The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman.

At the recently concluded National Guernsey Convention, numerous awards were presented for outstanding performance within the Guernsey breed.

High TPE Lactation Average for Milk and Protein:

Gurn Z Meadow Farm: 18 records, 24,039M 4.5%F 1,068F 3.3%P 803P

Julie & Jennifer Orchard of Gurn Z Meadow Farms

The high TPE Lactation Average for Milk and Protein is awarded to Gurn Z Meadow Farm of Columbus, Wisconsin. Julie, Kristi and Jennifer Orchard maintain the milking herd in Columbus, WI as well as the heifer herd in Janesville, WI. The cows are milked at a Lely robotic dairy facility. The robot milker allows fresh and high-producing cows to be milked up to six times a day, which gradually declines with each cow’s production. The herd is divided into two groups of 60 cows, each with its own robot milker. The Guernsey herd is housed with the first-lactation Holsteins, and both breeds are treated the same. The average cow at Gurn Z Meadow is milked 2.8 times a day. The robot milker maintains statistical data that the Orchards use to help improve their production. The herd is housed in a freestall barn bedded with sand. Says the Gurn Z Meadow Facebook page, “We love the challenge of breeding a better Guernsey cow. Our goal is to breed Guernseys with strength, along with dairyness, and a great will to milk.”

Gurn Z Meadow is home to the 34th place Component Queen in 2017, Gurn Z Meadow Trop Moonshadow. She is a Very Good Grumpy daughter with a class-leading record of 4-01 305D 3X 31,680M* 4.2% 1,333F 3.3% 1,040P. The Orchards also boast three additional cows on the top 100 2017 Component Queen List. In addition to being the high herd for milk and protein, Gurn Z Meadow is third for fat. In their division of 10-25 records, the Orchards lead in Milk and Protein and are second in Fat.

High TPE Lactation Average for Fat and the Commercial Herd Award:

Warwick Manor Farm: 56 Records, 21,658M 5.6%F 1,216F 3.6%P 721P; 28,344ECM

Kaila Stoltzfus of Warwick Farms

Kevin and Dina Stoltzfus, along with children Kaila, Karli and Kolby, own and operate Warwick Manor Farm in East Earl, Pennsylvania. The Guernseys are housed in freestalls and milked in a tie-stall facility. Milk from the farm is processed and sold under the Yoder Family Farm brand as Golden Guernsey milk, ice cream and other products. Says Kevin Stoltzfus, “Our goal has always been to have Guernseys with outstanding type that can also be breed leaders in production. It lights my fire to have a cow nominated All-American and be on the Component Queen list!” Indeed, 22 individual cows housed at Warwick Manor Farm appeared on this year’s Component Queen list, including the top four, and of those 22, eight have been Nominated All-American or Junior All-American.

Warwick Manor Farm is home to the top Component Queen, Warwick Manor Chases Silk. In addition to being the top TPE herd for Fat and the Commercial Herd winner, Warwick Manor Farm is first in their division of 51-99 cows in Milk, Fat and Protein; and ranks third in overall herds for Milk and fifth for Protein.

Leibers Trophy (Living Lifetime Award):

Ripley Farms Blaze Yogi: 4,134D 257,065M 3.9% 10,018F 3.3% 8,559P

Bred & owned by Thomas Ripley of Ripley Farms, Moravia, New York

The Leibers trophy is given in honor of Mr. & Mrs. Otto Leibers of Nebraska to the cow with the highest lifetime milk production. In order to be eligible for living lifetime awards, the cow must have been DHI tested at least once during 2017.

Tom Ripley of Ripley Farms

Winning for the second consecutive year is the EX-92 daughter of Ripley Farms Hot Shot Blaze-ET out of an EX-91 Royal Oak. Her best record at 8-08 in 365D was for over 35,000M 1,100F and 1,100P; but it was her record at 12-05 in 365D that ranks her among the class-leaders for cows over 10 years old and hat record was 29,680M* 3.5% 1,048F 3.2% 939P*. Yogi has recently completed her eighth lactation at 13-08! She is also a successful brood cow, with seven classified daughters averaging 84 points. Her best daughter to date is an EX-92 Aaron, who became a Gold Star Dam earlier this year and has a best record of 25,000M with a 5% fat and 3.5% protein.

Ripley Farms is another herd known not only for high-producing and indexing cows, but also show ring success. The family has also recently begun bottling their own A2A2 Guernsey milk. The herd ranks second overall for their division of 100+ cows in Milk, Fat and Protein; and is the 10th overall CPI herd.

