One bull climbed 119 TPI, another lost 626 Pro$, and a few “safe” favorites quietly slid out of the money.
The proofs landed on a cold April morning, and by the time the printer stopped spitting out pages, one thing was obvious at a 450‑cow Wisconsin freestall herd we chatted with: the semen in their tank no longer matched the numbers on the sheets. Powerhouse had just picked up 119 TPI under the new US protein formula, while Rozline had shed 626 Pro$ in Canada.
Same bulls. Same daughters milking in their barns. But in one proof run, their jobs changed. This is the story of how that happened — and what you can realistically do in the next 30 days so you’re not breeding April 2026 calves with December 2025 math.
“Did We Just Spend Our Semen Budget on Yesterday’s Bulls?”
That Wisconsin herd had done what a lot of us do. The winter order leaned into bulls that felt like “safe bets”: Peak Powerhouse‑ET on the US side for TPI and Siemers Renegade Rozline‑ET for Canadian Pro$ and LPI with type.
On paper, in December, that plan made sense. Powerhouse sat at 3329 TPI, Rozline at 2664 Pro$ and 3947 LPI, and both were plastered all over catalog covers.
Then April hit. Holstein USA rolled out the TPI 2026 formula with 24% weight on PTA Protein and 14% on PTA Fat, shifting five percentage points of production weight from fat to protein. That single change lifted Powerhouse from 3329 to 3448 TPI (+119) and knocked fat‑heavy bulls like SDG Cap Garza‑ET down –125 TPI (3464 → 3339).
North of the border, Canada’s April 2026 run trimmed the Pro$ ceiling by roughly 200–250 points for most front‑end bulls — and a lot more for Rozline. Progenesis Pattern‑ET held #1 Pro$ at 2974, but still dropped –237 Pro$; Denovo 16034 Cabo‑ET fell –231 Pro$ to 2877. Rozline took the biggest hit, sliding from 2664 to 2038 Pro$ (–626) and from 3947 to 3810 LPI (–137), dropping from #1 to #9 LPI.
The proofs didn’t change how that breeder felt about the daughters. They did change how comfortable he was betting big semen checks on those bulls for the next calf crop.
One Global Run, Eight Different Messages
The April 2026 Holstein proof run isn’t one neat headline. It’s eight different proof systems pulling on the same straw box in their own way. Here’s the short tour before we get into what you do about it in your herd or ET program.
| Bull | Country / Index | Dec 2025 Value | Apr 2026 Value | Change (Dec 2025 → Apr 2026) | Formula Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| !WINNER Peak Powerhouse-ET | USA / TPI | 3329 TPI | 3448 TPI | +119 TPI | Protein flip winner — 92 Pro vs 113 Fat rewarded |
| !LOSER SDG Cap Garza-ET | USA / TPI | 3464 TPI | 3339 TPI | −125 TPI | !RISK Extreme fat bias; demoted from anchor |
| !LOSER Siemers Renegade Rozline-ET | Canada / Pro$ | 2664 Pro$ | 2038 Pro$ | −626 Pro$ | Repriced; type specialist only |
| !LOSER Siemers Renegade Rozline-ET | Canada / LPI | 3947 LPI | 3810 LPI | −137 LPI | Dropped #1 → #9 LPI |
| !LOSER Winstar Graziano-ET | Canada / Pro$ | 3099 Pro$ | 2655 Pro$ | −444 Pro$ | Dropped #3 → #81 Pro$ |
| !WINNER Siemers Rengd Parfect-ET | Canada / LPI | 3856 LPI | 3914 LPI | +58 LPI | Took #1 LPI from Rozline |
| !LOSER Peak AltaSeverus | UK / PLI | 764 PLI | 596 PLI | −168 PLI | Daughter data correction; demoted |
