WEBVTT 00:00:14.189 --> 00:00:20.969 Creeping over fields of green Remembering the 00:00:20.969 --> 00:00:27.269 faces The moments unseen The hands that built 00:00:27.269 --> 00:00:33.590 a dynasty The vision in their eyes Echoes in 00:00:33.590 --> 00:00:38.810 the auction bar Beneath an endless sky This is 00:00:38.810 --> 00:01:03.420 the bull buy Turn the bar Welcome back to The 00:01:03.420 --> 00:01:05.840 Bull Vine, where we cut through dairy industry 00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:08.760 noise for insights that actually matter. Today's 00:01:08.760 --> 00:01:11.299 different. We're not talking feed prices. We're 00:01:11.299 --> 00:01:14.200 not analyzing quota movements or breaking down 00:01:14.200 --> 00:01:17.040 milk contracts. We are diving deep into the human 00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:19.540 stories behind the cattle, talking about a single 00:01:19.540 --> 00:01:23.340 $8 ,100 phone call, a devastating barn fire, 00:01:23.459 --> 00:01:25.659 and the extraordinary friendships that built 00:01:25.659 --> 00:01:28.060 genetic empires now valued in the hundreds of 00:01:28.060 --> 00:01:30.989 millions. Our mission today is to analyze the 00:01:30.989 --> 00:01:33.430 genetics of success, but we are doing it through 00:01:33.430 --> 00:01:37.989 the lens of institutional failure. We've compiled 00:01:37.989 --> 00:01:40.090 an incredible stack of sources detailing the 00:01:40.090 --> 00:01:43.510 rise of two legendary Holstein matriarchs, Westwood 00:01:43.510 --> 00:01:46.730 H .C., Rudy Missy, and Stuckey Elm Park Black 00:01:46.730 --> 00:01:48.849 Rose. Two of the greats. And what their lives 00:01:48.849 --> 00:01:51.450 teach us about instinct versus data, and critically, 00:01:51.670 --> 00:01:53.650 why the experts in the room keep missing the 00:01:53.650 --> 00:01:55.810 cows that matter most. That failure is the uncomfortable 00:01:55.810 --> 00:01:58.049 truth we need to deal with. I mean, every single 00:01:58.049 --> 00:02:00.790 dynasty we will discuss today began with a cow 00:02:00.790 --> 00:02:02.709 that the consensus walked away from. Every single 00:02:02.709 --> 00:02:05.500 one. So if you are a breeder focused on long 00:02:05.500 --> 00:02:08.479 -term generational success, you need to understand 00:02:08.479 --> 00:02:10.680 precisely why the conventional wisdom of the 00:02:10.680 --> 00:02:12.639 time missed the biggest opportunities, because 00:02:12.639 --> 00:02:14.960 I guarantee you that same bias is operating in 00:02:14.960 --> 00:02:17.219 your barn today. Okay, let's unpack this. To 00:02:17.219 --> 00:02:18.860 start, we have to paint the scene of failure 00:02:18.860 --> 00:02:23.360 back in 2003. February 2003. The setting is the 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:25.939 Wisconsin Holstein Convention's Sweetheart Sale. 00:02:26.409 --> 00:02:28.509 I mean, you can practically feel the atmosphere. 00:02:28.669 --> 00:02:30.949 It's bitter cold outside. The snow is blowing 00:02:30.949 --> 00:02:33.389 sideways against the window panes. Right. But 00:02:33.389 --> 00:02:35.789 the feeling inside the auction room isn't just 00:02:35.789 --> 00:02:38.030 cold from the weather. It's cooled by, you know, 00:02:38.050 --> 00:02:41.229 professional skepticism and the fatigue of a 00:02:41.229 --> 00:02:44.430 long day. Exactly. The room was thinning out. 00:02:44.750 --> 00:02:47.969 You had these experienced high stakes breeders, 00:02:48.009 --> 00:02:50.550 people who drove through farm country slush, 00:02:50.569 --> 00:02:52.689 missing that morning milking just to be there. 00:02:53.400 --> 00:02:55.120 and they were visibly heading for the exits. 00:02:55.400 --> 00:02:57.180 They had seen what they came to see. They thought 00:02:57.180 --> 00:02:59.960 so. And all this while, a specific five -year 00:02:59.960 --> 00:03:02.280 -old Holstein was standing in the ring, ready 00:03:02.280 --> 00:03:06.439 to sell. That cow was Westwood H .C. Rudy Missy. 