Generations of Excellence Sale

July 9, 2022 · Syracuse, NY · Average $2,514 on 94 Lots

The Generations of Excellence Sale 2022 was held on Saturday, July 9th at the homestead of Silver Spring Farm in Syracuse, NY. The Luchsinger family offered the best of their current herd on a beautiful summer day in front of a large crowd. At the end of the day, 94 head averaged $2,514. The high seller was Lot 1 – SSF Casino Brie VG-89%, a junior 2-year-old tracing back to one of the matriarchs at Silver Spring, SSF Jade Bethany EX-95%. She was purchased by Budjon Farms & Peter Vail of Lomira, WI.

Additional High Sellers:

Lot 8 – $12,000 – SSF Swagger Dice VG-83% out of SSF Boeheim Deanine EX-94%. Dice was just fresh again in June and looks to be a contender in the Jersey Jug this fall! Buyer: Glamourview – Iager & Walton, Fulton, MD Lot 45 – $5,400 – SSF Applejack Fuji VG85% from four VG & EX dams – fresh again in April and another one aiming for the Jersey Jug in November! Buyer: Gavin & Emory Bewley, Susquehanna, PA Lot 51 – $4,700 – SSF Klondike Ice Cream VG-83%, a junior 2-year-old fresh in late February whose EX-93% third dam has a long career in the show ring. Buyer: Peter Vail, Englewood, FL Lot 61 – $4,500 – SE2 Chrome Charlotte EX90%, a 4-year-old Chrome due in September to VIP from seven VG & EX dams. Buyer: Gracie & Clancey Krahn, Albany, OR Lot 50 – $4,500 – SSF Blackapple Lily, a junior 2-year-old fresh in March from five EX dams. Buyer; Anthony Crothers, Pitcher, NY

Photo © Norman Nabholz

By Doug Urban

The Holstein All-American Selections were started in 1922 by W. S. Moscrip, the breeder of North Star Holsteins in Minnesota. Moscrip made the selections the first year of the contest as he had judged the 1922 National, the Pacific International, Eastern States and Wisconsin State Fair. The winners were designated All-Americans similar to the top college football players of the day. The All-American contest was so popular that it was continued in 1923 with selections being made by a panel consisting of judges who had judged the National, Waterloo, the Pacific International and Eastern States. Maurice Prescott of the Holstein-Friesian World oversaw the contest for many years. 2022 is a banner year for show ring enthusiasts as it is the 100th Anniversary of the Holstein All-American contest. The contest is now sponsored and administered by Cowsmopolitan magazine. Thousands of cows, bulls and heifers have competed against each other for the past century as a way of measuring the phenotypic progress of the breeding programs of the breeders and the transmitting ability of the bulls that they used. Many believe that sire selection is an important factor in determining the type of the resulting offspring of a mating. Here is Part I of 3 parts exploring the most significant show ring type bulls of the last 100 years: King Pietertje Ormsby Piebe “KPOP” was born July 18, 1915 and was closely inbred to Sir Pietertje Ormsby Mercedes the result of mating his sire Sir Korndyke Bess whose dam was a Mercedes to Queen Piebe Mercedes a daughter of Mercedes. He was born on the farm of Edward C. Schroeder, Moorhead, Minnesota. KPOP was the most influential Holstein bull of the mid-1920s and sired three All-American Gets of Sire, 1924-25-26 - the first bull to do so. From 1919-1927, KPOP descendants won 680 first prizes and 240 championships. The sixtime All-American Triune Papoose Piebe as a cow and heifer had double KPOP as the grandsire. King Pietertje Ormsby Piebe is also the sire of the bull Marathon Bess Burke who appears three times in the pedigree of the influential Wisconsin Admiral Burke Lad.

