Meet the Real Winnie
Winnie is a real white Highland calf, born at Cadzow Croft on 25 February 2025.
Her first wobbly days beside her mum, Missy, inspired the children's picture book Winnie is born. Come and meet the little calf behind the story.
The story behind Winnie is born
Winnie's story began here at Cadzow Croft in the Macedon Ranges. From her first wobbly steps beside Missy to finding her place within the Highland fold, her early days were full of gentle moments worth remembering.
She was born in late summer, a bright white calf who stayed close to her mum while she found her feet. Missy was calm and patient, and Winnie soon grew brave enough to explore the paddock and meet the rest of the fold.
Those real farm memories became Winnie is born, a children's picture book about new beginnings, courage, family and belonging. The story follows Winnie's real first days, gently retold for young readers.
Newborn Winnie
Newborn Highland calf Winnie walks through the long grass at Cadzow Croft in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges.
Winnie facts
Full name: Dalwhinnie, but everyone calls her Winnie
Born: 25 February 2025 at Cadzow Croft
Coat colour: White
Mum: Missy
Dad: Monte
Horns: None. Winnie is polled, which means she was born without horns, just like Missy.
Birthday twin: Balvenie, a red calf, was born on the very same day.
Her year: Winnie is one of six calves born at Cadzow Croft in 2025: four girls and two boys.
Meet Missy, Winnie’s mum
Missy joined our fold in January 2021 as a young white heifer. She was a little shy at first, but slowly warmed up to us and grew into a calm, gentle cow with a soft, pale coat and no horns. In February 2025, Missy had a very special calf of her own: Winnie.
Missy over the years
Just arrived, January 2021
Growing up in the long grass, December 2021
Saying hello at the gate
Winnie’s dad, Monte
Monte is a strong, handsome Highland bull with long horns and a shaggy sandy-gold coat. He came to visit Cadzow Croft in 2024, and the following summer Winnie was born.
Did you know? Monte is officially registered as a white Highland, even though his coat looks sandy-gold. Winnie's mum, Missy, is white too, with an even paler coat. With two white parents, it's no surprise Winnie turned out white.
Winnie and Missy
Missy is Winnie's mum. Like Winnie, she is a polled Highland with a soft, pale coat.
In Winnie's first weeks, the two were rarely far apart. Winnie stayed close while Missy grazed and ate hay, learning from her mum how life in the fold works.
Winnie and Missy sharing breakfast with the fold
Highland cattle facts
The dossan
The long fringe that falls over their eyes is called a dossan.
Many colours
They come in lots of colours, including red, black, yellow, dun, white, brindle and silver.
Two coats
Highland cattle have two coats: a long, shaggy outer coat and a soft, woolly undercoat that keeps them warm and dry.
A fold
A group of Highland cattle isn't called a herd. It's called a fold.
Winnie with two of the other 2025 calves: three calves, three different Highland colours.
Winnie at about two weeks old, tucked between mum and another member of the fold.
Highland colours
Some of the colours in our own fold at feeding time.
One of the loveliest things about a Highland fold is the mix of colours. Highlands come in many shades, and breeders are encouraged to keep a mixture in their herds. Our own fold at Cadzow Croft has several colours grazing side by side, as you can see in the video.
Highland cattle come in seven traditional colours:
Red: the rich, gingery coat most people picture
Black: deep and dark
Yellow: golden to pale cream
Dun: soft greyish brown
White: pale, like Winnie
Brindle: a striped mix of colours
Silver: a pale, silvery shade with a grey nose
Winnie's many looks
Winnie didn't always look the way she does in the book. Her first picture was a simple cartoon calf, and she changed a lot before we found the Winnie you know today.
While I was unwell, my husband helped shape Winnie's character and made this little video of her to cheer me up. Seeing her blink, smile and talk for the first time made her feel real, and it's still one of our favourite moments from creating her.
Over many months, we kept adjusting her to match the real Winnie: a brighter white coat, a proper calf tail, and her pink tag in her left ear.
The first time Winnie came to life.
Winnie’s real life at Cadzow Croft has become a series of children’s picture books by Sasha O’Meara, starting with Winnie is born. Each story follows a true moment from Winnie’s first year, gently retold for young readers. The illustrations were created with the help of AI tools and carefully edited, page by page, to match the real Winnie and her fold.
The Winnie books
Winnie is born on a warm summer morning at Cadzow Croft. With her mum, Missy, beside her, she takes her first wobbly steps and discovers the big, bright world of the paddock. A gentle story about new beginnings, courage, family and belonging.
Out now on Amazon
Winnie is born
Winnie meets her brothers and sisters
As more calves are born at Cadzow Croft, Winnie is unsure at first. But with a little courage she finds new friends to play with, and learns that the fold is her family too.
Coming soon
“Winnie is born” is out now in paperback on Amazon in Australia, the UK, the USA and more.
Search “Winnie is born Sasha O’Meara” on your local Amazon site.
Buy in Australia : Buy in the UK : Buy in the USA
Follow Winnie on Instagram and Facebook for real photos, videos and news from Cadzow Croft, and be the first to hear when her next book is released.
Instagram: @winniethehighland
Facebook: Winnie the Highland