WEBVTT 00:00:10.490 --> 00:00:13.609 Welcome to the Bullvine Podcast, where we bring 00:00:13.609 --> 00:00:16.530 you the latest insights, stories, and strategies 00:00:16.530 --> 00:00:19.370 from the world of dairy cattle breeding. Each 00:00:19.370 --> 00:00:22.149 episode, we dive deep into the genetics, show 00:00:22.149 --> 00:00:24.870 ring success, and breeding philosophies that 00:00:24.870 --> 00:00:29.829 shape modern Holstein excellence. we're exploring 00:00:29.829 --> 00:00:32.590 the transformative impact of Aikenbrae Starbuck 00:00:32.590 --> 00:00:35.429 Aida on Holstein breeding. Whether you're a seasoned 00:00:35.429 --> 00:00:38.469 breeder, show enthusiast, or dairy professional 00:00:38.469 --> 00:00:41.109 looking to strengthen your herd, you'll find 00:00:41.109 --> 00:00:44.149 valuable takeaways in today's conversation. So 00:00:44.149 --> 00:00:45.929 let's get started with the Bullvine Podcast, 00:00:46.450 --> 00:00:49.009 where great genetics and dairy passion meet. 00:00:49.710 --> 00:00:54.560 Ever think about, you know, like... How one cat, 00:00:54.619 --> 00:00:56.439 one single cow, like just an average looking 00:00:56.439 --> 00:00:59.299 cow could end up like really changing an entire 00:00:59.299 --> 00:01:02.299 breed. Yeah. Because like that's kind of what 00:01:02.299 --> 00:01:05.340 happened with this Holstein cow born back in 00:01:05.340 --> 00:01:09.280 1986 in rural Ontario. It can brace Starbuck 00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:12.819 Ada. She became like a global influencer in Holstein 00:01:12.819 --> 00:01:16.739 genetics. Wow. So like how does that even happen? 00:01:16.780 --> 00:01:19.239 How does one animal like reshape a whole breed? 00:01:19.659 --> 00:01:21.620 That's a great question. And that's exactly what 00:01:21.620 --> 00:01:24.239 we're diving into today on this deep dive, all 00:01:24.239 --> 00:01:27.099 about Aitkenbrae Starbuck Ada and the absolutely 00:01:27.099 --> 00:01:29.459 massive impact she's had on Holstein breeding. 00:01:29.599 --> 00:01:31.480 Yeah. And not just here in North America, but 00:01:31.480 --> 00:01:33.599 really around the world. And it wasn't just about 00:01:33.599 --> 00:01:35.519 looks with Ada, right? Like she was more than 00:01:35.519 --> 00:01:37.719 just a pretty face in the show. Oh, absolutely. 00:01:38.140 --> 00:01:40.239 What makes her story like so interesting for 00:01:40.239 --> 00:01:42.099 people like us in the industry is how she kind 00:01:42.099 --> 00:01:43.980 of like bridged this huge gap between the cows 00:01:43.980 --> 00:01:45.260 that everyone wanted to look at. You know, the 00:01:45.260 --> 00:01:46.719 ones winning all the banners. Right. And then 00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:48.400 the cows are really like, you know, putting up 00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:50.560 the big milk. numbers. It's like she found this 00:01:50.560 --> 00:01:55.120 sweet spot between show ring glamour and the 00:01:55.120 --> 00:01:58.060 then emerging world of genomic science. Exactly. 00:01:58.140 --> 00:02:00.799 She really kind of sparked a dynasty and her 00:02:00.799 --> 00:02:03.799 influence is still felt today in modern Holstein 00:02:03.799 --> 00:02:05.719 herds. So to really understand her significance, 00:02:06.019 --> 00:02:08.580 we need to like rewind a bit and look at the 00:02:08.580 --> 00:02:10.520 Holstein landscape when she first came on the 00:02:10.520 --> 00:02:13.280 scene back in the mid -1980s. Okay, so like paint 00:02:13.280 --> 00:02:16.060 a picture for us. What was the Holstein world 00:02:16.060 --> 00:02:19.810 like back then? I vaguely remember something 00:02:19.810 --> 00:02:21.990 about this, like, great divide or something. 00:02:22.169 --> 00:02:24.750 Yeah, you're right on the money there. The mid 00:02:24.750 --> 00:02:27.909 -1980s were a really interesting time. There 00:02:27.909 --> 00:02:30.090 was this, like, big tension. A lot of folks called 00:02:30.090 --> 00:02:31.969 it the great divide between type and production. 00:02:32.509 --> 00:02:35.069 You had on one side the traditional show breeders. 00:02:35.069 --> 00:02:37.530 These are the people really focused on confirmation. 00:02:37.770 --> 00:02:40.689 They wanted cows with that certain look, that 00:02:40.689 --> 00:02:42.629 structural correctness that just shines in the 00:02:42.629 --> 00:02:44.710 show ring. They were all about beauty, essentially. 00:02:45.030 --> 00:02:46.789 So these were like the head turners, like the 00:02:46.789 --> 00:02:49.789 pinup models of the dairy world. Exactly. But 00:02:49.789 --> 00:02:51.810 then on the other side, you had this growing 00:02:51.810 --> 00:02:53.949 group of more commercial breeders. And these 00:02:53.949 --> 00:02:56.449 guys were all about the genetic indexes. You 00:02:56.449 --> 00:02:58.409 know, those numbers that predicted things like 00:02:58.409 --> 00:03:01.509 milk, yield, butterfat percentages, protein. 00:03:01.800 --> 00:03:04.240 production. Right. The bottom line. Yeah. Efficiency 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:07.400 and output. And we can't forget about the AI 00:03:07.400 --> 00:03:09.759 organizations at this time. They were really 00:03:09.759 --> 00:03:12.699 pushing those young sire sampling programs, you 00:03:12.699 --> 00:03:14.960 know, where they take semen from promising young 00:03:14.960 --> 00:03:17.620 bulls and use it widely to test out their offspring. 00:03:17.860 --> 00:03:20.439 Right. Those programs were becoming a major force 00:03:20.439 --> 00:03:22.960 in genetic improvement. So basically like two 00:03:22.960 --> 00:03:24.819 totally different ways of thinking about breeding. 00:03:24.979 --> 00:03:27.159 Absolutely. And while those breeders focused 00:03:27.159 --> 00:03:29.400 on type had been the dominant force for a long 00:03:29.400 --> 00:03:32.159 time, those production oriented operations were 00:03:32.159 --> 00:03:34.740 starting to see better economic returns. Some 00:03:34.740 --> 00:03:37.699 folks even noted how the real leadership in genetic 00:03:37.699 --> 00:03:40.159 improvement started to shift from breeds and 00:03:40.159 --> 00:03:43.520 prominent herds to artificial insemination organizations. 00:03:44.099 --> 00:03:46.759 Interesting. So where does our star Ada fit into 00:03:46.759 --> 00:03:48.819 all of this? She comes into the picture right 00:03:48.819 --> 00:03:50.960 in the middle of this shift. And what's amazing 00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:53.240 is that her descendants ended up bridging these 00:03:53.240 --> 00:03:56.300 two seemingly opposite priorities. Wow. They 00:03:56.300 --> 00:03:58.979 excelled in both the good looks department. and 00:03:58.979 --> 00:04:01.039 those all -important production figures. It's 00:04:01.039 --> 00:04:03.219 really a story about finding that perfect blend. 00:04:03.460 --> 00:04:05.520 Okay, let's hear it then. Yeah. Tell me about 00:04:05.520 --> 00:04:07.219 the birth of this legend. Where did it all begin? 