Tears and cheers greeted the naming of Windy Ways Galaxies Dawn 7 as senior and grand champion Jersey at this year's International Dairy Week.
Breeder and part-owner Frank Walsh, Cobden, Vic, with fellow owners Brad and Jess Gavenlock, Cherrylock Cattle Co, Tallygaroopna, Vic, were thrilled when the cow repeated her 2020 triumph.
It also came after the cow was judged interbreed and supreme champion at the 2021 Sydney Royal.
Mr Walsh said this result was "something special".
The cow's show successes started as a two-year-old when she won her class; she was intermediate as a three-year-old; was supreme Jersey as a four-year-old.
"COVID robbed us in 2021," he said.
Mr Walsh said as much as he was excited by the cow's honours, the "cow has given us a lot more than we have given her".
He paid tribute to the preparation and care of the cow by co-owners Brad and Jess Gavenlock.
"They do a magnificent job; they work hard and I owe a lot to them," he said.
Last year Mr Walsh sold his Tongala, Vic, dairy farm to his son and family.
He moved back to Cobden to give them "space" but still enjoys being asked to come back and help out when needed.
Mr Walsh milked his first cow as a five-year-old by hand and started his Jersey stud a couple of years after he left school when 14.
Judge Brian Wilson, Tamworth, NSW, said he had no doubt the cow was world-class.
"You can't fault this cow, she's so dairy, she's got a good udder, she walks so well," he said.
"As Brian Leslie would say the only thing wrong with her is her address - you'd just love to own this cow."
Gippsland-based Roger and Helen Perrett, Hill Valley stud, Kongwak, Vic, took out the intermediate championship.
Mr Perrett said the winner, Kings Vale Joel Madge, was bought at the herd dispersal of Kings Vale stud three years ago.
"She's had two calves and she has been a dream to handle since she calved down as a two-year-old," Mr Perrett said.
"We couldn't show her last year but we saw the opportunity to show her as a three-year-old and she's come up with the goods."
The cow had been flushed to sexed semen and they had transferred eight embryos and hoped for five to six pregnancies.
"Hopefully she's back in calf and she'll be back next year," he said.
The Perretts milk a herd of 600 cows - half Jersey and half Holstein.
"We were originally a Jersey herd and introduced the Holsteins 25 years ago, and they have kept their proportion in the herd through their performance," he said.
Two local breeders fought out the Jersey junior championship.
Toolamba, Vic, Foleama stud of Erin Ferguson took the honours with Foleama Casino Silvermine, while Lightning Ridge MB Premier Spritz 2, shown by Michaela Thompson, Bamawm, Vic, was reserve.
Mr Wilson said it was a high-quality heifer show.
"The winners were really good and we were happy with the three we picked out for champion, reserve and honourable mention - they were three outstanding heifers," he said.
Mr Wilson was assisted by associate judge Will McKay, Irrewillipe, Vic.
Mr Wilson said they were looking for heifers with traits that showed they would go on and make a great cow "and really profitable cow".
Ms Ferguson said the home-bred heifer was by a Casino and out of a Premier.
She said the heifer was from the stud's Silverrmine cow family.
"We've had the Silvermine family for a long, long time," she said.
"It's been a good cow family for us over a long period of time."
Ms Ferguson said she had 23 Jerseys entered.
It was good to get back into the showing scene after a break in recent years due to COVID.
"It did take a bit more motivation than normal," she said.
She had taken over the stud from a family member running about 30 registered Jerseys.
The Jerseys ran with a herd of 250 cows on her parents' farm at Toolamba that included stud Ayrshires and Holsteins.
Folleama was established in 1947.
"My father had Jerseys and I took them on when I was a kid," she said.
JERSEY HONOUR ROLL
Grand champion: Windy Ways Galaxies Dawn 7, Cherrylock Cattle Co. & Windy Ways Jerseys, Tallygaroopna, Vic.
Senior champion: Windy Ways Galaxies Dawn 7.
Reserve: Brookbora Vanahlem Deronica, Brookbora Jerseys, Tennyson, Vic.
Senior best udder: Windy Ways Galaxies Dawn 7.
Intermediate champion: Kings Vale Joel Madge, R & H Perrett, Kongwak, Vic.
Reserve: Brookbora Eileen 130, Brookbora Jerseys, Tennyson, Vic.
Intermediate best udder: Cairnbrae Citation Althea, Marks Family, Fernbrook, NSW.
Junior champion: Foleama Casino Silvermine, Foleama Jerseys, Toolamba, Vic.
Reserve: Lightning Ridge MB Premier Spritz 2, Michaela Thompson, Bamawm, Vic.
Premier breeder: Brookbora Jerseys.
Premier exhibitor: Brookbora Jerseys.
Check out our complete International Dairy Week coverage:
- INTERBREED: Templetons score back-to-back IDW wins
- HOLSTEIN: Home-bred cow takes Holstein championship
- JERSEY: Windy Way repeats 2020 joy as Jersey grand champion at IDW 2022
- BROWN SWISS: Sarah Chant and Ben Govett's Tandara Paray Lola 74 named champion Brown Swiss at International Dairy Week
- AYRSHIRE: Munden Farms 12-year-old cow Magic Park Shady Maiden named Ayrshire grand champion at IDW
- GUERNSEY: New owners share in Guernsey glory at IDW 2022
- ILLAWARRA: Age no barrier for Illawarra champion at IDW 2022
- YOUTH SHOW: Jett Easterbrook heifer wins Australian Grand Champion Heifer award at 2022 International Dairy Week
- SALE: Tandara cow tops $27,000 at International Dairy Week sale
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