WEBVTT

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Creeping over fields of green Remembering the

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faces The moments unseen The hands that built

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a dynasty The vision in their eyes Echoes in

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the auction bar Beneath an endless sky This is

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the bull buy Turn the bar Hey there, Bullvine

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listeners. It's your host here. And do I have

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a story for you today? It's a tale that sounds

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like something straight out of a movie. A story

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about defying the odds, a quiet revolution, and

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how one incredible animal born from the most

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unexpected circumstances changed the entire dairy

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world. We're talking about Pixton Shottle, a

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name that, if you're in the dairy business, you

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know. But do you know the full story? Because

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it's far more fantastic than you could ever imagine.

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Now imagine this. The year is 1950. The world

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is still recovering from war. And in a quiet

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barn in Barrie, Ontario, a father, Ed McLean,

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calls his 17 -year -old son, Don, over. He points

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to a pen of young heifers and says, simply, There

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they are, son. Pick one of them. Just out of

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high school, standing on the cusp of his future,

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Don looks them over. and something about one

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specific heifer catches his eye. Maybe it was

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her presence, or the name she'd eventually carry

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on her papers. He chose Cranford Sovereign Marjorie,

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a simple gift meant to give a young man a leg

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up in life. Little did they know that one choice

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would send ripples through generations, eventually

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reshaping the global dairy industry in ways neither

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father nor son could have ever dreamed. Don,

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you see, he always called her Marge. And the

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sovereign in her name? That resonated with him,

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tied to the legendary Montvick rag apple sovereign

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that every dairy enthusiast back then knew by

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heart. This wasn't just a calf, it was the seed

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of something truly monumental, something pedigree

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expert Douglas Blair would later call the best

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proof in the world today and a royal family whose

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ultimate expression was Pixton Shottle. But to

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truly appreciate the magnitude of what began

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in that Ontario barn, we have to rewind a bit

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further. back to the Great Depression, and the

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incredible empire of a man named Howard Crane.

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Born in 1895 in Tilsonburg, Ontario, Crane was

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one of those rare entrepreneurs who just thrived

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when everyone else was struggling. By the 1930s,

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he wasn't just surviving, he was the most prominent

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and prosperous citizen of Boston and Waterford,

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Ontario, building an agricultural empire that

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absolutely defied the economic devastation around

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him. Can you just picture it? The morning symphony

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of Crane's operation, the steady hum of milking

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machines, pulling milk into those massive 80

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-gallon cans, the contented lowing of 140 Holstein

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cows producing over 23 cans of milk daily, and

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the rumble of seven trucks carrying what was

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essentially genetic gold to American farms. This

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wasn't just luck. His success was built on an

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almost superhuman work ethic and a business sense

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that was truly ahead of its time. He was buying

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farms at an astonishing rate, one every two years

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for a decade, eventually owning a dozen properties,

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four dedicated to dairying, another housing a

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flock of Shropshire sheep. But where Crane really

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shone was his genius for cattle trading. He made

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his fortune buying and selling dairy cows. All

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through the 1930s, he shipped 25 head each week

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to the U .S. alone. Cows would typically stay

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in his possession for only a day or two, a high

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volume, lightning -fast operation that moved

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cattle through his farms like a powerful river

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of genetic potential. Then came early 1941. Crane

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made a pivotal business decision. He wanted to

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buy the Duncombe Coal and Feed Mill at Waterford

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and start a transportation business. To focus

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on these new ventures, he decided to sell everything,

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all his farms, cattle, and equipment, in what

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would become one of Holstein's most significant

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genetic dispersal events. The auction. March

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26th to 28th, 1941. Advertised as the largest

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sale of cattle and farm machinery ever held in

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Western Ontario. And what unfolded was nothing

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short of a commercial extravaganza. Over 2 ,000

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people from Ontario, Quebec, New Jersey, and

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Pennsylvania poured in. It was almost carnival

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-like. Four auctioneers working in relay, bleachers

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set up around the auction ring. The crowd was

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so massive that they had to send out emergency

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orders for more lunch supplies. The air was electric

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with excitement. Prices soared. A grain separator

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brought over $1 ,000, a combine sold for over

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$600, and the top cow fetched $175. And there,

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among that sea of buyers, was Edgerton Ed McLean,

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an Elmvale farmer. He made what seemed like a