00:04:07.560 --> 00:04:09.960 Well, it all started on September 13th, 1986 00:04:09.960 --> 00:04:14.000 at Aitkenbrae Farm in Holstein, Ontario. That's 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:16.540 where Aitkenbrae's Starbuck Ada was born. And 00:04:16.540 --> 00:04:19.319 her family tree, oh man, it was packed with Holstein 00:04:19.319 --> 00:04:22.259 royalty. Her sire was the one and only Hanover 00:04:22.259 --> 00:04:23.720 Hill Starbuck. Oh yeah, I've heard that name, 00:04:23.740 --> 00:04:27.180 a true icon. A legend. Even today, Starbuck was 00:04:27.180 --> 00:04:29.779 known for siring daughters with exceptional udders 00:04:29.779 --> 00:04:32.399 and overall good type. Okay. He was super popular. 00:04:32.459 --> 00:04:35.639 And her dam was Aikenberry Sheik Arlene, who 00:04:35.639 --> 00:04:38.139 was classified good plus 80 as a two -year -old. 00:04:38.180 --> 00:04:41.040 Now, she wasn't an EX -97 herself. Right. But 00:04:41.040 --> 00:04:44.079 this particular cross of Starbuck on this specific 00:04:44.079 --> 00:04:46.540 cow, it really turned out to be transformative 00:04:46.540 --> 00:04:49.120 for the Holstein breed. But to really get to 00:04:49.120 --> 00:04:52.160 the root of Ada's greatness, we need to dig a 00:04:52.160 --> 00:04:54.209 little deeper into her family history. Okay, 00:04:54.269 --> 00:04:56.790 so let's go way back. What's the foundation of 00:04:56.790 --> 00:04:58.759 this incredible lineage? We're going all the 00:04:58.759 --> 00:05:01.800 way back to the 1940s with a cow named Banistine 00:05:01.800 --> 00:05:05.379 Dutchland Clothilde. She was a real star, setting 00:05:05.379 --> 00:05:07.600 a world record for fat production as a senior 00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:10.800 two -year -old in 1948. Wow. Her breeder, Tom 00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:13.180 Hayden, who used the Benella prefix, he bred 00:05:13.180 --> 00:05:16.720 Clothilde to Spring Farm Sovereign Supreme. And 00:05:16.720 --> 00:05:19.600 this mating, it produced a heifer named Benella 00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:22.259 Sovereign Supreme Delight. But get this. She 00:05:22.259 --> 00:05:24.680 was actually considered quite poor in terms of 00:05:24.680 --> 00:05:27.259 type. You're kidding? A world record holder in 00:05:27.259 --> 00:05:29.000 the family tree and the results of disappointment? 00:05:29.579 --> 00:05:31.399 That's farming for you, right? I know, right? 00:05:31.980 --> 00:05:34.120 So much so that Hayden actually sold Delight 00:05:34.120 --> 00:05:36.420 for a pretty low price to his friend Cecil Barber. 00:05:36.639 --> 00:05:39.060 But Barber, he was a smart cattleman. He saw 00:05:39.060 --> 00:05:41.220 something in Delight that others missed. He bred 00:05:41.220 --> 00:05:43.980 her to Liflock Re -Echo Voyager, and that produced 00:05:43.980 --> 00:05:46.899 a cow named Sheila Voyager. And then Sheila Voyager 00:05:46.899 --> 00:05:49.399 was bred to Pabst Walker Ollie, and that's who 00:05:49.399 --> 00:05:52.240 Seabar Ollie Beale was born back in 1959. Okay, 00:05:52.300 --> 00:05:53.920 so we're tracing the lines here. What happens 00:05:53.920 --> 00:05:56.519 with Ollie? In the mid -1960s, Walter Aitken 00:05:56.519 --> 00:05:58.920 was always looking to improve his herd, and he 00:05:58.920 --> 00:06:01.930 bought the five -year -old Ollie Bell. He actually 00:06:01.930 --> 00:06:04.670 got her through a cattle dealer named Bill Snively. 00:06:04.870 --> 00:06:07.689 Okay. Now, Aitkenbrae Farm itself was already 00:06:07.689 --> 00:06:10.129 a pretty big operation. It was a partnership 00:06:10.129 --> 00:06:12.569 between Morley Aitken and Don Lance starting 00:06:12.569 --> 00:06:16.370 back in 1978. They built up a really top -notch 00:06:16.370 --> 00:06:18.910 herd under the Aitkenbrae prefix. They were always 00:06:18.910 --> 00:06:20.910 winning premier breeder and exhibitor banners 00:06:20.910 --> 00:06:23.490 at the shows. Their breeding skills even got 00:06:23.490 --> 00:06:26.339 them two master breeder shields. Wow, that's 00:06:26.339 --> 00:06:28.660 a huge honor. A big deal in our industry. So 00:06:28.660 --> 00:06:30.800 Aitkenbrae was already a well -respected name 00:06:30.800 --> 00:06:33.279 in the Holstein world. And what about Don Lance? 00:06:33.399 --> 00:06:35.199 What was his connection to the farm? It goes 00:06:35.199 --> 00:06:38.220 way back. Don's father passed away when he was 00:06:38.220 --> 00:06:40.399 only six years old, and his uncle Walter Aitken 00:06:40.399 --> 00:06:42.540 really took him under his wing. Dutton spent 00:06:42.540 --> 00:06:44.459 pretty much every weekend and all his summers 00:06:44.459 --> 00:06:46.680 working on the farm. That's where his love for 00:06:46.680 --> 00:06:49.000 farming and Holsteins really started. It never 00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:51.379 left him. And when he got older, his first job 00:06:51.379 --> 00:06:53.540 was working with his uncle. When Walter decided 00:06:53.540 --> 00:06:55.939 to retire, he was farming with his son Morley, 00:06:56.000 --> 00:06:58.300 and they both saw how talented and hardworking 00:06:58.300 --> 00:07:01.500 Dawn was. So Walter offered to sell Dawn his 00:07:01.500 --> 00:07:03.720 share of the business. It's a real story about 00:07:03.720 --> 00:07:05.819 mentorship and a shared passion for the black 00:07:05.819 --> 00:07:08.180 and whites. Yeah, definitely. So back to Ollie 00:07:08.180 --> 00:07:10.379 Bell. You mentioned something about her not being 00:07:10.379 --> 00:07:12.769 the best mother. Right. Well, despite her impressive 00:07:12.769 --> 00:07:15.509 pedigree, Ollie Bell didn't seem to have much 00:07:15.509 --> 00:07:18.009 of a maternal instinct. Her first two calves 00:07:18.009 --> 00:07:19.910 at Aitkenbrae actually died soon after birth. 00:07:20.029 --> 00:07:22.870 No doubt. But one daughter did survive Aitkenbrae 00:07:22.870 --> 00:07:25.889 Radar Olive. Okay. And through a few generations 00:07:25.889 --> 00:07:28.170 of careful breeding, it was this line that led 00:07:28.170 --> 00:07:31.009 to Aitkenbrae Chic Arlene. And when she was bred 00:07:31.009 --> 00:07:33.610 to the famous Hanover Hill Starbuck, we got the 00:07:33.610 --> 00:07:36.490 one and only Aitkenbrae Starbuck Ada. So even 00:07:36.490 --> 00:07:38.670 with a bit of a rocky start with Ollie Bell, 00:07:38.850 --> 00:07:41.470 that strong foundation really paid off in the 00:07:41.470 --> 00:07:43.209 end. It just goes to show you never know where 00:07:43.209 --> 00:07:45.350 that next great cow will come from. It's really 00:07:45.350 --> 00:07:47.269 amazing how those family lines can keep going 00:07:47.269 --> 00:07:49.110 and then all of a sudden, boom, something incredible 00:07:49.110 --> 00:07:51.529 happens. Yeah. So when did people in the industry 00:07:51.529 --> 00:07:54.050 start to realize that Ada was something special? 00:07:54.410 --> 00:07:58.009 It was after her first calving in 1988. A well 00:07:58.009 --> 00:08:01.009 -known cattleman named Brian Karsgaden, he was 00:08:01.009 --> 00:08:03.350 one of the first to really notice her. He was 00:08:03.350 --> 00:08:05.269 working for a firm in California, but he was 00:08:05.269 --> 00:08:07.470 also buying and selling high -quality cattle. 00:08:07.970 --> 00:08:10.769 He and Ken Empey were regular visitors at Aitkenbrae. 