Ruby defies hard odds

In December 2024, as she was getting ready for IDW 2025, she suffered a catastrophic injury, and broke her topline.

Neville said she only had a 10 per cent chance of making it, but it was a chance he was ready and willing to take.

“We were always going to take that chance and lucky for us, Ruby has a lot of mongrel in her and a strong will to live,” Neville said.

Neville said when the accident happened he called in the vet and a top horse physio who both gave Ruby the terrible prognosis.

“We loaded her up in the trailer to bring her home (which took four hours), and we faced her toward the gate, thinking that when we got her home she would have to be lifted off with the tractor, but to our surprise, she managed to struggle up and walk off,” Neville said.

What followed was months and months of hard work and physio to rehabilitate Ruby.

“Lucky I am retired and only have a few cows to work with, so we could devote as much time to Ruby as she needed.”

Neville said rather than put Ruby in a shed where they were worried she could injure herself further, they put her out in a paddock with plenty of shade, sponging her down when it was hot to keep her cool.

It took seven months for Ruby to be able to walk and for 13 months she was milked once a day.

Neville would walk her every day, sometimes four times a day, in short bursts, which included walking her backwards to get her muscles going.

“It might be old-fashioned thinking to walk her backwards, but it worked,” Neville said.

He was expecting to have to lift Ruby up, but she did the opposite, she put her weight on her crook leg and would struggle up herself.

It wasn’t until six to eight months after the accident that Neville finally thought she was going to be okay.

He never expected her to pick up and make it to IDW, let alone win, specially since she had her last calf in 2024 and was milked once a day for 13 months.

“Her surviving, making it to IDW and winning champion cow goes against all the rules and is credit to her will to live.

“I have seen other cows with a similar injury before, and they have given up and are stuffed,” Neville said.

“Ruby is definitely different and a one-in-a-million. She is likely to give a kick or rush you if she is unsure or unfamiliar, but she is tough and loves her food.

“She has a big muzzle and will eat all day.”

Neville said showing a good cow was not just about presentation, it was about knowing what goes on inside as well.

He attributes Ruby’s success to Darby Norriss who has been instrumental in getting her feed ration right, along with the team of fitters and handlers.

“It really has been a team effort to get Ruby here, I can’t take all the credit.”

Ruby is no stranger to winning, she was champion cow in 2024.

Ruby’s win this year is the seventh win for Neville and his fifth in a row having taken out the top Guernsey gong in the late 1990s and consecutively since 2022.

At 80 years young, Neville has a long history in the dairy industry, having started farming in Stanhope in northern Victoria and moving to Bacchus Marsh 18 years ago.

“We originally started with Holsteins, and in the 1960s, my father, brother and I bought some Guernseys into the herd.

“At the time, we had a fresh milk contract for Melbourne, but we had a low butterfat test — we bought the Guernseys into beef up the test.”

Neville said Ruby traced back to some of the families early Guernsey lines.

“Ruby is super dairy and as good a cow as you will ever see. She has great dairy quality and a marvellous udder, and she has never been beaten in the dairy ring.”

Neville might only milk three cows in his retirement, but over the next month, he is expecting nine embryos from Ruby to hit the ground.

And there are plans afoot for another flush when she gets home from IDW.

He is not sure if she will be able to hold a pregnancy so they are putting in the work to ensure her line continues in the future.

Other breeders have expressed an interest in the soon-to-be-born calves.

Ruby is currently the highest classified living Guernsey in Australia at Excellent 93.

Neville said over the years he had shown big teams and little teams — this year just 1.5 cows (he is in a share with another) and has had plenty of success, but Ruby’s 2026 win trumps them all.

“I got a bigger kick out of her winning, as it was such a long and drawn out effort, and I really didn’t think she would make it here.”

Neville also added his grandson led intermediate champion Rockmar Tango Delightful and great-granddaughter led junior champion Rockmar Daicos Jackie.

“They are all similar styled cows, and it is so great to have that success as a family,” Neville said.