JRAP - Centenary Landmark

He was Born 100 Years Ago:

JRAP, likely the most influential bull in the Holstein breed (1)

A truism in modern Holstein breeding: Round Oak Rag Apple Elevation and Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief are the most influential foundation sires of the Holstein breed. When this duo was nominated in 1999 for HI’s ”Holsteins of the Century” competition (which Elevation won), of Chief, it was said: ”His pedigree bulges with Rag Apple blood lines”. While for Elevation, it was stated: “His dam Eve traces 20x back to Johanna Rag Apple Pabst”. Clearly, via his descendants Elevation and Chief, Johanna Rag Apple Pabst is one of the most central transmitters that we find at the foundation of the Holstein breed. Every reason then for a portrait of this bull, who was born 100 years ago and in his time was a true legend.

JAN BIERMA www.holsteininternational.com

How many dairy farmers spend time evaluating the conformation of a sire? Or: based on the picture of a bull? The answer can be guessed: an extremely small number. But: how different that was 100 years ago! After all, back then the indexes and genomics of bulls were not available. In their sire selection, dairy farmers only had pedigrees, production and type figures of family members… and the conformation of the sire himself. In that situation, the conformation of the bull himself played a significant role. As thus also photographs – which could not be ”digitally altered” back then – played a prominent role. As well as the show career of bulls, which in some cases were long-lasting and thus lucrative. For that reason, take an extra look at the accompanying photograph of Johanna Rag Apple Pabst – whom we will refer to as ”JRAP” from now on. You realize: a stretchy and truly dream sire in terms of conformation! For many years, he participated in numerous shows and was virtually

Here we see JRAP with his “discoverer”, Joseph Piek, who purchased him as a young sire and subsequently tested him, showed him, and made him famous. This photograph was taken just before Piek left for the sale with JRAP in early April 1926. At the same time, nearly the entirely Piek herd consisted of JRAP daughters, who performed splendidly and helped their sire reach the record price of $15,000. In his hands, Piek – besides JRAP – has two “banners”, which were attained by JRAP’s victories at national shows. This is Johanna Rag Apple Pabst, as a more than five-year-old bull after his victory as Grand Champion at the Royal Winter Fair in November 1926. In that spring, JRAP had come from America to the Montvic barn in Quebec.

unbeatable – several times, he became Grand Champion at Canada’s National Show, the Royal Winter Fair. Only already with this fantastic resume, JRAP was extremely popular. But… since AI was not yet possible in those years, dairy farmers had to gain access to his genetics via his sons or grandsons, because JRAP remained (of course) with his proud owner, the milking enterprise Mount Victoria (Montvic) in Quebec, Canada, owned by businessman Thomas Macaulay. As a 5-year-old bull, JRAP had come from the US to Montvic, after Montvic manager Joe Chandler had carefully evaluated the JRAP daughters in the US. Chandler was very satisfied with his daughter-dam comparison, and thus JRAP was purchased at the sale in the spring of 1926. For the tremendous price of $15,000 – the highest sum that had been paid since the First World War, and a price that would remain the highest for several years. So interested was Mount Victoria in acquiring this bull for their herd… and rightly so.

RAG APPLE

A small digression. After JRAP came to Montvic, they decided to call all of his descendants ”Rag Apples” (after his own name). But, it must be said that this title was not truly original, because the very first Holstein to be registered with the Rag Apple name in the herdbook was born in March 1885. Already 36 years earlier – that is how long the name Rag Apple had “reigned” already. JRAP had that original Rag Apple cow twice in his pedigree, both times in his maternal line. As such, he was a double “Rag Apple”, who since the time of his arrival in Canada was considered the new “Rag Apple” source. And what a source!

