LINDSAY — It was a great day for the "old ladies". Nine-year-old Bridgeview Gibson Dottie, the oldest cow in the Ontario Summer Show at Lindsay, was named Grand Champion Female. She is owned by Brian Coleman, of Brantford.

The Reserve Champion Female banner was awarded to the second oldest cow, eight-year-old Bruynland Storm Kendra, owned by Pierre Boulet, of Quebec. She also won the award for composite BCA (Breed Class Average) or high milk production. "She’s a magnificent cow," says Adrian Vander Wielen, the organizer of the show.

Boulet, who usually shows up with a large string of cattle, only entered one animal in the competition.

Alberta’s Orville Schmidt judged 250 head.

Kingsway Farms and Crovalley Holsteins shared the honours for the best cattle overall in the show. Crovalley was named Premier Exhibitor and Reserve Premier Breeder while Kingsway was named Premier Breeder and Reserve Premier Exhibitor.

The two farms are about 10 miles apart in the village of Hastings but Crovalley is in Peterborough and Kingsway is in Northumberland.

Gord McMillan, owner of Kingsway Farms, says he brought four cows to the show and eight heifers, more than he’s used to bringing. He’s third generation on the farm but he was the first to introduce purebreds on a significant basis to the farm. Now his two sons, Ethan and Morgon, and daughter Emma have become nationally known for their showmanship abilities.

Gord McMillan breeds for production as well as for show, with his most recent choice of sire, a type bull called Sanchez from the United States. Goldwyn has been a staple.

Many of the show cows in the herd are from stylish Kingsway Terrason Allie, Reserve All Canadian as a three-year-old. She is the dam of an All Canadian summer yearling and two other heifers nominated All Canadian.

He milks between 60 and 65 cows in a tie stall barn and separates the show cows during show times, mostly because of diet. They are fed dry hay and haylage, but no grain corn or corn silage.

The Junior part of the show was a three-way split. The Premier Exhibitor banner was won by Dubeau with Crovalley second. The Junior Premier Banner was won by Kingsway, again with Crovalley second.

The Junior Champion was Lorealy Wildman Fatima, owned by Dubeau. Kingsway Goldwyn Aleta was named Reserve Champion.