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routine purchase, a three -year -old Holstein

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heifer named Cranford Elaine Burke. A simple

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transaction, yet one that would unknowingly lay

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the foundation for a genetic revolution decades

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in the making. Fast forward two years. Cranford

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Elaine Burke now settled into McLean's herd,

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gave birth to a heifer calf. Ed McLean, lacking

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his own farm prefix, cleverly borrowed Crane's

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renowned Cranford designation and registered

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the calf as Cranford's sovereign Marjorie. Yes,

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that Marjorie. The heifer he would later offer

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to his teenage son as a gift that would change

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both their lives. Don McLean, as you can imagine,

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treasured that gift. After helping on the home

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farm for four years, he eventually established

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his own operation, Condon Farm, combining his

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name with his wife Connie. And there, he began

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the patient, methodical work of building a dynasty

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around Marjorie and her descendants. Cranford

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sovereign, Marjorie proved to be an extraordinary

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foundational cow. She produced four very good

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daughters. each establishing distinct family

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lines that Don would meticulously develop over

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decades. Her daughter Sovereign Stella Eglantiers

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became the matriarch of the princess family.

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Condon Texel, Cora, founded the Molly family.

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In Condon Citation, Elsie established the Sally

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family. But the most remarkable genetic story,

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the one that leads us directly to our legend,

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would unfold through the Sally family, specifically

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through Condon Citation Elsie. And get this.

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Seven generations later, this exact lineage would

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produce a heifer named Condon Erosharon, whose

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impact on global Holstein genetics would prove

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absolutely unprecedented. Now we jump to 1991.

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Don McLean made the difficult decision to disperse

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his Condon herd. Among the animals offered was

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a nine -month -old heifer, representing seven

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generations of careful, dedicated breeding since

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his father's original gift. This was Condon Erosharon.

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carrying within her genetic code the accumulated

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wisdom of decades of selection. A keen eye from

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England, J .E. Hale recognized something truly

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special in this young heifer. He paid a significant

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£4 ,400 to bring her across the Atlantic. And

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upon her arrival in England, Hale promptly offered

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her at auction again. That's where she caught

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the attention of John and James Pickford of Pixton

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Farm in Staffordshire, along with Anthony Braugh

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of Talent Farm in Cumbria. Together, they paid

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£10 ,000 for what they saw not just as a cow,

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but as an investment in a genetic legacy that

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stretched back to Howard Crane's Depression -era

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empire. And Sharon? She would prove to be arguably

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the most powerful brood cow in United Kingdom

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history. Can you believe it? She accumulated

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an impressive 60 brood cow points, based on 37

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daughters averaging 87 points and 7 sons with

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a median score of 91 points. Her own production

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was equally mind -blowing. 36 ,230 pounds of

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milk at 4 .3 % fat and 3 .3 % protein in a single

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305 -day lactation. Phenomenal. But here's where

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the story takes a fascinating turn. Sharon's

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age. It would become both a challenge and, ultimately,

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her greatest triumph. When the Pickfords decided

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to breed her to Carol Prelude Matoto, she was

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already over 8 years old. Think about that for

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a second. 8 years old. In the world of artificial

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insemination, that's considered ancient. Too

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old for the marketing of AI sires. Conventional

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wisdom, you see, says genetic progress moved

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too quickly to waste time on older dams. But

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the Pickfords and the Visionary St. Jacob's Choice

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program at ABS made a calculated wager. They

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chose to give excellence a chance, even from

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an eight -year -old Canadian cow whose best years

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were supposedly behind her. A bold decision.

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wouldn't you say? A decision that would later

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be hailed as providing an unrivaled service to

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global Holstein breeding. And so the stage was

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set. On July 23, 1999, amidst the tranquil Staffordshire

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countryside at Pixton Farm, Condonero Sharon

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gave birth to a speckled bull calf. The Pickfords

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named him Pixton Shottle. They had a system,

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you see. All of Sharon's offspring had names

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starting with S and H. My husband believed there

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was only one Sharon and she would remain unique,

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Helen Pickford would later explain. To outside

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observers, nothing about this birth seemed extraordinary.