| !WINNER Peak Powerhouse-ET | UK / PLI | 746 PLI | 768 PLI | +22 PLI | Climbed to proven #1 PLI |
| !LOSER TGD-Holstein Beautyman | CH / ISET | 1586 ISET | 1427 ISET | −159 ISET | Fell out of top 20; niche type tool only |
| !WINNER Progenesis Torchlight | CH / ISET | 1584 ISET | 1519 ISET | — raw pts (new scale) | Recalibrated #1; production-fit formula winner |
| !WINNER Rise Up Real | NL / NVI | 410 NVI | 468 NVI | +58 NVI | Longevity-driven surge to genomic #1 |
| !WINNER Genosource Captain | NL / NVI (proven) | 289 NVI | 363 NVI | +74 NVI | Daughters confirmed; jumped #9 → #2 proven |
| !WINNER Crisalis RF | Italy / gPFT | 5180 gPFT | 5247 gPFT | +67 gPFT | Extended domestic proven #1 lead |
| !WINNER Fugleman | Scandinavia / NTM | 35 NTM | 38 NTM | +3 NTM | Largest proven NTM gain; within 2 pts of #1 |
| !LOSER Peak Rainow-ET | Scandinavia / NTM | 42 NTM | 40 NTM | −2 NTM | Still #1 proven; lead over Fugleman shrinking |
USA: Protein Wins, Fat Pays Less
| Bull | Dec 2025 TPI Rank | Apr 2026 Rank | TPI Dec 2025 | TPI Apr 2026 | Change | PTA Pro / PTA Fat | Formula Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| !WINNER Peak Powerhouse-ET | #3 | #2 | 3329 TPI | 3448 TPI | +119 TPI | 92 Pro / 113 Fat | Protein-winner; push semen share |
| !LOSER OCD Trooper Sheepster-ET | #1 | #1 | 3572 TPI | 3480 TPI | −92 TPI | 67 Pro / 133 Fat | Moderate loser; still #1 proven |
| !ANCHOR SDG-PH Delux Dominance-ET | #4 | #3 | 3458 TPI | 3437 TPI | −21 TPI | 64 Pro / 135 Fat | Slight loser; reliable anchor |
| La-Ca-De-Le T Isaac 8731-ET | #5 | #4 | 3390 TPI | 3396 TPI | +6 TPI | 62 Pro / 111 Fat | Neutral; stable anchor |
| !WINNER Peak Momento-ET | #6 | #5 | 3334 TPI | 3360 TPI | +26 TPI | 53 Pro / 113 Fat | Mild protein-winner |
| !LOSER Genosource Captain-ET | #7 | #6 | 3428 TPI | 3356 TPI | −72 TPI | 64 Pro / 117 Fat | Fat-leaning loser; still elite anchor |
| Terra-Calroy Zuri-ET | #8 | #7 | 3375 TPI | 3355 TPI | −20 TPI | 52 Pro / 104 Fat | Slight loser; neutral role |
| !LOSER !RISK SDG Cap Garza-ET | #4 (≈) | #8 | 3464 TPI | 3339 TPI | −125 TPI | 50 Pro / 140 Fat | Biggest loser; fat specialist only |
| !NEW Denovo 3946 Elgin-ET | Outside top 10 | #9 | — | 3337 TPI | New entry | 68 Pro / 100 Fat | Formula winner; protein-balanced |
| !NEW Welcome Sensei-ET | Outside top 10 | #10 | — | 3333 TPI | New entry | 73 Pro / 97 Fat | Formula winner; highest Pro/Fat ratio in top 10 |
Holstein USA’s TPI 2026 production slice — 24P / 14F — quietly moved real money.
- Powerhouse: +119 TPI (3329 → 3448) on the same daughters, thanks to 92 Pro vs 113 Fat and big milk.
- Garza: –125 TPI (3464 → 3339) as his extreme fat profile became less valuable inside the index, even though his cows still fill the fat tank.
On the genomic side, the signal is just how tight and volatile the very top has become:
- All 10 bulls in the April 2026 genomic TPI top 10 are new names compared with December.
- The band from Aurora Gs Woodford‑ET at 3565 TPI down to Welcome Gustavsson‑ET at 3528 is only 37 points wide.
The “shape” of a winning genomic TPI bull is clear — high milk, strong protein, good health, functional type — but the exact names at the top are going to churn.
Read more: April 2026 USA Holstein TPI: Woodford +3565, Powerhouse +119 – Who Won and Lost the Protein Flip?
