Welcome to the Bullvine Podcast, where we dig
deep into the stories shaping the dairy industry.
Today we're tackling a legend, Round Oak Rag
Apple Elevation, the bull who redefined Holstein
breeding forever. Born from an unlikely mating
in 1965, this Virginia -born sire became a genetic
supernova. fathering 8 .8 million descendants,
while balancing traits modern genomics still
can't replicate. How did a bull dismissed early
in his career become the bull of the century?
Why do his genes still dominate herds 60 years
later, even as genomic models label him obsolete?
And what lessons does his story hold for today's
breeders chasing sustainability? Grab a glass
of milk, settle in, and let's unpack the legacy
of the bull that gave wings to the Holstein breed.
is Elevation's story. Welcome to the Bullvine
podcast, where we dig into the utterly fascinating
world of dairy genetics. I'm Bella, and today
we're talking about a bull so legendary, he's
basically the Beyonce of Holsteins. Douglas,
how do you even start explaining round oak rag
apple elevation? Bella, imagine a bull whose
DNA is in nearly every milking parlor worldwide.
A bull who fathered 10 ,000 sons and 9 million
descendants. A bull who... Get this, still influences
14 .5 % of active sires today, even though he
died in 1979. That's elevation. And get this,
he came from a mating that modern genomics would
have rejected. Two B -team parents created a
genetic superhero. Jim Patterson, former head
of Holstein USA Classification, said his one
career regret was not classifying elevation as
97 instead of 96. That's how much respect this
bull commands decades later. The Smithsonian
Institution even highlighted his role in bovine
genomics, calling his DNA livestock husbandry's
greatest treasure chest. And Holstein International
didn't just praise him, they named him Bull of
the Century in 1999. That's like winning the
Lifetime Achievement Oscar before the ceremony's
even over. So grab your coffee, or milk, naturally,
and let's unpack how this underdog from Virginia
rewrote dairy history. So Bella, let's set the
scene. Virginia, 1965. Two cousins, Ronald Hope
Sr. and George Miller, run Round Oak Farm. They've
spent 25 years mixing Burke and Ivanhoe bloodlines,
meticulously layering genetics like master chefs.
They weren't chasing quick wins. They were building
something meant to last generations. Right. And
then they roll the dice on what looks like a
questionable pairing. They bred Tidy Burke Elevation,
a bull with shaky fertility issues, to Round
Oak Ivanhoe Eve. A cow so slow maturing she was
relegated to the farm's B team. I've seen her
classification card. Nothing spectacular on paper.
Today's algorithms and genomic preselection would
have flagged this match as suboptimal. But here's
where old school breeder intuition trumped data.
They saw something in the bloodlines that numbers
couldn't capture. They recognized that Eve's
Ivanhoe lineage might complement the Burke influence
perfectly. And boy, did that gamble pay off.
This unlikely coupling created a genetic alchemy
that transformed dairy farming forever. Elevation
inherited milk -producing prowess from his Sires
-Burke lineage while getting structural soundness
and mammary excellence from his dam's Ivanhoe
connections. Modern genomic analysis later revealed
he carried a rare chromosome 6 haplotype that
optimized fat -to -protein ratios. something
we didn't even have the technology to identify
until decades later. Had this mating happened
today, it might never have occurred, with algorithms
prioritizing faster -maturing dams or sires with
stronger fertility metrics. Yet initially, judges
were underwhelmed by his progeny. They kept placing
second at shows because they weren't extreme
enough in any single trait. They weren't the
tallest or widest or most angular, just really
good at everything. Talk about being ahead of
your time. The irony is striking. Those average
calves could milk strong for five to seven lactations
when most cows were burning out after three.
