APPLETON — Glen Syme, owner of Symcroft farm, set a goal to become a Master Breeder when he was in 4-H. This year the dream became a reality when Hosteins Canada awarded him a Master Breed Shield.

He manages a herd of outstanding cows along the Mississippi at Appleton, between Carleton Place and Almonte. Six of the 40 cows he milks have classified Excellent, which in the language of models is a perfect 10. Twenty-seven have classified Very Good, the second highest category, and 11 Good Plus.

Most of the points acquired for his Master Breeder Shield have come from a calf he bought at a 4-H calf sale 15 years ago. Unfortunately Symcroft Jackpot Rebecca, which classified Excellent (2E) and produced 90,000 kilograms over her lifetime, produced mostly bulls.

A rare daughter Counsellor Nickel classified Very Good, just a shade below Excellent and is rated 2 stars, which means she produced two outstanding daughters.

"The award means a lot to me," he said in an interview. "It’s a good feeling. I finally made it."

A major contributing factor has been the addition and renovations to the barn in 1997. "We added 50’ to the existing barn and 18 new stalls," he says, increasing the size of the new stalls to accommodate the larger animals.

"I like to breed for higher type," he says. One of his greatest enjoyments in life is matching bulls to cows to produce the perfect 10.