Man-O-War who was named after the Horse of the Century, was born February 3, 1923 on the farm of his breeder O. J. Grover, Glyndon, Minnesota. His pedigree combines the blood of three of the best sons of Sir Pietertje Ormsby Mercedes, all of them bred by E. C. Schroeder, Moorhead, Minnesota. Those three sons were Sir Pietertje Ormsby Mercedes 14th, Sir Pietertje Ormsby Mercedes 22nd and Sir Pietertje Ormsby Mercedes 37th. He sired the All-American Get of Sire four times, 1931-32-33-34 and the All-Time AllAmerican Get, 1933. Man-O-War spent the first seven years of his life in service at Walter and Norman Schmidt, Empire Stock Farms, St. Peter, Minnesota. He was used in the Schmidt herd and by several other herds in the area. Man-O-War did a good job and sired many daughters who were well-structured, with beautiful udders and were good milk producers. In 1930, E. H. Maytag of Maytag Dairy Farms, Newton, Iowa purchased Man-O-War and one of his daughters for $2700. Man-O-War, who weighed 2700 pounds was injured during shipment and when he didn’t recover was put out of his misery. Maytag Farms purchased seven Man-OWar daughters the following year and purchased 28 others in the following years. The Schmidts also marketed cattle all over the United States and sold herd sires to the finest herds. This came to an end when the Executive Committee of the Holstein-Friesian Association found irregularities in the registrations of some of the bulls. Three bulls had their registry certificates expunged as they were not really offspring of Man-O-War, but nondescript bull calves that had been purchased from neighbors. The Man-O-War scandal stained his name and cast doubt on whether an animal was really a Man-O-War descendant. It was feared that the reputation of the Maytag herd would be affected, but the goodwill that they had built up over the years and good reputation allowed them to weather the storm. The untimely death of Man-OWar and the scandal tarnished his name, but an inbred son Man-O-War Combine, born in 1936 had six crosses to Man-O-War and proved to be a fine bull. Johanna Rag Apple Pabst (JRAP) was born on January 24, 1921. He was a son of Pabst Korndyke Star and out of a two-year old named Princess Johanna Rag Apple Pontiac. He was bred by Herbert Lepien and his father-in-law Philip Linker of Hartford, Wisconisn. JRAP was sold to fellow Hartford dairyman, Joseph Piek, who used him on his herd. JRAP was shown extensively by Joe Piek and was All-American 2-Year-Old in 1923, All-American 3-Year-Old in 1924 and All-American Aged Bull in 1925. Later, under new ownership, he won his 4th All-American and was twice Reserve AllAmerican Aged Bull. In the spring of 1926 Joe Piek decided to sell JRAP in Clark’s Holstein Classic, a prominent sale. He was purchased by T. B. Macaulay of Montreal, a wealthy insurance magnate and gentleman farmer who implemented the concepts of Mendelian genetics at Mount Victoria Farm (Montvic) in Hudson Heights, Quebec. It was here where the prepotent bull Johanna Rag Apple Pabst and his offspring were bred to the foundation cows that he had purchased in Ontario from the Posch and Abbekerk families for four generations. The Montvic genetics were dispersed at the Mount Victoria Sale on June 29, 1942 and had the highest average ever at that time of $1925.73 on 68 head. The influence of the genetics developed by Macaulay continued on through Montvic Rag Apple Sovereign and his son A B C Reflection Sovereign. JRAP sired the Reserve All-American Get of Sire in 1933 and All-American get in 1935 and 1936.

Governor of Carnation was born May 21, 1930 as the result of mating the bull North Star Joe Homestead to a daughter of Sir Inka May. North Star Joe Homestead had been All-American Aged Bull in 1924 for Baltz Hoesly, Monticello, Wisconsin and was

bought by Carnation as he had done a good job in the Hoesly herd. A year later, North Star Joe Homestead was the leading Honor List sire of 1930 and the dam of Governor of Carnation, Carnation Homestead Daisy Madcap became the world’s butterfat champion with a record of 1413 lbs. of fat from 34,553 lbs. milk, 4.1 % on 4X milking. Governor of Carnation was the sire of the 1939 and 1940 All-American Get of Sire and his son Carnation Governor Imperial (EXGM) was All-American Bull Calf, 1934 and All-American Aged Bull in 1938 and 1939.

Wisconsin Admiral Burke Lad (WABL)

was born in 1934 at the Wisconsin State Reformatory, Green Bay, Wisconsin; proven at Utah State Industrial School, Ogden, Utah and later acquired by Pabst Farms, Oconomowoc, WI. He carried three crosses to Marathon Bess Burke and was sired by Wisconsin Admiral Burke and out of Bell Farm Rosalind who was born in Pennsylvania, sold to a farm in Michigan, sold to an Illinois farm and ended up at the Wisconsin State Reformatory at seven years of age. The influence of WABL is overwhelming. There isn’t a Holstein today that doesn’t carry some Burke blood. Artificial breeding institutions marketed semen on numerous sons, grandsons and descendants. He had two All-American Gets, 1947-48 and Reserve All-American, 1950. His sons continued the All-American gets with Pabst Regal, (1949 and 1951); Pabst Roamer (1950 and Reserve in 1949 and 1951); and Pabst Comet (Reserve in 1953). The Roamer and Regal gets featured attractive dairy cattle—black, strong, square-rumped, good-uddered with the appearance and dairy quality known as the “Pabst look”.