Valley Set Award & Arnold Knight Award

Dix Lee Gargoyle Dela: 4,847D 252,125M 5.1%F 12,854F 3.6% 9,201P

Bred by Brett Dixon and owned by Keith Dixon, Phillipsburg, MO

The Valley Set Award, established in 1986 by Ron Wenger and Family, recognizes the highest lifetime fat production. The Wisconsin Guernsey Breeders Association established the Arnold Knight Trophy in 1992 to honor the cow with the highest lifetime protein production.

This year’s recipient, as well as the previous year’s, is Dela, an EX-91 daughter of Dix Lee Goliath Gargoyle from a Very Good Goliath dam who made over 146,000M in her lifetime. Dela has just completed another 305-day record at 16-02; but her best record was made at 14-09 in 365D with 20,160M 5.1% 1,026F 3.6% 716P. Dela is also a successful brood cow, with a Regis daughter scored Excellent at 7-07 and many daughters, granddaughters and beyond making their mark in the Dix Lee herd. She was also awarded the Gold Star Dam recognition in 2007. Dela’s great-granddaughter, Dix Lee Ozzy Donna, was awarded the Total Performance Cow award at the NGS-Louisville in 2017.

Dix Lee Guernseys is a grass-based operation that strives for type and production. Keith Dixon was honored with the Master Breeder title in 2016, and children Katie and Brett are both past recipients of the Outstanding Young Farmer Award.

New England Trophy & California Protein Award (Highest 305 day milk and protein record for the year):

Dairyman Daunte Jo Jo 6-00 305D 3X 35,470M 3.3% 1,167F 3.5% 1,224P*

Bred & Owned by Hoard’s Dairyman Farm, Ft Atkinson, WI

The New England Trophy is awarded to the cow completing the highest 305 day actual record for milk, while the California Protein Award recognizes the highest 305 day protein record of the year. The California Protein Award is sponsored by the California Guernsey Cattle Club. This year, Dairyman Daunte Jo Jo achieved both awards with a class-leading record in Protein. This record was also carried out to a class-leader in Milk and Protein in 365 days, with over 41,000M and 1,400P. Jo Jo is a VG-84 Oak Knob Legacy Daunte daughter of a Very Good Challenge with records to 33,000M.

Since its founding by Wisconsin Governor W.D. Hoard in 1899, Guernseys have called the Hoard’s Dairyman Farm home. Jason Yurs has served as the farm manager for 17 years. The herd is milked three times per day, and all female calves are genomic tested. The herd’s average age at first calving is 23 months. Hoard’s Dairyman Farm is the #2 Commercial Herd, the top herd with 100 or more records in Milk, Fat and Protein, in the top 10 overall herds for Milk, Fat and Protein, and home to the most Component Queens in 2017 with 36.

Tarbell Trophy (Highest 305 day fat record)

Warwick Manor Chases Silk 7-00 305D 2X 31,860M 8.4% 2,666F* 3.2% 1,024P

Bred by Kevin & Dina Stoltzfus and owned by Karli Stoltzfus, East Earl, PA

The Tarbell Trophy was established in 1948 in memory of Gage Tarbell, founder of Tarbell Guernsey Farm, Smithville Flats, New York and is awarded every year to the highest 305-day actual record for fat. This year’s winner has set a new all-time record for Fat with 2,666F in 305 days, and another all-time record with 2,825F in 365 days! Silk is a Rutter Bros Showtimes Chase-TW daughter of an EX-92 dam with over 117,000M. She has an EX-90 Adacka sister that has also made a class-leading record in Fat. In addition to her legendary production accolades, Silk was also Nominated All-American Total Performance Cow and Nominated Junior All-American 4-Year-Old in 2014, after being named the Total Performance Cow at the NGS-Harrisburg. Silk now has over 134,000M with a 5.6% fat in her lifetime, consisting of five records. Silk assisted her home of Warwick Manor Farm in being the top overall TPE herd for Fat in 2017.

Nyala-Bedford Trophy (Highest 305 day first lactation ECM record)

Rutter Bros Mentors Layne 2-03 305D 2X 24,740M 5.9% 1,471F 3.3% 825P 33,451ECM

Bred and owned by Rutter Bros, York, PA

The Nyala-Bedford Trophy is presented in memory of F.T. Bedford, founder of Nyala Farm in Green Farm, Connecticut. It is now awarded to the cow completing the highest energy corrected record in her first lactation. Rutter Bros Mentors Layne is a VG-86 Mentor from a Very Good Rhinestone, then a Very Good Alymo. She is the top two-year-old on the 2017 Component Queen list, ranking at #52 overall. Layne is housed at Warwick Manor Farm, adding to the farm’s production accolades.

The American Guernsey Association is dedicated to the advancement and promotion of the Guernsey dairy cows. The American Guernsey Youth Association boasts membership of over 700 young people nationwide.

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