Six Jersey, three Holstein and two Australian Reds breeders received the honour during the GA 2024: Today, Tomorrow and Beyond conference in Geelong on March 18, joining an elite group of master breeders.
Genetics Australia chief executive officer Anthony Shelly said the honour board, which takes pride of place in the GA boardroom, features Australian as well as several overseas breeders who have bred bulls that made a significant mark on genetic improvement in Australia.
“Our latest breeders added to the list thoroughly deserve this accolade,” Mr Shelly said.
“While they all have different approaches to their breeding, all have made a massive contribution to the growth and genetic improvement of their respective breeds in Australia.”
Traditionally, selection to the honour board was based primarily on proven bulls but today it is a broader combination of genomic and proven bull successes.
Six of the breeders are from northern Victoria.
Johville Australia Reds owned by Greg and Kris Goulding at Leitchville has supplied a number of bulls to the GA team, including the current number one BPI bull SKEETA.
SKEETA has been popular in Australia and has significant export sales into Europe and Pakistan. Other bulls of significance include SCAREBEAR, BOOBOO, TEDEBEAR and YOGIBEAR.
Calister Holsteins, owned by Craig Lister, from Calivil, has made a mark with two bulls, one from an embryo and another he bred.
MAEBULL at 99 per cent reliable has proven to be a popular bull and is still in active service with farmers appreciating his reliable health traits. Over the next few months there will be thousands of MAEBULLs calve in Pakistan.
Popular sire DECIPHER was also bred by Calister and offers a good balance of dairy strength and high BPI.
Vala Holsteins, owned by Alex Arena and based at Toolamba, initially started as COOBOONA Holsteins and in its peak was implanting some 1500 embryos.
One of the most significant bulls to come from the program was homozygous polled Red Carrier bull MIRAND, which was heavily exported around the world.
Joining MIRAND are EMMETT, ESCHER, LEMONADE, BEACON, DOUGLAS, EPIC, LENN and MRRIGHT and several others.
Mr Arena aims to be ahead of the pack by placing emphasis on polled, A2 and in recent times slick.
Robert and Sandra Bacon developed Brookbora Jerseys at Tennyson, currently the number two BPI herd.
Brookbora ASKN has been a very popular bull internationally and has daughters in the United States, Canada, South Africa, Pakistan Europe, the United Kingdom and Jersey Island.
BORUNG is currently the highest bull with milking daughters, from an ASKN daughter and the third Brookbora bull is AEROGLEN, sired by BORUNG.
After Robert’s death last year, the herd is being continued by Sandra and their son Daniel.
Bercar Jerseys, owned by Bernie and Carol McManus from Bamawm Extension, bred a bull called PASSIVE in the mid-2000s and today ARDENT, the number two Jersey bull with milking daughters, and BESTYET are also successful Bercar bulls.
Bernie and Carol have now retired from dairying but Bercar will continue to have an impact through these bulls for many years to come.
Loxleigh Jerseys, owned by Geoff and Natalie Akers from Tallygaroopna, is another Jersey herd that ranks with the best in the world.
INVINCIBLE, IZUKU, IRYMPLE and VENTURA are all bulls having an impact now and will continue into the future.
Other honour board inductees are: Waikato Australian Reds, owned by Michael Green, formerly of Mt Schank in South Australia but now farming in Irishtown, Tasmania; Wilara Holsteins, owned by chair of Genetics Australia Holdings Trevor Henry at Tinamba in Gippsland; Wallacedale Jerseys, owned by Luke and Mel Wallace from Poowong North in Gippsland; Rob and Kerrie Anderson’s Kings Ville Jerseys at Drouin West in Gippsland; and Con and Michelle Glennen, from Noorat in western Victoria.
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