Creeping over fields of green Remembering the
faces The moments unseen The hands that built
a dynasty The vision in their eyes Echoes in
the auction bar Beneath an endless sky This is
the bull buy Turn the bar Hey there, Bullvine
listeners. It's your host here. And do I have
a story for you today? It's a tale that sounds
like something straight out of a movie. A story
about defying the odds, a quiet revolution, and
how one incredible animal born from the most
unexpected circumstances changed the entire dairy
world. We're talking about Pixton Shottle, a
name that, if you're in the dairy business, you
know. But do you know the full story? Because
it's far more fantastic than you could ever imagine.
Now imagine this. The year is 1950. The world
is still recovering from war. And in a quiet
barn in Barrie, Ontario, a father, Ed McLean,
calls his 17 -year -old son, Don, over. He points
to a pen of young heifers and says, simply, There
they are, son. Pick one of them. Just out of
high school, standing on the cusp of his future,
Don looks them over. and something about one
specific heifer catches his eye. Maybe it was
her presence, or the name she'd eventually carry
on her papers. He chose Cranford Sovereign Marjorie,
a simple gift meant to give a young man a leg
up in life. Little did they know that one choice
would send ripples through generations, eventually
reshaping the global dairy industry in ways neither
father nor son could have ever dreamed. Don,
you see, he always called her Marge. And the
sovereign in her name? That resonated with him,
tied to the legendary Montvick rag apple sovereign
that every dairy enthusiast back then knew by
heart. This wasn't just a calf, it was the seed
of something truly monumental, something pedigree
expert Douglas Blair would later call the best
proof in the world today and a royal family whose
ultimate expression was Pixton Shottle. But to
truly appreciate the magnitude of what began
in that Ontario barn, we have to rewind a bit
further. back to the Great Depression, and the
incredible empire of a man named Howard Crane.
Born in 1895 in Tilsonburg, Ontario, Crane was
one of those rare entrepreneurs who just thrived
when everyone else was struggling. By the 1930s,
he wasn't just surviving, he was the most prominent
and prosperous citizen of Boston and Waterford,
Ontario, building an agricultural empire that
absolutely defied the economic devastation around
him. Can you just picture it? The morning symphony
of Crane's operation, the steady hum of milking
machines, pulling milk into those massive 80
-gallon cans, the contented lowing of 140 Holstein
cows producing over 23 cans of milk daily, and
the rumble of seven trucks carrying what was
essentially genetic gold to American farms. This
wasn't just luck. His success was built on an
almost superhuman work ethic and a business sense
that was truly ahead of its time. He was buying
farms at an astonishing rate, one every two years
for a decade, eventually owning a dozen properties,
four dedicated to dairying, another housing a
flock of Shropshire sheep. But where Crane really
shone was his genius for cattle trading. He made
his fortune buying and selling dairy cows. All
through the 1930s, he shipped 25 head each week
to the U .S. alone. Cows would typically stay
in his possession for only a day or two, a high
volume, lightning -fast operation that moved
cattle through his farms like a powerful river
of genetic potential. Then came early 1941. Crane
made a pivotal business decision. He wanted to
buy the Duncombe Coal and Feed Mill at Waterford
and start a transportation business. To focus
on these new ventures, he decided to sell everything,
all his farms, cattle, and equipment, in what
would become one of Holstein's most significant
genetic dispersal events. The auction. March
26th to 28th, 1941. Advertised as the largest
sale of cattle and farm machinery ever held in
Western Ontario. And what unfolded was nothing
short of a commercial extravaganza. Over 2 ,000
people from Ontario, Quebec, New Jersey, and
Pennsylvania poured in. It was almost carnival
-like. Four auctioneers working in relay, bleachers
set up around the auction ring. The crowd was
so massive that they had to send out emergency
orders for more lunch supplies. The air was electric
with excitement. Prices soared. A grain separator
brought over $1 ,000, a combine sold for over
$600, and the top cow fetched $175. And there,
among that sea of buyers, was Edgerton Ed McLean,
an Elmvale farmer. He made what seemed like a
routine purchase, a three -year -old Holstein
heifer named Cranford Elaine Burke. A simple
transaction, yet one that would unknowingly lay
the foundation for a genetic revolution decades
in the making. Fast forward two years. Cranford
Elaine Burke now settled into McLean's herd,
gave birth to a heifer calf. Ed McLean, lacking
his own farm prefix, cleverly borrowed Crane's
renowned Cranford designation and registered
the calf as Cranford's sovereign Marjorie. Yes,
that Marjorie. The heifer he would later offer
to his teenage son as a gift that would change
both their lives. Don McLean, as you can imagine,
treasured that gift. After helping on the home
farm for four years, he eventually established
his own operation, Condon Farm, combining his
name with his wife Connie. And there, he began
the patient, methodical work of building a dynasty
around Marjorie and her descendants. Cranford
sovereign, Marjorie proved to be an extraordinary
foundational cow. She produced four very good
daughters. each establishing distinct family
lines that Don would meticulously develop over
decades. Her daughter Sovereign Stella Eglantiers
became the matriarch of the princess family.