00:08:11.069 --> 00:08:13.470 They'd bought animals from Morley and Don before 00:08:13.470 --> 00:08:15.949 Don Lance remembers it well. He said Brian was 00:08:15.949 --> 00:08:18.750 the first one to really see her potential. Brian 00:08:18.750 --> 00:08:20.990 and Ken talked about Ada a bit, and in the end, 00:08:21.009 --> 00:08:22.930 Ken Empey bought her. So it was a good eye for 00:08:22.930 --> 00:08:24.889 cattle that made that first crucial connection. 00:08:25.529 --> 00:08:27.449 And what was Aitkenbrae's thinking on selling 00:08:27.449 --> 00:08:29.509 such a promising young heifer? You don't see 00:08:29.509 --> 00:08:31.850 farms letting go of potential superstars every 00:08:31.850 --> 00:08:34.850 day. Don Lance and Morley Aitken, they had a 00:08:34.850 --> 00:08:37.350 really practical and pretty forward -thinking 00:08:37.350 --> 00:09:08.299 approach. Right. Exactly. from a business point 00:09:08.299 --> 00:09:11.159 of view yeah so mp buys ada and that's when her 00:09:11.159 --> 00:09:13.659 career really takes off right exactly ken mp 00:09:13.659 --> 00:09:16.559 buys her and ada heads south all the way to ohio 00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:19.620 there was this investment group called hygerian 00:09:19.620 --> 00:09:22.019 associates they had robert binger and william 00:09:22.019 --> 00:09:24.279 atkins in it and they wanted to build a top quality 00:09:24.279 --> 00:09:27.899 holstein herd they got in touch with ken mp who 00:09:27.899 --> 00:09:30.639 brought them to see ada She was only about two 00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:32.500 months fresh at the time, still early in her 00:09:32.500 --> 00:09:34.799 first lactation, but she must have made a big 00:09:34.799 --> 00:09:36.919 impression because they bought her right there 00:09:36.919 --> 00:09:40.120 and took her to their farm in Ohio. Wow. And 00:09:40.120 --> 00:09:42.340 I bet she didn't disappoint her new owners. Not 00:09:42.340 --> 00:09:44.399 at all. As a two -year -old, she finished an 00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:46.600 incredible lactation record, especially for a 00:09:46.600 --> 00:09:50.399 young cow. Over 25 ,000 pounds of milk, over 00:09:50.399 --> 00:09:54.360 900 pounds of butterfat at 3 .6%, and almost 00:09:54.360 --> 00:09:58.000 800 pounds of protein at 3 .2%. Those are numbers 00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:00.100 that'll turn heads. Man, those are some serious 00:10:00.100 --> 00:10:02.639 production figures. For sure. And the show ring 00:10:02.639 --> 00:10:05.960 wins weren't far behind. During that same lactation, 00:10:06.100 --> 00:10:08.259 Binger and Atkins, they brought in a new partner 00:10:08.259 --> 00:10:10.940 named Lawson Bennett, and they decided to take 00:10:10.940 --> 00:10:13.059 Ada to the Michigan State Fair in the summer 00:10:13.059 --> 00:10:16.460 of 1989. She won her senior two -year -old class, 00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:19.000 and get this, she was named grand champion of 00:10:19.000 --> 00:10:21.659 the whole show. What a debut. From big milk numbers 00:10:21.659 --> 00:10:23.559 to grand champion, that's an incredible combination. 00:10:24.350 --> 00:10:26.029 What came next for her? I think she was at World 00:10:26.029 --> 00:10:28.470 Dairy Expo in Madison that same year. You're 00:10:28.470 --> 00:10:33.230 right. Her next big show was Madison, 1989. Howard 00:10:33.230 --> 00:10:35.789 Binder was the judge that year. She initially 00:10:35.789 --> 00:10:37.710 got second in her class, but was later moved 00:10:37.710 --> 00:10:40.389 to third after the official milk out behind DuPasquier 00:10:40.389 --> 00:10:43.590 Stab Winnie and the eventual All -American Comstar 00:10:43.590 --> 00:10:46.070 Lori Sheik. Now, even though she didn't win her 00:10:46.070 --> 00:10:47.970 class in Madison, being there was really important 00:10:47.970 --> 00:10:49.789 because it's where she caught the eye of some 00:10:49.789 --> 00:10:52.129 big names in the Holstein industry. Like Douglas 00:10:52.129 --> 00:10:54.330 King of Kingstead Farms and the folks at Gray 00:10:54.330 --> 00:10:57.149 -Wilcombe. Exactly. Douglas King from Kingstead 00:10:57.149 --> 00:10:59.450 Farms in Maryland and the team from Gray -Wilcombe. 00:10:59.450 --> 00:11:01.669 They were both at Madison that year. And Ada 00:11:01.669 --> 00:11:04.179 really impressed them. King later said he thought 00:11:04.179 --> 00:11:06.799 she was a little on the small side, but very 00:11:06.799 --> 00:11:10.159 correct in her confirmation. But he was clearly 00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:11.940 impressed enough with her overall quality and 00:11:11.940 --> 00:11:14.379 her potential that he and Wilcom approached Nigerian 00:11:14.379 --> 00:11:17.240 Associates and bought her in December of 1989. 00:11:17.720 --> 00:11:19.720 A new chapter begins with Kingstead and Wilcom. 00:11:19.840 --> 00:11:22.419 Yeah. And this is when she really becomes a household 00:11:22.419 --> 00:11:24.679 name in the show ring. Absolutely. Under their 00:11:24.679 --> 00:11:27.019 care, Ada really blossomed. She got taller, filled 00:11:27.019 --> 00:11:29.100 out, and they prepped her meticulously for the 00:11:29.100 --> 00:11:31.779 1990 show season. This was her breakout year. 00:11:32.110 --> 00:11:34.309 She won the three -year -old class and was named 00:11:34.309 --> 00:11:36.570 Supreme Champion at the Eastern National Show. 00:11:36.769 --> 00:11:39.149 And then at Madison that year, she took first 00:11:39.149 --> 00:11:42.450 place in her class and won Best Utter. Wow. And 00:11:42.450 --> 00:11:44.809 to top it all off, she was unanimously named 00:11:44.809 --> 00:11:47.269 the All -American Senior Three -Year -Old of 00:11:47.269 --> 00:11:50.490 1990. A tremendous honor to be chosen unanimously. 00:11:50.909 --> 00:11:53.929 Unanimous. That really says something. So after 00:11:53.929 --> 00:11:55.830 all that success in the show ring, what was the 00:11:55.830 --> 00:11:58.049 next step in building her legacy and creating 00:11:58.049 --> 00:12:00.779 that dynasty we talked about? The next big connection 00:12:00.779 --> 00:12:03.559 was with Hardy Shore Jr., the head of Shoremar, 00:12:03.620 --> 00:12:06.820 Inc. At the end of that amazing 1990s show season, 00:12:07.159 --> 00:12:10.139 Hardy bought a half interest in Ada. Now, Hardy 00:12:10.139 --> 00:12:12.179 had a background as a professional hoof trimmer. 00:12:12.379 --> 00:12:15.299 Oh, wow. He had a real eye for structural correctness, 00:12:15.360 --> 00:12:18.039 especially in a cow's feet and legs. He was really 00:12:18.039 --> 00:12:20.159 drawn to Ada's exceptional feet and legs. He 00:12:20.159 --> 00:12:21.919 often said she had some of the best feet he'd 00:12:21.919 --> 00:12:24.440 ever seen on a cow. This focus on functional 00:12:24.440 --> 00:12:26.440 confirmation would become really important later 00:12:26.440 --> 00:12:28.299 on when he made breeding decisions with her. 00:12:28.500 --> 00:12:31.080 Interesting. So a hoof trimmer who really understands 00:12:31.080 --> 00:12:34.039 how a cow's body works sees something special 00:12:34.039 --> 00:12:36.649 beyond just the show Ring Beauty. Yeah. What 00:12:36.649 --> 00:12:38.669 happened with Shormar's involvement? Well, in 00:12:38.669 --> 00:12:41.950 1991, Shormar had their big herd dispersal sale. 00:12:42.049 --> 00:12:44.049 Right. And Ada ended up selling for a whopping 00:12:44.049 --> 00:12:48.029 $71 ,000. That was the second highest price in 00:12:48.029 --> 00:12:49.669 the wholesale, which shows how highly regarded 00:12:49.669 --> 00:12:52.509 she was. Wow. After the sale, Kingstead and Wilcom 00:12:52.509 --> 00:12:55.129 bought back the other half of Ada and ended their 00:12:55.129 --> 00:12:58.490 partnership with Shore. So Ada goes back to being 00:12:58.490 --> 00:13:01.409 fully owned by Kingstead and Wilcom. But Shore's 00:13:01.409 --> 00:13:03.860 part in her story wasn't over, was it? He still 00:13:03.860 --> 00:13:06.259 had a big role in shaping her genetic legacy. 