ABS: Icon DIE-HARD put to rest

CONTACT: Brenda Gilbertson

(608)846-1491

brenda.gilbertson@absglobal.com

DEFOREST, WISCONSIN — ABS Global sire 29H8538 RBK DIE-HARD-ET was put to rest today.

“DIE-HARD is a global favorite-providing high customer satisfaction and legendary genetics for a continuous number of years,” stated Scott Bentley, ABS Global Dairy Product Manager. “At over 16-years-old, it is evident that DIE-HARD has lived up to his namesake and transmits this attribute by creating profitable, long life cows.”

A Roebuck son, DIE-HARD is from the Snow-N-Denises Dellia EX-95 family. Since graduating to the ABS active lineup in August 1999, DIE-HARD reached several milestones including one million units of semen in 2006 and 1.5 million units in 2008. His official lifetime production through March 2011 is 1,753,611 acceptable frozen units, which includes ABS Sexation(r) sorted semen. This acclaims him as the all-time leader of frozen semen production.

“I have always compared DIE-HARD to the baseball great Nolan Ryan,” shared Mike Karls, Barn Supervisor at ABS Global. “DIE-HARD had a long career of great genetics, successful production and good health with no injuries. This consistency allowed him physical longevity second to none which allowed him to compete with the young guys, always holding his own mark.”

DIE-HARD’s daughters excel in any environment. An ABS DURAbull and Calving Ease sire, DIE-HARD creates daughters that are known for their outstanding consistency and functional udders. He is a health and fitness trait leader at +2.5 Daughter Pregnancy Rate and +3.5 Productive Life.

“DIE-HARD’s impact is evident throughout the Holstein breed and has been an important sire of sons for us at ABS Global,” Ryan Starkenburg, Sire Selection Manager commented. “We have sampled fifty-two sons and thirty-six are still awaiting proofs. He is the definition of the ABS DURAbull brand and DIE-HARD will also contribute as a maternal grandsire of sons through his ability to transmit exceptional daughter fertility and trouble-free cows with incredibly strong udder attachments.”

Headquartered in DeForest, Wisconsin, ABS Global is the world-leading provider of bovine genetics, reproduction services, technologies and uddercare products. Marketing in more than 80 countries around the globe, ABS has been at the forefront of animal genetics and technology since its founding in 1941. ABS Global is a division of Genus plc.