Although she is no longer alive, the 2,000-lb cow was
announced as the new record holder on June 25.
Blosom, who was named by Guinness as the world's tallest
living cow last August, died on a farm in northern Illinois on May 26, after
holding that record for less than a year.
Guinness World Records said that the 13-year-old female
Holstein will “live on in the record books as the world's tallest cow eve”.
The average weight for a mature Holstein cow is 1,500
pounds and 'top producing Holsteins' have been known to produce more than
72,000-lb of milk in a year when milked three times a day, according to
Holstein Association USA.
“The funny thing about Blosom was how unaffected she was by
all the attention that seemed to surround her”, Blosom's owner, Patty
Meads-Hanson, told Guinness World Records following the news of the animal's
latest record.
“As long as she had her oats, daily chin rubs and ear
scratches, life was good.” she said.
Hanson said she is not sure what was wrong with Blosom, but
had to have her put down after two veterinarians said they could not save her.
On Facebook, at the time of Blosom's passing, Hanson later
wrote that the animal had seemed to have slipped in the mud and damaged a
ligament in her hip causing her to never be able to stand.
Hanson said Blosom was buried in her favorite pasture, with
her head facing east toward the farm.
Hanson, who had Blosom since she was eight weeks old, said
she knew the animal was special when she was a calf.
After learning the cow could not bear a calf, Hanson
decided to keep her as a pet instead of sending Blosom to slaughter, RRStar.com
reported.
Blosom was born to two normal sized cows and was at her
tallest when she was eight years old, Hanson told Guinness World Records.
“Blosom is the pride of the farm,” Hanson said in an
interview last year. “I love to share her with my guests and she loves to greet
them.
Many of my guests come from the city, and to have a cow
officially greet them adds to the ambiance of the farm.”
Hanson said she sought the record after veterinarians, the
cow's foot trimmer and her father constantly noted Blosom's large size.
At the end of May 2014, family and friends began
documenting Blosom's large size through photos and videos. Her official
measurements were taken by a vet from Orangeville Animal Health Service.
In October 2014, Patty and Blosom posed for their official
Guinness World Records photo.
Blosom will appear in the 2016 edition of the Guinness
World Records book which will be out in September.
Last week, Hanson also shared news on Facebook that PETA
had extended condolences following Blosom's passing, and that a gold leaf would
be added to their Tree of life memorial at its national headquarters in
Richmond, Virginia.
Following the news Hanson wrote on Facebook: “I am very
proud of Blosom, and thrilled that PETA views her worthy of this huge honor and
recognition! Her memory lives on”.
Hanson said she cannot wait for its release and that she
misses Blosom 'terribly'.
“I will cherish our memories forever,” she said. “I am
excited for the world to meet Blosom in the 2016 edition, but I know it will be
very bittersweet.” She said.
The previous title holder for the tallest cow ever was a
6-foot-2 Holstein-Durham cross called Mount Katahdin who held the title from
1906-1910.
