Every single necessary element came together perfectly on November 11th in Toronto, Ontario to make for a highly memorable National Jersey Show at the venerable Royal Agricultural Winter Fair!

Numbers spiked upward dramatically with a 20% increase in number of animals shown over 2003! With young live animals staying in Canada at present quality of the show astounded even veteran observers. Those who have seen decades worth of "Royal" shows could not recollect a National Show with classers any stronger than the 2004 rendition! A "sold right out" ringside watched in wonder as class after class of heifers or great-uddered milking females competed for those highly sought after red ribbons!

While a series of releases will be necessary to encompass all of the Jersey highlights from this year's RAWF, this initial effort will identify the major award winners.

In November 2002 JIF LITTLE MINNIE Ex- 95%-4E had convincingly won her first RAWF National Jersey Show Championship for her elated owners Marcel Choiniere and family of Select Jerseys, St. Alphonse-de-Granby, Quebec and Marcellin Scott and family of Ferme Scottiere, St. Paul de Abbotsford, Quebec. In 2004 Minnie was back in top form as the oldest Jersey on display at the RAWF. (She will be nine years old just before Christmas this year.) She powered her way to the top of a potent mature cow class, the show's Senior Championship and then captured the overall Grand Championship and Reserve Best Udder of Show awards. Minnie who is sired by Jessies Imperial Fillpail, an Ohio-bred sire, was bred by the partnership of Myers Jersey Farm and Lynn Yocom, of Troy, Ohio.

Joining her in the ultimate winners' circle was the graceful PREMONITION GRACE Ex-95%- 2E. Grace was exhibited by Bridon Farms Inc. of Brant County in Western Ontario. This winning five year old added the tiles of Reserve Senior Champion, and Best Udder of Show to her Reserve Grand Champion Female honours. Grace is sired by Bridon Premonition, a sire bred and proven at Bridon Farms. She was bred by Michael H. Rider of Rider Jersey Farm, Upton, Kentucky.

A daughter of well-known sire Hollylane Renaissance filled the Honourable Mention Senior Champion slot for Hollylane Jerseys, Corbyville, Ontario. FRANKEN RENAISSANCE ROBIN EX-93% was bred by the Koeppe Family of Franken Farms Ltd., Jerseyville, Ontario and has lactations to over 11,000 kgs of milk, 550 kgs of fat and 430 kgs of protein.

A junior three year old named WINDCROFT FUROR MOCHA VG-88% scored another major victory in an already successful career by topping a strong class and then being tabbed for Intermediate Champion honours. Mocha was bred by Brian and Cheryl Dickson and family of Windcroft Farms, at Joyceville, in Eastern Ontario. She is now owned by the four member partnership of Ed McMorrow, B.Steinberger, G Hoegger and Hollylane Jerseys and is housed at Hollylane's Corbyville, Ontario farm. Mocha is a daughter of Alta Genetics sire Piedmont Nadine Furor and her dam is sired by the afore-mentioned Hollylane Renaissance and was bred at Holmhurst Farm in Quebec's Eastern Townships.

Right beside Mocha in the hunt for the Intermediate Championship was the eventual Reserve Champion GEORDAWN JADE CARALOT VG-88% the first prize senior two year old and a second time class winner at the RAWF. Caralot is sired by Giprat Belle's Jade, who is marketed by Rapid Bay Jerseys of Ormstown, Quebec. Her dam is yet another daughter of Hollylane Renaissance. The breeders and owners of Caralot are the Van Kampen family of Geordawn Farm, Orangeville, Ontario; the Walker family of Walkerbrae Farm, Guelph, Ontario and Rapid Bay Jersey Farm, Ormstown, Quebec.

A daughter of Rapid Bay Just Wait, also bred by and marketed by Rapid Bay Jersey Farm from a daughter of Semex Alliance sire Curtsey Duncan Jude-ET was second senior two year old behind Caralot and earned Honourable Mention Intermediate Champion honours. SELECT JW BABYGOLD-ET, was bred by Marcel Choiniere of Select Jerseys in Quebec and is now owned by the combination of the Forand-Choiniere family and the Deaver family of Fallen Leaf Jerseys. Houston, Missouri, USA.

PAULLOR JUST WAIT JETE, a seemingly unbeatable April 2003 heifer by Rapid Bay Just Wait wowed the crowds by winning a competitive junior yearling class and then garnering the Junior Championship crown in a large and excellent heifer show. Jete's dam is sired by ABS Global sire Rock Ella Remake. The Champ was bred by Paul and Lorraine Franken, Paullor Jerseys, Clinton, Ontario and Mike Sleegers, Sleegerholm Farm, Belmont, Ontario.

A pair of impressive intermediate yearlings followed in the Reserve Junior and Honourable Mention positions. CHARLYN FUROR BUTTERCUP was bred by Ken and Karen Kingdon of Charlyn Jerseys, Forest, Ontario and exhbited by the partnership of Charlyn Jerseys and Randy Doan, Goldoan Jerseys, Aylmer, Ontario. Buttercup is a daughter of Alta Genetics sire Piedmont Nadine Furor and is from a daughter of Semex sire Valleystream DPM Maxim bred by Gord and Anne Striker of Frankford, Ontario.

The Honourable Mention Junior Championship position was filled for the second time in a row by Favreautiere Furor Ginie, also a daughter of Piedmont Nadine Furor from a dam by Semex sire Meadow Lawn Beacon Ray. The dam was bred by Pierre Janecek of Quebec. Ferme Favreau et Fils Inc., Ste-Christine, Quebec are the proud breeders and owners of this successful animal!

Premier Breeder of the 2004 National Jersey show was Rapid Bay Jersey Farm of Ormstown, Quebec. Hollylane Jerseys of Corbyville, Ontario claimed the Premier Exhibitor award. Rapid Bay was runner-up for the Exhibitor Banner with Hollylane second in the Breeder race.

The 220 head of "topdrawer" Jerseys were evaluated by judge Dean Sayles, Sr. a Jersey Canada Master Breeder Award recipient from Spruce Avenue Farms, Paris, Ontario. Sayles was lauded for his calm and dignified manner and his well thought out placings.