Farmer’s Weekly – 30 August 2019

ARCNATIONAL BEST ELITE COW AWARDS

Sponsored by Farmer’s Weekly

Cowsthatparticipate in this category are adjudicated based only on performance figures, so visual appraisal

doesnotcome into play. Participating cows have to demonstrate outstanding reproduction figures, as well

asexceptional figures in terms of other economically important traits, such as maternal ability and weaning

weight.This award is contested across all breeds, and each cow is thus the overall winner within her breed.

Farmer’sWeekly has been the ARC’s valued sponsor of this sought-after award for more than 40 years, and has

contributed significantly to the ARC’s efforts to shape and uphold the image and reputation of this award.

Registered and commercial cows are eligible to participate. The criteria considered include age at

firstcalving; average inter-calving period; days since last calving; the completeness of records for

weaningweights; performance records (breeding values) regarding wean direct and wean maternal

birth-andweaning weights; and the number of calves the cow has produced with reliable weaning

weights.For commercial cows where no BLUP breeding values are available, another criterion

evaluatedis the weaning index of the cow’s calves individually, as well as for all calves she has

weaned.Other criteria include breeding values for birth- and weaning weights; the average efficiency

index(ifavailable); approval ratio (percentage of the cow’s progeny approved for registration by the

relevantbreeders’ society); reproduction index; and the percentage of performance-tested calves.

Table2 lists the ARC National Best Elite Cows. Congratulations to all the winners!

Table2: ARCNational Best Elite Cow Awards

Breed Cow ID

Age

(years) Calves

Age at

first

calving

(mnths)

Avg

ICP^1

(days)

Reprod

index^2

Avg

weaning

index^3

Birthweight

EBV (kg)^4

Weaning weight

EBV (kg)^5

Dir^6 Dir^6 Mat^7

Afrikaner NV 09 0027 10 7 31 392 109 112 1,45 11,4 5

Afrisim JJ 09 0928 10 6 36 362 109 101 0,09 3 3,1

Ankole NANK 09 0008 10 7 36 326 - - - - -

Beefmaster BA 10 0206 9 7 24 371 118 111 0,66 14,2 9,5

Bonsmara VDL 08 0043 11 9 18 361 123 110 0,84 11,5 16

Boran E 08 0088 11 8 31 371 112 104 0,96 7,9 1,4

Braford BB 09 0109 11 8 31 369 98 - 0,5 12 5

Brahman BEL 08 0139 11 8 37 361 95 - 1,4 21 9

Brangus SB 01 0669 9 7 27 366 - - 1,6 18 10

Braunvieh HB 09 0004 10 7 37 355 110 109 0,26 3,9 7, 7

Dexter WP 09 0019 10 7 24 383 116 108 -0,2 1,1 6,3

Drakensberger MF 07 0007 12 9 36 374 - 109 0,57 12,1 8,1

Limousin LR 07 0001 13 12 26 363 111 - 3,4 23 2

PinZ^2 yl PZ 10 0007 9 7 33 356 113 105 1,88 6,4 1,1

SAAngus(black) WB 10 0110 9 7 24 377 117 104 0,01 18,7 9,2

SAAngus(red) SK 09 0075 10 7 31 407 107 105 -0,21 14,1 7, 8

SantaGertrudis LL 07 0057 12 10 29 373 99 - 1,8 15 3

Simbra BE 08 189B 11 9 24 364 105 - 1,8 19 6

Simmentaler HJW 08 0020 11 9 27 344 107 - 1,1 19 10

Sussex CN 07 0063 12 9 38 355 111 102 0,44 11,4 8,6

1. AvgICP
   Averageinter-calvingperiod


2. Reprodindex
   Reproductionindex(based
   onageat firstcalvingand
   averageICP)* Simdex


3. Avgweaningindex
   Averageweaningweight
   indexforcalves


4. BirthweightEBV
   Estimatedbreeding
   valueforbirthweight


5. WeaningweightEBV
   Estimatedbreedingvalue
   forweaningweight


6. Dir
   DirectEBV


7. Mat
   MaternalEBV

ARC

N

Atio

NA

l

Best

elite

Cow

Aw

AR

ds

14 farmer’sweekly 30 august 2019