HOLSTEIN — D B C A
It’s the quality udder of D that helps sort her to the top of the class. D has a smoother blending fore udder attachment, more height to the rear udder, and a more desirable teat placement than does B. In addition, D exhibits more overall dairy capacity and has a cleaner bone quality throughout. I admit that B has more width in the rear udder.
Moving to the close middle pair, B goes over C for her advantage in the udder. B is both higher and wider in the rear udder attachment and more balance in her rear quarters, noting the light right rear quarter of C. Furthermore, B has more width throughout, being especially wider throughout her rump structure. I grant C tracks a bit straighter on her legs when viewed from the rear.
In my final placing, C handily places over A for her obvious advantage in both depth and strength of the median suspensory ligament. In addition, C has more dairy quality, spring to her rib, and length from end to end than A. Though I admire the dairy strength found in A, she simply lacks the overall quality in her udder to merit a higher placing.
About the Judge . . . JOEL PHOENIX
Phoenix placed the HOLSTEINS. Spending more than 15 years as a professional dairy cattle fitter, Phoenix was honored with the inaugural Andrea Crowe Achievement Award at the Royal Winter Fair in 2013 and won the Duncan MacKenzie Award at World Dairy Expo in 2021. As a result of his efforts, his family’s dairy has owned and merchandised many All-Canadian and All-American nominations over the past 10 years. An accomplished judge, Phoenix has evaluated cattle across Canada, including as an associate judge at the Royal Winter Fair, and around the world, including Australia, Mexico, and the U.S. as an associate judge at World Dairy Expo.