Condon Texel, Cora, founded the Molly family.
In Condon Citation, Elsie established the Sally
family. But the most remarkable genetic story,
the one that leads us directly to our legend,
would unfold through the Sally family, specifically
through Condon Citation Elsie. And get this.
Seven generations later, this exact lineage would
produce a heifer named Condon Erosharon, whose
impact on global Holstein genetics would prove
absolutely unprecedented. Now we jump to 1991.
Don McLean made the difficult decision to disperse
his Condon herd. Among the animals offered was
a nine -month -old heifer, representing seven
generations of careful, dedicated breeding since
his father's original gift. This was Condon Erosharon.
carrying within her genetic code the accumulated
wisdom of decades of selection. A keen eye from
England, J .E. Hale recognized something truly
special in this young heifer. He paid a significant
£4 ,400 to bring her across the Atlantic. And
upon her arrival in England, Hale promptly offered
her at auction again. That's where she caught
the attention of John and James Pickford of Pixton
Farm in Staffordshire, along with Anthony Braugh
of Talent Farm in Cumbria. Together, they paid
£10 ,000 for what they saw not just as a cow,
but as an investment in a genetic legacy that
stretched back to Howard Crane's Depression -era
empire. And Sharon? She would prove to be arguably
the most powerful brood cow in United Kingdom
history. Can you believe it? She accumulated
an impressive 60 brood cow points, based on 37
daughters averaging 87 points and 7 sons with
a median score of 91 points. Her own production
was equally mind -blowing. 36 ,230 pounds of
milk at 4 .3 % fat and 3 .3 % protein in a single
305 -day lactation. Phenomenal. But here's where
the story takes a fascinating turn. Sharon's
age. It would become both a challenge and, ultimately,
her greatest triumph. When the Pickfords decided
to breed her to Carol Prelude Matoto, she was
already over 8 years old. Think about that for
a second. 8 years old. In the world of artificial
insemination, that's considered ancient. Too
old for the marketing of AI sires. Conventional
wisdom, you see, says genetic progress moved
too quickly to waste time on older dams. But
the Pickfords and the Visionary St. Jacob's Choice
program at ABS made a calculated wager. They
chose to give excellence a chance, even from
an eight -year -old Canadian cow whose best years
were supposedly behind her. A bold decision.
wouldn't you say? A decision that would later
be hailed as providing an unrivaled service to
global Holstein breeding. And so the stage was
set. On July 23, 1999, amidst the tranquil Staffordshire
countryside at Pixton Farm, Condonero Sharon
gave birth to a speckled bull calf. The Pickfords
named him Pixton Shottle. They had a system,
you see. All of Sharon's offspring had names
starting with S and H. My husband believed there
was only one Sharon and she would remain unique,
Helen Pickford would later explain. To outside
observers, nothing about this birth seemed extraordinary.