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Just another calf. Yet this seemingly ordinary

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calf carried an extraordinary genetic convergence

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destined to reach barns across six continents

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and redefine the very essence of a superior dairy

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cow. The mating that produced Shottle was, in

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itself, a masterpiece of genetic planning. His

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sire, Carol Prelude Matoto, was a highly influential

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bull known for transmitting strong, functional

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type combined with low somatic cell counts. By

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2004, Matoto was the number one sire of sons

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in the U .S., with 96 sons averaging impressive

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genetic merit. His pedigree traced back through

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legendary names, Prelude, Blackstar, Chief Mark.

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bell levation bootmaker connecting him to the

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foundational genetics of the modern holstein

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breed and crucially both parents carried strong

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connections to hanover hill starbuck whose influence

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would permeate 83 percent of sequenced north

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american holsteins by the 21st century sharon

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sire madawaska aerostar was a prominent starbucks

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son while matoto carried the starbuck influence

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through his paternal line This union was deliberately

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designed to create what breeders called a starbuck

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ambassador, a bull carrying this legendary sire's

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influence through both sides of his pedigree.

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It was genius, truly. Schottl's entry into artificial

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insemination? It might never have happened under

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conventional breeding programs. His advanced

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age dam and unconventional pedigree would typically

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have eliminated him from consideration. But the

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Judges' Choice program, which specifically sought

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bulls with alternative pedigrees, saw potential

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where others saw liability. And the gamble? It

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paid off spectacularly. Can you picture the scene

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that unfolded across the global dairy community

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on that January morning in 2008? Geneticists

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and American AI studs doing double takes at their

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screens. Urgent phone calls buzzing between breeding

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cooperatives. progressive dairy farmers in remote

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corners of the world immediately requesting semen

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from this unexpected European phenomenon. Schottl's

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total performance index, his TPI, had soared

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to an unprecedented 2060, a figure that shattered

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the ceiling and caused an immediate stir among

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geneticists worldwide. A year later, his impact

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was further validated when his lifetime profit

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index, his LPI in Canada reached an astonishing

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3944. a figure described as never seen before,

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solidifying his position as Canada's number one

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LPI leader. These weren't just numbers, my friends.

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They represented a new era of balanced excellence

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in breeding that promised to enhance dairy operation

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profitability for decades to come. By December

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2010, Schottl continued to dominate ABS sire

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summaries with impressive production figures.

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Milk 1334, fat 63, protein 36, and an overall

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type rating of plus 2 .95 across over 30 ,000

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daughters and 7 ,276 herds. And his semen, commanding

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$100 per dose. Yes, you heard that right. But

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Schottl's true legacy, his real impact, wasn't

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just in those incredible statistics. It was in

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the quiet revolution he brought to dairy farming

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operations worldwide. His daughters didn't just

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perform well on paper. They transformed the daily

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experience of working with cattle in ways that

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made farming more profitable, more sustainable,

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and dare I say, more enjoyable. Farmers from

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Wisconsin to New Zealand began noticing something

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different about their chattel daughters in the

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milking parlors. These weren't just cattle that

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looked good at classification day. They were

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cows that made every day easier. They walked

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into the parlor with purpose, settled into their

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stalls without that nervous shifting that marks

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high -maintenance animals, and consistently delivered

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the kind of trouble -free performance that allowed

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farmers to focus on managing their operations

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rather than constantly treating problems. Tom,

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managing a 500 -cow Holstein herd in Wisconsin.

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perfectly captured what these numbers meant in

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practical terms. I'd been in the dairy business

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for 30 years, and I'd never seen anything like

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those first shottle daughters. They just did

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everything right. Milked well, bred back easily,

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stayed sound. It was like having employees who

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never called in sick. How many of you farmers

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out there are nodding your heads right now, wishing

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for that? Farmers quickly discovered that chattel

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daughters averaged 18 days longer lifespan than

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their contemporaries. Think about that for a

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moment. 18 days doesn't sound like a lot, does

00:15:00.820 --> 00:15:03.720
it? But that seemingly small difference translated

00:15:03.720 --> 00:15:07.320
directly into reduced replacement costs and maximized