Canada: Pro$ Anchors Trimmed, Rozline Repriced
| Bull | LPI Dec 2025 | LPI Apr 2026 | LPI Change | LPI Rank Apr 2026 | Pro$ Dec 2025 | Pro$ Apr 2026 | Pro$ Change | Pro$ Rank Apr 2026 | Role Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| !WINNER Siemers Rengd Parfect-ET | 3856 LPI | 3914 LPI | +58 LPI | #1 LPI | 2374 Pro$ | 2226 Pro$ | −148 Pro$ | Mid-band | !ANCHOR LPI anchor; mid-Pro specialist |
| !ANCHOR Stantons Remover PP | 3831 LPI | 3873 LPI | +42 LPI | #2 LPI | 3070 Pro$ | 2771 Pro$ | −299 Pro$ | #8 Pro$ | !ANCHOR Polled anchor; trimmed but holds both lists |
| !ANCHOR Progenesis Pattern-ET | 3829 LPI (≈#10) | 3766 LPI | −63 LPI | #15 LPI | 3211 Pro$ | 2974 Pro$ | −237 Pro$ | #1 Pro$ | !ANCHOR Pro$ reference anchor; slightly lower LPI |
| !ANCHOR Denovo 16034 Cabo-ET | 3707 LPI | 3611 LPI | −96 LPI | #32 LPI | 3108 Pro$ | 2877 Pro$ | −231 Pro$ | #2 Pro$ | !SPECIALIST Components/fat Pro$ specialist |
| !NEW Peak Powerstar-ET | Not in Pro$ top 100 | 3406 LPI | — | — | Not in Pro$ top 100 | 2854 Pro$ | New entry | #3 Pro$ | !NEW Proven newcomer; income anchor candidate |
| !LOSER Siemers Renegade Rozline-ET | 3947 LPI | 3810 LPI | −137 LPI | #9 LPI | 2664 Pro$ | 2038 Pro$ | −626 Pro$ | Outside top 10 | !SPECIALIST Type/component specialist only; not an income anchor |
| !LOSER Winstar Graziano-ET | 3707 LPI | 3564 LPI | −143 LPI | #56 LPI | 3099 Pro$ | 2655 Pro$ | −444 Pro$ | #81 Pro$ | !SPECIALIST High-fat niche only; removed from income role |
In Canada, April 2026 was less about formula changes and more about level resets and the re-pricing of some favorites.
- Pattern: 3211 → 2974 Pro$ (–237), still #1 Pro$.
- Cabo: 3108 → 2877 Pro$ (–231), still #2 Pro$.
- Winstar Graziano‑ET: 3099 → 2655 Pro$ (–444), sliding from #3 to #81.
- Rozline: 2664 → 2038 Pro$ (–626) and 3947 → 3810 LPI (–137), dropping to #9 LPI.
Rozline’s April profile — 852 Milk, 85 Fat, 52 Protein, 0.47F, 0.18P, 16 Conf, MS 9, FL 9, DS 13 — reads like a type and component bull now, not a Pro$ anchor. Pattern and Cabo still carry the income banner, but the gap between them and the next tier is smaller.
UK: Zero Overlap Between PLI and Type Merit
The UK’s April 2026 proof run draws a hard line between profit index and type.
- Denovo 22750 Lorenzo is #1 genomic PLI at 874, but carries –0.21 Type Merit with negatives on mammary and legs.
- 0 bulls are both top‑10 for PLI and top‑100 for TM.
That doesn’t mean you can’t have reasonable type and profit at the same time. It just means the bulls that manage it are rarer:
- Trophy: 769 PLI, 2.09 TM.
- Leaninghouse Taos: 613 PLI, 1.98 TM, 2.42 LF — PLI plus legs and feet that classifiers actually like.
If you’re breeding UK‑aligned, April spells out a simple trade‑off: pure PLI rockets vs. those handful of bulls that keep both the milk cheque and the classifier roughly happy.
Read more: UK April 2026 PLI Proofs: Lorenzo +874, Powerhouse #1 Proven – and Why Type Merit Shows Zero Overlap
Switzerland: 1500 Is the New 1600 on ISET
Switzerland’s April 2026 Holstein ISET reset is a big story in a small country. The standard deviation change and swap from SCC to Mastitis Resistance mean 1500 ISET is more like the old 1600.
- Progenesis Torchlight: 1519 ISET, 1954 kg Milk, 130 kg Fat, 88 kg Protein, plus strong Mastitis Resistance and good health — a classic high‑ISET production bull.
- DG Caarma: 1482 ISET, 2212 kg Milk, 153 kg IPL, but fertility 98 and temperament 92 — he’ll put a lot of milk in the tank if your management can handle the extra temperament and fertility work.
- Beautyman took one of the bigger hits, dropping –159 ISET and sliding out of the top 20.
The Swiss signal is clear: ISET now pays even more attention to cow health and mastitis, and you need to read bulls like Caarma through that lens before you chase their ISET number.
Netherlands and Germany: Longevity vs Lactation, Calm at the Top
In the Netherlands, NVI continues to favor cattle that stick around.
- Rise Up Real: +58 NVI to 468 NVI, now genomic #1 BW, with 614 INET but a huge Lvd 1084 — he’s built to live.
- Genosource Mystro: 431 NVI, but 881 INET, the highest in the top 10, with Lvd 751, the lowest longevity score in that group.
On proven NVI, Genosource Captain added +74 NVI to land at 363 NVI and proven #2, reinforcing that his daughters aren’t just flash‑in‑the‑pan.
In Germany, the Interbull BW RZG genomic top 10 is almost too calm.