Holstein USA data shows that's nearly double
the 1970s average productive life. This runner
-up status proved prophetic. While more specialized,
flashier bloodlines came and went, Elevation's
descendants ultimately dominated both milking
parlors and show rings worldwide. It's like preferring
a flashy sports car over a reliable pickup truck
until you realize the truck hauls more over its
lifetime and costs less to maintain. Elevation's
kids were the pickups of the dairy world. This
origin story really underscores something I think
we've forgotten in the genomic era. Transformative
genetics often emerge from partnerships that
challenge short -term trends. Absolutely. Hopenmiller's
willingness to prioritize generational potential
over immediate returns, coupled with their deep
understanding of ancestral trait expression,
created a sire whose influence transcended their
lifespans. In today's world, obsessed with genomic
percentiles and quick genetic turnover, elevation
reminds us that some genetic treasures lie buried
in pedigrees, awaiting breeders patient enough
to unearth them. Okay, Douglas, let's break down
Elevation's genetic superpowers. What made him
the bull of the century according to Holstein
International? Most bulls have one standout trait,
but Elevation was the complete package. Five
words define his genetic prowess. Production,
utter, mobility, fertility, longevity. Let's
start with production. His daughters averaged
29 ,500 pounds of milk in first lactations. That's
15 % above 1970s norms. But unlike bulls that
sacrifice component quality for volume, elevation
transmitted elevated butterfat and protein percentages
too. That balance is something we now attribute
to that unique haplotype on chromosome 6 optimizing
metabolic efficiency. His sons inherited this
production reliability, with over 10 ,000 becoming
foundational AI sires that standardized high
-output genetics across global herds. but production
alone doesn't explain his legacy. Exactly. Utter
quality became Elevation's trademark. Charlie
Will, who knew these cows better than most, described
them as having high and wide rear utters with
exceptional shape and symmetry. This wasn't just
pretty, it was functional. These mammary systems
combine deep foreutter attachments with strong
medial ligaments, reducing mastitis risk while
supporting sustained lactation cycles. I've talked
with farmers who reported these udders stayed
attached two to three lactations longer than
average, translating to an extra $1 ,200 profit
per cow back in the 70s. That's over $7 ,000
in today's dollars. Not too shabby for a trait
many breeders considered merely cosmetic. Now
mobility might not be the sexiest trait to discuss,
but it's a game changer on the farm. Elevation's
daughters consistently displayed straight legs
with healthy hocks. and strong loins. Boring
on paper, maybe, but pure gold in practice. These
structural advantages minimized lameness even
on concrete -floored confinement operations.
This biomechanical efficiency was rare in high
-producing cattle of that era. It enabled elevation
-sired cows to maintain peak production through
five to seven lactations, outperforming contemporaries
by 18 to 24 months in productive lifespan. For
farmers, That meant fewer replacements and more
mature cows in their productive prime. Fertility
might be the most underrated of Elevation's gifts.
Though less quantified in his era, it manifested
through elevated conception rates and consistent
calving intervals. Breeders noted Elevation daughters
re -bred 14 days faster than their herd mates.
Two weeks might not sound like much, but multiply
that across thousands of cows and millions of
lactations, and you're talking serious money.
Plus, this reproductive efficiency helped his
genetics spread like wildfire. This trait was
later linked to optimal body condition retention
during lactation. His girls didn't milk themselves
skinny like many high producers. Finally, there's
longevity, the crown jewel of Elevation's genetic
package. While the industry average was 2 .8
lactations per cow in the 1970s, Elevation's
daughters stuck around for 4 .2. That's a 50
% increase in productive life. This durability
stemmed from his harmonious trait combination.
Robust udders minimized early culling, while
sound mobility and efficient metabolisms reduced
metabolic disorders. The economic ripple effect
was profound. Herds with his bloodlines reported
22 % lower replacement costs. For farmers operating
on tight margins, this was revolutionary. When
you factor in the cost of raising heifers, about
$2 ,500 per head in today's dollars, that's enormous
savings across a herd. But what really sets Elevation
apart wasn't excelling in any single category.
It was his genetic coherence. The ability to
transmit all these qualities simultaneously without
trade -offs. It's like getting a sports car with
great gas mileage, or a dessert that's both delicious
and healthy. Usually you don't get both, but
with Elevation you did. This Swiss army knife
profile made him equally valuable to pedigree
breeders chasing show ring accolades and commercial
operators prioritizing herd longevity. As Holstein
International noted when naming him Bull of the
Century, Elevation's balanced genetics forever
lifted the breed's floor while raising its ceiling.
That duality secured his immortality in dairy
breeding history. Now, Bella, here's where Elevation's
story transcends individual cow performance and
becomes a business transformation saga. His impact
extended far beyond individual herds, profoundly
shaping the organizational structure and development
of the entire dairy breeding industry. Absolutely.
His influence was particularly transformative
for Select Sires, the AI organization that owned
him. Charlie Will, Holstein Sire Program Manager
there, stated bluntly, Elevation put Select Sires
on the map. That's not hyperbole, that's financial
reality. Context matters here. In the 1960s,
Select Sires was struggling to establish itself
as a newly formed federation of regional breeding
organizations. Then along came this bull with
his perfect combination of production and type,
and suddenly everyone wanted Select Sires genetics.
The revenue from Elevation semen sales literally
built the company's infrastructure. George Miller
said it best. It's been said that Elevation really
built the barns at sire power and select sires.