00:15:07.320 --> 00:15:10.460
return on investment. These daughters possessed

00:15:10.460 --> 00:15:13.740
superior confirmation that went far beyond mere

00:15:13.740 --> 00:15:16.740
show ring appeal. Their excellent mammary systems

00:15:16.740 --> 00:15:20.200
significantly reduced mastitis treatments, while

00:15:20.200 --> 00:15:22.700
their sound feet and legs virtually eliminated

00:15:22.700 --> 00:15:25.919
costly laminase issues. The result, a direct

00:15:25.919 --> 00:15:28.480
reduction in veterinary expenses and easier day

00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:31.639
-to -day management. And fertility, that critical

00:15:31.639 --> 00:15:34.620
but often elusive trait, another shuttle daughter

00:15:34.620 --> 00:15:37.600
strength. They bred back reliably on schedule,

00:15:37.940 --> 00:15:40.580
maintaining optimal calving intervals and ensuring

00:15:40.580 --> 00:15:43.740
consistent milk flow, the very lifeblood of any

00:15:43.740 --> 00:15:46.659
dairy operation. These daughters also adapted

00:15:46.659 --> 00:15:49.299
seamlessly to varied feeding and housing conditions,

00:15:49.620 --> 00:15:52.539
proving essential for diverse global dairy operations.

00:15:52.980 --> 00:15:55.679
And farmers consistently noted their fantastic

00:15:55.679 --> 00:15:58.419
temperament, which, let's be honest, transforms

00:15:58.419 --> 00:16:01.340
routine chores into much more pleasant experiences.

00:16:02.259 --> 00:16:06.240
The global domination was undeniable. Geneticists

00:16:06.240 --> 00:16:08.480
witnessed something truly unprecedented in research

00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:11.659
centers across 15 countries where EX classifications

00:16:11.659 --> 00:16:14.659
were awarded. Pixton Shottle had achieved an

00:16:14.659 --> 00:16:19.159
astounding 9 ,674 EX daughters worldwide, significantly

00:16:19.159 --> 00:16:21.720
surpassing other legendary bulls like Bradel

00:16:21.720 --> 00:16:26.059
Goldwyn with 8 ,593 and Regencrest Elton Durham

00:16:26.059 --> 00:16:29.919
with 5 ,515. This achievement was particularly

00:16:29.919 --> 00:16:32.759
remarkable because it represented success across

00:16:32.759 --> 00:16:34.960
diverse countries and classification systems.

00:16:35.399 --> 00:16:40.460
In Great Britain, Shottle sired 4 ,979 EX daughters.

00:16:41.080 --> 00:16:44.779
and in Ireland another 638, making him by far

00:16:44.779 --> 00:16:46.879
the sire with the most EX daughters in those

00:16:46.879 --> 00:16:50.159
regions. But his influence extended far beyond

00:16:50.159 --> 00:16:53.299
his home territory. He ranked 11th in the USA

00:16:53.299 --> 00:16:56.860
with 1 ,500 EX daughters and appeared near the

00:16:56.860 --> 00:16:59.980
top of lists in Canada, France, Italy, Germany,

00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:04.460
Spain, New Zealand, and Sweden. And what makes

00:17:04.460 --> 00:17:06.839
this even more significant? Schottl accomplished

00:17:06.839 --> 00:17:09.740
all of this while being used more intensively

00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:12.279
and on the best cows worldwide than Durham or

00:17:12.279 --> 00:17:15.819
Goldwyn. From elite herds in Holstein, USA, to

00:17:15.819 --> 00:17:18.299
progressive farms in New Zealand, the world's

00:17:18.299 --> 00:17:20.380
most discerning breeders made the same choice.

00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:22.740
When they wanted to breed their very best cows,

00:17:22.980 --> 00:17:25.859
they reached for Shottlestraws. This incredible

00:17:25.859 --> 00:17:29.059
success story established him as the proud NR7

00:17:29.059 --> 00:17:32.019
on the list of most influential Holstein sires

00:17:32.019 --> 00:17:35.900
ever, and remarkably, the only European bull

00:17:35.900 --> 00:17:38.839
in the top 20 which North American sires otherwise

00:17:38.839 --> 00:17:43.200
dominate. Just think about that. Even as Shottle

00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:45.819
aged and eventually passed away in March 2015,

00:17:46.279 --> 00:17:49.019
his genetic influence continued to expand through

00:17:49.019 --> 00:17:52.099
an ever -growing network of descendants. Rather

00:17:52.099 --> 00:17:54.740
than diminishing his relevance, the genomic era

00:17:54.740 --> 00:17:57.420
actually amplified his impact by making it easier

00:17:57.420 --> 00:18:00.000
to identify and propagate his superior genetics.