- Connect stays at 167 RZG, unchanged from December.
- The next nine bulls all sit between 161 and 163 RZG, and all ten are returning genomic bulls.
- Under the hood, pedigrees are heavily saturated with RealSyn and Rome; at least half of the pack traces through those sires.
If you’re leaning on German RZG genomics, the risk isn’t that your bull drops 10 RZG. It’s that you wake up in three years and realize half your best heifers are RealSyn/Rome granddaughters, no matter which catalog you bought from.
Read more: Connect 167, 7 Sires at 161: Why Germany’s Tightest RZG Run Is Really About Bloodline Risk
Italy and Scandinavia: Proven Catching Genomics, VH Wall
In Italy, April 2026 gPFT was the run where some proven sires finally caught their genomic kids.
- Crisalis RF climbed by 67 gPFT to 5,247.
- His son Boero came in proven at 5162 gPFT, roughly +230 points above his old genomic call.
- Overall, the domestic proven gPFT top‑10 average jumped from 4934 to 5087 (+153), and half the list is new.
In Scandinavia, NTM is where the robots and the Viking genetics program shake hands.
- Peak Rainow‑ET slipped from 42 to 40 NTM but still holds proven #1.
- Fugleman climbed from 35 to 38 NTM, with better yield, udder health, claw health, and confirmed milkability at 126.
- On the genomic side, VH now owns 21 of the top 30 NTM slots.
For a robot herd in Denmark or Sweden, that’s good news and a warning in the same sentence: plenty of high‑NTM options, but you can’t just buy “the top” and expect to stay out of a VH wall.
How Noisy Is “#1” This Run — and Should You Still Pay for It?
When you line all these lists up, the most important thing isn’t who’s #1. It’s how tight the bands are and how fast the names change.
- USA genomic TPI: 10/10 new bulls, 37‑point band (3565–3528).
- UK genomic PLI: roughly 70% turnover in the PLI top 10, 58‑point band from Lorenzo at 874 to the #10 bull at 816.
- Swiss ISET: 40% new bulls in the top 10 and only 47 points from Torchlight at 1519 down to the #10 bull at 1472.
- Dutch genomic NVI BW: only 1 new entrant, but the band still lifted and compressed to 468–424 NVI.
- German RZG: 0 turnover and a 6‑point band (167–161 RZG).
At that point, paying a premium just because a bull is “#1” is more about marketing than genetics. It can still be fun. It just shouldn’t be the backbone of your breeding plan.
For practical breeding decisions, the takeaway is simple:
- Treat that whole top genomic band as one group of bulls with a similar job description — high milk and protein, or high NVI longevity, or high ISET — not as ten different universes.
- Use “#1” as a tie‑breaker only after you’re happy with trait shape, health, and pedigree.
If the only reason a bull is on your short list is “He’s #1 this run,” this is the year to rethink that.
| Country / Index | Genomic #1 (Apr 2026) | Genomic #1 Value | Genomic #10 Value | Band Width (#1 → #10) | New Bulls in Top 10 | Turnover Rate | Key Churn Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA / TPI | Aurora Gs Woodford-ET | 3565 TPI | 3528 TPI (Welcome Gustavsson-ET) | 37 TPI pts | 10 of 10 | 100% | All-new top 10; 100% turnover from Dec 2025 |
| UK / PLI (genomic) | Denovo 22750 Lorenzo | 874 PLI | 816 PLI | 58 PLI pts | 7 of 10 | 70% | All 7 new entrants carry ≤66 reliability; zero overlap with TM top 100 |
| CH / ISET (genomic) | Progenesis Torchlight | 1519 ISET | 1472 ISET (Eichhof Dover) | 47 ISET pts | 4 of 10 | 40% | Scale recalibrated (SD reset to 100); 1500 = old 1600 |
| NL / NVI (BW genomic) | Rise Up Real | 468 NVI | 424 NVI (Delta Standout RF) | 44 NVI pts | 1 of 10 | 10% | Most stable genomic list globally; entire top 10 inflated +19 to +58 NVI |
| Germany / RZG (genomic) | Connect | 167 RZG | 161 RZG (7 bulls tied) | 6 RZG pts | 0 of 10 | 0% | Zero turnover; 7 bulls at exactly 161 RZG; bloodline risk is the real issue |
| Italy / gPFT (domestic genomic) | Ecbert Gladius Dateline | 5371 gPFT | 5227 gPFT (Jegolo) | 144 gPFT pts | 2 of 10 | 20% | Low churn; proven list far more volatile (50% turnover same run) |
| Scandinavia / NTM (genomic) | VH Sheriff | 50 NTM | 41 NTM (Bravo) | 9 NTM pts | 3 of 10 | 30% | Every returning top-5 bull lost NTM; universal regression in progress |
The Quiet Risk in Your Straw Box: Bloodline Stacking Across Borders
As the Wisconsin breeder flipped through the April results, another pattern popped up: the same sire families showed up over and over again, even though he was buying semen from three studs and four countries.
