Eleven Australian farmers whose bulls have made a huge contribution on the national herd and many herds across the globe have been added to the Genetics Australia Honour Board.
Six Jersey, three Holstein and two Australian Reds breeders received the honour during the GA 2024: Today, Tomorrow and Beyond conference in Geelong on March 18, joining an elite group of master breeders.
Genetics Australia chief executive officer Anthony Shelly said the honour board, which takes pride of place in the GA boardroom, features Australian as well as several overseas breeders who have bred bulls that made a significant mark on genetic improvement in Australia.
“Our latest breeders added to the list thoroughly deserve this accolade,” Mr Shelly said.
“While they all have different approaches to their breeding, all have made a massive contribution to the growth and genetic improvement of their respective breeds in Australia.”
Traditionally, selection to the honour board was based primarily on proven bulls but today it is a broader combination of genomic and proven bull successes.
Johville Australia Reds owned by Greg and Kris Goulding, at Leitchville in northern Victoria, has supplied a number of bulls to the GA team, including the current number one BPI bull SKEETA.
SKEETA has been popular in Australia and has significant export sales into Europe and Pakistan. Other bulls of significance include SCAREBEAR, BOOBOO, TEDEBEAR and YOGIBEAR.
Waikato Australian Reds is owned by Michael Green, formerly of Mt Schank in South Australia but now farming in Irishtown, Tasmania.
The herd transitioned to have a heavy influence of Australian Red cows following the purchase of the Bosgowan Australian herd, and is the current number 2 BPI Australia Red herd.
Bulls such as ARBPRIMESTAD and ARBCAESAR have been bred by Waikato Australian Reds as well as several formerly available through AUZRED XB, now sold by Genetics Australia.
Calister Holsteins, owned by Craig Lister, from Calivil in northern Victoria, has made a mark with two bulls, one from an embryo and another he bred.
MAEBULL at 99 per cent reliable has proven to be a popular bull and is still in active service with farmers appreciating his reliable health traits. Over the next few months there will be thousands of MAEBULLs calve in Pakistan.
Popular sire DECIPHER was also bred by Calister and offers a good balance of dairy strength and high BPI.
Wilara Holsteins, owned by chair of Genetics Australia Holdings Trevor Henry at Tinamba in Gippsland, has a well-recognised prefix and bulls that have been highly valued around the country, including proven successes such as GILES.
Newer bulls including LUKIE, TINAMBA, TWITTER are all above 500 BPI and are making an impact on the market with high demand.
Vala Holsteins, owned by Alex Arena and based at Toolamba in northern Victoria, initially started as COOBOONA Holsteins and in its peak was implanting some 1500 embryos.
One of the most significant bulls to come from the program was homozygous polled Red Carrier bull MIRAND, which was heavily exported around the world.
Joining MIRAND are EMMETT, ESCHER, LEMONADE, BEACON, DOUGLAS, EPIC, LENN and MRRIGHT and several others.
Mr Arena aims to be ahead of the pack by placing emphasis on polled, A2 and in recent times slick.
Wallacedale Jerseys, owned by Luke and Mel Wallace from Poowong North in Gippsland, has some very popular bulls in the current GA line up including homozygous bull STARK, as well as GOLDBANDP, PICKETT, DEPOLE, LEMONPEEL, and former number one bull PICKLE.
A number of the herd’s high-rated genomic heifers have also been sold to Pakistan where they are showing the quality of Australian Jerseys, paving the way for increased semen sales.
Rob and Kerrie Anderson’s Kings Ville Jerseys, at Drouin West in Gippsland, has developed some of the breed’s finest cow families.
Kings Ville BEDFORD continues to sell in large numbers in South Africa and other Kings Ville bulls include BOOST, QANTAS and in the past year BASHFUL, sire of BEDFORD, obtained his first ABV.
A few new Kings Ville bulls are likely to be added to the 2024 sire line-up.
Con and Michelle Glennen, from Noorat in western Victoria, have waved the Australian Jersey flag in several countries including the United States, South Africa, New Zealand and Ireland.
Their White Star Jersey herd is the current number 1 BPI, HWI and SI herd.
The Glennen herd was one of the early adopters of AI and the herd has used AI ever since bulls became available. Standout bulls include DOUGGAN, DOBSON, VALENBLAST and recently ENMORE.
Robert and Sandra Bacon developed Brookbora Jerseys at Tennyson in northen Victoria, currently the number two BPI herd.
Brookbora ASKN has been a very popular bull internationally and has daughters in the US, Canada, South Africa, Pakistan Europe, the United Kingdom and Jersey Island.
BORUNG is currently the highest bull with milking daughters, from an ASKN daughter and the third Brookbora bull is AEROGLEN, sired by BORUNG.
After Robert’s death last year, the herd is being continued by Sandra and their son Daniel.
Bercar Jerseys, owned by Bernie and Carol McManus from Bamawm Extension in northern Victoria, bred a bull called PASSIVE in the mid-2000s and today ARDENT, the number two Jersey bull with milking daughters, and BESTYET are also successful Bercar bulls.
Bernie and Carol have now retired from dairying but Bercar will continue to have an impact through these bulls for many years to come.
Loxleigh Jerseys, owned by Geoff and Natalie Akers from Tallygaroopna in northern Victoria, is another Jersey herd that ranks with the best in the world.
INVINCIBLE, IZUKU, IRYMPLE and VENTURA are all bulls having an impact now and will continue into the future.