PLAIN CITY, Ohio, May 23, 2007 — Select Sires’ lineup leads the industry with 26 sires on Holstein USA’s Top-100 TPI™ list, more than any other A.I. source. 7HO6417 O-Bee MANfred Justice-ET once again tops the list at +2034 TPI-M (99% Rel.) and has now spent four years as the Net Merit king (+$775 NM$ 96% Rel.). He debuted at the top of the Net Merit list in 2003 and maintains that position four years later.

"What O MAN has accomplished is simply unheard of in today’s ever-improving Holstein breed," said Blaine Crosser, vice president of dairy sire product line and sales management for Select Sires. "For a bull to lead the breed in any trait for this amount of time is unprecedented. O MAN has ranked first for Net Merit and first or second for TPI ever since he first debuted on Select’s lineup and now does so with high reliability. It’s an amazing achievement and a testament to Select’s dedication to enhance the productivity and profitability of dairy producers."

In addition to O MAN, 14 other bulls on Select’s lineup score +1700 or better for TPI. New release 7HO8175 Windy-Knoll-View PRONTO-ET is a Herdlife Builder™ and HealthMark™ sire at +1928 TPI (77% Rel.). PRONTO debuts at an impressive +3.20 Type (77% Rel.) and +2.06 Udder Composite. Hailing from the famous Pala family, his dam is Windy-Knoll-View Promis-ET (EX-95-2E-EX-MS-GMD-DOM), the reserve All-American 5-year-old in 2003. PRONTO has two full-sisters classified Excellent, one of which was named reserve grand champion at the 2007 New York Spring National Show. He excels in health traits at +5.1 Productive Life (53% Rel.) and +2.0 Daughter Pregnancy Rate (50% Rel.).

Also an exciting new graduate, 7HO7615 Solid-Gold COLBY-ET is No. 25 in the Top-100 TPI list. Sired by Comestar Outside-ET, he stands third among Select’s lineup for PL (+5.6 57% Rel.) and second for DPR (+2.8 58% Rel.). He increases profits at +$420 Net Merit Dollars (78% Rel.) and produces stylish daughters at +2.21 Type and +2.61 Udder Composite.

HealthMark sires 7HO7602 Mainstream Mt MAVEN and 9HO2575 Peckenstein Form BRET-ET*CV are total performance improvers. At +1743 TPI (87% Rel.), MAVEN is a protein specialist at +45 Protein (89% Rel.). He improves the bottom line at +$426 Net Merit Dollars (79% Rel.) and fills the bulk tank at +1,669 Milk. BRET (+1736 TPI-M 98% Rel.) ranks first in the breed for Somatic Cell Score (2.46 98% Rel.) and tops Select’s lineup for DPR (+3.2 95% Rel.). He also transmits longevity with an impressive +5.5 PL (90% Rel.).

Available on the gender SELECTed™ lineup, TPI superstar 7HO7482 Jafral Marsh BINKY-ET (+1730 TPI 84% Rel.) is calving ease at 6% CE (70% Rel.). BINKY transmits high-quality milk and protein production (+1,377 Milk +45 Protein 85% Rel.) while maintaining solid type (+2.16 Type).

7HO6782 Ocean-View ZENITH-TW-ET improves total performance at +1724 TPI-M (98% Rel.). ZENITH is a Superior Settler™ and HealthMark sire with excellent health traits (2.60 SCS 97% Rel. +1.8 DPR 94% Rel. +3.6 PL 94% Rel.). He yields positive components (+.04% Protein +.09% Fat 99% Rel.) and is calving ease at 7% CE (99% Rel.).

Other TPI specialists on Select’s lineup include 182HO135 ROTHENEUF (+1715 TPI-M 71% Rel.), 7HO6168 Bay-Bob AMATEUR-ET (+1711 TPI-M 97% Rel.), 7HO7264 Raggi Mtoto MAN-ET (+1710 TPI 78% Rel.), 7HO7452 FRITZland CJ Abe-ET (+1709 TPI 86% Rel.), 7HO6838 Barbi-Lyn M MATCHES-ET (+1707 TPI 84% Rel.), new release 7HO7838 GLEN-Valley BW Captain-ET (+1705 TPI 81% Rel.), new release 7HO7858 Rauscher Mars 999-GRAND-ET (+1703 TPI 79% Rel.), and 7HO7359 Jenny-LOU Marshall P149-ET (+1700 TPI 88% Rel.).

Based in Plain City, Ohio, Select Sires Inc., is North America’s largest A.I. organization and is comprised of 10 farmer-owned and -controlled cooperatives. As the industry leader, it provides highly fertile semen as well as excellence in service and programs to achieve its basic objective of supplying dairy and beef producers with North America’s best genetics at a reasonable price.

™TPI is a trademark of Holstein Association USA.
™Herdlife Builder, HealthMark, Superior Settler and Super Sampler are trademarks of Select Sires Inc.

Source: 5/07 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Interbull and Holstein Association USA.