The big red cow has been entered in the upcoming Holstein Friesian New Zealand South Island championships, being held in conjunction with the South Otago A&P Show in Balclutha on November 29.
Her owners, Renae and James Martin, 50:50 sharemilk in Stirling, South Otago.
"Rosie’s our showgirl and the biggest cow we own," Mrs Martin said.
When the larger than life 4-year-old Red Holstein Friesian cow was in-calf she weighed nearly a ton, Mrs Martin said.
Her size meant the 32-bale rotary milking shed on Rotoiti Farm needed to be altered to accommodate her.
Rosie was bred by flushing an embryo from dam Anglo Advent Rosedene, a cow from the herd of Holstein Friesian New Zealand Otago branch secretary Katy Button.
The Martins had moved from the North Island to sharemilk in South Otago and were in their third season on the 94ha milking platform on Rotoiti Farm, milking 260 cows, mostly Holstein Friesians, targeting about 110,000kg of milksolids.
The breeding programme targets producing a cow which could efficiently transform feed into milk.
"If we manage to breed a show cow, that’s great, but ultimately we are here to make milk."
A bigger cow needed more food and their farm system was low input, Mrs Martin said.
Mrs Button said calves, heifers and milking cows could be entered in the South Island championships.
Classes included junior, intermediate, senior, and an overall South Island champion.
South Otago A&P Show last hosted the competition in 2014.
Entries close on November 19.
Rosie’s dam, Anglo Advent Rosedene, was bought as a calf from Mr Martin’s father, Bruce, when the family sold their dairy farm in 2009.
The dam was named Rosedene after the Martin stud, but her paddock name was Rose.
"A very appropriate name for a red cow," Mrs Button said.
