The Citizen, 2016-03-31, Page 22PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2016.
Auburn farm breeds `Great Cow' Contest winner
One impressive cow
Veronica (or Huron Centurion Veronica 20J) is an Auburn -area native whose name is
becoming synonymous with quality in the jersey cow world. Bred at Huronia farms, which is
owned and operated by Fred and Ruth Armstrong, Veronica is 16 years old and was named
the winner of the Great Cow Contest, organized by the Jersey Journal. Added to the rest of
her accolades and those of her progeny, it's understandable when Fred calls her a pretty
special COW. (Cybil Fisher photo)
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
If anyone doesn't know about
Veronica from Auburn, they
probably should.
Veronica has multiple awards to
her name, 110 children, and happens
to originally be from Fred and Ruth
Armstrong's Huronia Jerseys farm
just outside of Auburn and she is
only 16 years old. She is also a cow.
Better known as Huronia
Centurion Veronica 20J EX -97,
Veronica was recently named the
winner of the Great Cow Contest
held by the Jersey Journal.
The competition, which is held
approximately once every 15 years,
saw 51 cows compete for the honour
from across the continent and
Veronica came out on top.
Fred explained that approximately
2,000 ballots were filled out, some
online and others mailed in, to
determine the winner.
The win marks another accolade
for the animal who has not only
claimed many prizes herself, but has
also seen her offspring achieve many
accomplishments as well.
Specifically, Veronica has earned
the Dam of All American Produce
award in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012,
was named the inaugural Jersey Cow
of the Year by Jersey Canada in
2011, was named the 2007 World
Champion of All Colored Breeds
(which is all breeds except holstein
according to Fred) by Holstein
International and was named All
American and Ayrshire Breeders
Association (ABA) All-American
numerous times.
Veronica has also brought home
three Grand Championship Titles
and two Reserve Grand Champion
titles, including one Supreme
Champion title and one Reserve
Supreme Champion title from the
World Dairy Expo as well as being
named Reserve Grand Champion in
2001 and 2002 at the Royal Winter
Fair.
Currently, Veronica's home is
Arethusa Farm near Litchfield,
Connecticut. She moved to her new
location south of the border in 2004
after being part of three other herds.
The award has only had a handful
of winners since it started in the
1950s and Ruth said that makes it
very interesting to follow.
"All the awards have gone to well-
known pedigrees," she said. "That
fits Veronica, because she has all
kinds of offspring around the
world... We had the phone ringing
off the hook when Veronica had her
first big win with people asking for
embryos from her mother."
Fred explained that Veronica is no
different, saying that her embryos
are definitely sought after.
"Her pedigree has the ability to
transmit what makes her great," he
said. "Others don't transmit at all but
she transmits all the good genes to
her sons and daughters."
Veronica herself has a U.S. score
on classification of 97 out of 100, a
feat that has only been achieved by
six cows in history.
Thirty-six of her 68 female
offspring scored 93 on their
classification and 20 of her 42
of her sons are being used
Going on
After the Canadian Legion's annual Remembrance Day competition, several students from
Hullett Central Public School went on to the Legion District Competition. Back row, from left:
Blyth Legion Branch President Ric McBurney, Brette Brohman who placed third in the Junior
Zone C1 poem competition and second in the Zone C1 Junior Colour Poster competition and
Blyth Legion Youth Education Chairman Donna Govier. Front row are Myea Fleet, left, who
placed second at the Zone C1 Intermediate Essay competition and Emily Meilhausen who
placed first in the Zone C1 Junior Essay competition. Meilhausen will be continuing to district
competition. (Denny Scott photo)
in artificial insemination service.
Five milking classes at the 2012
World Dairy Expo were won by
Veronica family members including
one granddaughter, one great-
granddaughter and one paternal
granddaughter. Other daughters have
been named to Reserve Supreme
Champion at the World Dairy Expo
and Grand and Supreme Champion
at the Royal Winter Fair.
As for what brought on the win,
Fred said Veronica's greatness
comes from her genes.
"She is definitely quite a cow,"
Fred said. "It's in her genetics... and
she has a good home, which helps a
lot."
Fred explained that Arethusa Farm
is a unique place where the owners
produce their own dairy goods on
site and make some amazing
products.
The farm is also involved in
breeding and has made quite a name
for itself thanks to having the best
breeding stock money can buy, like
Veronica.
From a
statistical standpoint,
Veronica has produced 187,259
litres of milk, 10,166 litres of butter
fat and 7,427 litres of protein in
seven lactations over her life. Her
highest years saw her produce
25,813 litres of milk, 1,272 litres of
butter fat and 1,050 litres of protein.
Fred said he knew she was a good
cow when she left, but he had no
idea she would earn such accolades.
"She has won almost every award
possible at one point or another," he
said. "She's pretty special."
Ruth agrees that having a great
home has helped out, stating that the
farm is amazing and a lot of money
has been spent to make it that way.
"It's owned by two wealthy
gentlemen from New York," she
said.
The two gentlemen, Anthony
Yurgaitis and George Malkemus,
happen to be the president and vice-
president of Manolo Blahnik, a shoe
company that struck it big thanks to
being featured on the television
show Sex and the City.
Yurgaitis and Malkemus bought
the land that Arethusa Farm was
built on because it was right across
the road from their home and they
wanted to protect the view they had.
Eventually, however, they turned the
old horse farm into a dairy farm.
The two started in holstein cows
and, starting with Veronica,
eventually started with jerseys.
Fred and Ruth have visited the
farm a few times and Ruth explained
that Veronica seems to remember
Fred.
"She stood up when she saw him,"
Ruth said with a laugh.
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