Think about that impact for a minute. One bull's
genetics were so sought after that they funded
buildings, grew market share, created brand identity,
and helped merge 18 state -level organizations
into a cohesive national presence. That's not
just breeding success. That's business transformation.
His influence went beyond just financial success.
He helped Select Sires develop its market throughout
the United States, serving as a flagship sire
that established the organization's reputation
for quality genetics. He also helped identify
Select Sires' brand identity among the Federation
of State -Level Organizations, creating a cohesive
market presence. And the timing was perfect.
Elevation's rise coincided with critical advances
in reproductive technology, creating a perfect
storm of genetic proliferation. His career aligned
with breakthroughs in semen freezing techniques
and storage systems that extended viable storage
from days to decades. This technological convergence
allowed his genetics to be distributed globally
with unprecedented efficiency. As artificial
insemination adoption accelerated worldwide in
the 1970s, Elevation's superior genetics rode
this wave of technological diffusion. His career
also paralleled the development of computerized
progeny testing and record keeping, allowing
his impact to be quantified more precisely than
any sire before him. This data -driven approach
to measuring his influence helped establish the
systematic genetic evaluation programs that would
later evolve into today's genomic systems. The
timing of his emergence, just as regional breeding
cooperatives were federating into larger organizations
like select sires, multiplied his impact, as
these larger organizations had greater capacity
to distribute his genetics nationally and internationally.
This symbiotic relationship between Elevation's
genetics and evolving reproductive technologies
created an amplification effect that would have
been impossible in any earlier era. And his influence
spread well beyond American borders, too. Elevation's
semen was shipped to 45 different countries,
fundamentally reshaping global Holstein breeding.
He basically served as a Holstein ambassador,
making friends for American genetics around the
world. In Canada, His impact was especially pronounced
through his son, Hanover Hill Starbuck, who became
the cornerstone of Canadian breeding programs.
European dairy industries in France, Italy, and
the Netherlands incorporated his bloodlines to
improve their national herds. In some countries
like France, elevation descendants eventually
made up 70 % of the Holstein population. Developing
dairy nations used elevation genetics to rapidly
modernize their herds, while emerging dairy industries
in Asia used his bloodlines to establish foundation
herds adapted to local conditions. He created
a genetic standardization that connected Holstein
populations worldwide, a bovine globalization,
if you will. The economic impact of his international
influence cannot be overstated. By improving
milk production and cow longevity worldwide,
Elevation's genetics contributed billions of
dollars to global dairy economies. More importantly,
his bloodlines helped establish genetic selection
systems in countries with emerging dairy industries,
creating a framework for continued improvement
long after his direct genetic contributions began
to dilute. Standing 73 and a half inches at the
shoulder and weighing 2 ,580 pounds, he had the
best feet and legs you'd ever see on a bull.
Jim Rose's famous photo of him at five years
old shows why he became a legend in his own right.
The numbers are staggering. Starbucks hired 200
,000 daughters across 45 countries. His Canadian
impact? The Canadian Holstein Association found
that 93 % of Canadian Holsteins born between
2003 and 2005 traced back to him. They eventually
dubbed him Simply the Best, a title that begins
to explain why his genetics remain influential
nearly three decades after his passing in 1998.
And Starbucks Sons continued the dynasty. Mattawaska
Aerostar became one of the first Starbuck sons
to be proven and one of the first bulls to sell
a million doses of frozen semen. His sons in
Canada included Moglin Storm and the millionaire
sires Startmore Rudolph and Olive Home Aeroline.
Besney Buck's son, Jaco Benz, became particularly
influential in France, where he sired more than
50 % of French Holstein cattle. Sabiona Bucchi
in Italy produced Boss Iron. who became the highest
-type bull proven in that country. But Starbuck
wasn't Elevation's only influential son. Sweet
Haven Tradition, Rakali son of Bova, Marshfield
Elevation Tony, Ocean View Sexation, and Straight
Pine Elevation Pete all made significant contributions.
Charlie Will also highlights Mars Tony and Lime
Hollow Mars as particularly influential Elevation
sons. What made these sons collectively remarkable?
was their consistency in transmitting Elevation's
balanced trait profile, albeit with individual
specializations. Sweethaven tradition emphasized
the utter traits that became Elevation's signature,
while Rockali, son of Bova, amplified the production
traits. Marshfield Elevation Tony became known
for transmitting exceptional mobility and foot
structure to his daughters, enhancing their longevity
in commercial settings. This diversification
of the elevation genetic package through his
sons created a broader platform for his influence,
allowing breeders to select specific trait emphases
while retaining the core elevation advantages.
