Northern Victorian breeders have taken home titles in the Jersey Australia-Semex Great Australian Challenge.
Tallygaroopna's Geoff and Natalie Akers, of the Goulburn Murray Jersey Club, won the Three-Year-Old Class with Loxleigh Valentino Empress 5940.
Mr Akers said it was a great thrill to have success in such a large competition.
“She’s a big strong Jersey cow with a really well attached udder,” he said.
“She's got plenty of rib and is a bigger than average Jersey.
“She’s a Valentino daughter and her mother won our local on-farm challenge last year, so she’s had success in competition as well.”
Loxleigh Valentino Empress 5940 is due to calve at the end of July and Mr Akers hopes to have her in next year's competition as well.
“We’re always hopeful, she’s got good breeding behind her so we're trying to get that successful offspring."
The awards were presented on July 15 via Zoom.
“It hasn’t got quite the excitement if everyone's in the room, but as a national competition everyone had the opportunity to be online to hear the awards,” Mr Akers said.
Cows from northern Victoria won three of the five classes, including supreme champion.
Tallygaroopna's Ben Pedretti of Froglands Jerseys won Supreme Champion and Mature Class with Meldan Vanahlem Violet.
“It’s nice to have found a cow that developed to the same level as previous winners who have gone on to great things,” Mr Pedretti said.
“She’s very balanced and a real powerhouse cow. “She has a real youthful mammary system for her age and she’s a very fertile cow.”
The Two-Year-Old Class was won by Numurkah's John and Margaret Cockerell with Warrain Valentino Empress 1.
The Four-Year-Old Class was won by western Victoria's Chris and Pam MacKenzie with Jireh Ares Sunbeam and the Five-Year-Old Class was won by south Gippsland's Darien and Alex Mathews with Langdale Valentino Madge.