Just another calf. Yet this seemingly ordinary
calf carried an extraordinary genetic convergence
destined to reach barns across six continents
and redefine the very essence of a superior dairy
cow. The mating that produced Shottle was, in
itself, a masterpiece of genetic planning. His
sire, Carol Prelude Matoto, was a highly influential
bull known for transmitting strong, functional
type combined with low somatic cell counts. By
2004, Matoto was the number one sire of sons
in the U .S., with 96 sons averaging impressive
genetic merit. His pedigree traced back through
legendary names, Prelude, Blackstar, Chief Mark.
bell levation bootmaker connecting him to the
foundational genetics of the modern holstein
breed and crucially both parents carried strong
connections to hanover hill starbuck whose influence
would permeate 83 percent of sequenced north
american holsteins by the 21st century sharon
sire madawaska aerostar was a prominent starbucks
son while matoto carried the starbuck influence
through his paternal line This union was deliberately
designed to create what breeders called a starbuck
ambassador, a bull carrying this legendary sire's
influence through both sides of his pedigree.
It was genius, truly. Schottl's entry into artificial
insemination? It might never have happened under
conventional breeding programs. His advanced
age dam and unconventional pedigree would typically
have eliminated him from consideration. But the
Judges' Choice program, which specifically sought
bulls with alternative pedigrees, saw potential
where others saw liability. And the gamble? It
paid off spectacularly. Can you picture the scene
that unfolded across the global dairy community
on that January morning in 2008? Geneticists
and American AI studs doing double takes at their
screens. Urgent phone calls buzzing between breeding
cooperatives. progressive dairy farmers in remote
corners of the world immediately requesting semen
from this unexpected European phenomenon. Schottl's
total performance index, his TPI, had soared
to an unprecedented 2060, a figure that shattered
the ceiling and caused an immediate stir among
geneticists worldwide. A year later, his impact
was further validated when his lifetime profit
index, his LPI in Canada reached an astonishing
3944. a figure described as never seen before,
solidifying his position as Canada's number one
LPI leader. These weren't just numbers, my friends.
They represented a new era of balanced excellence
in breeding that promised to enhance dairy operation
profitability for decades to come. By December
2010, Schottl continued to dominate ABS sire
summaries with impressive production figures.
Milk 1334, fat 63, protein 36, and an overall
type rating of plus 2 .95 across over 30 ,000
daughters and 7 ,276 herds. And his semen, commanding
$100 per dose. Yes, you heard that right. But
Schottl's true legacy, his real impact, wasn't
just in those incredible statistics. It was in
the quiet revolution he brought to dairy farming
operations worldwide. His daughters didn't just
perform well on paper. They transformed the daily
experience of working with cattle in ways that
made farming more profitable, more sustainable,
and dare I say, more enjoyable. Farmers from
Wisconsin to New Zealand began noticing something
different about their chattel daughters in the
milking parlors. These weren't just cattle that
looked good at classification day. They were
cows that made every day easier. They walked
into the parlor with purpose, settled into their
stalls without that nervous shifting that marks
high -maintenance animals, and consistently delivered
the kind of trouble -free performance that allowed
farmers to focus on managing their operations
rather than constantly treating problems. Tom,
managing a 500 -cow Holstein herd in Wisconsin.
perfectly captured what these numbers meant in
practical terms. I'd been in the dairy business
for 30 years, and I'd never seen anything like
those first shottle daughters. They just did
everything right. Milked well, bred back easily,
stayed sound. It was like having employees who
never called in sick. How many of you farmers
out there are nodding your heads right now, wishing
for that? Farmers quickly discovered that chattel
daughters averaged 18 days longer lifespan than
their contemporaries. Think about that for a
moment. 18 days doesn't sound like a lot, does
it? But that seemingly small difference translated
directly into reduced replacement costs and maximized
return on investment. These daughters possessed
superior confirmation that went far beyond mere
show ring appeal. Their excellent mammary systems
significantly reduced mastitis treatments, while
their sound feet and legs virtually eliminated
costly laminase issues. The result, a direct
reduction in veterinary expenses and easier day
-to -day management. And fertility, that critical
but often elusive trait, another shuttle daughter
strength. They bred back reliably on schedule,
maintaining optimal calving intervals and ensuring
consistent milk flow, the very lifeblood of any
dairy operation. These daughters also adapted
seamlessly to varied feeding and housing conditions,
proving essential for diverse global dairy operations.
