Chad and Kristen Gordon are pretty happy with this year’s National Herd Development Winter Fair.
Their three in-milk cows placed top-of-the-line in their respective classes while Gorgala Unstopabull Tiffany took it a step further, winning Supreme Intermediate Champion and Supreme Udder.
The three cows — Gorgala Arrow Charcoal, Gorgala Docuno O Shimmer and Gorgala Unstopabull Tiffany — were all prepared by the team headed up by Daniel Bacon from Brookbora Jerseys at Tennyson.
‘’I just don’t have the time to prepare the cows myself these days and run the farm so it was just easier to send them to Daniel and his team and they did such a great job. We couldn’t be any more thrilled with the result,” Chad said.
He also thanked employee Brooke Hewett.
“If I didn’t have Brooke working for me I wouldn’t even have time to break a cow in. It has been so good having someone working with us who shares the same passion and interest for showing cows as us.”
Milking 360 cows at Tongala, in northern Victoria, Chad said Tiffany was a great no-fuss cow and a favourite of his children Zara, Matilda and William.
“We don’t have any specific plans for any of these cows really, we will just keep breeding them back and see how we go.”
Chad said breeding quality cows was what it was all about — and showing was part of that.
“We follow a pretty strict criteria and I don’t use negative DPR bulls. We focus on fertility and overall type and udder — for us it’s more about fixing structural weakness in the next generation of animal.”
Chad and Kristen purchased their own 200ha farm in 2014, moving away from a family-operated dairy farm at Cohuna where Chad worked with his brothers Glen and Drew.
Chad said the past nine years had been a rollercoaster ride of everything from challenging seasonal conditions to milk price drops.
“We have farmed through dry years and wet years, high water prices and a Murray Goulburn milk price drop along with three kids, so you could say it has been a very challenging nine years,” he laughed.
Now supplying Bega, the couple are looking forward to the season ahead after losing some of their spring production and consequently profitablity last year due to wet conditions.
The poor spring did take away some of the cream of last year’s high milk price, although Chad said they were lucky to have a couple of good windows where they could harvest some quality silage.
“Last year was a bit of a catch-up for us and we are starting this year in probably one of the best positions we have ever been in — cheap water, affordable hay and grain prices and I am thinking if there was ever a year to get in front, this would be it.”
Chad said he and Kristen will continue to focus on showing cattle in the future and they will try to hit a few local shows and, of course, International Dairy Week in January.
“It is very rewarding when a cow you have bred yourself has the quality to win a show like the Winter Fair.”