The gap between the Holstein breed’s number one net merit bull and other sires remains wide. As of February’s net merit sire evaluations, more than 90 points separated O-Bee Manfred Justice’s daughters from the offspring of other bulls in the breed. Since 2003, the bull has remained the highest net merit bull. He is also currently the second-highest TPI bull in the breed.

The bull’s former and current owners agree that O-MAN’s current success can be attributed to his dam’s strength and pedigree.

Click here to download a PDF with O-MAN's pedigree.

Sire analyst Charlie Will says O-MAN was an attractive bull calf, but his mother was just as impressive. A wide, strong, powerful cow, Meier-Meadows El-Jezebel was in overdrive when Will first saw her.

“She was just an awesome individual,” Will says. “She was giving a lot of milk without even stressing herself at all.”

Jezebel’s sire, Emprise Bell ELTON, was an equally important bull for the breed. Will says ELTON is the sire or maternal grandsire of some of the greatest bulls in the Holstein breed today. ELTON’s offspring include DURHAM and MARSHALL.

O-MAN’s former owners, Gaylon, Gary and Steve Obert of Obert Farms in Dakota, Illinois, say Jezebel’s pedigree as a big, strong, easy-milking-type cow easily persuaded them to buy her at the Illinois State Sale at 3 months old.

“Any 4-H group would have picked her. It was that clear-cut,” Obert says. “We are very fortunate to have had her.”

While O-MAN’s sons are currently in progeny testing, Will says it’s possible, even probable, one of his sons could eventually surpass him.

“At a time in the industry when we’re focusing on survival traits in large commercial herds, where you manage groups of cows, rather than individual cows, O-MAN’s daughters will last longer with less maintenance and be more profitable.”  PD