Wellington County’s Legacy

Wellington’s

RICH LEGACY CONTINUES

TO FLOURISH

Many agricultural institutions, businesses and research facilities now W old by Thornlea, sold for $10,000 to Claude Picket, Georgetown. A WELLINGTON COUNTY IS A VIBRANT HUB OF AGRICULTURE ACTIVITY. ITS RICH, ROLLING FARMLAND, COUPLED WITH ABUNDANT FARM SUPPLIERS AND RESOURCES AND CLOSE PROXIMITY TO LARGE URBAN CENTRES, MAKES IT AN IDEAL PLACE FOR ITS DIVERSE FARMS. call this county home like Semex, Lactanet, EastGen, and the Ontario natural show cow with a stylish front-end, Lana went on to be Royal

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The Ontario Winter Fair grand champion and All-Canadian and All-American

Agricultural College was established in the county’s largest city aged cow later that year.

Guelph in 1874, and was joined by the Ontario Veterinary College in 1922. The two became founding colleges of the University of Guelph. Professors like George Raithby, Clare Rennie, Brian Kennedy, Ted Burnside, Larry Schaeffer and others have taught dairy classes there and shared their knowledge outside the classroom. Today, countless University of Guelph graduates contribute to the dairy cattle and agri-food industry. 1 Douglas Gregson earned two Master Breeder shields for his Oak Knoll herd at Hillsburgh. In 1963, Gregson bought Downalane Reflection Emperor EX-Extra as a yearling bull from Downalane Farms, Welland, for use as a herd sire. Emperor became part of Western Ontario Breeders Inc. after being Reserve All-Canadian aged bull in 1967. Doug Wingrove of Allangrove Holsteins (residing then in Wentworth County) bought Emperor

The Wellington County Holstein Club semen from Gregson and had some was formed in 1938. The Club currently of the bull’s first milking daughters. has 376 members. While it would take Those daughters created a sensation pages to cover all the top breeders and 2 in the showring. Wingrove’s Allanimals who have made Wellington Canadian Breeder’s Herds in 1971-

County what it is today, here is just a sampling of some of Wellington’s 72-73-77 consisted almost entirely of Emperor daughters. In 1981, amazing Holstein history. Wingrove relocated his Master Breeder herd to the Guelph area.

The first Canadian cow to make seven 1000-lb. fat records was O R G Jenny Rag Apple Pabst from the Ontario Reformatory, Guelph. She became Canada’s lifetime milk champion in 1963 with 264,292 lbs. milk. In 1968, the combined lifetime milk totals of Jenny and her six daughters made them a “Million Pound Family”. In the 1970s, Jenny headed Canada’s first three-generation line of 200,000-lb. milk producers.

The two-time Master Breeder Cherry Lane herd of brothers Bob and John Anderson, Harriston, was a long, respected herd. Cherry Lane Marquis Sarah Lee EX 9* was the matriarch of their Sarah family and the dam of two noted A.I. sons in the 1970s, Starbright EX-SP and Superstar EX-SP.

Mary and R.D. Graham were a much beloved couple whose Grahaven herd at Erin was known for its exceptional quality. In 1954, Grahaven Milestone Mona was world champion junior 2-year-old for milk and fat. Grahaven Herdmaster Kim EX 7* became the foundation of the Kim family at Oak Ridges Farms, Oak Ridges. At the 1968 Grahaven Dispersal, Barivue Pabst Lana EX 4*, the 1967 All-Canadian 4-yearMaughlin Storm EX-Extra, another of the breed’s most influential sires, was born in Wellington in 1991. Two-time Master Breeders Sandy McPhedran and son Mark of Maughlin Holsteins, Rockwood, named Storm after the local Ontario Hockey League team, the Guelph Storm. A high type bull and “cow-maker”, Storm produced many outstanding sons like Stormatic, September Storm and Talent.

“Wellington County had two things that most counties didn’t have – they had United Breeders Inc. (UBI) and the Brubacher Sales Arena,” says Brent Walker of Walkerbrae Farms, Guelph.

UBI, the forerunner of Gencor and EastGen, was created in 1968 when the Waterloo, Maple and Lambton A.I. units amalgamated. Their new facility, located north of Guelph on Highway 6, welcomed its first bulls in 1969.