00:13:06.539 --> 00:13:09.620 Absolutely. Even during that short time as co 00:13:09.620 --> 00:13:11.799 -owner, Hardy Shore made a really important breeding 00:13:11.799 --> 00:13:14.600 decision, one that really set the stage for the 00:13:14.600 --> 00:13:16.679 Ada Empire and changed the future of the Holstein 00:13:16.679 --> 00:13:19.360 breed. He decided to flush Ada to a few different 00:13:19.360 --> 00:13:22.059 sires, and one of those matings was with Donendale 00:13:22.059 --> 00:13:25.120 Skychief, an excellent extra sire known for producing 00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:26.919 daughters with strength and dairy character. 00:13:27.399 --> 00:13:29.500 Now, Shore really liked Skychief's strengths. 00:13:29.960 --> 00:13:32.399 But he knew the bull could benefit from improvement 00:13:32.399 --> 00:13:34.600 in his daughter's feet, and as we know, that's 00:13:34.600 --> 00:13:37.480 where Ada really excelled. This pairing, aiming 00:13:37.480 --> 00:13:40.259 to combine Sky Chief's good traits with Ada's 00:13:40.259 --> 00:13:43.460 amazing feet, it ended up producing the two daughters 00:13:43.460 --> 00:13:46.200 that really made Ada a breeding legend, a true 00:13:46.200 --> 00:13:48.720 matriarch. What a smart breeding move. Yeah. 00:13:48.779 --> 00:13:50.820 So who were these game -changing daughters that 00:13:50.820 --> 00:13:53.480 made Ada... a Holstein legend. This is where 00:13:53.480 --> 00:13:56.200 the Ada Empire really starts to take shape. Her 00:13:56.200 --> 00:13:59.299 influence grows exponentially. That flesh -to 00:13:59.299 --> 00:14:01.519 -Donendale sky chief produced two daughters who 00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:04.120 became legends themselves, Shormar S. Alicia 00:14:04.120 --> 00:14:07.360 and M .S. Kingstead Chifa Dean. These two full 00:14:07.360 --> 00:14:09.919 sisters became the cornerstones of Ada's impact 00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:12.419 on Holstein genetics across the world. Okay, 00:14:12.440 --> 00:14:14.019 let's start with Alicia. I remember her being 00:14:14.019 --> 00:14:16.000 something really special both in the show ring 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:18.980 and as a brood cow. You got it. Shorm RS. Alicia, 00:14:19.159 --> 00:14:21.480 born in 1995, she took the family's reputation 00:14:21.480 --> 00:14:23.899 to a whole new level. She ended up being classified 00:14:23.899 --> 00:14:26.840 Excellent 97, which puts her in this elite group 00:14:26.840 --> 00:14:30.480 of only about 35 registered Holstein cows in 00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:32.580 North America to ever get that close to a perfect 00:14:32.580 --> 00:14:36.460 score. And her show career actually surpassed 00:14:36.460 --> 00:14:39.629 even her famous dam's achievements. Alicia was 00:14:39.629 --> 00:14:42.110 nominated All -American five times in milking 00:14:42.110 --> 00:14:44.570 form. Wow. Which shows her consistency. And she 00:14:44.570 --> 00:14:46.830 was named Supreme Champion of the Royal Winter 00:14:46.830 --> 00:14:49.529 Fair in 2000, which is like the biggest show 00:14:49.529 --> 00:14:51.769 ring honor in Canada. Five -time All -American 00:14:51.769 --> 00:14:54.289 nominee and Supreme Champion at the Royal Citus. 00:14:54.669 --> 00:14:56.929 That's amazing. How did she even come to be? 00:14:57.029 --> 00:14:59.350 What's the story behind that mating? It's another 00:14:59.350 --> 00:15:01.230 one of those stories that shows how small the 00:15:01.230 --> 00:15:04.309 dairy world really is. David Innes of the City 00:15:04.309 --> 00:15:07.110 View Herd in Ontario. He met Hardy Shore at a 00:15:07.110 --> 00:15:09.289 cattle show and asked about buying some embryos 00:15:09.289 --> 00:15:11.570 from Ada. And it just so happened that Ada had 00:15:11.570 --> 00:15:13.669 just had a really successful flush to Don and 00:15:13.669 --> 00:15:16.450 Dale Skychief. So they made a deal for two embryos. 00:15:16.450 --> 00:15:18.669 Wow. And the two calves that resulted were jointly 00:15:18.669 --> 00:15:21.370 owned by Shore and Innes. And one of those calves 00:15:21.370 --> 00:15:23.789 turned out to be the incredible Shoremar Alicia. 00:15:24.269 --> 00:15:27.309 A lucky break for everyone involved. So a chance 00:15:27.309 --> 00:15:30.389 meeting leads to a world champion. That's awesome. 00:15:30.549 --> 00:15:32.450 Yeah. What happened with Alicia when she started 00:15:32.450 --> 00:15:34.750 competing? Under the expert care and handling 00:15:34.750 --> 00:15:37.190 of Jeff Butler, Howard Binder, and the Kingstead 00:15:37.190 --> 00:15:41.309 team, Alicia was unstoppable. She topped the 00:15:41.309 --> 00:15:43.129 five -year -old class at Madison and then went 00:15:43.129 --> 00:15:45.169 on to win the grand championship at the Royal 00:15:45.169 --> 00:15:48.730 Winter Fair in 2000. Wow. Those big wins made 00:15:48.730 --> 00:15:51.149 her the unanimous all -American and all -Canadian 00:15:51.149 --> 00:15:53.129 five -year -old that year. A truly remarkable 00:15:53.129 --> 00:15:56.370 achievement. But she didn't stop there. In 2003 00:15:56.370 --> 00:15:59.470 as an older cow, she won the 125 ,000 -pound 00:15:59.470 --> 00:16:01.830 cow class and was again named Grand Champion 00:16:01.830 --> 00:16:04.070 at the Eastern National Show. She was the All 00:16:04.070 --> 00:16:06.789 -American Aged Cow that year, too. She kept going, 00:16:06.909 --> 00:16:09.049 earning Reserve All -American in 2004 and High 00:16:09.049 --> 00:16:11.629 Honorable Mention in 2005. She was at the top 00:16:11.629 --> 00:16:13.929 of her game for years. A real show ring powerhouse. 