Benchmark Programme

THE BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM Benchmark Awards continue to recognise excellence within the Hereford breed by identifying superior and functional high-performing females and their sires.

On the animal enquiry page of the NZ Hereford Association’s website, www.herefords.co.nz, breeders and commercial farmers can search online for benchmark animals by simply entering the desired benchmark status (e.g. platinum, gold, silver or standard) in the selection parameter called ‘Select if’.

With the use of this selection, commercial farmers can select proven superior Hereford genetics to use within their beef breeding operations. The programme is profit-driven and recognises cows that produce a live calf, unassisted, on time, each year, and rear that calf to an average or above average weaning weight. This is what makes a commercial cow herd viable and gives the commercial beef farmer confidence in registered Hereford breeding programmes.

A new platinum benchmark dam was added to the roll of honour in 2020. Glenbrae Anna 1025 from the Central Hawke’s Bay-based stud of the Taylor family, receives the award for having three different daughters all reaching Benchmark status.In the Gold Benchmark category congratulations go to Brian and Penny Coutts for breeding their first Gold dam with Wyborn Alice 5-1009. Other breeders to achieve Gold Benchmark Dams were Craigmore with four, Koanui and Orari Gorge with two each and Capethorne with one.

Congratulations to all recipients in the 2020 Boehringer Ingelheim NZ Hereford Benchmark Awards.

THE 2020 BENCHMARK ANIMAL QUALIFYING CRITERIA IS AS FOLLOWS:

BENCHMARK DAMS

1. First calf before three years and one month of age.
2. Average calving interval of 391 for first three calves, 382 for first four calves, 378 for first five calves and 375 for first six calves.
3. Maternal value in top 10% of Trans-Tasman Hereford analysis.
4. Calves must be reared by own dam, have a 200 day weight entered and dam must have a registered calf born no more than two years prior to current group run cutoff.
5. Calving Ease direct in top 85% of Trans-Tasman Hereford analysis.
6. In the top 20% of Trans-Tasman Hereford analysis for Export/Maternal and Hereford Prime/Maternal Selection Indexes

PLATINUM DAMS

The dam of three Benchmark dams. Can be any combination of gold, silver or standard.

GOLD BENCHMARK DAMS

1. Seven or more calves with calving interval averaging no more than 373 days.
2. Other criteria as for Benchmark Dams.

SILVER BENCHMARK DAMS

1. First calf before two years and two months.
2. Other criteria as for Benchmark Dams

BENCHMARK SIRES

Sires having produced three or more Benchmark Dams.

BENCHMARK DAM BREEDERS

Breeders of five or more Benchmark Dams.Please note due to the current Benchmark dam EBVs and calving records taken from the January EBV group run, some young cows with calves already registered for 2019 will be awarded this year, while others without 2019 calves registered by January will not be recognised until next year.