And farmers consistently noted their fantastic
temperament, which, let's be honest, transforms
routine chores into much more pleasant experiences.
The global domination was undeniable. Geneticists
witnessed something truly unprecedented in research
centers across 15 countries where EX classifications
were awarded. Pixton Shottle had achieved an
astounding 9 ,674 EX daughters worldwide, significantly
surpassing other legendary bulls like Bradel
Goldwyn with 8 ,593 and Regencrest Elton Durham
with 5 ,515. This achievement was particularly
remarkable because it represented success across
diverse countries and classification systems.
In Great Britain, Shottle sired 4 ,979 EX daughters.
and in Ireland another 638, making him by far
the sire with the most EX daughters in those
regions. But his influence extended far beyond
his home territory. He ranked 11th in the USA
with 1 ,500 EX daughters and appeared near the
top of lists in Canada, France, Italy, Germany,
Spain, New Zealand, and Sweden. And what makes
this even more significant? Schottl accomplished
all of this while being used more intensively
and on the best cows worldwide than Durham or
Goldwyn. From elite herds in Holstein, USA, to
progressive farms in New Zealand, the world's
most discerning breeders made the same choice.
When they wanted to breed their very best cows,
they reached for Shottlestraws. This incredible
success story established him as the proud NR7
on the list of most influential Holstein sires
ever, and remarkably, the only European bull
in the top 20 which North American sires otherwise
dominate. Just think about that. Even as Shottle
aged and eventually passed away in March 2015,
his genetic influence continued to expand through
an ever -growing network of descendants. Rather
than diminishing his relevance, the genomic era
actually amplified his impact by making it easier
to identify and propagate his superior genetics.
A compelling example is the Larcrest Cosmopolitan
family. Larkrest Cosmopolitan, a direct daughter
of Shottle, achieved the coveted number one GTPI
position among U .S. Holstein cows in the genomic
era, launching an entire dynasty of influential
AI sires, including Calibrate, Camelot, Chavez,
Conquest, Casual, and Cyclone through her daughter
Larkrest Crimson, who was named Global Cow of
the Year in 2016. Genus ABS continues to actively
market semen from his grandsons and great -grandsons.
ensuring his genetic blueprint remains active
globally. His name frequently appears several
generations back in modern genetic evaluations,
underscoring his sustained contribution to breed
improvement across decades. And the numbers?
Conservative estimates project that his 100 ,000
daughters will produce over 5 billion pounds
worth of milk over their lifetimes. Imagine that.
Enough revenue to fund thousands of farm expansions,
pay for countless college educations for farmers'
children, and secure retirement plans for families
who bet their futures on Holstein genetics. That's
the real impact, isn't it? So, what does the
Schottl standard tell us for today's breeders?
For modern dairy farmers seeking to capture the
economic advantages that made Schottl's daughters
legendary, his genetic contribution offers a
proven template for sustainable breeding decisions.
Understanding these principles can guide contemporary
farmers toward more profitable, efficient operations.
First, prioritize longevity over peak production.
Schottel's daughters consistently demonstrated
that cows lasting an average of 18 days longer
than contemporaries create significantly more
value through reduced replacement costs and maximized
return on investment. Modern breeders should
select bulls with Schottel in their maternal
lines when seeking to extend productive herd
life. Second, efficiency equals profitability.
His daughters' superior feed conversion ratios
and milk per unit feed efficiency address today's
dual challenges of environmental regulations
and feed cost management, delivering both regulatory
compliance and improved profit margins. Third,
health traits reduce hidden costs. Excellent
mammary systems and sound feet and legs in chattel
daughters significantly reduced mastitis treatments
and laminus issues, cutting veterinary expenses
and labor intensity when skilled workers are
increasingly scarce. This is crucial for today's
farms. Fourth, global genetic democratization.
