Reflector son Ranger was bred by Willem Booij and Wendie Ottens of Double W Holsteins in Benneveld, out of Snowfever daughter Double W Ricky 8. He received his first genomic breeding value in April 2017 and was immediately widely used. He became the most popular bull in both the Netherlands and Flanders during the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 financial years.
End of era for Double W Ranger
Double W Ranger, the most influential Holstein bull in the Netherlands and Flanders over the past decade, was taken out of service today. Ranger was eight years and nine months old.
Already popular as a genomic bull
High components, strength and legs
Ranger owes his popularity tohis ability to pass on high milk components, strength, and exceptional leg quality. His high breeding values for milking speed and temperament, as well as his aAa code 531, also contributed to the strong demand for his semen. With current breeding values of 206 Euros Inet and 113 total type, the almost nine-year-old bull can still compete with younger bulls.
Most popular bull for five consecutive years
Interest in Ranger grew further when farmers started milking his daughters. For five consecutive years, he was the leading bull in the AI rankings in the Netherlands, and to this day, cows are still being inseminated with Ranger's semen. Currently, around 10,000 Flemish and 80,000 Dutch daughters are registered in the herdbook. Ranger’s current production breeding value is based on over 50,000 daughters across 6,630 farms.
Influential in breeding programs
Ranger also had a major impact on CRV’s breeding program, both as a sire and as a maternal grandsire. In the 2022-2023 financial year, his sons Willem’s-Hoeve Woody and Delta Abundant P, and grandsons Delta Perfect and Weinterper Zodiac, were among the 20 most-used bulls. Now, even his great-grandsons, such as Delta Glory and Delta Keystone, are included in the bull portfolio.
Semen of Ranger is still available, and he remains part of the CRV bull line-up.