Whakatane farmers Eddie and Kath Lambert have made history by being the recipients of both the 2024 Valden Cow of the Year and the 2024 Mahoe Trophy at the 2024 Holstein Friesian NZ Awards, held in Hamilton last month.
The Lamberts, who dispersed their herd in 2021, are the first Holstein Friesian breeders to not only win both coveted awards, but in the same year.
“We are very honoured and humbled to win both trophies, especially in the same year,” Eddie says. “We have always admired the cow families that have won these trophies in previous years, and it is something we had never imagined we would do.”
The 2024 Valden Cow of the Year was awarded to Royson Oman Cybil EX2 11* ET. The award is given to the cow deemed to have contributed the most to the Holstein Friesian breed on a continual basis.
Cybil (BW 145, PW 588) is a “neat, no-nonsense cow” who stayed with the Lamberts after they dispersed their herd.
The O-Bee Manfred Justice-ET (‘Oman’) daughter produced over 800 kgMS in her best year and has had two descendants marketed by AB companies: son Royson Beam Cagney ET S3F through CRV, and great grandson Royson MG Currency S3F – the 2024 Mahoe Trophy winner – through LIC.
Currency – who passed away in June due to injury - won the Mahoe Trophy with 517 points.
The Mahoe Trophy is awarded to the New Zealand-bred bull with the highest aggregate points for breeding worth (BW), protein BV, fat BV, fertility BV, functional survival BV and type traits.
A2A2 Currency has a BW 439, with fat 4.2% and protein 3.8%. He contributed of over 140,000 inseminations across the industry to date.
LIC livestock selection manager Simon Worth says that it came as no surprise that Currency had proven to be a fabulous bull.
“Take a look into the cow family he comes from - it is truly superb,” he says.
Eddie and Kath Lambert say they feel incredibly honoured to be awarded the two titles.
“To be recognised as being a top Holstein Friesian breeder is truly a dream come true.”
