A Rose by Any Other Name…

They say there is nothing like the sweet smell of success, even for a late bloomer. Thrulane James Rose always showed potential, a glimmer of greatness, that kept Pierre Boulet walking back to her pen to inspect her once again.

Although Rose had never been shown, Boulet, who owns and operates Ferme Pierre Boulet of Montmagny, Quebec, suspected the cow had stars in her future.

So he purchased her in 2005 as a three-year-old from London Dairies, which had recently acquired her from her breeder, Thrulane Holsteins of Ontario.

Boulet’s hunch proved correct in 2006 when Rose walked away with Supreme Championship honors at Canada’s Royal Agricultural Winter Fair and again at the Expo Internationale Holstein Québec & Confrontation de L’Est.

But something kept gnawing at Boulet. Would Rose ever have the chance to compete at World Dairy Expo? Could she stand among North America’s best dairy cows?

His answer came in 2008, when the U.S.-Canadian border closure was finally lifted and Canadian cattle could once again make the journey to Madison.

The trip meant 30 hours on the trailer, and the ordeal took its toll on Rose. Expo visitors, excited to see the 97-point cow and her 97-point herdmate, Bruynland Storm Kendra, standing side by side in Boulet’s string, wondered how Rose would fare in the show ring when they noticed an IV and a veterinarian treating her early in the week. By show day, however, she was fully recuperated and ready for the bright lights and the stiff competition.

The judges could see what Boulet had seen, and they named Rose grand champion cow of the International Holstein show.

Boulet could feel the momentum building. But he also knew that for Supreme Champion, Rose would face Snickerdoodle, a celebrated champion that had won the award herself in 2003.

As Rose walked out in the spotlight that afternoon, Boulet held his breath as he awaited the judges’ decision. “Just thinking of that moment still gives me shivers,” he recalls.

To many in the crowd, the Supreme Champion award bestowed upon Rose that day was a given. She was at the top of her game. She possessed “gravity,” the presence of all champions when they’re about to walk away with it all. She had risen to the top of more than 2,600 head of cattle shown that week, representing nearly 900 breeding programs from 37 states and seven Canadian provinces.

“It was really quite emotional,” Boulet says. “There is of course the pride of being able to work with such an amazing animal. At the same time, it was a win not only for the cow, but also for everyone who surrounds us—our customers, employees, family. All of these people have supported and encouraged us, and given so much for us to be able to reach this level.”

Rose’s greatest quality remains what motivated Boulet to purchase her in the first place. She is an unassuming champion, a quiet cow with a gentle nature, unaccustomed to all the pampering and attention that comes with the territory.

“One of the amazing things about Rose is that she is such an easy cow to take care of. After her win in 2006 as Supreme Champion at the Royal, she was tied in a stall like all the others and did great,” Boulet says.

“Having Rose on the farm has attracted visitors and given us the opportunity to present the whole herd to them,” he adds.

Boulet plans to return Rose to the show ring in 2010. In the meantime, she’s producing embryos for customers around the world.

Rose has become the crowning achievement for a dairy operation that has achieved much greatness in the last decade: Since 1993, Boulet has produced 98 All-Canadian and All-American nominees, making him one of the world’s elite dairymen.

“So far her descendants haven’t been in the show ring, but we really have a lot of faith in her progeny to make the ‘show type,’” Boulet says. “Rose is beautifully transmitting all of her outstanding qualities to her progeny, and although none of them have calved yet, they are like her: real dairy, well-balanced heifers.” WDE