On The Land
20 August, 2023
Great prospects for Cherie
NO stranger to success, Cherie Davis, of Green Valley Illawarra and Jersey studs, Millaa Millaa has come a long way since helping her father lead dairy cattle in the show ring when she was just three years old.
Purchasing the top priced animal at the prestigious All Breeds Sale of the Century at the 2016 Malanda Centenary Show as well as winning Most Successful Dairy Exhibitor at the 2016 Cairns Show have been some of her accolades to date.
She was just 18 years old when she was the winning bidder for a two-and-a-half-year-old Illawarra heifer, Jondene Lorna 184, bred by F S Johnston and Sons, Imbil, Gympie, which she purchased for $7000.
Steeped in dairying history, her family’s Prospect stud has been breeding purebred stud Illawarra cattle for 113 years this year.
It has been 100 years since the first Prospect cow was registered.
The Davis name is synonymous with the breeding of high quality dairy cattle which are ideally suited to the Atherton Tablelands.
The original farm is one of the very few in the district which is still being actively farmed by the descendants of the original selector.
In 1910, when Cherie’s great-grandfather Henry Davis selected land that was opened for settlement around what later became the Millaa Millaa district, little did he realise the enduring power of the farm he was about to create.
He commenced milking a dairy herd in 1916.
Following her great-grandfather’s tradition of breeding quality stud dairy cattle, fourth generation dairy farmer, Cherie established her own Illawarra stud on his original farm at a very young age.
She has achieved great success with the breeding of her stud dairy cattle.
“It was a Prospect cow that won the championship ribbon at the first Millaa Millaa Show in 1919,” Cherie said.
“My family’s Prospect stud dairy cattle were shown with success at every Millaa Millaa Show until the last one was held in 1972.
“Prospect cattle have also been shown at every Malanda Show.”
Following in her grandfather’s footsteps, she showed stud dairy cattle at the Atherton Show when the stud dairy section was still in existence.
“My grandfather, Edward Cecil ‘Cec’ Davis, also showed dairy cattle at Atherton,” Cherie said.
A regular exhibitor at both Malanda and Cairns Shows, she also exhibits the younger progeny which she breeds at All Breeds Calf Days.
Having always shown a strong interest in cattle ever since she was only five years old, Cherie has always been inseparable from her father whenever he did cattle work.
She was 10 when she first started showing cattle by herself at the Malanda Show in 2008.
A trailblazer in her own right, not content with just showing her own cattle she acquired her own brand, CFK, when only just 11 years of age.
Going from strength to strength, she then purchased her first cattle when just 12.
The first foundation cow that she purchased was from an Illawarra Classification Sale in New South Wales.
Cherie was the successful bidder for Clarefield Weapon Primrose 2714th which was bred by D & A Moxey, Rollands Plains in New South Wales.
This cow was of impeccable breeding having Lemon Grove, Venvale, Allanvale, Meadow Haven and Alfnol bloodlines in her pedigree.
With another party bidding on her behalf, Cherie was able to secure her at the auction, a remarkable feat for a 12-year-old, considering the ferocity of bidding that can occur at auctions.
Primrose then became the foundation cow of Cherie’s Green Valley stud which she officially registered when still only just 12.
She then went on to purchase the top priced animal at the prestigious All Breeds Sale of the Century at the 2016 Malanda Centenary Show when she was only 18.
“My father, Robert, has been my main inspiration and mentor,” Cherie said.
Her Uncle Cecil, who is her father’s brother, and her brother Ricky have been valued mentors to her as well.
She breeds her purebred stud Illawarra and Jersey cattle through the use of artificial insemination (AI) and by natural mating, using bulls with elite genetics which she selects.
Her most recent achievement has been the establishment of a new stud “Green Valley” Jerseys in December last year.
“I have always liked Jerseys so I am looking forward to working with this breed as well,” she said.
She was successful with winning both Champion Intermediate Jersey at this year’s Cairns Show, with Waragumba Oliver P Sweetheart and Reserve Champion with Waragumba Charbull Melys 2.
With her own performance being as impressive as her cattle, Cherie plans to keep on showing her purebred stud dairy cattle well into the future and aims to one day show at the Brisbane Royal Show.
