Holstein Canada invites members to have their say in cow of the year contest

Thursday, December 19, 2013

by SUSAN MANN

Voting for Holstein Canada’s 2013 Cow of the Year will be opening January 6, 2014 after the organization recently released the names and pictures of the four finalists vying for the title.

Christina Crowley, Holstein Canada’s coordinator of strategic communications and programs, says there are usually 10 nominees and always four finalists. They are: Gen-I-Beq Shottle Bombi, Comestar Goldwyn Lilac, Rainyridge Talent Barbara, and Vieuxsaule Allen Dragonfly.

Nominees were selected based on a various criteria including ancestry/pedigree, production, classification, genetic merit and achievements of offspring.

Crowley says there will be a full feature on the four cows in Holstein Canada’s February/March issue of the Info Holstein magazine. Members have four ways to vote, including mailing in the ballot card that’s provided with the magazine, fax the ballot, vote online or email in the vote. Ballots are due by March 14, 2014 and the winner will be announced April 5, 2014 at Holstein Canada’s annual general meeting in Sherbrooke, Quebec.  The owner of the winner is awarded a large print of their cow and a large granite statute with the cow’s picture at the top in a round piece of glass. The statute is engraved with the cow’s name.

The competition began in 1995 to recognize top-notch female animals. Bulls can’t be nominated. The idea is to “bring recognition to an elite female cow across Canada that had an impact both on her herd and also on the breed across” the country, she says.

Anyone can nominate a cow, including the breeder or any member of Holstein Canada. The cow nominees must have been active within the year they’re nominated, “which means they had to have had an offspring born live” or an offspring born from one of their embryos, Crowley says. BF