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Winners of the 2008 International Young Jersey Breeder Educational Travel Award (JETA)
The President and Council of the World Jersey Cattle Bureau are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2008 Jersey
Educational Travel Award (JETA) which sponsors five young farmers to attend the 18th International Conference of the
WJCB in the Island of Jersey in May 2008.
Outstanding applications were received from each of the five regions of the Bureau; North America, Latin America, Europe,
Africa and Oceania. Johannes Van Eden, President of the WJCB, said It was very difficult choosing the final five as there
were so many excellent candidates, the Jersey cow can look forward to a fantastic future with young people of this quality
driving the breed forward. One winner is selected from each region and they are:
Robin Denniston-Keller, from New York State, USA in the North American region. Robin, with her husband Kip,
have developed Den-Kel Jerseys milking 80 cows averaging 20,440 pounds of milk (9,271 litres) and have 20 home bred
bulls on test with A.I. organisations. Robin is a past President of the New York Jersey Cattle Club and currently Vice
President of the Genesee County of the New York Farm Bureau.
Ruben Dario Galvis Goez, from the Antioquia, Colombia in the Latin American region. Ruben established his El
Tambo herd of Jerseys after graduating from university and now produces award winning cheese that is distributed through
supermarkets in the city of Medellin. In addition to running the farm, Ruben also lectures university students on
metabolism, animal feeding and milk production.
Henrik Dalgaard Christensen, from Denmark in the European region. Henrik has developed the Fuglsang herd of
Jerseys, currently milking 425 cows and expanding to 600 cows. The herd averages 7,300 kilos of milk with combined
fat and protein of 706 kilos. Henrik is President of the Farmers Union in Vesthimmerland and is a past member of the
Danish Jersey Cattle Association Council.
Wikus van der Merwe, from the Republic of South Africa in the African region. Wikus is due to complete his degree
in Animal and Pasture Science at the University of Pretoria this year and currently works for Jersey South Africa as a
part time classifier and technical advisor during university holidays.
Lyna Beehre, from Northland, New Zealand in the Oceania region. Lyna, together with her husband Luke, own Okura
Jerseys, winners of the Jersey Cow of the North Competition on three occasions. The herd has lifted production from
55,000 kgs/MS to 92,000 kgs/MS per hectare and has sold 100 bulls into A.I. testing over the last five years.
The five JETA winners will be presenting a paper at the 18th International Conference of the WJCB on their Jerseys at
home, visiting herds in the Island of Jersey, making new friends in the international Jersey world. The Conference takes
place on the Island of Jersey from May 18th - 25th 2008.
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