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The Secret To Australia's Best Cow? It's All About Her Ass And Her Class

And 40 litres of milk a day.
Bony ribs are desirable. Farmers even oil the ribs to accentuate them to the judges.
Royal Agricultural Society of NSW intern Michelle Baylis.
Bony ribs are desirable. Farmers even oil the ribs to accentuate them to the judges.

Suzette is a cow, but not just any cow. In fact, this handsome Holstein just effectively won the title of Australia's best cow for the second year running.

The actual title Suzette won was "Supreme Champion Dairy Female" at the 2017 Sydney Royal Easter Show. Since she was up against cows from all over Australia, and since there's no stronger competition, that unofficially makes her Australia's best.

But what makes Suzette so special?

The Huffington Post Australia put that question to her owner Justin Walsh. His answer: In not so many words, he told us it's all about her ass and her class.

"So basically, she's been judged on her confirmation or bone structure. The idea is that that the winning cow most closely resembles what you'd call an ideal cow."

RAS Intern Michelle Baylis.

And an ideal cow would be?

"She walks in a particular way and her rump is a particular structure. The idea is you want cows that are going to be productive and efficient in a commercial sense."

So the rump is the "ass" part of the equation. And the class, as Walsh explained, is all about the way Suzette handles herself.

"She's a particularly easygoing cow with a very calm personality. Everyone likes working with her. She's very ladylike.

"She's got what's called the 'showcow' attitude. She knows she's the centre of attention."

Suzette is six-years-old. Her full name is "Avonlea Fever Suzette", a name which gives a nod to the property where she was born (Avonlea), her dad (Fever), and her mum, whose name also started with the letter S.

RAS Intern Michelle Baylis.

Walsh's property is at Jaspers Brush, which as anyone who's ever driven from Sydney to the south coast of NSW will know, is prime dairying country just north of Nowra.

Suzette has her own paddock and her own special feed mix. "She sort of gets special treatment every day of the year," Walsh said.

While most people who visit the Royal Easter Show go for the rides and the showbags, it's a serious event for people like Justin Walsh.

"[Winning a title like this] builds your brand's reputation," he said.

Will he go for the three-peat in 2018?

"My intitial plans are no, but I'm slowly coming round to it. First I'm going to have a big sleep-in and then my family will all go out for a nice dinner."

We don't think it will surprise you to learn that the Walsh family is planning to go out for seafood rather than a nice rump steak.

These are not Justin Walsh's cows. But they are cows at Jaspers Brush, which gives you an idea of the lush pasture in the area.
David Gray / Reuters
These are not Justin Walsh's cows. But they are cows at Jaspers Brush, which gives you an idea of the lush pasture in the area.

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