- Captain and his sons anchor US proven TPI lists, appear in Dutch NVI pedigrees, and show up behind Swiss and Italian bulls.
- Parfect/Renegade lines are written all over Canadian LPI and Pro$, and they feed into UK PLI/TM pedigrees.
- Gameday/Hadley/Troy show up repeatedly in Switzerland: five of the ISET top 15 have Gameday as maternal grandsire, with Hadley and Troy siring multiple leaders.
- Gladius/Vivify lines dominate Italy’s domestic and foreign gPFT lists, with Gladius responsible for four of the top‑10 positions across those lists.
- CRV Delta holds 5 of 10 black‑and‑white and 6 of 10 red‑and‑white genomic NVI spots in the Netherlands.
- VH sires (Viking Holstein) own 21 of the top 30 genomic NTM bulls.
- RealSyn/Rome pedigrees sit under at least half of Germany’s BW RZG genomic top 10.
On the farm’s scribbled sire list, that looked like this: about 15% Captain sons, another 10–15% Parfect/Renegade line, and a big chunk of Swiss and Dutch bulls that quietly had Gameday, RealSyn, or Gladius as sire or grandsire.
Technically, he was “diversified.” Practically, he was a couple of sire families away from painting himself into a corner. The daughters won’t care which logo was on the straw. They’ll know who their grandsires are.
| Sire Family | Markets Dominant In | Example Top Bulls (Apr 2026) | Concentration Metric | Risk Level | Article-Recommended Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Captain | USA proven TPI; NL NVI proven; UK PLI proven; CH (pedigree depth) | Genosource Captain-ET (USA TPI #6; NL NVI proven #2; UK PLI proven #2); Garza, Capn Miguel (USA) | Multiple top-10 placements across 4 systems | !RISK HIGH — most cross-market family | ≤15% per bull; ≤30–35% total Captain-line matings |
| Parfect / Renegade | Canada LPI; UK TM proven; UK PLI proven | Siemers Rengd Parfect-ET (Canada LPI #1); Plain-Knoll Renegad Trooper (UK PLI proven #5); S-S-I PR Renegade (UK TM proven #9); WWS holds 7/10 UK TM proven spots | 7 of 10 UK proven TM = Parfect/Renegade blood; Canada LPI top | !RISK HIGH | ≤30–35% Parfect/Renegade-line matings |
| Gameday / Hadley / Troy | CH / ISET genomic | Torchlight (ISET #1, MGS Gameday); Hadley (ISET #2); Monset (ISET #4, sire Hadley); Dover (ISET #10, sire Troy); Boston (ISET #8, MGS Gameday) | 5 of top 15 CH genomic carry Gameday as MGS | !RISK HIGH for Swiss-heavy programs | ≤30% Gameday/Hadley/Troy matings within Swiss-aligned portfolios |
| Gladius / Vivify | Italy gPFT (domestic genomic & foreign) | Ecbert Gladius Dateline (Italy dom. genomic #1, gPFT 5371); Rascasse Vivify (Italy dom. genomic #2, gPFT 5342); Gigantic (Italy foreign proven #3, gPFT 5212); Gladius (Italy foreign proven #4, gPFT 5173) | Gladius = 4 top-10 placements across 3 Italian lists; Vivify = 3 sons in domestic genomic top 10 | !RISK HIGH for Italian programs | ≤30% Gladius/Vivify-line; audit if >30% of last 12-month matings carry these lines |
| CRV Delta | NL / NVI (BW genomic and RW genomic) | Genosource Moti (NVI BW genomic #3); Delta Miller (NVI BW #4); Genosource Mystro (NVI BW #6); 6 of 10 RW genomic = CRV Delta prefix | 5 of 10 BW genomic + 6 of 10 RW genomic = CRV | !RISK HIGH for Dutch Red programs | ≤30% CRV-line; mandatory for RW programs to add non-CRV alternatives |
| VH (VikingGenetics) | Scandinavia / NTM genomic | VH Sheriff (NTM genomic #1, NTM 50); VH Mads P (NTM genomic #3); VH Galaxy (#7); VH ShaneRC (#8) | 21 of top 30 genomic NTM = VH prefix | !RISK HIGH | If >60% of genomic sires = VH prefix, replace ≥1 with DG Brujito, Jefe, or AltaMULLER immediately |
| RealSyn / Rome | Germany / RZG genomic | Realpower (RZG #4); Realside (RZG #5); RealSteel (RZG #9); Roadhouse, Ramirez (extended top group) | ≥50% of Germany BW RZG genomic top 10 trace RealSyn/Rome sire lines | !RISK HIGH | Add MustHave, Attention, or SaturnRDC; cap RealSyn/Rome cluster at ≤35% matings |
A Simple Micro Barn‑Math Check: When Does a 200‑Point Drop Actually Hurt?
