A namibian cow on Monday earned first place at the 2025 Simbrah – Champion of the World competition organised by international cattle judge PJ Budler.
Falbala the Simbrah cow secured the gold medal with eight points, outperforming international competitors from Colombia and Mexico, which took the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
She stood out for her adaptability, balanced growth, good meat and overall suitability for breeding and production.
Dagmar Wilckens of Ondeka Simbrahs says Falbala was named after a character in the comic series ‘Asterix and Obelix’ – a beautiful woman Obelix has always dreamed of, but could never get.
“We are very proud of it, because this shows we are on the right track or that we breed quality cattle in Namibia. It’s not only for us, it’s also for the bull quality cattle we have in this concrete breed that this is the answer for high standards in Namibia,” she says.
Wilckens says the achievement is among the highest honours in cattle breeding.
It reinforces confidence in Namibian cattle breeding and serves as motivation to continue improving quality and maintaining high standards in the industry, she says.
“Only animals that have already won championships are eligible to enter the world competition. Our cow qualified after being crowned breed champion at the Windhoek Showgrounds,” she says.
Another Namibian Simbrah, a bull named Rumba Kelloggs, won the 2025 Champion of the World title award at the same competition, beating the Mexican and South African bulls which took second and third place.
Hardus Breedt, who runs Rumba Boerdery, describes the achievement as a milestone for Namibia’s cattle industry.
“We are a small country and we are very excited. A bull like that puts us on the world map for cattle breeding,” he says.
Breedt says the success was due to the collective effort of the Breedt family.
“We are so small. Other countries had a lot of support even from their government. Here you are on your own, which is why I say I put my trust in the Lord,” he says.
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