Some of the many WABL descendants who garnered All-American honors include Rocky Hill Mont Burke Dusty Jo EX-95 GMD, 1947-50-51-52; Pabst Sir Roburke Rag Apple EX-GM, 1947; Pabst Roamer Dean Walker Lad EX-GM, 1949; La Princess Margaret Pabst EX-GMD, 1949-50; Gray View B D Skyanne EX-96 GMD, 1954-55-56; Ormsby Burke Pontiac Mose EX-92 GM, 1955; Lavacres Della Dusty Jo EX-92, 1955-56-57; Plain View Inga EX-95, 1956; Mooseheart Pioneer EX-GM, 1958-59; and Gray View Crisscross EX-96, 1962. Furthermore, a major influence of Wisconsin Admiral Burke Lad continues because of descendants Round Oak Rag Apple Elevation and his many sons including Hanoverhill Starbuck and Hilltopper Warden and grandsons Carnation Counselor and Conant-Acres JY Broker.

A B C Reflection Sovereign EX (ABC)

is considered Canada’s most important Holstein sire since Johanna Rag Apple Pabst and King Toitilla Acme, to whom he traces. He also had a strong influence in the United States and on the All-American contest. He was born December 3, 1946 on the A. B. C. Farms of his breeder Armstrong Breeders Corporation, Brampton, Ontario. His sire, Montvic Rag Apple Sovereign EX, was mated to his dam, A B C Inka May EX, the All-Canadian 4-Year-Old in 1947.

The Rosafe herd was established in 1948 when A. B. C. Farms was purchased by Hector I. Astengo, a native of Argentina who had emigrated to Canada. The purchase included A B C Reflection Sovereign himself and his many achievements occurred in the following years until the Rosafe Dispersal was held on May 27, 1958. He was AllCanadian as a 2-Year-Old, 3-Year-Old and Aged Bull in 1949-50-52 and sired AllAmerican Gets of Sire five times and reserve twice; sired the All-Time All-American Get, 1962; and produced six individual AllAmericans. Also, ABC granddaughters and grandsons were Reserve All-American 37 times. His son Rosafe Magician sired the All-American Gets of Sire, 1963-94-65 and Rosafe Citation R sired both the All-American Get and Reserve in 1966. Both bulls were out of the great brood cow Glenvue Nettie Jemima EX. Another ABC son, Romandale Reflection Marquis would also have a strong influence in the show ring with 43 All-Americans and Reserve. Marquis himself was Reserve All-American Aged Bull, 1962-63. Other ABC sons with influence include Woodbourne Inka Reflector and his son Ideal Fury Reflector who sire five AllAmerican Gets, the same number as his paternal grandsire ABC. ABC was also the sire of Romandale Cora-Twin EX who was Reserve All-American Aged cow in 1967. Osborndale Ivanhoe EX-GM daughters made a fine showing at the 1969 Central National Holstein Show in Madison. Five of the first eight in the Aged Cow class were daughters of Osborndale Ivanhoe and another was a granddaughter. The winning Aged Cow Miss Ivanhoe Scranton EX-94 was Grand Champion and, second to her, Marilyn Ivanhoe Ema EX-94 was Reserve Grand Champion. They were subsequently voted as All-American and Reserve AllAmerican that year. The Ivanhoe Get of Sire claimed first place and was named AllAmerican.

Osborndale Ivanhoe was born April 26, 1952 and was the result of mating Osborndale Sir Ty Vic to Quality Fobes Abbekerk Gay EX-91 GMD. He was bred by Mrs. Waldo Kellogg, Osborndale Farm, Derby, Connecticut. It has been said that he was born at the right time as the breed was becoming shortlegged and lacking dairyness because of the heavy influence of the Burke bloodline, developed at Pabst Farms through the use of Wisconsin Admiral Burke Lad, his sons Roamer and Regal, and their sons and grandsons. Breeders were looking for something new and Ivanhoe sired the traits they needed—stature, length, tight udders and improved milk production. Other noteworthy All-American Ivanhoes include Collins-Crest Ivanhoe Triune J EX96, 1963 and Reserve 1964-66; Cochran Ivanhoe Shirley EX-94 GMD, Reserve 3-YearOld 1966; Alnat Toitilla Ivanhoe Ginger EX93, Aged Cow 1970. Round Oak Rag Apple Elevation EX-96 GM the most influential bull of the Holstein breed was out of Round Oak Ivanhoe Eve EX-94 GMD, an Ivanhoe daughter. Next time: The influential show ring type bulls from 1965 through the 1980’s.