00:18:00.460 --> 00:18:03.660
A compelling example is the Larcrest Cosmopolitan

00:18:03.660 --> 00:18:06.920
family. Larkrest Cosmopolitan, a direct daughter

00:18:06.920 --> 00:18:10.200
of Shottle, achieved the coveted number one GTPI

00:18:10.200 --> 00:18:12.740
position among U .S. Holstein cows in the genomic

00:18:12.740 --> 00:18:15.599
era, launching an entire dynasty of influential

00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:19.059
AI sires, including Calibrate, Camelot, Chavez,

00:18:19.240 --> 00:18:21.799
Conquest, Casual, and Cyclone through her daughter

00:18:21.799 --> 00:18:24.400
Larkrest Crimson, who was named Global Cow of

00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:29.180
the Year in 2016. Genus ABS continues to actively

00:18:29.180 --> 00:18:32.240
market semen from his grandsons and great -grandsons.

00:18:32.680 --> 00:18:35.039
ensuring his genetic blueprint remains active

00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:38.380
globally. His name frequently appears several

00:18:38.380 --> 00:18:40.799
generations back in modern genetic evaluations,

00:18:41.279 --> 00:18:43.859
underscoring his sustained contribution to breed

00:18:43.859 --> 00:18:47.160
improvement across decades. And the numbers?

00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:51.279
Conservative estimates project that his 100 ,000

00:18:51.279 --> 00:18:53.359
daughters will produce over 5 billion pounds

00:18:53.359 --> 00:18:56.680
worth of milk over their lifetimes. Imagine that.

00:18:57.259 --> 00:19:00.420
Enough revenue to fund thousands of farm expansions,

00:19:00.890 --> 00:19:03.049
pay for countless college educations for farmers'

00:19:03.150 --> 00:19:06.049
children, and secure retirement plans for families

00:19:06.049 --> 00:19:09.950
who bet their futures on Holstein genetics. That's

00:19:09.950 --> 00:19:13.609
the real impact, isn't it? So, what does the

00:19:13.609 --> 00:19:15.710
Schottl standard tell us for today's breeders?

00:19:16.150 --> 00:19:18.869
For modern dairy farmers seeking to capture the

00:19:18.869 --> 00:19:21.130
economic advantages that made Schottl's daughters

00:19:21.130 --> 00:19:24.309
legendary, his genetic contribution offers a

00:19:24.309 --> 00:19:26.589
proven template for sustainable breeding decisions.

00:19:27.589 --> 00:19:29.910
Understanding these principles can guide contemporary

00:19:29.910 --> 00:19:32.829
farmers toward more profitable, efficient operations.

00:19:34.230 --> 00:19:37.549
First, prioritize longevity over peak production.

00:19:38.529 --> 00:19:40.890
Schottel's daughters consistently demonstrated

00:19:40.890 --> 00:19:43.529
that cows lasting an average of 18 days longer

00:19:43.529 --> 00:19:46.029
than contemporaries create significantly more

00:19:46.029 --> 00:19:48.970
value through reduced replacement costs and maximized

00:19:48.970 --> 00:19:52.250
return on investment. Modern breeders should

00:19:52.250 --> 00:19:54.289
select bulls with Schottel in their maternal

00:19:54.289 --> 00:19:56.609
lines when seeking to extend productive herd

00:19:56.609 --> 00:20:00.799
life. Second, efficiency equals profitability.

00:20:01.519 --> 00:20:05.220
His daughters' superior feed conversion ratios

00:20:05.220 --> 00:20:08.240
and milk per unit feed efficiency address today's

00:20:08.240 --> 00:20:10.359
dual challenges of environmental regulations

00:20:10.359 --> 00:20:13.680
and feed cost management, delivering both regulatory

00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:17.299
compliance and improved profit margins. Third,

00:20:17.500 --> 00:20:21.400
health traits reduce hidden costs. Excellent

00:20:21.400 --> 00:20:24.279
mammary systems and sound feet and legs in chattel

00:20:24.279 --> 00:20:26.920
daughters significantly reduced mastitis treatments

00:20:26.920 --> 00:20:29.880
and laminus issues, cutting veterinary expenses

00:20:29.880 --> 00:20:32.299
and labor intensity when skilled workers are

00:20:32.299 --> 00:20:35.579
increasingly scarce. This is crucial for today's

00:20:35.579 --> 00:20:39.259
farms. Fourth, global genetic democratization.