00:16:14.509 --> 00:16:16.230 But she was more than just a pretty face. She 00:16:16.230 --> 00:16:18.029 also became a key part of the breed as a brood 00:16:18.029 --> 00:16:20.809 cow, right? Exactly. Like her dam Ada Alicia 00:16:20.809 --> 00:16:24.110 really helped move the breed forward. She produced 00:16:24.110 --> 00:16:26.509 over a dozen excellent daughters from different 00:16:26.509 --> 00:16:28.730 sires, showing how well she could pass on those 00:16:28.730 --> 00:16:31.309 great traits. Her influence really spread through 00:16:31.309 --> 00:16:33.389 her Startmore Rudolph daughter, City View R. 00:16:33.409 --> 00:16:35.590 Alicia, who was also classified Excellent 92, 00:16:35.889 --> 00:16:38.970 and earned 23 recognition in Canada for her production 00:16:38.970 --> 00:16:41.850 and type, and also through her daughters by Regan 00:16:41.850 --> 00:16:44.889 Crest Elton Durham, BKB, Abby, who became an 00:16:44.889 --> 00:16:48.009 excellent 95 3E Dom cow with multiple production 00:16:48.009 --> 00:16:51.330 awards, and BKB Amanda, who is classified excellent 00:16:51.330 --> 00:16:54.990 92 GMD Dom and also a top producer. So she wasn't 00:16:54.990 --> 00:16:57.009 just a champ herself, she was making the next 00:16:57.009 --> 00:17:00.049 generation of champions. That's amazing. Now 00:17:00.049 --> 00:17:01.509 let's talk about the other Sky Chief daughter, 00:17:01.769 --> 00:17:04.349 MS Kingstead Chief, Adeen. I understand she had 00:17:04.349 --> 00:17:05.829 a big impact, but maybe in a slightly different 00:17:05.829 --> 00:17:08.230 way than her sister. Yeah, Adeen, born in 1997, 00:17:08.509 --> 00:17:10.250 she turned out to be just as influential, maybe 00:17:10.250 --> 00:17:12.970 even more so, but in a wider range of ways. She's 00:17:12.970 --> 00:17:14.950 often called a foundation cow for a lot of big 00:17:14.950 --> 00:17:17.009 name herds. Through her many descendants, she's 00:17:17.009 --> 00:17:18.609 connected to some of the most famous families 00:17:18.609 --> 00:17:20.789 in the Holstein breed. The Atwood -Atlee -Ariel 00:17:20.789 --> 00:17:22.750 and Autumn lines, all of them have had a huge 00:17:22.750 --> 00:17:25.210 impact on modern Holsteins. Wow, what a family 00:17:25.210 --> 00:17:28.410 tree. So how did Adeen's story unfold? Well, 00:17:28.430 --> 00:17:31.450 her story starts in a pretty unique way. In 1997, 00:17:31.910 --> 00:17:34.549 Kingstead Farms decided to disperse their whole 00:17:34.549 --> 00:17:38.140 herd in a big sale. There were three buyers who 00:17:38.140 --> 00:17:39.980 really wanted to get the young chief of dean, 00:17:40.099 --> 00:17:42.180 who was only about two weeks old at the time, 00:17:42.200 --> 00:17:45.440 to decide who would get her. They actually flipped 00:17:45.440 --> 00:17:48.430 a coin. Cranberry Meadows Farm, owned by Gary 00:17:48.430 --> 00:17:50.529 and Crystal Dell, they won the coin toss and 00:17:50.529 --> 00:17:53.009 got her. And when she was old enough to breed, 00:17:53.170 --> 00:17:55.589 they flushed her to the popular sire Mawflin 00:17:55.589 --> 00:17:58.009 Storm, which resulted in five heifers that all 00:17:58.009 --> 00:18:00.269 got classified very good as two -year -olds. 00:18:00.369 --> 00:18:02.690 Wow, a coin flip deciding the fate of a future 00:18:02.690 --> 00:18:04.849 genetic powerhouse. Yeah, you really can't make 00:18:04.849 --> 00:18:06.670 this stuff up. But what happened to a dean after 00:18:06.670 --> 00:18:09.200 Cranberry Meadows? Adeen was sold as a two -year 00:18:09.200 --> 00:18:11.180 -old to a group of well -known breeders that 00:18:11.180 --> 00:18:13.619 included Billy and Mike Heath of Heath Holsteins, 00:18:13.660 --> 00:18:16.460 Gerald Todd, and Amlerd Callum McKinvin. In the 00:18:16.460 --> 00:18:18.180 six months they owned her, they flushed her to 00:18:18.180 --> 00:18:21.160 Comistar Lee. And the star of that mating was 00:18:21.160 --> 00:18:23.440 Amlerd Lee Alice, who got a lot of attention 00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:25.359 when she was named the first junior two -year 00:18:25.359 --> 00:18:28.240 -old at Madison in 2003 and then became an All 00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:30.920 -American. So even in a short time, she was already 00:18:30.920 --> 00:18:33.460 showing how she could produce top -quality offspring. 00:18:34.009 --> 00:18:36.390 And she also shared the spotlight with her sister 00:18:36.390 --> 00:18:38.450 Alicia at the national level, didn't she? That's 00:18:38.450 --> 00:18:41.269 right. In the year 2000, Shormar S. Alicia and 00:18:41.269 --> 00:18:43.910 MS. Kingstead chief Adeen did something really 00:18:43.910 --> 00:18:46.430 amazing. They were unanimously chosen as the 00:18:46.430 --> 00:18:49.690 All -American Produce of Damn. Wow. It's not 00:18:49.690 --> 00:18:51.730 common at all for two full sisters to get that 00:18:51.730 --> 00:18:53.930 kind of recognition together. Adeen was also 00:18:53.930 --> 00:18:56.369 nominated for All -American as a junior three 00:18:56.369 --> 00:18:58.730 -year -old in 2000, and that year she produced 00:18:58.730 --> 00:19:02.670 over 30 ,000 pounds of milk with a 4 % butterfat 00:19:02.670 --> 00:19:05.880 test. Talk about a cow who could do it all. That's 00:19:05.880 --> 00:19:08.240 incredible. So where did Adeen go after that 00:19:08.240 --> 00:19:11.539 successful period? She was sold to another partnership 00:19:11.539 --> 00:19:13.839 this time with Jeff Butler and Lance and Amy 00:19:13.839 --> 00:19:16.839 Ruppert. Later on, Douglas King and Kingstead 00:19:16.839 --> 00:19:19.200 Farms bought out the Ruppert share of Adeen. 00:19:19.240 --> 00:19:21.779 And from then on, all her offspring carried the 00:19:21.779 --> 00:19:23.960 BVK preface, which represented Butler View and 00:19:23.960 --> 00:19:26.160 Kingstead at GED. Jeff Butler, who worked with 00:19:26.160 --> 00:19:28.380 Chief Adeen for over a decade, he called her 00:19:28.380 --> 00:19:30.400 one of the most influential and one of the only 00:19:30.400 --> 00:19:32.480 cows in the breed with offspring over plus 2 00:19:32.480 --> 00:19:35.460 ,500 on genomics and all -American progeny. That 00:19:35.460 --> 00:19:37.779 really shows how special she was excelling in 00:19:37.779 --> 00:19:40.099 both the show ring and the world of genomics. 00:19:40.220 --> 00:19:41.920 Yeah, that's the key, isn't it? Bridging those 00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:45.500 two worlds. And her impact as a brood cow beyond 00:19:45.500 --> 00:19:48.440 those early wins. It was huge, wasn't it? It 00:19:48.440 --> 00:19:51.720 was enormous and it lasted. Adeen went on to 00:19:51.720 --> 00:19:54.380 have an incredible 51 daughters who were classified. 00:19:54.859 --> 00:19:57.380 Excellent worldwide. That puts her in a very 00:19:57.380 --> 00:20:00.519 elite group, second only to the legendary Ashlyn 00:20:00.519 --> 00:20:03.839 for most excellent daughters. That many top quality 00:20:03.839 --> 00:20:06.599 offspring really cemented her status as an industry 00:20:06.599 --> 00:20:08.960 elite and spread the influence of the Ada family 00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:12.319 across the globe, impacting so many herds. 51 00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:15.059 excellent daughters. That's amazing. And a real 00:20:15.059 --> 00:20:17.380 testament to her ability to pass on those desirable 00:20:17.380 --> 00:20:20.339 traits. Douglas King must have some amazing memories 00:20:20.339 --> 00:20:22.660 from working with both Alicia and Adeen. He does. 00:20:22.740 --> 00:20:24.539 He often talked about that time as the thrill 00:20:24.539 --> 00:20:27.000 of a lifetime and was so proud of their achievement. 