Quality Jerseys on show at annual fair
The Central Gippsland Jersey Breeders Club held its 61st Jersey Fair at the Warragul showgrounds last Tuesday.
Twenty exhibitors and 75 immaculately presented Jersey cows were in attendance from across Victoria.
The Central Gippsland Jersey Fair had its origins in the late 1950s when the local club’s annual Jersey sale was struggling to attract interest. The Warragul secretary wrote to other Gippsland Jersey Clubs with a suggestion to combine their fairs and sales.
As a result the first Central Gippsland Jersey Fair took place at the Warragul showgrounds in 1961 and has continued to attract exhibitors from all over Victoria ever since.
While sales of cattle were a large feature of the fair in its initial years, more recently the fair has become predominantly focussed on presenting Jersey cows and their handlers.
Originally the fair was held in October following on from The Royal Melbourne Show with cattle already in show form.
Following the 50th fair in October 2010, due to declining entries, the event was at a crossroads as to whether it would continue. It was decided to move the fair to autumn in 2012 and due to the generous support of sponsors and exhibitors the fair has enjoyed a renaissance and has grown in strength ever since.
The fair now attracts visitors from across Victoria and southern New South Wales. Organiser Kerrie Anderson said “the show is now second only to International Dairy Week as the largest showing of Jersey cattle in the country.”
Lachlan Fry from Katandra Park Jerseys and Holsteins in Western Australia was the head judge of the competition. Lachlan said when judging dairy cattle, evaluators were looking for a number of criteria.
“We are looking for cows that best resemble ‘a model’ cow,” he said. “The criteria includes, general appearance, frame, rump, feet and legs, the mammary system and the general dairy character of a cow.”
The winner of both the Rabobank senior champion cow and Russ Carroll Memorial supreme champion (sponsored by Central Sires Co-Op) was five-year-old cow, Cairnbrae Victorious Daisy II who was presented by owners Michaela Thompson and Hayden King from Bamawn in Northern Victoria.
The World Wide Sires premier exhibitor award was won by the Bacon Family.
A number of other awards were presented for cows in different classes and ages. As well as this there were awards for handling of cows in various age groups.