00:20:39.539 --> 00:20:42.539
As the only European bull in the top 20 most

00:20:42.539 --> 00:20:45.309
influential sires, Schottl proved that genetic

00:20:45.309 --> 00:20:47.450
excellence transcends geographical boundaries,

00:20:47.750 --> 00:20:50.029
offering progressive farmers alternatives to

00:20:50.029 --> 00:20:53.950
North American genetic monopolies. And finally,

00:20:54.089 --> 00:20:56.609
sustainable production model. With conservative

00:20:56.609 --> 00:20:59.190
estimates of 5 billion pounds in milk value from

00:20:59.190 --> 00:21:01.849
his daughters, Schottl demonstrated that balanced

00:21:01.849 --> 00:21:04.710
genetics focusing on durability and efficiency

00:21:04.710 --> 00:21:08.450
create generational wealth while meeting today's

00:21:08.450 --> 00:21:10.910
consumer demands for sustainable dairy practices.

00:21:12.269 --> 00:21:14.769
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Schottl's

00:21:14.769 --> 00:21:17.369
story is how it demonstrates the profound impact

00:21:17.369 --> 00:21:20.130
of human vision and courage in genetic improvement.

00:21:21.089 --> 00:21:24.289
At every critical juncture, Ed McLean's gift

00:21:24.289 --> 00:21:26.890
to his son, Don McLean's patient development

00:21:26.890 --> 00:21:29.609
of the Condon herd, the Pickford's investment

00:21:29.609 --> 00:21:32.829
in an aging Canadian cow, and ABS's willingness

00:21:32.829 --> 00:21:35.730
to try an unconventional mating, individuals

00:21:35.730 --> 00:21:38.609
made decisions that defied conventional wisdom.

00:21:39.470 --> 00:21:42.049
Douglas Blair, the respected pedigree expert

00:21:42.049 --> 00:21:44.230
who recognized Shottle's exceptional breeding,

00:21:44.470 --> 00:21:47.990
captured this perfectly. Pixton Shottle has the

00:21:47.990 --> 00:21:50.450
best proof in the world today. I have never seen

00:21:50.450 --> 00:21:52.650
a modern pedigree with so many respected Canadian

00:21:52.650 --> 00:21:56.230
bulls and prefixes, and he lists them off. The

00:21:56.230 --> 00:21:59.130
bulls Prelude, Aerostar, Inspiration, Commissioner,

00:21:59.470 --> 00:22:03.000
Ormsby, Thornley, and Citation are. The prefixes

00:22:03.000 --> 00:22:05.839
Mattawaska, Hanover Hill, Browndale, Spring Farm,

00:22:06.079 --> 00:22:09.200
Thornley, and Roseff all in a row, and Springbank

00:22:09.200 --> 00:22:12.039
further back. This wasn't an accident. It was

00:22:12.039 --> 00:22:14.400
the culmination of decades of patient selection,

00:22:14.740 --> 00:22:17.059
careful mating decisions, and the courage to

00:22:17.059 --> 00:22:19.180
recognize genetic potential wherever it appeared,

00:22:19.420 --> 00:22:22.519
even in a heifer offered to a teenager as a leg

00:22:22.519 --> 00:22:26.220
up in life. The Crane legacy, you see, lives

00:22:26.220 --> 00:22:29.119
on. While the Crane family itself eventually

00:22:29.119 --> 00:22:31.960
moved away from the cattle business, Howard's

00:22:31.960 --> 00:22:33.880
impact, the very beginning of this incredible

00:22:33.880 --> 00:22:37.759
story, resonates still. The Cranes were a very

00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:40.339
well -known and prosperous family and were basically

00:22:40.339 --> 00:22:43.579
quite honest. Good people. Too bad there aren't

00:22:43.579 --> 00:22:46.960
any of them left, the records lament. Yet, in

00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:49.720
a very real sense, the Crane legacy lives on