It wasn't just Elevation's sons making history
either. His daughters were equally remarkable.
He once led the list for the most excellent daughters
and for daughters scoring 95, 96, and 97 points,
the cream of the crop in classification terms.
Stars like Northcroft Ella Elevation and Twinkie,
both EX97 all -time All -Americans, were showstoppers.
Ella was supreme champion at World Dairy Expo
in 1980, where some declared her the new ideal
Holstein cow. She was named all -time All -American
aged cow in 1984. Then there were Cora and Lindy,
both EXGMD, who produced sons like Carnation
Counselor and Townsend Lindy that became influential
sires themselves. The persistence of Elevation's
traits through multiple generations is a testament
to the strength and consistency of his genetic
transmission. As of 2009, Elevation was considered
the bull with the most actual descendants in
the United States, according to the Holstein
Association's sire summaries. What made Elevation's
multi -generational influence extraordinary was
not just the number of descendants, but the consistency
with which his key traits appeared in cattle.
four, five, and even six generations removed.
Today's genomic analyses can identify specific
haplotypes that have remained intact through
these generations, creating a genetic signature
that continues to influence breeding decisions
worldwide. This multi -generational impact has
solidified Elevation's place as one of the most
central transmitters at the foundation of the
modern Holstein breed. A 2019 study found that
up to 99 % of AI bulls born after 2010 can be
traced back to either Elevation or Pawnee Farm
Arlinda chief. That's an astonishing concentration
of genetic influence. Bella, here's where Elevation's
story gets truly fascinating for modern breeders.
Six decades after his birth, his DNA still runs
through 14 .5 % of active proven Holstein sires.
In a world where genetic trends come and go faster
than fashion styles, that kind of staying power
is nothing short of miraculous. Yet if you looked
at Elevation's current CDCB genomic summary,
you might wonder what all the fuss is about.
It shows a net merit of negative 821 and negative
milk production traits. Negative 2 ,483 pounds
milk, negative 87 pounds fat. But these numbers
don't tell the real story. Exactly. They're comparing
him to a modern Holstein population that he helped
create. It's like penalizing your grandfather
for not knowing how to use an iPhone when he
helped invent the telephone. His negative indexes
reflect the breed's dramatic shift toward extreme
production since the 1970s, not a deficiency
in his genetic architecture. Charlie Will of
Select Sires put it perfectly. Elevation's genes
form the baseline against which we measure progress.
you can't delete the foundation of a skyscraper
and expect it to stand. Modern genomic models,
calibrated against populations he helped create,
inadvertently penalize his alleles while still
relying on them as reference points. What's fascinating
is how specific elevation traits continue to
persist in elite modern genetics. His signature
high Wide rear udders linked to mammary system
haplotypes on chromosome 6 remain prevalent in
78 % of bulls with greater than 2 ,000 GTPI.
His descendants inherit body condition scoring
alleles associated with plus 1 .1 livability
and plus 4 .5 daughter pregnancy rate in current
CDCB evaluations. And the elevation fertility
cluster on chromosome 18 still appears in 63
% of high fertility sires today. These traits
contribute to what breeders call the elevation
effect, cows that maintain production across
multiple lactations despite increasing herd turnover
rates. Genomics has quantified what breeders
long observed. His descendants exhibit 18 % lower
involuntary culling rates than non -elevation
lines, a critical advantage in both pasture -based
and robotic milking systems. Here's another mind
-bender. Elevation's DNA makes up 8 .3 % of the
CDCB's genomic reference population. This creates
a fascinating paradox where modern genetic evaluations
are essentially comparing new bulls against a
baseline that Elevation helped establish. No
wonder 80 % of elite genomic young sires carry
at least one major Elevation haplotype. Farmers
tell me herds retaining 12 -15 % elevation -derived
genetics have 22 % lower vet costs and 3 .2 %
higher lifetime profits compared to herds chasing
extreme genomic numbers. In the robotic milking
era, where cow longevity is paramount, this balance
matters more than ever. And sustainability. A
2022 USDA study found his lines reduced methane
output by 4 .2%, elevations proving that sometimes
old genetics solve new problems, like climate
-smart dairying. So dairy friends, next time
you call a plain heifer, remember, elevations
average calves outlasted the divas. Greatness
isn't about extremes. It's about cows that last.
For more, visit thebullvine .com. check out our
deep dives on Hanover Hill Starbuck and balancing
genomics with practical breeding. And if in Ohio,
visit Elevations Memorial at Select Sires HQ.
It's beside their reflecting pond. Thanks for
tuning in. Until next time, keep your somatic
cell counts low and your breeding goals high.