Gold Medal Dams

The countless positive results that Italian Holstein genetics is achieving the world over – such as the constant performances of the Italian cows at the European Show, which are the outcome of the perfect balance between production and type that Italian dairy farmers have been able to produce after years of selection – have convinced Anafi to identify and reward the cows that have contributed most to improving our genetics, both directly and through their progeny.

As in the case of the best selected bulls, the title "Gold Medal Dam" is intended to reward the performance of individual cows and, at the same, to give the dairy farmers the opportunity to exploit the best cows in their herds.

The traits taken into consideration in the evaluation of the future Gold Medal Dams are: production, type, genetic value and breeding value. Every time specific results are achieved for each trait, the cow is rewarded with a "star".

The title "Gold Medal" is given when the cow reaches the sixth star. After that, the cow will be identified in the official Herd Book list with the acronym GM. Every cow can have a maximum of 9 stars.

All cows registered in the Herd Book that have at least five years of age, and were born after 1985 (the year the national selection program was started), can be taken into consideration for the Gold Medal recognition.

Each individual star is awarded when the cow reaches the following results:

• 1st - production of at least 2,000 kg of components;
• 2nd - production of at least 3,500 kg of components, or at least 6 calvings at 10 years of age;
• 3rd - a classification of 85 points as a first-calf heifer, or 89 points in the following years;
• 4th - a classification of Excellent with at least 92 points, or a first place in the class at the national show, or a final championship in a regional or interregional show, or a Grand Champion title in a provincial show;
• 5th - a Rank 99 with at least one completed lactation;
• 6th - two daughters that meet the requirements for the first and second star;
• 7th - two daughters that meet the requirements for the third and fourth star;
• 8th e 9th - a son Rank 95 with 80% repeatability.

As in the case of Gold Medal Sires, the Gold Medal Dams (6 stars) will receive further stars, up to a maximum of three, when they attain other specific levels of performance.

To make it easier for farmers to identify the potential GM dams (that is, cows that already have five stars of merit), these cows will be marked with a single star.

Today, there are almost a hundred Gold Medal Dams in Italy, and they are well spread all over the country. A highly satisfactory result for our meticulous and high-standard national selection program.