Jan Bierma & Han Hopman
BAROLO: SWISS CANADIAN
‘I have always admired OCD Planet Diamond EX-92, as she has developed such a tremendously positive influence at Claynook in Canada. In 2017, I was at Claynook and wanted to purchase embryos from the Zip family, from which Diamond also descends. I could choose between embryos that became the future dam of Discjockey, and embryos that became the future dam of Barolo…’ Speaking is Marc-Henri Guillaume from Barolo’s owner Swissgenetics, who with Claynook Barolo received an appreciated transmitter in the barn. As a Sidekick son from the Zip family, he was popular, so that today he has about 3,600 daughters in various countries, with the most in Canada (897), Scandinavia (584), Switzerland (540), the Netherlands (454), and France (442). ‘Barolo is especially good for udders (fore udder attachment) and rump,’ explains Guillaume. In Canada, he scores +10 conformation and 3401 LPI, while in Switzerland he displays 127 conformation and 1323 ISET. ‘In Canada, 836 daughters have been classified, with 86% scoring GP or higher; a nice score,’ adds Guillaume. On the LPI base, Barolo is the highest of the AI-tested Sidekick sons. Barolo – who was housed in the Swill Mülligen barn – is unfortunately no longer alive, although Swissgenetics still has sufficient inventory (also sexed semen).
This is Pébi Sula, one of more than 440 Barolo daughters in France. Sula (here recently fresh as a second-lactation cow) scored VG-87 as a two-year-old and is owned by Gaec de Peberot in Grenade-sur-L’Adour. Sula is also the cow that adorns the cover of this HI issue.
CONFORMATION FAVOURITE
‘It has always been challenging to define “high conformation”, but this bull has very good conformation with outstanding all-round genetics, and is then also very popular.’ Speaking is ABS sire analyst Ryan Starkenburg about Bomaz Getaway, who is one of the bestselling conformation sires at ABS. Getaway is a son of the successful sire of sons Gameday out of the four-year-old Bomaz Jurassic 659. She is also the dam of the Select Sires graduates Boatshow and Realtor – full brothers of Getaway. In the Bomaz herd (the breeders of these brothers and the entire maternal line) the oldest Getaway daughters are already old enough for IVF sessions, reports Nate Zwald from Bomaz. And his father Bob Zwald shares: ‘Jurassic 659 is a solidly uddered cow with lots of strength and width, with average stature. She’s the kind of cow that we are looking for. This family (known as the Pizza family) has done well at our place for several generations.’ For that reason, Bob is extra interested in the Gameday sons, because: ‘The Gameday daughters are performing very well at our place, we are really happy about that.’ Getaway combines 3178 gTPI with +2.33 gPTAT, +4.9 longevity, and 2.58 somatic cell.
NEWCOMER FROM A NEW FAMILY
‘He is the very first bull that has been tested from this family,’ comments Gerard Scheepens from KI Samen about their two-year-old star Visscher Arwoli. There is every reason to test a bull from the Fennie family, because: ‘Generation after generation, this family has been able to distinguish itself among herdmates. With high production, high components, and pleasant temperaments, these are the cows that everyone wants,’ says Scheepens. Arwoli is a true all-rounder: 158 gNVI, +1288kg +.04% +.03%, 108 conformation, A2A2, 102 udder health, 209 longevity, 104 hoof health, 513 aAa provides a sampling of his figures. His sire is Delta Amuse (via his sire Frontline, a great-grandson of Big Malki), his dam Fennie 280 VG-86 is a daughter of outcross bull Delta Lendor. Arwoli has been available since August and is being used domestically and abroad. As a sire of sons, he needs to have some patience, because: ‘We want to know more about a bull before using him as a sire of sons,’ says Scheepens, who indicates that he regards Arwoli’s strengths as width throughout the frame, feet & legs, and rumps. Also note for a moment the exceptional components of his dam: 1.10 374d 10,271 kg 5.07% 4.08%!
UNIQUE CONFORMATION SIRE
‘In the history of the Holstein breed, never before has there been semen available from a bull with +4.50 gPTAT and >1000 lb milk,’ says Juan Carlos Garcia from owner Ascol about their popular star Jimtown Nelson. (This was just before the index release of 12/2024; Nelson now displays +4.36 PTAT.) For these reasons, Nelson is popular in Spain, while semen has already left for Italy, France, Portugal, Mexico, and Brazil. ‘His very high PTAT, more than 1000 lb milk, and his deep cow family make him popular everywhere,’ explains Garcia. Nelson is a son of Peak Hammer (Hanket-Doc-Monterey) out of Jimtown Nobility: an EX-92 daughter of Eclipse Milio (+4.26 PTAT progeny proven). This Milio is a son of Ascol’s famous conformation bull Wilt Emilio (+3.46 PTAT). But… this maternal line has many more strengths! Nelson’s dam Nobility descends out of an EX-90 King Doc (as such, Doc appears twice in Nelson’s pedigree), followed by an EX-93 Doorman, a VG-87 Atwood, and a VG-86 Alexander. ‘Twelve generations VG or EX in a row,’ comments Garcia, who knows this cow family owned by James Hackmann in Wisconsin very well, and also purchased a Dropbox son from this family. Currently he has contracts with a Nobility daughter. ‘I think that this family will have a big impact at Ascol,’ says Garcia. Mention can also be made that Ascol has yet another popular son out of Nelson’s sire, Hammer: Shaylas Shakespeare. He descends out of a VG-88 Lambda daughter of Shakira!
