Tarnhowe Jerseys – A family passion Breeding the Jersey Cow
Tarnhowe Jerseys was founded in 1937 by my great-grandparents Birkett and Lillian Mossop. Based in Papamoa, my great grandparents, along with their four children Bob, Tony, Norma and Brenda, bred a herd that not only looked good but did the work in the shed too. This was the start of a lifelong passion for the golden Jersey, that has run through five generations of the Mossop and Harris families and still exists today through my children and me.
Tarnhowe was taken over by my great Uncle Tony. Tony was an outstanding studman, classifier and judge. Upon one of his classifying tours in the north, he became infatuated with a cow that would set up the Jersey breed in New Zealand. This cow of course is none other than the Crowned Cow of the Century and recent JerseyNZ Hall of Fame inductee Kevilor Sameen. Tony used a son out of this amazing breeding cow, and he never looked back.
It was this son, Big Hollow Blue Sam that produced the solid foundation of the Tarnhowe herd and major base of the Jersey cow, even today. This shows through the Crowned Sire of the Century Glanton Red Dante as his Paternal Grand sire is Tarnhowe Red Jester, the famous son out of Tarnhowe Blue Lady. There were many Big Hollow Blue Sam daughters that shone in the herd such as Tarnhowe Blue Chenille, Tarnhowe Blue Finch and Tarnhowe Blue Treasure, who were all show champions along with many others that were bred at Tarnhowe.
Tarnhowe had successful annual sales. Due to this success, a permanent sales pavilion was built to accommodate all of the buyers and spectators. The pavilion still stands today and is a reminder of the legacy that was the Tarnhowe herd.
Due to Uncle Tony’s failing health, Tarnhowe was dispersed on 4 April 1972 and what an event it was, breaking several records for the time. With over 1000 people in attendance and many buyers from Australia, it was quite a grand affair. The sale pavilion was packed to the rafters with buyers and paddocks full of cars. Animals were sold to all parts of the country and a record of 20 head to Australia, which was the greatest amount for export from the same sale at the time. The top price was Tarnhowe Golden Locket for $3,400, which roughly equates to $25,000 today. This was a record for New Zealand at the time and she was brought by an Australian syndicate. The highest priced animal that stayed in New Zealand was Tarnhowe Merry Samatha purchased for $3,000 by Don Ferguson, Ferdon Genetics. The record for the highest priced yearling Jersey heifer was also set that day with Tarnhowe Gold Chenelle for $1,250. She was also sold to Australia. Tony himself purchased a few selected animals from this sale and with these few Tarnhowe cows, moved to Kerikeri for the remainder of his farming life.
After his health failed once more, the remaining Tarnhowe cows were then joined into the Maxwelton herd owned by my grandparents Ian and Norma Harris at Whareora, Whangarei. Both Ian and Norma showed a great commitment for the Jersey cow throughout their lifetimes. Ian was the President of Jersey New Zealand in the late 1980s and was a councillor for the World Jersey Cattle Bureau. Ian was not only a good dairyman, but he was also an outstanding businessman. It was his love and commitment for the Jersey Cow and his drive to make her sustainable for the next generation has led to the development of the Ian Harris Memorial Heifer Competition by the JerseyNZ Youth Council. Norma, like her brother Tony, was a great judge and stud woman and had an amazing memory when it came to cow pedigrees. In 2002, she was awarded a Distinguished Members Award for her contribution to the Jersey breed. Naturally, the passion was carried through into their children Peter, Bruce, Rod and Bronwyn who were all involved in the family farm at one point or another.
This led to Tarnhowe being passed onto the next generation, my parents Peter and Belinda. After a few years my brother Nicholas and I also became involved. The passion for breeding never faltered and the drive to breed type and production continued. Peter was a keen classifier for many years and enjoyed the opportunity to look at fellow breeders’ cows. Peter and Belinda also enjoyed spending time as a family at the shows and were always encouraging young people to get involved. After 30 years of being on the same farm, Peter and Belinda moved a selected herd to Ruawai. The cows continued to flourish on the Ruawai flats until just prior to Peters death in early 2018.
Throughout the years there have been many great cow families developed in the herd, too many to mention, so many great cows that I never know where to start.
In more recent years there was a standout family, the Gypsy family. The Matriarch cow Maxwelton JAK Gypsy, breed many daughters and left a line of cows that did well in the show ring and doing the work in the shed too. Possibly her most impressive daughter was Tarnhowe Hart Gypsy; and great granddaughter Tarnhowe Pats Gipsygirl still leaving their mark today. This strong bloodline is a credit to the love and passion that the Mossop and Harris families have shown for the breed. This love continues through even to my job today as the Membership Services Administrator for JerseyNZ, Ayrshire New Zealand and NZ Milking Shorthorn.
Written by Alayna Judge