One question that keeps coming up as breeders read about Rozline’s –626 Pro$ and Pattern’s –237 Pro$ is, “Okay, but what does that actually mean for my milk cheque?”
Here’s a simple, illustrative way to think about it using Canadian Pro$:
- Bull A: 3000 Pro$ in December, 2750 Pro$ in April — a 250 Pro$ move.
- Bull B: 3000 Pro$ in both runs — steady.
If you use each bull on 100 cows this year, that 250‑point difference represents about $250 per daughter in expected lifetime net profit on the Pro$ scale, based on Canadian assumptions for components, culling, and longevity. Over roughly three lactations, you’re looking at about $25,000 of projected value difference per 100 matings between those two bulls.
It’s not a cheque you cash in one year, and your herd’s actual numbers will run a little higher or lower. But it’s enough that you shouldn’t keep calling a bull your “Pro$ anchor” if his index just moved 250 points in the wrong direction.
The same logic applies in other systems — whether it’s NM$, INET, gPFT, or NTM — even if the dollars and assumptions are different. A one‑run swing of 200–250 index points is not background noise.
Where Do the Bulls Actually Sit Now?
If we strip the marketing off and look at how their jobs changed, a few bulls land in pretty clear buckets after April 2026.
Formula winners — bulls the system likes more now than it did in December, without them adding a single daughter:
- Powerhouse (USA)
- +119 TPI to 3448 TPI under TPI 2026, with big milk and a protein‑leaning CFP profile.
- Woodford, Jitters, Sabotage (USA genomics)
- Woodford: 3565 TPI, 1296 NM with roughly 1498 Milk, 142 Fat, 120 Protein, and strong health.
- Jitters: 3552 TPI, 1127 NM with high CFP and survival.
- Sabotage: 3551 TPI, 1076 NM with high production and solid type.
- Rise Up Real (NL)
- +58 NVI to 468, with a strong longevity profile and good CFP.
- Torchlight (CH)
- 1519 ISET with big, balanced production and health — a bull that fits the new ISET formula well.
Formula losers — bulls that didn’t suddenly get “bad,” but whose index jobs changed:
- Garza (USA)
- –125 TPI under the new 24P/14F slice, despite being a very strong fat bull.
- Rozline (CA)
- –626 Pro$ and –137 LPI, shifting him from income anchor to high‑type, strong‑component specialist.
- Beautyman (CH)
- –159 ISET and out of the top 20, making him a more niche choice for specific traits than a front‑end ISET sire.
Quiet anchors — bulls that got trimmed but still do exactly what you hired them to do:
- Pattern and Cabo (CA)
- Both lose about 200–250 Pro$ but stay #1 and #2 Pro$, with strong CFP and workable type.
- Rainow and Fugleman (Nordic)
- Rainow slides 42 → 40 NTM, Fugleman climbs 35 → 38 NTM with better yield, udder health, claws, and milkability 126 — a classic pair of high‑reliability anchors for robot herds.
- Captain (NL proven)
- +74 NVI to 363, now proven #2 NVI, confirming his status as a long‑haul bull, not a flash.
Once you look at them through those lenses, “What’s this bull’s job now?” becomes a better question than “What rank did he hit on one list?”
What This Means for Your Operation
Here’s where this turns into a 30‑day job, not just an interesting April reading.
1. In the next 30 days, pull your sire list and highlight any bull who moved more than about 80 index points this run.
- In the US, that’s bulls like Powerhouse (+119 TPI) and Garza (–125 TPI).
- In Canada, it’s Rozline (–626 Pro$), Graziano (–444 Pro$), and even the –237/–231 Pro$ trims on Pattern and Cabo.
- In Switzerland, bulls like Torchlight (+65 ISET) and Beautyman (–159 ISET) deserve a second look.
If a bull shifted more than ~80 points on the main index you’re using (TPI, Pro$, NVI, gPFT, NTM, etc.), you should consciously re‑decide whether he’s an anchor, a specialist, or a bull you park for now.
