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It was too close to call.
For the first time, the top prize in the Holstein Friesian New Zealand Otago Progeny Competition has a joint winner.
The top individual cow category was judged on fat and protein production value, type or how they look and for the number of calves they had produced.
Dairy farmer Ryan Sutherland, of Oakley stud in Henley, entered the competition for the first time and got his name engraved on the trophy for top individual cow.
His 10-year-old cow Raymac Beamer Estyle took out the top honour.
“I was quite shocked.”
Dairy farmers Judith and Stephen Ray, of Raymac Holsteins in Clydevale, were joint winners, winning the top prize for the seventh time for rising 11-year-old cow Raymac Supersire Orfeya.
Mr Sutherland bought Raymac Beamer Estyle from the Ray family, when she was 2 years old.
The cow was an “all-rounder” and had plenty of more years of production remaining and has a great type.
“She was built to last and she looks the part.”
She produced 717kg of milksolids in 220 days last season.
During her tenure on his farm, she had produced two daughters.
He won three other trophies in the competition.
Cow Oakley Silverline won the Oaks category, which was judged on type, fat and protein production and liveweight.
Heifer Oakley Sugarhigh won the top protein prize for producing 336kg of protein in 294 days in the 2024-25 season.
He entered three generations of the same family and won.
He won the family team trophy, a prize he valued the most because he bred all three generations entered.
In the winning family line-up was his favourite cow, Oakley MVP Petal and her mother and daughter.
“She has been a stand-out cow from day dot. She has exceeded everything we could hope for. She is a brilliant cow.”
Raymac Beamer Estyle was a good cow but Oakley MVP Petal was better, he said.
“There is something that draws my eye and heart to my number one. There’s something about her, she has personality.”
He gave the 6-year-old cow the honour of wearing the number one ear tag.
“She is a classy animal.”
When one of her rising 2-year-old daughter begins milking this season, she would be given the number two ear tag.
Oakley MVP Petal produced 896kg of milksolids in 271 days last season.
She was one of the 270 cows milked, mostly Holstein Friesian, which produced 182,000kg of milksolids, on 86ha, near Dunedin Airport last season.
“I told my accountant we’d probably hit 165,000kg of milksolids for the season but we had a good summer and autumn and the cows just kept milking, they didn’t stop, it was a good season, you couldn’t fault it.”
He entered the competition because he loves his cows and they deserved recognition.
Calving peaked at the start of this month.
Cows had their calves in two composting barns on his farm.
About 150mm of rain in 48 hours in early July had softened the ground, so the herd were grazing the driest paddocks first.
Life was busy on farm for himself and his partner Rhonda Nyhof, including raising their children Eli, 3, and Izzy, 1.
“It is bloody good.”
Mrs Ray said it was the first time there had been a draw for the top individual cow prize.
Usually the competition produced a clear winner.
“We’ve never had a competition so close.”
Both cows had maximum type scores.
Mr Sutherland’s cow Raymac Beamer Estyle had maximum points for protein and fat production value.
Raymac Beamer Estyle had produced seven calves by judging.
Mrs Ray’s cow Raymac Supersire Orfeya had fewer points for protein and fat production value but gained more points for producing eight calves.
Both cows deserved the limelight.
“They are both two great old cows.”
Although Mr Sutherland entered the competition for the first time, he knew how to identify a good cow.
She was “absolutely thrilled” for Mr Sutherland and that Raymac Holsteins genetics were performing for his business.
“I know he will breed them well, he’s a pretty handy farmer.”
When Mr Sutherland’s favourite cow Oakley MVP Petal produced more calves, she would get more points and be a potential winner of the top individual cow prize.
“Watch this space. She could be the one to beat in a few years.”
Other competition categories the Rays won were the 2-year-old progeny team and mature progeny team.
They also placed in five other categories.
Raymac Supersire Orfeya produced an average of 679kg of milksolids over eight lactations.
She was one of up to 490 cows milked on their 200ha farm.
“She probably is my equal favourite cow, with her half-sister — same family, different fathers.”
Often a farmer picked a favourite cow because of her personality rather than her production.
“She might stand at the front of the shed waiting to be scratched but my favourites are more the cows who I feel have done very well for us.”
2026 Holstein Friesian New Zealand Otago Progeny Competition results
Top individual cow: Raymac Beamer Estyle (Ryan Sutherland) 1; Raymac Supersire Orfeya (Stephen and Judith Ray) 1; Millhouse Kage Alice S1F (Brendan Morrison) 3.
Oaks, judged on type, fat and protein production and liveweight: Oakley Silverline (Ryan Sutherland) 1; Raymac Griff Coronet (Stephen and Judith Ray) 2; Anglo Alcove Maddie (Tim and Katy Button) 3.
Top protein heifer: Oakley sugarhigh (Ryan Sutherland) 1.
Top type individual cow: Anglo DRM Kanga-Red (Tim and Katy Button) 1; Raymac Peer Ginger (Stephen and Judith Ray) 2; Estee Jaguar Nakita S3F (Tony Brock) 3.
Top type pair of cows by same sire: Flathills Awe Kix-Red ET (Tim and Katy Button) 1; Seagull-Bay Supersire-ET (Stephen and Judith Ray) 2; Legend-Maker Victor (Tony Brock) 3.
Family teams, three cows, dam and daughters or three generations): Oakley Petals family (Ryan Sutherland) 1; Raymac OR family (Stephen and Judith Ray) 2; Raymac Jo Family (Stephen and Judith Ray) 3.
2-year-old progeny team of three cows, daughters of the same sire: Bull Woodcote Vhr Lucid-ET (Stephen and Judith Ray) 1; Sandy Valley Icarus (Tim and Katy Button) 2; Welcome Silver Griff (Stephen and Judith Ray) 3; Welcome Silver Griff (Richard Ray) 4.
3-year-old progeny team of three cows, daughters of the same sire: Bull Tronnoco M Saquoon (Brendan Morrison) 1; Welcome Silver Griff (Stephen and Judith Ray) 2; Mr Ref Dynomite (Richard Ray) 3; Silverline (Ryan Sutherland) 4.
Mature progeny team of four cows, daughters of the same sire: Bull Seagull Bay Supersire (Stephen and Judith Ray) 1; San Ray FM Beamer (Brendan Morrison) 2; San Ray FM Beamer (Brock family) 3; Tronnoco MH Samba-ET S2F (Stephen and Judith Ray) 4.
