Grey County Holstein Club - 75 Years of Excellence

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Ladysman Ex-ST, the Marquis son proven by R.J. Stewart, Bolton, Ont., who sired a nominated All-Canadian Get in 1970. “Burton told me I should sell two grades and buy one young cow who had calved so you could see the udder,” recalls Barfoot. Ken’s first Excellent, and 1972 Grey Show reserve grand champion, was Bachlea Ridge Joanne RH, a cow he bought from another Grey breeder. “I used to go to the local shows with Calvon Robinson and Stu Luckhardt and learned a lot from them,” Ken recalls. When the Barfoots’ daughter, Shelley, joined 4-H, that heightened their Holstein passion even further. Ken has provided calves for close to 70 4-H members to date, not including family. One of his favourite cows, Kenarbara Jethro Sasha Ex-96-3E-USA, was nominated for All-Canadian five times and All-American three times for Robert Morrell of Pennsylvania. When the Barfoots dispersed their herd in 1996 the top seller, Kenarbara Revelation Blaice Ex-2E, 1993 TriCounty Show Grand Champion, sold to Brazil where she continued to win many times.

STORY BY BONNIE COOPER

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THE GREY COUNTY HOLSTEIN CLUB, WHOSE HERDS AND PREFIXES HAVE GROWN IN PROMINENCE OVER THE YEARS, IS MARKING ITS 75TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2019.

The first Holsteins in Grey County date back to 1883 when Alfred Gifford of Meaford bought a bred heifer and bull calf for $600 from among the first Holsteins imported from Holland at the Toronto Industrial Exhibition. Gifford became the Canadian Holstein Association’s first Secretary, serving from 1884 to 1890, and was National President in 1902.

Reserve All-Canadian mature cow in 1978 and Reserve AllAmerican 4-year-old in 1974. Portlea Pam Ex-92-3E-USA, bred by Carmen J. Porter, was a four-time All-Canadian nominee and 1981 Reserve All-Canadian 5-year-old for Hanover Hill Holsteins, Port Perry, Ont. Her daughter, Portlea Ned Pamela Ex-94-GBR, was twice nominated for All-Canadian before being exported in 1985 by Murray Pearson of Oxford County to England where she had a huge On April 6, 1944, the Grey Holstein Club was organized and impact as a brood cow. consisted of 18 members. By 1987, it had grown to 230 members. The first county Black & White Show took place in 1944 at Owen Sound Ken Barfoot, a 44-year Veteran Breeder from Kenarbara Holsteins, Fair and was judged by Mort Butchers. The show remained there Hepworth, milked three grade cows by hand when he began farming until 1983 when it moved to Markdale Fair. When show numbers in 1961 with wife began to diminish, Grey and Bruce County merged their shows. Barb. Ken credits The combined show was held at Walkerton Fairgrounds, where it Burton Atkinson of remains today. For a few years, Grey, Bruce and Huron County, and Burtshill Holsteins later Dufferin County, also organized a Tri-County Show. (Grey Club sales agent) and WestMany outstanding show animals have roots in Grey. Early on, it was Central Ontario Grey Home Lochinvar Supreme, a bull bred by the Grey County Fieldman Joe Snyder Home at Markdale, who was nominated for All-Canadian four times for their help when and All-Canadian in 1951-52. In 1964, Grey Home Reflection Faye he started. Atkinson Ex-2* was nominated All-Canadian mature cow for Oak Ridges bred Burtshill Farms, Oak Ridges, Ont. Faye was one of the first 4-H project animals for Lowell Lindsay, the noted A.I. sire analyst, judge and showman, whose father was managing the Grey County Home at the time. Carlspride Reflection Vogel B Ex, a bull bred by 1967-68 Grey President Carl Wilson, was All-Canadian aged bull in 1970-71 and All-American in 1971. Langstate Wanda Ex, bred by Meine Langeraap, was nominated for All-Canadian four times and was

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In the 1970s, three generations of cows in Robert Franklin’s Franro herd, Stayner, made over 200,000 pounds milk lifetime each. Beauty View Snowden Toitilla Mona, Franro Achilles Faith and Franro Achilles Triune June made a combined total of 699,259 pounds. Robert’s daughter, Heather, and her husband Larry Parkin, later milked cows at Parkin Farms, Owen Sound. Heather was Ontario Holstein Branch president in 2007 and its first female president. In 2011, she won the Branch’s first Outstanding Dairy Woman Service Award. Heather was an Ontario Distinguished Achievement Award winner in 1985, an award won earlier by Stuart Gregson of Stuknoll Holsteins, Flesherton, in 1982. The Walton Sale Arena at Durham, which opened in spring 1977 and operated for 15 years, provided many opportunities for dairy producers in Grey and surrounding counties to buy and sell cattle and improve their herds. Owned by sales manager and auctioneer Donald Walton, the sale barn held monthly consignment sales, herd dispersals and feature auctions. Among the Grey breeders to benefit from purchases at that sale arena were Murray Breedon of Murlone Holsteins, who achieved a Master Breeder shield as a result of some of the cows he bought; Bill Catto, who purchased animals that later scored Excellent in his Cattodale herd; and Don