00:20:27.220 --> 00:20:28.660 He even talked about how cool it would be to 00:20:28.660 --> 00:20:30.380 get all their daughters together in one barn. 00:20:30.579 --> 00:20:33.140 Yeah. What a sight that would be. A true testament 00:20:33.140 --> 00:20:36.279 to Ada's legacy. Absolutely. Now this brings 00:20:36.279 --> 00:20:38.660 us to the next generation and what's often called 00:20:38.660 --> 00:20:41.140 the golden flush. This is where Adeen's granddaughter 00:20:41.140 --> 00:20:44.430 Durham Attlee comes in. You got it. While there 00:20:44.430 --> 00:20:46.670 have been so many smart breeding decisions that 00:20:46.670 --> 00:20:48.630 have contributed to the success of the Ada family, 00:20:48.990 --> 00:20:51.490 the matings with Adeen's granddaughter M .D. 00:20:51.509 --> 00:20:54.170 Delight Durham Atlee E .T. were probably the 00:20:54.170 --> 00:20:56.089 most important for the family's international 00:20:56.089 --> 00:20:59.490 impact and their continued relevance in the genomic 00:20:59.490 --> 00:21:02.509 era M .D. Delight Storm Amberley, one of Adeen's 00:21:02.509 --> 00:21:05.029 daughters by Mothlin Storm. She gave birth to 00:21:05.029 --> 00:21:07.309 M .D. Delight Durham Atlee E .T. on September 00:21:07.309 --> 00:21:11.450 11, 2001. Her sire was Reagan Crest, Elton Durham. 00:21:11.849 --> 00:21:14.109 another super influential sire known for producing 00:21:14.109 --> 00:21:16.009 daughters with great udders and good production. 00:21:16.730 --> 00:21:18.789 Attlee was later bought as a bread heifer by 00:21:18.789 --> 00:21:20.490 a partnership that included Michael Heath of 00:21:20.490 --> 00:21:22.630 Heath Holstein's Rick and Shannon Allen and Jason 00:21:22.630 --> 00:21:25.390 Lloyd. And Heath's decision to buy her wasn't 00:21:25.390 --> 00:21:27.750 exactly love at first sight, was it? It wasn't 00:21:27.750 --> 00:21:30.250 Michael first saw Attlee as a calf at the Maryland 00:21:30.250 --> 00:21:32.430 convention sale where he was working his last 00:21:32.430 --> 00:21:34.890 sale as a professional fitter. He said he liked 00:21:34.890 --> 00:21:37.089 her pedigree and her look, but she was pretty 00:21:37.089 --> 00:21:40.359 small for her age. About a year later, he found 00:21:40.359 --> 00:21:42.859 her at Foster's Farm in North Carolina, who had 00:21:42.859 --> 00:21:45.900 bought her at that Maryland sale. She was priced 00:21:45.900 --> 00:21:48.819 at $20 ,000 as a springing heifer, and Heath 00:21:48.819 --> 00:21:52.180 decided to take a chance. He liked her strong 00:21:52.180 --> 00:21:54.440 maternal pedigree being a granddaughter of Chief 00:21:54.440 --> 00:21:56.500 of Dean, and figured that even if she was only 00:21:56.500 --> 00:21:59.000 classified very good 85 as a two -year -old, 00:21:59.079 --> 00:22:01.259 she'd probably be in demand for embryo sales, 00:22:01.460 --> 00:22:03.619 which could make the purchase worthwhile. So 00:22:03.619 --> 00:22:05.740 a bit of gamble that really paid off. What happened 00:22:05.740 --> 00:22:08.039 with Atlee once her show career began? It paid 00:22:08.039 --> 00:22:10.500 off big time. They took Atlee all the way from 00:22:10.500 --> 00:22:12.420 North Carolina to Massachusetts for their state 00:22:12.420 --> 00:22:15.599 show on a super hot summer day. But she toughed 00:22:15.599 --> 00:22:17.680 it out and actually won her class the very next 00:22:17.680 --> 00:22:20.859 day. Wow. Later that year, she got 15th in the 00:22:20.859 --> 00:22:23.319 senior two -year -old class at Madison. Then 00:22:23.319 --> 00:22:25.900 as a senior three -year -old in 2005, she wasn't 00:22:25.900 --> 00:22:29.079 supposed to cab until September 1st. But because 00:22:29.079 --> 00:22:31.220 of a wrong breeding date, she ended up calving 00:22:31.220 --> 00:22:33.960 in mid -September, just a few weeks before Madison. 00:22:34.380 --> 00:22:37.019 The partners weren't sure if she'd be ready to 00:22:37.019 --> 00:22:39.759 compete so soon after calving, but Heath saw 00:22:39.759 --> 00:22:41.880 her potential and convinced them to take her 00:22:41.880 --> 00:22:43.880 to Madison anyway, figuring they had nothing 00:22:43.880 --> 00:22:47.240 to lose. In an incredible turn of events less 00:22:47.240 --> 00:22:50.180 than a week after calving MD Delight, Durham 00:22:50.180 --> 00:22:52.400 Attlee was named reserve intermediate champion 00:22:52.400 --> 00:22:55.670 of the 2005 International Holstein Show. From 00:22:55.670 --> 00:22:57.970 a small calf that almost got passed over to reserve 00:22:57.970 --> 00:23:00.309 champion at Madison, that's quite a journey. 00:23:00.470 --> 00:23:02.450 Yeah. And Heath really understood how important 00:23:02.450 --> 00:23:04.410 showing at Madison was for Cal's reputation, 00:23:04.670 --> 00:23:07.069 didn't he? He did. He famously said that she 00:23:07.069 --> 00:23:09.069 became known worldwide because of her success 00:23:09.069 --> 00:23:10.950 at Madison, which shows how important the show 00:23:10.950 --> 00:23:12.970 ring still is for building a reputation and creating 00:23:12.970 --> 00:23:16.009 demand. even as genomics was becoming more popular. 00:23:16.210 --> 00:23:18.069 Okay, so now we finally arrived at the golden 00:23:18.069 --> 00:23:20.789 flush, the breeding decision that really launched 00:23:20.789 --> 00:23:23.210 the Aida legacy into the genomic era and had 00:23:23.210 --> 00:23:25.410 a global impact. Tell me all about that mating. 00:23:25.569 --> 00:23:27.829 The moment that really made the Aida family internationally 00:23:27.829 --> 00:23:30.230 known and put them at the forefront of the genomic 00:23:30.230 --> 00:23:34.250 age was when M .D. Delight Durham Atlee E .T. 00:23:34.670 --> 00:23:37.730 was bred to the famous Braydale Goldwyn in 2007. 00:23:38.150 --> 00:23:41.130 Okay. This mating produced an amazing group of 00:23:41.130 --> 00:23:43.789 sons of flesh that's become legendary. We're 00:23:43.789 --> 00:23:46.349 talking about the birth of bulls like Maple Downs, 00:23:46.349 --> 00:23:49.970 IGW Atwood Allendale, I Attic Allendale, I Atticus 00:23:49.970 --> 00:23:53.710 Maple Downs, IGW Atlantic Allendale, IGW Arden, 00:23:53.769 --> 00:23:56.730 and Mr. Atlee's Altamazing. Some of the most 00:23:56.730 --> 00:23:59.069 influential names in Holstein genetics. A real 00:23:59.069 --> 00:24:01.569 all -star team of sires. Yeah. And these bulls 00:24:01.569 --> 00:24:03.529 went to all the major AI organizations, right? 00:24:03.630 --> 00:24:05.500 That's right. Atwood Arden and Atlantic went 00:24:05.500 --> 00:24:07.660 to Select Sire's Attic, and Atticus were bought 00:24:07.660 --> 00:24:10.460 by Cemex, and Altamazing went to Alta Genetics 00:24:10.460 --> 00:24:13.619 Inc. And in that same year, 2007, Atlee's son 00:24:13.619 --> 00:24:17.039 by Pixton Shottle, MS Atlee's SHT Aftershock 00:24:17.039 --> 00:24:19.160 was bought by St. Jacob's ABC, spreading her 00:24:19.160 --> 00:24:20.920 influence even further. So her genetics were 00:24:20.920 --> 00:24:22.819 going everywhere through these high -demand sons. 00:24:23.220 --> 00:24:25.019 And there's a pretty surprising story about Atwood's 00:24:25.019 --> 00:24:27.019 early days, isn't there? There is. It's pretty 00:24:27.019 --> 00:24:29.660 ironic, actually. Steve Valthuis from Valthuis 00:24:29.660 --> 00:24:31.500 Farms, he bought some embryos from this golden 00:24:31.500 --> 00:24:34.380 flush. and ended up with three heifers and five 00:24:34.380 --> 00:24:37.500 bulls. And he later said that Atwood was actually 00:24:37.500 --> 00:24:39.700 the one left that no one particularly wanted 00:24:39.700 --> 00:24:42.299 when the big AI companies were picking from the 00:24:42.299 --> 00:24:45.039 flush. Really? This is when genomics was really 00:24:45.039 --> 00:24:47.960 taking off, and Atwood's full brothers had early 00:24:47.960 --> 00:24:50.400 genomic results that were so good that the AI 00:24:50.400 --> 00:24:52.960 studs didn't feel like they needed to test Atwood 00:24:52.960 --> 00:24:56.529 right away. But Steve Valthuis, he has a great 00:24:56.529 --> 00:24:58.650 eye for pedigrees, and he decided to collect 00:24:58.650 --> 00:25:01.210 semen from Atwood even before his genomic results 00:25:01.210 --> 00:25:03.089 came back. Wow, the bull that went on to become 00:25:03.089 --> 00:25:05.250 a global superstar was almost overlooked. I know, 00:25:05.309 --> 00:25:08.089 right? But through conversation between Steve 00:25:08.089 --> 00:25:10.569 Valthuis and Ed Fellers, a group of breeders 00:25:10.569 --> 00:25:12.730 got together and invested in Atwood to get a 00:25:12.730 --> 00:25:15.190 sampling done, and the results, while they were 00:25:15.190 --> 00:25:17.470 amazing, Atwood became a leader in the breed, 00:25:17.509 --> 00:25:19.529 exceeding everyone's expectations for type and 00:25:19.529 --> 00:25:22.269 demand for his semen just exploded. Valtheus 00:25:22.269 --> 00:25:24.849 pointed out that with semen from Braydale, Goldwyn 00:25:24.849 --> 00:25:27.309 becoming harder to get and more expensive, Atwood 00:25:27.309 --> 00:25:29.150 was a great replacement for those breeders who 00:25:29.150 --> 00:25:31.569 wanted that Goldwyn blood in their herds. What 00:25:31.569 --> 00:25:34.289 a story. And Atwood's impact wasn't just a short 00:25:34.289 --> 00:25:36.650 -term thing. His influence on type and confirmation 00:25:36.650 --> 00:25:40.150 has been huge. Absolutely. By the end of 2013... 00:25:40.569 --> 00:25:43.650 All six of Atlee's proven sons had earned superior 00:25:43.650 --> 00:25:46.509 type status, and five of them were ranked in 00:25:46.509 --> 00:25:49.410 the top ten for type in the whole breed. Wow. 00:25:49.549 --> 00:25:52.049 This incredible consistency in passing on good 00:25:52.049 --> 00:25:55.049 type led the Holstein evaluator Tim Abbott to 00:25:55.049 --> 00:25:57.779 say that Atlee's ability to transmit outstanding 00:25:57.779 --> 00:26:00.259 type appears to be as strong as that of any cow 00:26:00.259 --> 00:26:02.539 in the entire history of the breed. Wow, what 00:26:02.539 --> 00:26:04.599 a statement. And it wasn't just talk. In the 00:26:04.599 --> 00:26:08.359 fall of 2015, Charwool Attic Marcy, an EX95 daughter 00:26:08.359 --> 00:26:11.180 of Allendale Iattic, one of those Golden Flush 00:26:11.180 --> 00:26:13.960 brothers, she finished an undefeated show season 00:26:13.960 --> 00:26:16.339 by winning the Grand Championships at both the 00:26:16.339 --> 00:26:18.980 Royal Winter Fair and Madison. Wow. That's real 00:26:18.980 --> 00:26:20.660 proof of the power of this family. Definitely. 00:26:20.680 --> 00:26:22.380 And there was another really famous daughter 00:26:22.380 --> 00:26:24.119 from that Golden Flush, wasn't there? One that 00:26:24.119 --> 00:26:27.079 sold for... record price yeah ms atlee's goldwyn 00:26:27.079 --> 00:26:30.000 ariel et she was classified very good 89 as a 00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:32.160 young cow and was named reserve all -american 00:26:32.160 --> 00:26:35.119 junior two -year -old in 2009 she was later bought 00:26:35.119 --> 00:26:37.559 by a canadian syndicate for a mind -blowing five 00:26:37.559 --> 00:26:40.220 five million dollars which shows the incredible 00:26:40.220 --> 00:26:43.359 value of the ada family genetics won five million 00:26:43.359 --> 00:26:46.599 dollars yeah that's insane yeah so looking back 00:26:46.599 --> 00:26:49.400 how is the legacy of aikenbrae starbuck ada changed 00:26:49.400 --> 00:26:52.809 modern holstein breeding The Ada family story 00:26:52.809 --> 00:26:55.150 really reflects how dairy cattle breeding has 00:26:55.150 --> 00:26:57.349 changed over the last few decades. We talked 00:26:57.349 --> 00:26:59.650 about the great divide between type and production 00:26:59.650 --> 00:27:01.769 earlier. And what's so amazing about the Ada 00:27:01.769 --> 00:27:03.710 family is that they've been able to excel in 00:27:03.710 --> 00:27:06.329 both areas generation after generation. They've 00:27:06.329 --> 00:27:08.049 stayed relevant and important through all the 00:27:08.049 --> 00:27:10.869 changes in the industry, from Ada's show, Ringwins, 00:27:10.990 --> 00:27:13.150 to her daughters, Alicia and Adeem, passing on 00:27:13.150 --> 00:27:15.210 great type, and then to Atwood and his brothers 00:27:15.210 --> 00:27:17.349 dominating the genomic era. It's like they were 00:27:17.349 --> 00:27:19.890 leaders in every era of Holstein breeding. Exactly. 00:27:21.069 --> 00:27:23.029 Today, genomic indexes are essential for almost 00:27:23.029 --> 00:27:25.089 all breeding decisions, whether a breeder is 00:27:25.089 --> 00:27:27.170 focused on show type, high milk production, or 00:27:27.170 --> 00:27:29.369 better health traits. Right. And the Ada family 00:27:29.369 --> 00:27:31.869 has kept succeeding in this genomic era with 00:27:31.869 --> 00:27:34.069 descendants that rank high for both type and 00:27:34.069 --> 00:27:36.430 production indexes. They show that you don't 00:27:36.430 --> 00:27:38.450 have to choose one or the other. And their impact 00:27:38.450 --> 00:27:40.950 isn't just in North America, right? Ada's influence 00:27:40.950 --> 00:27:44.130 has gone global. Absolutely. The Ada family has 00:27:44.130 --> 00:27:46.029 spread all over the world, affecting breeding 00:27:46.029 --> 00:27:48.599 programs on every continent. Their descendants 00:27:48.599 --> 00:27:50.339 have done really well in shows and have been 00:27:50.339 --> 00:27:52.279 super valuable in breeding programs all over 00:27:52.279 --> 00:27:55.339 the world, which shows how strong and adaptable 00:27:55.339 --> 00:27:58.779 their genetics are. For example, in Japan, TMR 00:27:58.779 --> 00:28:03.059 Adin Dundee, chief ET, a daughter of MS Kingstead 00:28:03.059 --> 00:28:06.180 chief Adin, was named grand champion at a big 00:28:06.180 --> 00:28:08.819 national show there. Wow. So Ada's legacy has 00:28:08.819 --> 00:28:11.299 really spread far and wide. What are some of 00:28:11.299 --> 00:28:13.259 the biggest takeaways from the Ada story for 00:28:13.259 --> 00:28:15.819 breeders and industry professionals? I think 00:28:15.819 --> 00:28:17.779 there are a few key lessons. First, it shows 00:28:17.779 --> 00:28:19.880 the importance of making smart and strategic 00:28:19.880 --> 00:28:22.180 breeding decisions. Right. Think about the breeding 00:28:22.180 --> 00:28:24.480 of Ada to Hanover Hill Starbuck, which combined 00:28:24.480 --> 00:28:27.819 great traits. Then the golden flush of Dermatli 00:28:27.819 --> 00:28:30.259 to Brado -Goldwyn, which was all about amplifying 00:28:30.259 --> 00:28:32.480 strengths and creating a balanced genetic profile. 00:28:32.799 --> 00:28:35.000 These weren't random pairings. They were well 00:28:35.000 --> 00:28:37.259 thought out decisions to get superior offspring. 