Sales managers Ray Brubacher and his brother Mike officially opened their new Brubacher Sales Arena outside of Guelph in May 1969. That sale arena would remain an integral part of the dairy cattle marketing scene for nearly 47 years. Many breeders bought animals there that changed their lives forever like R.F. Brown of Browndale

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PHOTOS 1. The Brubacher Sales Arena at Guelph was opened by Ray and Mike Brubacher in 1969 and was an integral part of the dairy cattle marketing scene for 47 years PHOTO BY BONNIE COOPER, 2. United Breeders Inc. was a popular destination for visitors and helped to bring many people to Wellington County after its facilities north of Guelph opened in 1969, 3. One of the world’s most influential sires Maughlin Storm EX-Extra was bred by Maughlin Holsteins of Rockwood, 4. Jim Walker and his sons Brent and Scott of Walkerbrae Farms, Guelph, won both the Premier Exhibitor and Premier Breeder banners at the Royal Winter Fair in 1989, 5. The highly regarded brood cow, Ravenswell Lydia EX-92-USA 19*, has her roots in Wellington having been bred by Peter Mercer, Guelph, 6. Barivue Pabst Lana EX 4* sold for $10,000 in the 1968 Grahaven Dispersal of R.D. and Mary Graham, Erin, and became Royal grand champion and All-Canadian and All-American aged cow later that year, 7. Dupasquier Starb Winnie EX-3E 8* did it all for breeder Oscar Dupasquier, Guelph, being Holstein Canada “Cow of the Year”, Royal and WDE grand champion, and All-Canadian and All-American. PHOTOS SUBMITTED.

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Farm, Paris, who bought Green Elms Echo Christina EX 18* at a 1971 dispersal there. The sale arena was not only a place to buy and sell cattle, “but a lot of information changed hands there too,” says Lowell Lindsay, retired UBI/Semex sire analyst. “You never wanted to miss a sale because you could see and talk to so many people there.”

Mike Brubacher’s son Michael and Vernon Butchers took over the sales company in the mid-1980s, followed later by Jim Walker and his sons Brent and Scott of Walkerbrae Farms and Dennis E. Martin of Martindel Holsteins, Palmerston. Walkers and Martin continue to conduct on-farm sales under the Brubacher Sales name. Albert Cormier of Cormdale Genetics also rented the arena from 2004-13 and organized many successful sales there.

Having UBI and the Brubacher Sales Arena in Wellington was an enormous benefit as they regularly attracted visitors and buyers from across Canada, and then the world at Royal time. “On sale day, a lot of guys would come early and come over and have a look at the UBI bulls because back then you could see them,” says Lowell Lindsay. Most made two or three farm calls as well. “I can remember coming home from school on a Friday afternoon after a sale at Brubachers and there would be 20 people in our barn wanting to buy a cow because they didn’t get one at the sale,” recalls Brent Walker.

Jim Walker and his family of Walkerbrae moved from the Niagara area to Wellington in 1974. “I remember Joe Snyder (West-Central Ontario Holstein fieldman) saying to me at Brubachers, ‘That Jim Walker would be an absolute asset to Wellington County if he moved here.’ And that turned out to be true,” says Lowell Lindsay. While Jim had owned the 1970-71 All-Canadian and 1971 All-American aged bull, Carlspride Vogel Reflection B EX, more show awards accrued after coming to Wellington. The Walkers were Premier Exhibitor at the Royal Winter Fair four times (1989-90-92-93) and Premier Breeder twice (1987-89). Walkerbrae Rose Blossom EX-3E 5*, All-Canadian in 1981-83-85, and her dam, Walkerbrae Marquis Blossom VG-88 4*, All-Canadian in 1976-77-78, were the first dam and daughter to ever be All-Canadian in milking form. Jim was also a longtime sales agent for the county and helped many members to merchandise their cattle. and Fieldhouses (Fieldhouse). Others came from foreign countries like Oscar Dupasquier (Dupasquier) of Switzerland, Peter Mercer (Ravenswell) and Robert Medwell (Holywell) of the United Kingdom, and Yukio Kurosawatsu (Nipponia) of Japan. Some settled in Wellington to get away from the urban sprawl of Toronto and the more reasonably priced land, but for many it was because of the growing “Holstein action” in the county.