Walton’s daughter, Marian, and her husband Fred Hopkins, whose calf purchases aided them in establishing their Bencrest herd. “The sale barn also helped to bring a lot of people and buyers into the area, like the Italians,” says Walton. The two ringmen who worked those Walton sales, Allan Bell and Jack Acheson, were also exceptional Grey Holstein breeders. Bell built his Belgrove herd on daughters of Allangrove Unique Mary and members of the Fond Myrtle Rose family. Belgrove Attra Robin ET Ex-2E-14*, an Attraction from the Rose family, became a superb brood cow at Ferme Karona in Quebec and was reserve grand champion at Quebec Spring Show in 1987. Acheson bred many show winners like Jaclin Prestar Nette, 1980 Reserve All-Canadian heifer calf, and Jaclin Ned Misty, 1983 All-American junior yearling. In 1992, Harold and Lois Wright and their son Todd of Wridale Holsteins, Hanover, bought the Walton Sale Arena. For 18 years they used the facility to house 250 young bulls for ABS Global and St. Jacobs ABC. Harold had started trading and exporting a few animals in the 1980s. After selling their Wridale herd in 2012, the Wrights began seriously buying, selling and exporting cattle as Select Farm & Export Services. Todd’s son, McKenzie, has now joined the business. The Wrights have exported cattle to Russia, Pakistan, Turkey and Oman. Today Mexico is their main market. “We have sent 28 loads of cattle to one Mexican commercial dairy farm alone that is expanding,” says Todd. The Las Ventas farm in Mexico imports a load of cattle a month from them for their 1300-cow dairy and has partnered with the Wrights in several show winning animals in Canada who have later won in Mexico. “In 2017, we handled the importation arrangements for the first live animals into Canada from Australia with the help of STgenetics,” notes Todd. Among the four animals imported was Lightning Ridge-CMD Jedi Gigi, who had sold for an Australian record price of $251,000 at International Dairy Week. Three of the world’s most famous Holstein bloodlines – Ada, Lila Z and Redman – have their origins in Grey points out Ed Meulendyk of Millbrooke Holsteins, Badjeros. “When you sit at World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin, three lines are winning the shows – Ada, Apple and Goldwyn. And one of those, Ada, started in Grey County.” The Ada family began with Aitkenbrae Starbuck Ada Ex-94-2EUSA-DOM 4*, a Starbuck daughter bred by Morley Aitken and Don Lantz of Aitkenbrae Farms, Holstein. Sold as a fresh 2-year-old to the United States in 1989, Ada became All-American senior 3-yearold in 1990. Through her two daughters, Shoremar S Alicia and Ms Kingstead Chief Adeen-ET, the breed has witnessed a proliferation of outstanding type transmitters emerge like Atlee, R Alicia, Ariel and Albany, and Atlee’s sons Atwood, Aftershock, Atlantic, and Golden Dreams. Lylehaven Lila Z Ex-94 24*, the renowned All-Canadian, moneymaker and brood cow, also has a Grey connection. Her fifth maternal dam is Elm Drive Lochinvar Rilla, an Ultimate daughter bred by Wm. Herb Boyd & Sons of Meaford. PHOTOS: 1. A product of Ken Barfoot’s breeding program, Kenarbara Jethro Sasha Ex-96-3EUSA, was nominated for All-Canadian five times and All-American three times for Robert Morrell of Pennsylvania, 2. In 1993 the Ken Barfoot family won grand champion honours at the Tri-County Show with Kenarbara Revelation Blaice Ex-2E, 3. Heather Parkin: Grey County’s Heather Parkin of Parkin Farms was the inaugural winner of the Ontario Holstein Branch’s Outstanding Dairy Woman Service Award in 2011. Heather was a Distinguished Achievement Award (now called the Ontario Dairy Youth Award) winner in 1985 and was President of the Ontario Holstein Branch in 2007, 4. Bred by Aitkenbrae Farms, Aitkenbrae Starbuck Ada Ex-94-2E-USA-DOM 4* is the fountainhead of the world famous Ada family that has produced such famous animals as Atlee and her son Atwood, 5. The fifth maternal dam in the pedigree of the noted Lylehaven Lila Z Ex-94 24* is a cow bred in Grey County by the Boyd family, 6. Grey County’s 1946 Barn Meeting was hosted by Herman Weaver