As the only European bull in the top 20 most
influential sires, Schottl proved that genetic
excellence transcends geographical boundaries,
offering progressive farmers alternatives to
North American genetic monopolies. And finally,
sustainable production model. With conservative
estimates of 5 billion pounds in milk value from
his daughters, Schottl demonstrated that balanced
genetics focusing on durability and efficiency
create generational wealth while meeting today's
consumer demands for sustainable dairy practices.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Schottl's
story is how it demonstrates the profound impact
of human vision and courage in genetic improvement.
At every critical juncture, Ed McLean's gift
to his son, Don McLean's patient development
of the Condon herd, the Pickford's investment
in an aging Canadian cow, and ABS's willingness
to try an unconventional mating, individuals
made decisions that defied conventional wisdom.
Douglas Blair, the respected pedigree expert
who recognized Shottle's exceptional breeding,
captured this perfectly. Pixton Shottle has the
best proof in the world today. I have never seen
a modern pedigree with so many respected Canadian
bulls and prefixes, and he lists them off. The
bulls Prelude, Aerostar, Inspiration, Commissioner,
Ormsby, Thornley, and Citation are. The prefixes
Mattawaska, Hanover Hill, Browndale, Spring Farm,
Thornley, and Roseff all in a row, and Springbank
further back. This wasn't an accident. It was
the culmination of decades of patient selection,
careful mating decisions, and the courage to
recognize genetic potential wherever it appeared,
even in a heifer offered to a teenager as a leg
up in life. The Crane legacy, you see, lives
on. While the Crane family itself eventually
moved away from the cattle business, Howard's
impact, the very beginning of this incredible
story, resonates still. The Cranes were a very
well -known and prosperous family and were basically
quite honest. Good people. Too bad there aren't
any of them left, the records lament. Yet, in
a very real sense, the Crane legacy lives on
in every chattel daughter milking in barns around
the world. As the dairy industry continues to
evolve with genomic selection, robotic milking,
and precision agriculture, Schottl's story offers
timeless lessons about the fundamentals of genetic
improvement. His success wasn't built on following
trends or chasing extreme production figures,
but on the patient accumulation of functional
traits that make cows more profitable and sustainable
over their entire lifetimes. Modern breeders
would do well to remember that efficiency and
longevity, are not merely abstract genetic ideals,
but indispensable economic necessities for the
viability and sustainability of modern dairy
farming. The seemingly small improvements Schottl's
daughters brought, milking a little better, lasting
a little longer, requiring a little less intervention,
when multiplied across millions of animals, represent
billions of dollars in enhanced productivity
and sustainability. Today, when a dairy farmer
in Wisconsin watches a shuttle granddaughter
calmly enter the milking parlor, or when a producer
in New Zealand notices the exceptional feet and
legs on his shuttle -influenced herd, they're
witnessing the culmination of a story that began
with a 17 -year -old's choice in a Canadian barn
more than seven decades ago. The bull who should
never have been born, the son of an eight -year
-old cow deemed too old for modern breeding,
became the seventh most influential Holstein
sire in history. His story serves as a powerful
reminder that the most profound changes come
not from following the crowd, but from having
the courage to recognize greatness in unexpected
packages. In an industry built on the daily miracle
of turning grass into milk, Pixton Schottel's
legacy reminds us that the greatest genetic treasures
often come not from following trends, but from
recognizing proven excellence wherever it appears.
His influence continues through genomic evaluations
that identify and amplify his superior genetics,
ensuring that the vision of a teenager choosing
a heifer in 1950 will shape dairy farming for
generations to come. The magic of genetic improvement,
my friends, lies not just in science and statistics,
but in the human stories of patient vision and
unwavering belief that once recognized and nurtured,
excellence can change the world. One daughter,
one generation. one farm at a time. now coming
right on through oh tell the tale tell the tale
the Beaumont legends live here