BIRTH BARN

You read already: in 1926, JRAP was taken to Canada, where in many respects he would celebrate great success. However, his birth barn was located in the US. For that, we travel to the eastern part of the state of Wisconsin, to Hartford, not far from Milwaukee. Here, in the barn of Philip Linker, JRAP was born on January 24, 1921. As a son of sire Pabst Korndyke Star, who in an advertisement in 1923 was described as “the best living progeny proven bull today.” That was based on his first five daughters, who displayed remarkable high productions in their first lactation. Star, as he was nicknamed, would eventually travel from Wisconsin to California, where he would do service at the Los Angeles County Farm, after that herd had to be culled due to foot and mouth disease. JRAP’s dam is Princess Johanna Rag Apple Pontiac, who provided the Rag Apple blood. She would calve just twice – and during that time turned out to be a splendid producer – and twice gave birth to a bull calf: full brothers. The oldest, JRAP, would become one of the architects of the global Holstein breed; the youngest did service on a dairy farm, but would not have any enduring impact…

UNBEATABLE

As mentioned: JRAP’s dam was an outstanding producer and thus Joseph Piek, a neighbour of Linker, was interested in purchasing JRAP. At eight months of age, JRAP moved to the barn of Piek, who also lived in Hartford. Piek used JRAP not only as a herd bull, but also started his show career. The result: as a yearling, JRAP immediately became the Junior Champion at the Walworth County Fair – no less than 65 miles (104 km) south of Hartford. The same year, he had to be content with fifth place at the Wisconsin State Fair. But owner Piek remained dedicated. A year later, he once again took JRAP along to Wisconsin’s State Fair – where he now

4 Princess Johanna De Kol Rue (Dr Johanna Aaltje) ▼ 4 Princess Johanna Rag Apple Pontiac (Rag Apple Pontiac Polkadot) ▼ 4 Johanna Rag Apple Pabst (Pabst Korndyke Star)

ended up in second place. That would be the last time that JRAP would be beaten, because after 1923, he remained virtually undefeated for six seasons, in both the US and Canada! In 1924, he became the Grand Champion in Wisconsin, Illinois and in Waterloo, and in 1925, he triumphed as Grand in Wisconsin, Illinois and the National Show. You realize, when in the spring of 1926, this sire came to the famous Clark’s Classic Sale – with eleven Grand Champion titles on his resume, interest everywhere was tremendous. Of course, just as significant was the transmitting potential of this star, who was five years old at the time and from whom the first daughters were in production. For this reason the Canadian Macaulay had sent his herd manager Chandler from Quebec to Wisconsin, in order to evaluate the daughters and family of JRAP. The record price of $15,000 needs to be seen in that light – Macaulay and Chandler were thoroughly convinced that with JRAP, they had found the “dream bull” who could form the grandiose foundation of the Montvic herd. They would turn out to be correct –even more so than they had hoped themselves.

LINEBREEDING

To give you an idea of their level of conviction: immediately after the purchase of JRAP, manager Chandler went to Piek, the seller of the bull. At the request of Macaulay, Chandler asked Piek if he would be willing to breed five of his JRAP daughters with JRAP himself, before JRAP would leave for Canada. All of the heifer calves from these services would be taken over by the Montvic enterprise at an agreed upon price. (Think for a moment: what would we say if STg decided to combine their Captain with five young Captain daughters, as soon as they were ready to bred? Would that not raise a host of questions? But: not in 1926, when “linebreeding” was appreciated!) Macaulay’s plan resulted in success: one of the animals from this mating became one of JRAP’s best daughters! Piek Spring Pabst Countess Johanna (right: a JRAP daughter out of a JRAP daughter!) became an outstanding producer and was able to win both her two and four-year-old classes at the Royal! After his arrival in Canada, JRAP’s show career did not come to an end. To the contrary! While he was fully used in the Montvic herd, he visited various show. Three times (in 1926, 1928 and 1929; in 1927, he stayed home for breeding purposes) he came to the Royal Winter Fair, where he always left the ring as Grand Champion. A phenomenal career then, as a show bull and as a transmitter. About the latter, you have not read a lot yet; that will follow in our next article. By now, you already know that via his descendants Elevation and Chief, he is one of the foundation sires of the breed. That JRAP would come so far, even Macaulay and Chandler did not dare to dream. And one more time his full name: Johanna Rag Apple Pabst died at the end of August 1933, as the result of a leg injury. He became 12.5 years old. ●

HAN HOPMAN

This is Mount Victoria Farm in Canada, one of the world’s most famous breeding herds in the first half of the previous century. Here JRAP was used extensively, after which he became one of the world’s most influential transmitters. When this picture was taken, the Montvic herd was no longer operating.

(Part 2 about JRAP in HI’s next issue. A big thank you to the publications of Holstein World, Holstein-Friesian History and Mount Victoria Farms for their extensive reports about JRAP.)