2. Cap any single bull at roughly 15–20% of your matings and any single sire line at roughly 30–35%.
- Look at how many matings trace back to Captain, Parfect/Renegade, Gameday/Hadley/Troy, Gladius/Vivify, CRV Delta, VH, RealSyn/Rome when you follow pedigrees one or two generations back.
- If any one of those clusters is more than about a third of your planned matings in the next year, deliberately add two or three strong outcross bulls — for example, Swiss sires like Caruthers‑S or Race, Red and polled options like Drouner KL Augustus P Red and Koepon OH Robin Red, or non‑VH genomic NTM bulls such as DG Brujito or AltaMULLER, depending on your market.
You’re not trying to avoid every trace of Captain or Parfect. You’re just making sure you still have options in three years when your best heifers are ready to flush.
3. Match your main index to how you actually get paid and where you’re bleeding money.
- If you’re quota‑limited or selling into cheese and component‑heavy markets, give more weight to Pro$, NM$, INET, and gPFT than to pure TPI/PLI height.
- If your biggest headaches are cull cows, feet, and fertility, you may be better off stacking NVI, NTM, ISET, or health‑tilted bulls within TPI/PLI, even if they don’t carry the very highest overall index number.
The bull that fits your milk cheque best may not be the one that looks prettiest on a global list.
4. Treat “formula winners” and “formula losers” differently — without either panicking or ignoring them.
- Bulls like Powerhouse, Woodford, Rise Up Real, Torchlight, and Parfect are now better aligned with their main index; if they already fit your herd’s needs, they probably deserve more semen share.
- Bulls like Garza, Rozline, Beautyman become specialists: fat bulls, type bulls, or outcross tools used on cows where those specific strengths really matter, not on every fresh heifer.
You don’t have to throw your favorite bull out of the tank. You have to stop pretending the index says the same thing it did last December.
| Bull | Country / Index | Previous Role (Dec 2025) | New Role (Apr 2026) | Key Index Highlights | When to Use Now | When to Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| !WINNER Peak Powerhouse-ET | USA TPI / UK PLI / CH ISET / Italy gPFT | Proven TPI #3 anchor | !WINNER Multi-market #1 proven anchor | 3448 TPI (+119); 768 PLI (#1 UK proven); 1520 ISET (CH Interbull #1); 5394 gPFT (Italy foreign proven #1) | High-input housed herds across all systems; protein-heavy production goal | Herds needing extreme type or structural improvement (0.09 PTAT; 0.17 TM) |
| !LOSER Siemers Renegade Rozline-ET | Canada / LPI & Pro$ | Income anchor; #1 LPI Pro$ catalog cover | !SPECIALIST Type/component specialist | 2038 Pro$ (−626); 3810 LPI (−137); 16 Conf; 852 Milk; 85 Fat; 52 Protein | High-type cow families; show programs; component-focused matings where 16 Conf justified | Any income-anchor role; do not use as primary Pro$ sire |
| !LOSER SDG Cap Garza-ET | USA / TPI | High-fat anchor TPI #4 | !SPECIALIST Fat/component specialist | 3339 TPI (−125); 50 Pro / 140 Fat; 0.36 P:F ratio | Herds paid heavy fat premium; targeted fat-correction matings only | Any broad-use TPI anchor role; cheese-casein programs needing protein |
| !LOSER Peak AltaSeverus | UK / PLI | Proven PLI #2 anchor | !SPECIALIST Parked — daughter data correction | 596 PLI (−168); −2.53 TM; 88 reliability | — | All routine matings; reassign immediately; daughters underperforming prediction |
| !LOSER TGD-Holstein Beautyman | CH / ISET | Genomic ISET #3 | !SPECIALIST Functional/type niche | 1427 ISET (−159); ITP 143; IFF 130; 1141 kg Milk | Herds specifically correcting type and fitness where index is secondary | Front-line ISET programs; production-driven Swiss herds |
| !LOSER Winstar Graziano-ET | Canada / Pro$ & LPI | Pro$ anchor #3 | !SPECIALIST High-fat niche | 2655 Pro$ (−444); Pro$ rank #81; 125 Fat; 47 Protein; 1.33 F% | Programs targeting very high fat output and strong management traits | Any income-anchor role; Pro$-driven herd averages |
| !ANCHOR Progenesis Pattern-ET | Canada / Pro$ & RZG | #1 Pro$ anchor | !ANCHOR Still #1 Pro$ — trimmed but held | 2974 Pro$ (−237); 3766 LPI (−63); HL 108; DCA 104 | Income-driven herds as primary Pro$ anchor; balanced production herds | Programs needing extreme type; low-Conf herds needing structural improvement |
