THE decision to purchase Bluechip Toffee’s Apple-RC earlier this year has paid off for the Anderson family, Yarroweyah, with the Holstein heifer crowned supreme champion dairy heifer at the Royal Melbourne Show this morning.
Anderson sisters Katie, 17, and Renee, 15, were thrilled with the win, and said the March-2014 drop entry was from an extraordinary cow family.
She is the granddaughter of KHW Regiment Apple-Red-ET which sold for a massive $US1 million, while her mother Bluechip Toffee Apple was sold privately by owners, Dean and Di Malcolm, of Bluechip Genetics, Zeerust, for $80,000.
The dam’s sister Bluechip Apple Spice also broke an Australian record when it fetched $101,000 at the Bluechip Genetics sale in 2012.
“We really liked her family,” Katie said.
“She is also by Aftershock, which is a great bull.”
The heifer has been kept at the Malcolm’s property, near Shepparton, since the Andersons purchased it in January.
It is expected to make an appearance at International Dairy Week in 2016.
Judge, Brian Carscadden, said Bluechip Toffee’s Apple-RC was a “striking” heifer.
The Anderson family prepared seven head altogether for the Dairy Heifer Show at Melbourne, and returned home with several broadribbons.
Bluechip Toffee’s Apple-RC was awarded senior and supreme champion heifer, while their entry Sun Vale Attitude Sara was crowned reserve senior champion. They also won honourable mention in the senior champion line-up, with Sun Vale Spectrum Renita.
Katie led the senior and supreme champion in the ring, while Renee paraded the reserve senior champion and their family friend Leah Orton, of Myrtleford, led the honourable mention.
In the junior champion competition, the top gong was awarded to Quality Ridge Windbrook Bonnie-ET, bred by Jayke and Bec Fisher, Girgarre.
Mr Carscadden, who also crowned the September-2014 drop heifer’s great grandmother as champion at IDW, described the animal as a “beautiful individual”.
“She has beautiful open ribs that swing down from her shoulders,” he said.
The Fishers milk 350 Holsteins and prepared two heifers for the Royal Melbourne Show.