Several lots at the Cultivate First Class Genetics sale were donated to help a well-known breeder in the dairy industry, who recently experienced a serious and severe farm accident.
Glen Gordon, of Gorbro Holsteins at Cohuna, was in the Alfred Hospital until Wednesday, December 6 being treated for burns after a pump accident.
He was airlifted from the local hospital to Bendigo, then moved to Melbourne.
“It was a farm accident with the effluent pump and Glen received burns to 30 per cent of his body,” his brother and business partner Drew Gordon said.
His hands were burned the worst and Glen has undergone four procedures under general anaesthetic to clean the wounds.
“His left hand is probably the worst,” Drew said.
“The worst thing about the accident is, it’s effluent water. They have to put him under general anaesthetic each time so they can scrub the wounds.
“He came home Wednesday and he’s healing really well. The dressings are being changed twice a day.
“But in our job, on a dairy farm, his recovery will be prolonged.”
Neighbour Emmalea Wishart has been helping on the Gordon farm, and her father, Rick, is backing her by working extra hours on the Wishart farm.
Drew said he would have to employ two backpackers in addition to one he recently employed, to cover for Glen’s absence from the day-to-day roster.
“Glen is project managing some development on the farm,” he said.
“And, of course, the show team is his passion, so he’s managing the preparation of the team and he’ll go with them to IDW [International Dairy Week].
“He won’t be able to lead and show the cattle at IDW, but he’ll be able to oversee everyone in the team.”
Drew said the family appreciated the commitment of people to donate to raise funds to help them in this period.
“You can’t expect everyone to donate if someone gets hurt,” he said.
“The people who donated are close associates of ours, we’re partners with them in cows, we’re good mates, and we really appreciate their confidence in and commitment to us.
“We help them, they help us.
“And we can’t thank the Wishart family enough; Emmalea has been helping on our farm for the past couple of weeks.”
Five donated lots were auctioned at the Cultivate First Class Genetics sale on December 7, and sold for a cumulative $18,850.
A half share in Rockstar Victorious Ghanda ET sold for $7500. The heifer was born in February 2023, and was first summer calf in the Berry All Breeds Heifer Show 2023.
She is bred from a world class family of show winners, with her dam, Summer Breeze Tequila Gayle, EX94 as a four-year-old, named reserve champion at the World Dairy Expo 2021. The half share was donated by Rockstarcows.
The Jones family donated Cypress Grove Y89 Arrow Tiffany, born April 2022, and PTIC sexed to Kirlea Sugarush and due to calve in February 2024. She sold at $4500.
Brookbora, Tandara, Parabel and Rockstar donated three embryos from the joining of Victory Rhondas Big Red to Brookbora TBone Bonita, EX94. The embryos sold at $1400 each.
There were several semen lots donated for sale.
Tandara donated two straws of Braedale Goldwyn semen, that sold at $700 each.
Impression donated 10 straws of Audibel Jordan sexed semen, that sold at $125 each.
“The dairy industry is full of great people and they were really happy to donate to this fundraiser for Glen,” one of the fundraising auction organisers Kaitlyn Wishart said.
“I knew a lot of people in the dairy industry think really well of the entire Gordon family, and especially Glen and Jenna.
“The money raised with help pay any additional costs the family are experiencing.”
The Gordon family’s Gorbro Holsteins donated a heifer to the Cultivate First Class Genetics sale.
Gorbro Jagger Mayeth, born August 2022 and AI with sexed semen from Siemens Wolf Hulu, is pick of the Gorbro heifer show string, and was first All Australian calf at the Victorian Winter Fair 2023. She sold at $7000.