DAISY’S IMPACT
A monumental brood cow in Raven-history is Markwell Durham Daisy EX-92 – one of the family’s greatest genetic springboards who generated a worldwide network of top AI sires and bull dams. Arguably a key instrument in doing this was ALH – Adolf Langhout – who made Daisy’s genetics easily accessible to breeders around the globe. ‘I bought her in the 2002 Markwell sale for $50,000 – she was a great young cow and one of the first milking Durham-daughters, from a cow family I liked. Her 2.dam Blackstar Raven and 3.dam Mark Elite EX-92 were impressive cows of that time,’ begins Adolf. And at that point, Daisy was a striking VG-88-3yr, Adolf continues: ‘Daisy showed at World Dairy Expo that year and went on to be HM ­Intermediate Champion. We did not directly expect Daisy to have the breeding success that she did, but if you put the best bulls together in one pedigree – like Goldwyn-Oman-Durham – you see the results.’ Breeding O-Man-sons Dakota (popular in Italy and the Netherlands), Duke (Germany) and Osaka in Spain, perhaps one of the most important products of the O-Man-Daisy cross was her daughter ALH Destiny VG-87-3yr: who, after being bred to Goldwyn, would create some truly unique individuals… Not only did she create breed-leading bulls like Danillo in the Netherlands and Goldday in Germany, but sought-after brood cows like Regan-ALH Destini VG-88 and Heidenskipster Goldwyn Destiny VG-86. Destini is the 2.dam of type-king Unix (more on Unix HI 1/24) and Mogul-son Dagon via Regan-ALH Domain Daya VG-85, who is also behind the French Mr Extra-son Neostar (3.dam). On the other side, Heidenskipster Destiny is the dam of popular AI sires Beart (<Beacon) and Baxter-son Bakombre. Plus: Fast-forward to present day and Destiny can be found in the back pedigree of Lead Out-P-Red, a high genomic bull at CRV with 111 type.