Michigan Association Announces Cow of the Century Winner
The Michigan Holstein Association began collecting nominations for their Cow of the Century contest in November with voting open during the first two weeks of the year. They have slowly been announcing the runner ups each day and today announced Strautz-AAA GWAtwood Rose 2E95 as the Cow of the Century Winner. Rose produced over 160K pounds of milk, and was the 2015 Michigan Spring Show Intermediate and Grand Champion.
Rose was born at Rod-er-Dic from a cow they moved there as a yearling when Strautz Holsteins dispersed and Paul and Sherry were married. The granddam was a Rod-Er-Dic cow purchased by Sherry’s mom at the Lake O’Dessa Sale Barn. Paul and his dad had purchased a cow several years before this named Mari-Way Glendell Spots when Wayne and Rodney Pennock dispersed their herd. Spots was Rose’s 5th dam, and many animals were consigned to sales from her. Another line of this family also resulted in a 94- point Raider. The 8th thru 10th dams also carry the Rod-Er-Dic prefix with one of the cows tracing to the #2 cow in their herdbook. The 11th dam was an Ionia prison cow born in 1954 that Paul’s grandpa purchased when they were starting the herd.
Rose was one of those unassuming cows in the barn who knew and did her job. She bred back easily, produced a lot of milk, and never quit eating. Even on a show day in 90-degree heat with an udder full of milk she would come out of the ring and go right back to eating. She was definitely this breeder’s dream come true. She was bred and owned by Sherry Meyer.