A NOTED UK dairy breeding enthusiast is reaping the rewards of 10 years investment in the Canadian-based Fleur-De-Lys genetics with progeny from the Jersey bull, FDL Barcelona, taking the top awards at a major show in Wales.

In 2007, Bruce Jobson, former marketing consultant to Drew Sloan, founder of Ayrshire-based Semex UK, established the Quebec-based Fleur-De-Lys syndicate, and last month he added another notch to his belt, with further show ring success at the Jersey Dragonfest in St Clears, Wales.

Champion and reserve calf honours were presented to Glanmor Jerseys' Glanmor Barcelona Lexi and Glanmor Barcelona Firestick, respectively, while Rhys and Ffiona Jones of Salfach Jerseys were awarded a red ticket for their summer calf, Salfach Barcelona Pikachu.

FDL Barcelona is the four times No 1 available genomic LPI sire and is marketed by Semex Alliance on a global-basis. In the April 2018 Canadian evaluation-run, FDL Barcelona heifers took first and second places on gLPI listing as well as first and second place on the Pro-dollar index in the under nine-month-old categories.

Furthermore, the bull had three of the top nine places on gLPI and three of the top eight places on Pro-dollar index. Meanwhile Barcelona’s dam, FDL Premier Belle VG87 listed in top 10 LPI cow listing for the eighth consecutive evaluation-run.

In July 2018, FDL Barcelona achieved a 'double-whammy' milestone by being officially recognised as having the highest number of progeny registered by a gLPI sire with breed society Jersey Canada over the past 12 months. The bull achieved his second milestone achievement by having his first 300 progeny listed on the Canadian Dairy Network website.