41 L&F, +2.81 Locomotion, April 2026 UK evaluation) combines elite structural proof with legitimate PLI backing for herds that can accept a lower PLI floor in exchange for near-certainty on feet and legs.
For Type and Classification Programs
If your primary goal is classification and a show-oriented type while keeping PLI respectable, OCD MANNY (+2.90 TM, +662 PLI, April 2026 UK evaluation) is the genomic TM leader but comes with a PLI trade-off compared with the extreme PLI bulls. His +2.99 Mammary is the highest in the TM top 10. Use him for targeted structural matings, not as a universal sire of sons.
If your herd needs type but can’t give up too much PLI, SYNERGY KICKSTART (+2.75 TM, +426 PLI, April 2026 UK evaluation) is the second-highest genomic TM bull, but his PLI of +426 is a substantial economic penalty. Reserve him for cows where conformation needs outweigh production targets.
At the proven level, BOMAZ RIMROCK RDC (+2.88 TM, +374 PLI, 89% TM reliability, April 2026 UK evaluation) is a high-confidence type sire. His Red Carrier status opens crossbreeding flexibility. SIEMERS RENGD PARFECT(+2.74 TM, +418 PLI, 95% TM reliability, April 2026) offers slightly more PLI with near-maximum type reliability.
For Beef-on-Dairy Cull Programs
If you’re using beef-on-dairy on the bottom of your herd, you want the remaining dairy matings concentrated on the highest-PLI or highest-TM bulls appropriate to your goals — and aligned with this run’s data. Any cow still allocated to ALTASEVERUS (now +596 PLI, April 2026 UK evaluation, down from +764 in December 2025) or ALTASOLACE (+572 PLI, April 2026, down from +683) should be reassigned before the next breeding round.
30-Day Action Item
Pull your current UK mating list and cross-check every sire against the April 2026 PLI and Type Merit rankings. Specifically:
- Flag any bull that dropped >50 PLI points this run — particularly COYOTE P (-62), PRESTON (-62), ALTAVALUEPACK (-94), and ALTAMAXIMINO (-109). Review remaining inventory allocation before your next mating cycle.
- Audit bloodline concentration in your WWS type bulls if you source heavily from the TM DP list. Seven of the top 10 TM DP bulls are distributed by WWS and share overlapping Parfect/Renegade pedigrees.
- Rebalance your PLI-to-TM mix. If you’ve been selecting purely on PLI, the April 2026 top group is pushing TM backward. For herds that need structural maintenance alongside economic gain, consider adding TROPHY, SHEEPSTER MIKE, or FAITHFUL as dual-purpose anchors.
Key Takeaways:
- Lorenzo debuts at +874 PLI and drives a 70% turnover in the UK genomic top 10, but none of those bulls make the TM genomic top 100, so pure-PLI selection now pushes type backward.
- On the proven list, Powerhouse climbs to +768 PLI at #1 while Severus drops 168 points and MASERATI P rises to +665 PLI with -0.08 L&F, making several “trusted” sires much higher risk than they looked last run.
- The best all‑rounders sit off the front page: TROPHY (+769 PLI, +2.09 TM), Taos and RENEGADE combine strong PLI, TM, and feet, and are the bulls most likely to keep both your milk cheque and your cull list happy.
- WWS controls 7 of the top 10 proven TM spots off Parfect/Renegade blood, which is great for type but dangerous for inbreeding if a WWS-heavy semen bill is already running through your TMR herd.
- Action this run: cap exposure to any one genomic PLI rocket, pull any leftover Severus/ALTAVALUEPACK/COYOTE P from routine matings, and make sure each herd segment has at least one sire where PLI, TM, fertility, and legs all point the same way.
Full Lists:
- UK – PLI Young Genomic Bulls – 04/26
- UK – PLI Daughter Proven Bulls – 04/26
- UK – TYPE Merit Young Genomic Bulls – 04/26
- UK – TYPE Daughter Proven Bulls – 04/26
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