Provided by Dianna Malcolm for Semex Australia Pty.

Semex-sires packed a punch at International Dairy Week (IDW) in Australia recently, featuring heavily on the top side of the pedigree in close to half of the top-six placings in every class of the prestigiousHolstein show.

That included seven class winners and six of the nine broad ribbon winners (67%) available in the open Holstein show in classes that peaked at 25 head.

In the youth show on the first day of the show, 43% of the top-six finishers were sired by Semex bulls. Those numbers included nine class winners and seven broad ribbons by sires which included included (Holstein unless stated): 0200HO05236 Dubosquet Lobby, 0200HO07317 Magor Bolivia Allen, 0200HO01677 Regancrest Dolman, Wilcoxview Jasper, Comestar First Model, Silky Gibson and 0200HO03280 Gillette Final Cut and 0200JE00131 Bridon Remake Comerica (Jersey).

Notably in the Holstein open show, Semex sired all three Junior Champions, with daughters by Gillette Final Cut, Silky Gibson and EK-Oseeana Astronomical respectively. Semex was also behind Honourable Mention in the Intermediate Show (Comestar Lheros); Reserve Senior Champion (Comestar Lee) and Honourable Mention (Canyon Breeze Allen) in the coveted senior display.

Other bulls to shine included Comestar Stormatic and Honeysuckle Marigolds Kite.

The sire to draw the most repetitive attention was Semex Designer Series™ sire 0200HO03280 Gillette Final Cut. Final Cut sired (in the youth show on the first day) the Senior Champion (senior leader), Senior Champion (junior leader) and the Grand Champion in the All Breeds Youth Show, Barron Bella Finalcut Hero. These winnings led to Final Cut being named Runner-Up Premier Sire of the Holstein Show.

In the open show on the final day of IDW, Final Cut was again heavily represented, winning two junior classes and Junior Champion, Fraser Final Kay.

Final Cut daughters also finished second and fourth in the Junior Two-Year-Old in-milk classes, with exponents Avonlea FC Figsie (owned by Harley, Valmai and John Gardiner, Five Ways, Victoria) and Murribrook FC Lola (owned by Murray and Margaret Sowter, Moss Vale, New South Wales) respectively. He was also the sire of third in the Senior Two-Year-Old in-milk class, Bluechip Finalcut Queen (owned by Bluechip Genetics and Averill Leslie, Zeerust, Victoria).

In the open Jersey show, Semex sires also routinely impressed. They sired 24% of the top-six finishers. In the breed's heifer show Semex bulls were behind 35% of the top-six in each class.

The Ayrshire show was also dominated by Semex with 69% of the top-five finishers attributing their parentage to Semex sires, including nine class winners; junior reserve and honourable mention junior champion; reserve and honourable mention intermediate champion and honourable mention champion cow.

The Guernsey show's champion and reserve champion cows were both sired by Semex sires, 0072GU00120 Four Winds Magicman and 0028GU00122 Big Spring Roger respectively.

Semex's David Mayo said while the sheer weight of the Semex representation was exciting, another big point sprung to mind as he reviewed the ribbon tally.

"The champions and class winners were sired by a variety of sires, which proves the depth and balance of our current sire line-up," David said.

Full results and more details are available at www.crazycow.com.au