William and Dorothy Craig and sons Elgin and David moved their Craigcrest herd from Peel County to Wellington in 1976 after buying a farm near Arthur. Three Master Breeder shields (1987, 1997, 2013) have been won by this family, with Elgin and his wife Joan continuing to be involved in the business on a smaller scale. The 2014 Craigcrest Dispersal was Canada’s top dispersal that year. A herd known for its deep cow families, one of its best was led by Montdale Dundee Rubie EX-93 10*. Rubie is the dam of Craigcrest Rubies Gold Rejoice EX-94-USA, All-Canadian and All-American in 2009-10-11 and junior champion at World Dairy Expo (WDE) in 2010, and Craigcrest Rubies Smarty Pants VG-88, 2019 AllCanadian senior 2-year-old.

Oscar Dupasquier and his family immigrated to Canada in 1984 after buying Doug Wingrove’s first Guelph farm, plus two-thirds of the Allangrove herd. Dupasquier quickly gained notice claiming Premier Breeder honours at WDE seven consecutive years (1993 through 1999), and Premier Breeder six times and Premier Exhibitor three times at the Royal. Dupasquier Starb Winnie EX-3E 8* was at the centrepiece of his showstring. Many Wellington stories are intertwined and Starb Winnie’s pedigree is no exception with her dam, Allangrove AA Winnie, being out of Allangrove Reflection Winnie, an Emperor from Maughlin Whitey. Starb Winnie was Holstein Canada “Cow of the Year” in 1996 and grand champion at the Royal in 1991 and WDE in 1994. This Starbuck daughter was nominated for All-Canadian a record nine straight years. She was All-Canadian and All-American three times. Starb Winnie and her daughter, Blac Winne, were the first dam and daughter to be grand and junior champion at the Royal in the same year (1991). While this two-time Master Breeder herd was dispersed in 2009, Oscar and his son Eric continue to partner in some prize-winning animals.

COLLEGE VIEW MEADOWBRAE GRAHAVEN BENHOLME F B OAK KNOLL CHERRY LANE OSBORNE SUNNY SPRUCE MAUGHLIN CORNER CREEK ERAMOSA GORWEIR HAIGSEE WALKERBRAE CRAIGCREST ROSTOCK NIPPONIA BURGLEE THISTLE RIDGE DUPASQUIER ZEMLODGE DAELIN SPRUCECHO HAVENVALLEY EARLEN FRAELAND FIELDHOUSE DARWELL KRUL RICKEEN J.D. GALE Q.D. WHALE R.D. GRAHAM ERNEST H. BENHAM FOX BROTHERS DOUGLAS A. GREGSON ROSS ANDERSON & SONS EARL OSBORNE JAMES S. OXBY MAUGHLIN HOLSTEINS DUNCAN WATSON D.C. MACPHEDRAN J. GORDON WEIER HAIGSEE HAVEN LTD. WALKERBRAE FARMS CRAIGCREST HOLSTEINS ROSTOCK FARM NIPPONIA HOLSTEINS BURGLEE HOLSTEINS J. DAVID CLEGHORN OSCAR DUPASQUIER HENK J. ZEMMELINK CHRISTIAN POSCHUNG SPRUCECHO FARMS INC. HAVENVALLEY HOLSTEINS EARLEN FARMS LTD. FRAELAND FARMS FIELDHOUSE FARMS LES & DARLENE SHARPE KRUL HOLSTEINS LTD. RICK SHANTZ 1940 1953 1966 1968 1968 1971, 1994 1975, 1994 1977 1978, 1994 1979, 2000 1980 1981 1981 1985 1986, 2001 1987, 1997, 2013 1989 1991 1992 1993 1997, 2011 1998 2002 2002, 2018 2008 2009 2011 2013 2017 2017 2017 1

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PHOTOS 1. A member of Gary and Debbie Oxby’s Master Breeder Sprucecho herd at Moorefield, Sprucecho Stormatic Grace EX-94-7E traces to Sunny Spruce M Glitter EX 2* who was the first Excellent cow for Gary’s father, James Oxby, who was also a Master Breeder, 2. Earl Osborne of Osborne Farms, Rockwood, was Holstein Canada National President in 1985, 3. Jackie and Steve Fraser of Fraeland Holsteins, Fergus, with two of the cows having an impact in their Master Breeder herd, Fraeland Goldwyn Bonnie EX-95-3E 4* and Snowbiz Brewmaster Swan VG-88 2*, 4. Making their mark in Wellington County today are breeders like Rick and Doreen Shantz and their son Brett of Rickeen Holsteins, Wallenstein, who achieved a Master Breeder shield in 2017, 5. City of Guelph, upcoming host of 39th Holstein Ontario AGM in 2021, 6. Craigcrest Rubies Gold Rejoice EX-94-USA captured All-Canadian and All-American honours three times for breeder Craigcrest Holsteins, Arthur. PHOTOS 1 & 3 BY PATTY JONES, 5 BY CITY OF GUELPH, 6 BY CYBIL FISHER, ALL OTHERS SUBMITTED.