| !ANCHOR Genosource Captain-ET | NL NVI (proven) / USA TPI / UK PLI | Proven NVI #9; TPI anchor | !ANCHOR Confirmed multi-market anchor — daughters outperforming | 363 NVI (+74, proven #2 NL); 3356 TPI (proven #6 USA); 726 PLI (proven #2 UK) | Any market; high-reliability herd anchor; sire-of-sons programs | Herds already heavy Captain-line (>15% matings) — bloodline cap applies |
| !WINNER Rise Up Real | NL / NVI | Genomic #3 NVI | !WINNER Genomic #1 NVI anchor | 468 NVI (+58); INET 614; Lvd 1084 | Longevity-first herds; robot herds valuing cow survival; NVI-driven programs | High-input herds where pure lactation revenue (INET) is the primary driver |
| !WINNER Fugleman | Scandinavia / NTM | Proven NTM #4 | !ANCHOR Proven #2; closing on #1 | 38 NTM (+3); Milkability 126; Yield 132; Udder Health 100 | Robot herds; AMS programs; NTM-driven Scandinavian herds | Herds where yield ceiling alone drives economics — Rainow still leads on NTM |
| !WINNER Crisalis RF | Italy / gPFT | Proven #1 gPFT | !ANCHOR Extended proven #1 lead | 5247 gPFT (+67); IQC 101; SCS 107; Kcas AA | Italian cheese-milk programs; proven-anchor role across gPFT-evaluated herds | Herds needing strong type improvement (Type 0.94 — weakest in proven top 5) |
| !NEW Peak Powerstar-ET | Canada / Pro$ | Not in Pro$ top 100 | !NEW Proven #3 Pro$ newcomer | 2854 Pro$ (new entry); 695 Milk; 109 Fat; 72 Protein; HL 105; DCA 104 | Income-driven Canadian herds needing Pro$ depth after Pattern/Cabo | Programs needing high milk volume or extreme type |
5. Make proof‑run review a habit instead of an emergency.
- Build a simple April habit: every time the proof run lands, spend an evening doing exactly what that Wisconsin herd did — mark big movers, check sire lines, and re‑tier bulls into anchors, specialists, and parked.
- Keep a short, hand‑written or digital note for your key sires: “movement this run” + “role now”. Over two or three runs, you’ll see which bulls hold steady and which ones re‑rank every time.
If you only do one thing from this article, do that 30‑day audit before you breed another cow as if nothing changed.
Key Takeaways
- If a bull moved more than about 80 points on his main index this run, don’t assume he’s still doing the same job in your program. Big upward movers may deserve more matings; big downward movers probably belong in narrower, trait‑specific lanes instead of carrying your whole herd.
- If anyone’s family accounts for more than roughly a third of your planned matings, you’re not diversified — you’re boxed in. With Captain, Parfect/Renegade, Gameday/Hadley/Troy, Gladius/Vivify, CRV Delta, VH, and RealSyn/Rome showing up on lists from Wisconsin to Switzerland, capping them is the only way to keep mating options open in three years.
- Genomic #1 is a marketing label; the real breeding decisions live in the band behind it. With tight top‑10 spreads and high turnover, you’re better off picking three or four bulls with the right shape than paying extra for one name at the very top.
- Matching your index to your actual payment and bottlenecks is worth more than chasing a global rank. If components, robots, feet, or fertility are what really make or break your cheque, choose bulls and systems that pay on those traits, even if they aren’t “#1” anywhere.
The Bottom Line
At the end of a long day in the barn, the proofs are still just paper. The daughters in your pens are the real scorecard. So next time you open the semen fridge, which of those bulls are you still using like it’s December — and which ones are finally ready to move up or down a tier in your own program?
Learn More
- 9.57 Million Cows, 3.9 Million Replacements: Genetics Built This Dairy Herd Paradox – and 2027 Ends It – Arms you with the immediate culling math and modeling tools needed to fix your 2027 heifer pipeline today. Reveals why genetic longevity is now your cheapest replacement source as market costs hit $3,000 per head.
- More Milk, Fewer Farms, $250K at Risk: The 2026 Numbers Every Dairy Needs to Run – Exposes the brutal $250,000 margin gap facing 500-cow dairies in the “more milk, fewer farms” era. Delivers the long-term positioning strategies required to survive $17 Class III futures while others exit the industry.
- Dairy’s $444 Problem Has a 90% Solution – And It Lives Inside Victor Cabrera and the University of Wisconsin’s Dairy Brain. – Breaks down how the University of Wisconsin’s “Dairy Brain” integrates your fragmented software into a predictive profit center. Gains you a 90% solution to data silos, turning your herd’s raw metrics into actionable AI-driven ROI.
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