HOW DID IT TURN OUT FOR…
THE O-MAN SON THAT MADE AN INCONSPICUOUS START?
Manifold descends from an outstanding family: ‘The H family is our strongest cow family, chockful of production potential,’ shared breeder Randy Kortus from the American state of Washington at the time.
It is more than fifteen years ago that the first O-Man sons broke through, and the Holstein world received a broader supply of solid fitness transmitters – sires that were highly needed back then. All kinds of O-Man sons gained widespread fame: Junction, Hayden, Eight, Otto, Jake, Bogart, Paxton, Kramer, Legend, Man-O-Man, Garrett, Bronco, Freddie, Iota… In that barrage, the careful debut of the western American Mainstream Manifold in September 2009 hardly stood out. He also did not appear among the names of the most popular sires of sons in October 2009; that honour was reserved for Man-O-Man, Bogart, Garrett, Bronco, Otto and Freddie. Manifold was relegated to a role in the shadows. Nevertheless: especially commercial dairy farmers discovered the allrounder from owner Semex, who slowly but surely, was increasingly used. And rightly so, because what is now evident? Of the hundreds of O-Man sons, today Manifold is the very highest, both in terms of TPI (2224) and NM (333). He is followed by other O-Man sons who had also remained in the shadow. The highest of the well-known O-Man sons is End-Road Bronco with 2103 TPI. Fortunately, Manifold’s fame grew more each year, so that he could still develop into O-Man’s most used son. To be sure: Manifold became one of just nine “super-millionaires” in the world: good for >1.5 million doses sold! Sons of significance, Manifold (unfortunately) never received; he was discovered too late for that.
ALLROUNDER – NOW AT THE TOP
He was a splendid surprise for owner OHG during the recent December release: Caruso. ‘Truth be told, we did not expect him to be that high,’ explain Hans-Willi Warder and Rita Esbach from OHG. ‘We purchased Caruso as a young sire especially because of his entirely faultless transmitting profile. What’s nice is that he is now confirming this with his milking daughters. And in addition with a relatively much higher total index, he climbed by no less than 6 RZG points.’ Caruso made an outstanding debut in the progeny proven German top-5: with 146 RZG, he is in a shared third position, complete with 119 RZE conformation. Again, Caruso is nearly faultless across the board. Udder (114), feet & legs (115), and reproduction are strengths, with +915 kg milk with positive components. ‘Caruso’s are average-statured cows with sufficient width in their rumps, correct curvature in their legs, and splendid udder attachments: Truly the kind of cows that everyone wants, not extreme but very balanced,’ comments Warder. Caruso is a son of Peak Chilton (<AltaRobson) out of Gymnast daughter Arabella VG-88. Interesting: Arabella is a half-sister of the popular German bull Garett (140 RZG).
LUXEMBOURGIAN SIRE OF SONS DAZZLES
We really don’t see this very often. The sire of sons with the most sons (4) in Germany’s DNA top-25 is GPH Picard, and one of those four sons is even the Nr.1, Pennywise. What’s special about Picard is that he was bred in the small duchy of Luxembourg, and is thus a very rare Luxembourgian sire of sons. In addition: last year, Picard was also one of the bestsellers at owner RBB in Germany. Currently Picard (now four years old) scores 148 gRZG. ‘Nice to see that Picard is still the highest bull of the 2021 volume of all Germany,’ adds sire analyst Torsten Dalle from RBB. Picard is a son of Charl son and Cogent graduate Gen Pikachu, who displays 3017 TPI progeny proven. The dam of Picard is the Luxembourgian GPH Ilvy VG-85: a daughter of the elite German bull Casino out of an EX-90 All-Star daughter. You realize: via Pikachu on the paternal sire and Casino on the maternal side, Picard carries double genes of Supershot son Charley. For Picard’s breeders, Gaby and Philippe Arnold in Echternach, so far the career of their bull can be described as sensational – interesting to follow how this Luxembourger will expand his global influence.
GPH PICARD (DE 12/24) +1344kgM +.29%F +.09%P +86kgF +56kgP 148 gRZG 115 RZE (type) 112 RZN (herdlife) 106 RZR (repro) 109 RZS (cellcount) Gen Pikachu (<Charl) x Casino (<Charley) x All Star (<Penley) x Battlecry x Boss x Epic
