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Select Sires honors Bob Sabo of Green Bay, Wis. with the 2018 Select Mating Service® (SMS®) genetic consultant of the year award. Sabo was recognized at the 2018 SMS Conference among more than 115 genetic consultants and support staff from the United States, Canada and Brazil. The event was hosted by Select Sires MidAmerica, Inc. and held in Boise, Idaho from May 7 through May 11.

This national award is presented annually to a genetic consultant who exemplifies the qualities that make SMS known throughout the world as the premier mating program in the industry. The recipient must have multiple years of superior service, a history of high-quality evaluations and the ability to build and maintain successful relationships with dairy producers.

Bob Sabo’s accomplishments and sheer passion make him a deserving recipient of this distinguished award. In August of 1994, he began his career as an SMS genetic consultant at NorthStar Cooperative. Through the years, he has developed strong relationships with customer-owners, enhancing herd genetics and becoming a trusted advisor. His commitment to customer-owner success is demonstrated in detailed SMS reports that he prepares for herds. He has been an asset to the entire Select Sires federation and sire development through his work with the Program for Genetic AdvancementTM (PGATM) and assisting Holstein classifiers with SETS. Sabo also serves on the selection committee for Select Sires’ Showcase SelectionsTM lineup.

“He understands the producers’ mentality and places himself in their shoes. Producers work with Bob as a partner in their breeding program. They appreciate his candidness and insights,” says Mark Adam, general manager, NorthStar Cooperative.

For much of his career, Sabo operated his family dairy, Sabo Farm. He developed an outstanding herd of registered Holsteins that have been recognized nationwide for high Breed Age Average (BAA) and has received honors throughout his home state and at nationally-ranked shows like World Dairy Expo and the North American International Livestock Exposition.

Now in its 45th year, SMS added more animals (more than 3.3 million) to the program than any year in its history. SMS genetic consultants continue to help dairy producers control genetic recessives, haplotypes, inbreeding levels and provide a means to create custom selection indexes based on customer goals.

Over the course of three days, attendees of the SMS conference engaged in continuing education sessions and viewed progeny of Select Sires’ current lineup and potential graduates throughout the state of Idaho. Select Sires thanks the following herds for their hospitality: DeGroot Dairy, Snake River Dairy, Desert Ridge Dairy, Vis-Sir Dairy, Gerald Withers Dairy, Davis Dairy, Crosswinds Farm, Kowz R Us, Snake River Holsteins, Box Canyon Dairy, Double A Dairy, and Si Ellen Farms.

Based in Plain City, Ohio, Select Sires Inc., is North America's largest A.I. organization and is comprised of nine farmer-owned and -controlled cooperatives. As the industry leader, it provides highly fertile semen as well as excellence in service and programs to achieve its basic objective of supplying dairy and beef producers with North America's best genetics at a reasonable price.