Breeder herd is part of the great Fraser family legacy that began at Spring Farms in Peel County over 90 years ago. By changing and adapting to market trends, Fraeland has remained a highly sought after source of genetics be it high type (Bonnies) or index (Snowbiz Brewmaster Swan). Their popular Bonnie family traces to Fairvale Jed Bonnie 94-ET EX-AUS, a two-time International Dairy Week Show grand champion in Australia who Steve acquired part interest in. An embryo shipped from Jed Bonnie to Fraeland resulted in Fraeland Goldwyn Bonnie EX-95-3E 4*, who is the dam of Fraeland Doorman Bonnie EX-94-USA, nominated All-American junior 2 and junior 3-year-old in 2018-19 for Ducketts in Wisconsin.

Many more down-to-earth, hard working, dedicated farmerbreeders have been at the heart of Wellington’s success. Like Earl Osborne of Osborne Farms, Rockwood. As a Holstein Canada National Director, Osborne encouraged the formation of the Ontario Holstein Branch in 1981. In 1985, he was Holstein Canada National President. Osborne Reflection Harriett EX 3*, one of many Longpark Bonheur Reflection daughters bred by Osborne, was 1969 Reserve All-American 4-year-old and 1972 Reserve All-Canadian mature cow for Romandale Farms, Unionville. Jack Maitland of Haigsee Haven Ltd., Elora, was another respected breeder who bred cows like 1985 All-Canadian and All-American junior 2-year-old, Haigsee Ella Tony Sadie EX 4*. The Oxby family at Moorefield has been part of this county for years. James Oxby achieved Master Breeder shields for his Sunny Spruce herd in 1978 and 1994. His son Gary and wife Debbie purchased the herd in 1987 and earned two Master Breeder awards under their Sprucecho prefix in 2002 and 2018.

One of the breed’s great cow families has its roots in Wellington. Ravenswell Lydia EX-92-USA 19* was born in Peter Mercer’s Ravenswell herd at Guelph and sold as a yearling in his 1990 dispersal. “I can still remember her,” says Brent Walker. “She was in row four at the Brubacher Sales Arena and was one of those high pin Astro Jets. Brian Craswell bought her and then sold her to his cousin Dean Craswell. And the rest is history.” The Lydia family has now produced three Royal grand champions – Idee Lustre (2002), Winterbay Goldwyn Lotto (2010), and Idee Windbrook Lynzi (2019). Another significant brood cow with ties to Wellington is Lylehaven Lila Z EX-94 24* whose great-grandam, Ivyhall Astro Jet Ronie VG-86 1*, was bred by Paul Homer, Fergus.

Like all counties, Wellington is changing from traditional tie-stall barns to more free-stall and robotic set-ups. “There are a lot of keen breeder herds right now in Wellington,” says Brent Walker. That Holstein passion is evident in many herds like Rickeen, Darwell and Krul who earned Master Breeder awards in 2017.

While the “name” breeders of the past helped bring people to Wellington and gave its herds exposure and marketing opportunities, they also “pushed other breeders to do better,” says Jackie Fraser of Fraeland. It is those enthusiastic, young breeders of today who will continue to enrich the Holstein history of Wellington County going forward.

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Wellington County is hosting in Guelph

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2021 10:00 am to 3:00 pm Farm Tours Followed by EastGen Evening of Excellence

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021 10:00 am AGM

Holstein Ontario and the Organizing Committee are monitoring the COVID-19 situation carefully. We are continuing to plan for the event, with careful consideration being given to recommendations from the federal and provincial governments, as well as the Wellington - Dufferin - Guelph Public Health Unit. Should the situation change, we will communicate any subsequent event changes in a timely and effective manner.

39 th HOLSTEIN ONTARIO BRANCH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

HOLIDAY INN GUELPH HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTRE FEBRUARY 23-24, 2021

601 Scottsdale Dr, Guelph, ON (519) 836-0231 Group Rate of $135 applicable until January 22, 2021 - Group ID: HOL - Holstein Ontario Convention 2021