00:22:49.720 --> 00:22:52.140
in every chattel daughter milking in barns around

00:22:52.140 --> 00:22:55.519
the world. As the dairy industry continues to

00:22:55.519 --> 00:22:58.299
evolve with genomic selection, robotic milking,

00:22:58.420 --> 00:23:01.799
and precision agriculture, Schottl's story offers

00:23:01.799 --> 00:23:04.539
timeless lessons about the fundamentals of genetic

00:23:04.539 --> 00:23:07.799
improvement. His success wasn't built on following

00:23:07.799 --> 00:23:10.319
trends or chasing extreme production figures,

00:23:10.559 --> 00:23:12.640
but on the patient accumulation of functional

00:23:12.640 --> 00:23:15.839
traits that make cows more profitable and sustainable

00:23:15.839 --> 00:23:19.539
over their entire lifetimes. Modern breeders

00:23:19.539 --> 00:23:22.279
would do well to remember that efficiency and

00:23:22.279 --> 00:23:25.460
longevity, are not merely abstract genetic ideals,

00:23:25.700 --> 00:23:28.980
but indispensable economic necessities for the

00:23:28.980 --> 00:23:31.700
viability and sustainability of modern dairy

00:23:31.700 --> 00:23:35.079
farming. The seemingly small improvements Schottl's

00:23:35.079 --> 00:23:38.240
daughters brought, milking a little better, lasting

00:23:38.240 --> 00:23:40.920
a little longer, requiring a little less intervention,

00:23:41.359 --> 00:23:44.619
when multiplied across millions of animals, represent

00:23:44.619 --> 00:23:46.920
billions of dollars in enhanced productivity

00:23:46.920 --> 00:23:51.079
and sustainability. Today, when a dairy farmer

00:23:51.079 --> 00:23:53.220
in Wisconsin watches a shuttle granddaughter

00:23:53.220 --> 00:23:56.619
calmly enter the milking parlor, or when a producer

00:23:56.619 --> 00:23:59.519
in New Zealand notices the exceptional feet and

00:23:59.519 --> 00:24:02.940
legs on his shuttle -influenced herd, they're

00:24:02.940 --> 00:24:05.180
witnessing the culmination of a story that began

00:24:05.180 --> 00:24:08.319
with a 17 -year -old's choice in a Canadian barn

00:24:08.319 --> 00:24:11.900
more than seven decades ago. The bull who should

00:24:11.900 --> 00:24:14.359
never have been born, the son of an eight -year

00:24:14.359 --> 00:24:16.539
-old cow deemed too old for modern breeding,

00:24:16.779 --> 00:24:19.880
became the seventh most influential Holstein

00:24:19.880 --> 00:24:23.910
sire in history. His story serves as a powerful

00:24:23.910 --> 00:24:26.390
reminder that the most profound changes come

00:24:26.390 --> 00:24:28.910
not from following the crowd, but from having

00:24:28.910 --> 00:24:31.190
the courage to recognize greatness in unexpected

00:24:31.190 --> 00:24:35.309
packages. In an industry built on the daily miracle

00:24:35.309 --> 00:24:38.890
of turning grass into milk, Pixton Schottel's

00:24:38.890 --> 00:24:42.210
legacy reminds us that the greatest genetic treasures

00:24:42.210 --> 00:24:45.430
often come not from following trends, but from

00:24:45.430 --> 00:24:48.130
recognizing proven excellence wherever it appears.

00:24:49.099 --> 00:24:51.700
His influence continues through genomic evaluations

00:24:51.700 --> 00:24:54.500
that identify and amplify his superior genetics,

00:24:54.859 --> 00:24:57.299
ensuring that the vision of a teenager choosing

00:24:57.299 --> 00:25:00.779
a heifer in 1950 will shape dairy farming for

00:25:00.779 --> 00:25:04.839
generations to come. The magic of genetic improvement,

00:25:05.039 --> 00:25:07.779
my friends, lies not just in science and statistics,

00:25:08.099 --> 00:25:10.720
but in the human stories of patient vision and

00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:13.960
unwavering belief that once recognized and nurtured,

00:25:14.099 --> 00:25:17.119
excellence can change the world. One daughter,

00:25:17.220 --> 00:25:49.890
one generation. one farm at a time. now coming

00:25:49.890 --> 00:25:55.990
right on through oh tell the tale tell the tale

00:25:55.990 --> 00:25:59.569
the Beaumont legends live here