PRESS RELEASE
25 June 2014
Cheshire farmer wins semen from world-leading bull
A Cheshire farmer who has won semen from the most coveted bull in the
Holstein breed says his prize will kick start him into improving his herd’s
genetics.
Ian McGrath, who farms with his wife Liz, on Grange Farm in Over Peover near
Knutsford, says that winning three straws of Cogent Supershot semen will reinspire him to develop his best cow families.
Supershot is widely considered to be the hottest property in the dairy genetics
industry, where he is the number one genomic sire for both the USA’s and
Canada’s key breeding indexes (TPI and LPI). He is also the number one sire
ranked on Net Merit, the USA’s most important breeding index for commercial
milk producers.
In the UK, Supershot’s Profitable Lifetime Index (PLI) is a massive £290 and
Type Merit is 2.5, reflecting his daughters’ phenomenal genetic potential for
production, health, fertility and conformation.
The first tranche of Supershot semen is currently being marketed at £725 a
straw, putting the value of Mr McGrath’s prize at £2,175.
“I’m delighted to have the opportunity to use a bull of this quality as we’ve had a
difficult and disrupted few years, which has included moving farm and reestablishing the herd on the new premises,” he says.
“We did some embryo work a few years ago, but we’ve been concentrating on
other issues recently, and I must admit I took my eye off the herd’s genetics.”
However, he says he will flush his best cow using the Supershot semen, in the
hope of producing replacement females for the 100-head herd and maybe some
heifers for sale.
The cow he has chosen for the flush goes back to an imported American embryo,
Sellcrest No Rachel Red. Her great granddaughter, Peovereye Rose Royce Rachel
VG85, is currently milking in her third lactation which she is projected to
complete at 13,000 litres in this twice-a-day, 9,000 litre herd.
Mr McGrath won his prize through a competition organised by Visions, Cogent’s
young sire progeny testing programme. Visions customers who bought 20 straws
of progeny test semen between 28 March and 28 April 2014 were automatically
entered in the prize draw.
“I’ve always supported Cogent since the outset and been a member of Visions
since 2006,” says Mr McGrath. “It’s nice to be part of a programme that brings
UK bulls to the fore, and it’s gratifying to see that we now have some bulls which
are good enough to market world-wide.
“We certainly don’t want to be reliant for ever on Canadian and American
semen, which is why I think progeny testing in the UK is so important,” he says.
“Being able to pick the pedigrees of the young sires I use from the scheme is a
particular attraction and I’ve never been disappointed with the results.”
Breeding around 30% of the Peovereye herd to Visions semen, he says he uses
sexed female semen on the best 60% of the herd, and British Blue beef on the
remaining 10%.
Owain Harries from Cogent says he is delighted the prize has reignited Mr
McGrath’s interest in genetics.
“Interest in Cogent Supershot from customers around the world has been
unprecedented and many producers in the UK and internationally have already
flushed cows with the early semen,” he says.
“However, we’re offering a further bonus to customers of Visions who don’t want
to spend on the highest priced semen, as his full brother, Cogent DG Superstyle,
is available at a fraction of Supershot’s price.
“Cogent DG Superstyle is available at the discounted price of £35 to active
Visions customers who have bought over 20 straws of Holstein Visions semen in
the last 12 months,” he says.
-Ends-
Notes to editors
A photo of Ian McGrath with his Cogent breeding advisor, Melissa Webster, is attached.
For full details of Cogent Supershot’s index, please visit the Cogent or Holstein UK
website or hold control and click on the link below:
http://ukcows.com/holsteinuk/publicweb/AnimalData/data/ASMalefs.asp?AnimalID=38589474

Cogent is the pioneering business behind sexed semen technology and supply and is
the UK market leader. It is wholly owned by the Grosvenor Estate, and from its
headquarters on the Grosvenor Estate in Cheshire, has established a market-leading
reputation for its world-class UK breeding programme.
 Cogent's distinguished selection of high reliability UK proven bulls offers dairy and
beef farmers an unprecedented combination of production, type and value.
 For more information or additional photos, please contact Cerys Crank on
01244 622078 or email cerys.crank@cogentuk.com
The text from this news release can be downloaded directly from the
Agriculture/Livestock section of the ABC (Agribusiness Communications Ltd)
Press Centre at www.abccomms.co.uk