DAIRY Sam McCormick's Success
| Sam McCormick's Success |
 John Thompson and Sons are responsible for the nutritional package behind the very successful Hilltara herd of Sam and John McCormick at Bangor. Thomspons wish to congratulate Sam on taking the premier pedigree herd in Northern Ireland and taking the runner-up award in the UK. Founded in 1985 the Hilltara herd now comprises 250 cows with a rolling herd average of 9,490 kilos at 3.91 per cent butterfat and 3.15 per cent protein.,writes Julie Hazelton, Publicity Officer for Holstein NI.. The herd is home to the legendary Medway Supreme Maude EX97 8E 15* - winner of numerous championship awards both at home and nationally, in a show career which spans from 1994 to 2007. Maude was also nominated Canadian Cow of the Year in 2003 and 2004 – the only cow outside North America to be granted this honour. 
Maude was purchased unseen as a calf at the Transatlanic Sale for 3,200gns in 1993 and now aged seventeen she is in her ninth lactation and has produced in excess of 163,000 kilos of milk. “I was attracted to the strength of the udders that ran in the family and the size that her sire, Startmore Supreme, brought to the mix” explained Sam.”As well as displaying exceptional size, dairy strength and a well attached udder, Maude has also proven herself as a top-class brood cow. The 100th member of the Maude family was registered at Hilltara earlier this year.” “The Maude family is the best cow family we have. She has certainly stamped her authority in the herd. There are currently six generations of Maudes in the Hilltara herd” added John McCormick. The most famous Maude daughter is the home-bred Hilltara Integrity Maude EX91 2E 7* which classified VG89 as a two year old. She went on to be champion heifer in-in milk at the National Holstein Show and the Irish Holstein Show in 2000. Now 12 years old she has done in excess of 95 tonnes of milk and has produced daughters by Stormatic, September Storm and Gibson. 
Other great cow families include the Charolottes, Echos and Edwinas. The current herd classification is 55EX, 121VG. This very successful herd was chosen by Holstein UK for their centenary farm walk in Northern Ireland in June 2009. |