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Grey County Master Breeders 1972 1975 1981 1981 1992 1992 1993 2001 2002 2003 2004 2004 2010 2011 2013 2014 2017 2018 2018

ISAAC LAKE VIE-LAND FRANRO LANGSTATE BELGROVE BETHNWILL AITKENBRAE VALLEYRIVER MURLONE AITKENBRAE BELGROVE BRIDOR SUNSPARK MILLBROOKE BRISTAL GLENWIN LOYALYN MARFLOACRES WOODBRIDGE

Gordon Galloway Calvon Robinson Robert Franklin Meine Langeraap Allan Bell Bethnwill Holsteins Aitkenbrae Holsteins Valleyriver Farms Ltd Murlone Holsteins Aitkenbrae Farms Allan Bell Brian M. Aitken Sunspark Farms Inc. Ed Meulendyk Brian A. Betts Patti Alsop Rob & Alice Bumstead Wayne & Karen Martin Woodbridge Holsteins

PHOTOS: 1. Kerry and Ed Meulendyk of Millbrooke Holsteins won a Master Breeder shield in 2011 and are one of 17 Grey Club members to achieve that honour, 2. Valleyriver Ruben Redman Ex-ST, bred by Valleyriver Farms, has had an enormous impact on the Red & White segment of the Holstein breed, 3. John Gillies of Valleyriver Farms is humbled by the influence his Valleyriver breeding program has had on Red & White Holsteins, 4. Loyalyn Goldwyn June Ex-97-5E 1* was bred by Rob and Alice Bumstead and continues to amass show wins now at almost 13 years of age

Having an enormous impact on the Red & White segment has been the Valleyriver herd of John Gillies at Bognor, whose bloodlines appear in countless All-American and All-Canadian Red & White nominees. Gillies’ best-known bull, Valleyriver Ruben Redman ExST, is a former number one Red & White bull for LPI in Canada and was Premier Sire at the Royal Winter Fair’s Red Show in 2007. Redman’s most celebrated daughter, Blondin Redman Seisme Ex97-2E-USA, was a Royal and World Dairy Expo grand champion and the first Red & White Holstein in North America to classify Excellent-97. A Redman son, Patience Showline Contender, was Premier Sire of the Royal’s Red Show three times.

Topping that list is Loyalyn Goldwyn June Ex-97-5E 1*, bred by Rob and Alice Bumstead. The Bumsteads sold June as a springing bred heifer in 2007. Two years later, she was acquired by Pierre Boulet, Montmagny, Que., who predicted then she would one day classify 97. A three-time Royal class winner, June was All-Canadian Longtime Production cow in 2016, and has been Reserve All-Canadian and Reserve AllAmerican twice. This spring, at nearly 13 years of age, she was grand champion at Quebec Spring Show and reserve grand at the National Convention Show. June’s first Excellent daughter, Pierstein The Grey Club currently has 154 members. It continues to hold Windbrook Junebug Ex-91, was bought by the Bumsteads as a calf twilight and barn/annual meetings, and host and conduct car and is the only animal in their herd to not carry their prefix. tours. “We have had great participation in our Breeder’s Cup competitions,” says current President Alice Bumstead of Loyalyn Younger Grey members are now bringing acclaim to the county Holsteins, Owen Sound. “And for the first time this year we had as well. Corey and Kim Rae of Unique Holsteins, Mount Forest, a Tag Sale.” Their events are well attended. “People in our county bought the Master Breeder farm of Corey’s Aunt and Uncle, Doris make a huge effort to go to these events, sometimes having to drive and Brian Aitken of Bridor Farms. Unique Dempsey Cheers Extwo hours or more to even get there,” says Alice’s husband Rob. 92-USA, a two-time Reserve All-American and once Reserve AllCanadian now owned in the United States, was bred by the Raes. The Seventeen herds, who were Grey members at the time, have achieved high type, Red Carrier bull from the Apple family, Dymentholm Mr Master Breeder awards. Two of these, Aitkenbrae and Belgrove, Apples Avalanche, was co-bred, born and raised at Unique. have earned two shields. A list of Excellent-93 and higher females bred in the county, and still owned in Canada, reveals 36 cows at 93 A Holstein club rich in history and success, Grey County definitely points, seven at 94, and one each at 95, 96 and 97 points. has much to be proud of as they celebrate their 75th anniversary.

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