00:28:37.859 --> 00:28:40.819 And this idea of strategic mating is still super 00:28:40.819 --> 00:28:43.549 important, even with genomics. While we have 00:28:43.549 --> 00:28:46.029 all this data and technology now, the best breeding 00:28:46.029 --> 00:28:49.109 programs still use a balanced approach, combining 00:28:49.109 --> 00:28:51.730 data with visual assessment and a good understanding 00:28:51.730 --> 00:28:54.769 of cow families like ADAs. So it's about using 00:28:54.769 --> 00:28:57.390 genomics, but not forgetting about the traditional 00:28:57.390 --> 00:29:00.650 ways of evaluating cattle. Exactly. The ADA family 00:29:00.650 --> 00:29:02.990 shows how to blend tradition and innovation in 00:29:02.990 --> 00:29:05.799 breeding. New technology has given us powerful 00:29:05.799 --> 00:29:07.759 tools like genomics and advanced reproduction. 00:29:08.359 --> 00:29:10.660 But the basic principles of finding genetically 00:29:10.660 --> 00:29:13.160 superior animals and spreading those good traits 00:29:13.160 --> 00:29:15.579 are still at the heart of success. And when you 00:29:15.579 --> 00:29:17.660 look at the results of this kind of careful breeding 00:29:17.660 --> 00:29:19.859 over time, the big increases in milk production, 00:29:20.119 --> 00:29:21.940 better health and improvements in conformation, 00:29:22.240 --> 00:29:24.539 it's clear that this approach makes a huge difference 00:29:24.539 --> 00:29:26.960 for the whole industry. And the commercial success 00:29:26.960 --> 00:29:29.720 of the Ada family. Their high sale prices, that's 00:29:29.720 --> 00:29:31.980 another important part of her legacy. Absolutely. 00:29:32.019 --> 00:29:34.660 The impact of Ada's sale and the prices her descendants 00:29:34.660 --> 00:29:36.500 have brought over the years have been consistently 00:29:36.500 --> 00:29:38.119 higher than average. And that's only gone up 00:29:38.119 --> 00:29:41.079 in the genomic era, as we saw with the $15 million 00:29:41.079 --> 00:29:44.740 sale of MS Atlee's Goldwyn Ariel Elite Genetics. 00:29:45.119 --> 00:29:47.180 Especially those that excel in a lot of different 00:29:47.180 --> 00:29:49.819 areas are worth a lot of money. So as we look 00:29:49.819 --> 00:29:52.779 to the future, how will Ada's story continue 00:29:52.779 --> 00:29:55.140 to shape the Holstein breed? The Holstein breed 00:29:55.140 --> 00:29:57.980 is always evolving with genomic selection speeding 00:29:57.980 --> 00:30:00.640 up genetic improvement. The fact that the Ada 00:30:00.640 --> 00:30:02.759 family has thrived through all these changes 00:30:02.759 --> 00:30:05.460 in technology and breeding goals is a good example 00:30:05.460 --> 00:30:07.940 for breeders who want long -term success. The 00:30:07.940 --> 00:30:10.160 challenge for the industry is to keep those distinctive 00:30:10.160 --> 00:30:12.900 Holstein traits while also improving things like 00:30:12.900 --> 00:30:15.039 milk yield components, health, and fertility. 00:30:15.460 --> 00:30:17.599 The Ada family has shown that great type and 00:30:17.599 --> 00:30:19.660 conformation can go hand -in -hand with high 00:30:19.660 --> 00:30:22.059 production and strong genetics. And we have to 00:30:22.059 --> 00:30:24.099 remember that the modern Holstein is the result 00:30:24.099 --> 00:30:26.900 of centuries of careful breeding by dedicated 00:30:26.900 --> 00:30:29.299 people who have adapted to the changing needs 00:30:29.299 --> 00:30:31.819 of the dairy industry while keeping the breed's 00:30:31.819 --> 00:30:35.079 core strength. It's incredible that one cow from 00:30:35.079 --> 00:30:38.099 rural Ontario could have such a huge and lasting 00:30:38.099 --> 00:30:41.059 impact on the dairy industry worldwide. It really 00:30:41.059 --> 00:30:43.500 is amazing. through her fantastic daughters, 00:30:43.619 --> 00:30:45.900 her influential granddaughter, and her many high 00:30:45.900 --> 00:30:47.779 -ranking descendants like Atwood the Ada family, 00:30:48.079 --> 00:30:50.619 hasn't just stayed relevant. They've been leaders 00:30:50.619 --> 00:30:54.250 in every era of dairy cattle breeding. Charlie 00:30:54.250 --> 00:30:56.809 McAvoy said it best, her descendants have changed 00:30:56.809 --> 00:30:59.809 our barns and show strings forever. And that 00:30:59.809 --> 00:31:01.630 change goes beyond the show ring. It affects 00:31:01.630 --> 00:31:03.670 commercial dairy farms everywhere, improving 00:31:03.670 --> 00:31:05.950 genetics and productivity. That's so true. For 00:31:05.950 --> 00:31:08.750 dairy breeders today, the story of Aitkenbrae 00:31:08.750 --> 00:31:11.630 Starbuck Ada is an inspiring example of what's 00:31:11.630 --> 00:31:14.109 possible when you can find and effectively use 00:31:14.109 --> 00:31:16.470 truly exceptional animals in your breeding program. 00:31:16.849 --> 00:31:18.950 Her story continues through her descendants, 00:31:19.210 --> 00:31:21.170 and her influence will be felt in the Holstein 00:31:21.170 --> 00:31:23.529 breed for generations to come. For all of you 00:31:23.529 --> 00:31:26.390 listening, the key takeaways are clear. One exceptional 00:31:26.390 --> 00:31:28.690 cow can transform a whole breed through smart 00:31:28.690 --> 00:31:31.609 breeding and strong genetics. Finding that balance 00:31:31.609 --> 00:31:34.130 between great type and good genomic merit is 00:31:34.130 --> 00:31:36.750 key for lasting success. Careful matings can 00:31:36.750 --> 00:31:39.009 really make those good traits stronger over time. 00:31:39.210 --> 00:31:41.049 And elite genetics are worth a lot of money. 00:31:41.799 --> 00:31:44.000 But maybe the most important lesson is that even 00:31:44.000 --> 00:31:46.539 with all the new technology, the basic quality 00:31:46.539 --> 00:31:49.519 of the breed is still super important. Absolutely. 00:31:49.759 --> 00:31:51.299 And as you think about your own breeding programs, 00:31:51.539 --> 00:31:54.279 think about this. What cow in your herd might 00:31:54.279 --> 00:31:56.579 be your next Ada? Yeah. Think about how you can 00:31:56.579 --> 00:31:59.599 use what we've learned from Ada's story in your 00:31:59.599 --> 00:32:02.420 own breeding decisions. And I'd encourage everyone 00:32:02.420 --> 00:32:04.759 to check out the archives on the Bullvine website 00:32:04.759 --> 00:32:08.539 at www .bullvine .com. Yes. There are so many 00:32:08.539 --> 00:32:10.839 fascinating stories, analyses, and insights into 00:32:10.839 --> 00:32:12.900 the world of Holstein genetics and dairy cattle 00:32:12.900 --> 00:32:14.839 breeding. It's a constantly changing and exciting 00:32:14.839 --> 00:32:17.940 world. And the story of Aitkenbrae Starbuck Ada 00:32:17.940 --> 00:32:21.460 is just one amazing chapter in a much bigger 00:32:21.460 --> 00:32:24.740 story. That wraps up another episode of the Bullvine 00:32:24.740 --> 00:32:28.799 Podcast. Thanks for tuning in and investing your 00:32:28.799 --> 00:32:31.660 time with us today. If you enjoyed what you heard, 00:32:31.759 --> 00:32:34.119 please subscribe to the podcast on your favorite 00:32:34.119 --> 00:32:36.759 platform and share it with a fellow breeder who 00:32:36.759 --> 00:32:39.880 might find it valuable. Visit us at thebullvine 00:32:39.880 --> 00:32:43.099 .com for show notes, expanded articles, and our 00:32:43.099 --> 00:32:45.819 complete catalog of resources for dairy professionals. 00:32:46.420 --> 00:32:49.359 Until next time, keep breeding for excellence.