Excitement is in the air as a brand-new competition is making its debut — and it’s unlike anything we’ve seen before! It’s designed to give breeders around the world a podium to show-case the results of their breeding program through a group of 3 heifers, and the first entries are a fact! However, some questions persist among our readers. To give you all the details, we’ve put together a Q&A with our editor and coordinator of the event; Doug Savage. Whether you are planning on entering this competition or just curious to learn more, this article will walk you through everything you need to know.

What do I need to do? 

Select three outstanding home-bred first lactation heifers, calved before 2.08 years of age, and make a short video which will become your entry in the competition.

What can I win?  

Free, international exposure for your herd! Competition entries will be viewed by breeders from around the world. In addition to the title, the winning herd will also be featured in Holstein International.

Can a small farm compete against the big names from the industry?

Most definitely. That’s why the competition is based on three young, first-lactation cows rather than being open to mature age, established stars of the breed.

What are the judges looking at? What are the judging criteria? 

As with any group competition, we are looking for an even, consistent group of animals with a similar stamp displaying the breeding goals of the herd.

Will the best type group win?

An even group of structurally correct animals will likely do better than a group that includes a superstar but has greater variation.

Do the heifers need to be from the same sire? 

No, the heifers can be from different sires but must all carry the same herd prefix.

Do all 3 heifers need to be filmed at the same time? What if my heifers are not ready at the same time?

The 3 animals do need to be filmed together as a group. Entries will be received up until September to provide flexibility on when your herd has 3 heifers on form together.

Do I need any filming skills in order to participate?

This can be filmed with your phone – use in horizontal (landscape) position, not vertical.

Do my heifers need to be clipped?

Having udders and ears clipped will display them to advantage but show-ring preparation of toplines is not required.