00:03:06.580 --> 00:03:09.319 And the bidding had stalled out at a figure that, 00:03:09.400 --> 00:03:12.120 for an elite, pedigreed auction, felt almost 00:03:12.120 --> 00:03:14.419 insulting. Really did. It was stuck in the low 00:03:14.419 --> 00:03:16.699 thousands, maybe a tenth of what the starlots 00:03:16.699 --> 00:03:19.259 earlier in the day had commanded. Everyone was 00:03:19.259 --> 00:03:21.580 looking for the flaw to justify walking away. 00:03:22.199 --> 00:03:24.719 and the consensus had formed that consensus that 00:03:24.719 --> 00:03:27.219 group think is almost always a death sentence 00:03:27.219 --> 00:03:30.500 in genetics they had found the fatal flaw the 00:03:30.500 --> 00:03:33.580 reason to reject her whispered among the auctioneers 00:03:33.580 --> 00:03:35.979 and bidders her rump wasn't entirely balanced 00:03:35.979 --> 00:03:38.800 her rump Wait, think about that technical critique 00:03:38.800 --> 00:03:41.599 for a moment. Unbalanced rump. In 2003, we were 00:03:41.599 --> 00:03:44.500 still heavily focused on extreme type and classification 00:03:44.500 --> 00:03:47.219 scores. The visual perfection that wins banners. 00:03:47.699 --> 00:03:50.580 An unbalanced rump, meaning the hip structure 00:03:50.580 --> 00:03:52.939 didn't meet the aesthetic ideal for the show 00:03:52.939 --> 00:03:54.879 ring. It wasn't perfect. It wasn't perfect. And 00:03:54.879 --> 00:03:56.759 that was enough for the entire professional community 00:03:56.759 --> 00:03:59.699 to say, not a sure thing. Too much risk. We pass. 00:04:00.180 --> 00:04:02.780 She was a reject based on a subjective visual 00:04:02.780 --> 00:04:05.360 standard of the time. Which perfectly illustrates 00:04:05.360 --> 00:04:08.919 our mission today. We are systematically terrible 00:04:08.919 --> 00:04:12.099 at recognizing genetic value when it stands right 00:04:12.099 --> 00:04:14.539 in front of us. We really are. We focus so much 00:04:14.539 --> 00:04:17.620 on that minute flaw, the unbalanced rump, the 00:04:17.620 --> 00:04:20.560 slightly curved leg, the score on paper, that 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:22.560 we miss the engine of generational transmission 00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:24.800 underneath. It's the difference between investing 00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:27.439 in a highly polished machine versus investing 00:04:27.439 --> 00:04:30.660 in the raw essential power source. And that's 00:04:30.660 --> 00:04:33.259 the uncomfortable truth. She was dismissed by 00:04:33.259 --> 00:04:36.740 everyone who saw her walk. Now let's jump into 00:04:36.740 --> 00:04:40.079 segment one, the phone call betting on pure instinct. 00:04:40.420 --> 00:04:43.740 The room is effectively silent. The competitive 00:04:43.740 --> 00:04:46.339 bidding had stopped. Steve Hayes, one of Missy's 00:04:46.339 --> 00:04:48.540 co -breeders, is standing there watching another 00:04:48.540 --> 00:04:50.439 potential bidder shake his head and just walk 00:04:50.439 --> 00:04:52.740 away. Oh, I can feel that feeling. You can just 00:04:52.740 --> 00:04:54.839 feel that moment of creeping doubt, that whisper 00:04:54.839 --> 00:04:57.279 every breeder knows. Have I been fooling myself 00:04:57.279 --> 00:04:59.500 all along about this cow? That's the high stakes 00:04:59.500 --> 00:05:01.740 moment where you're confident evaporates. But 00:05:01.740 --> 00:05:04.920 then the universe intervenes or... More accurately, 00:05:05.139 --> 00:05:08.259 deep -seated instinct takes over. The bidding 00:05:08.259 --> 00:05:10.839 had stalled. The room was done. But then the 00:05:10.839 --> 00:05:13.139 phone rings. The phone. It's ringing in the back 00:05:13.139 --> 00:05:15.959 office of the sale. And on the other end is Matt 00:05:15.959 --> 00:05:19.819 Steiner from Pine Tree Dairy in Ohio. What is 00:05:19.819 --> 00:05:22.779 absolutely crucial here is that Steiner had never 00:05:22.779 --> 00:05:25.339 laid eyes on Missy in person. Never seen her. 00:05:25.459 --> 00:05:27.800 He was hundreds of miles away. He was relying 00:05:27.800 --> 00:05:30.899 entirely on paper, reputation, and critically, 00:05:31.100 --> 00:05:33.720 an intuition honed by decades of working with 00:05:33.720 --> 00:05:36.279 successful maternal lines. He was relying on 00:05:36.279 --> 00:05:38.420 the data points everyone else in that room was 00:05:38.420 --> 00:05:40.560 actively ignoring because they were fixated on 00:05:40.560 --> 00:05:42.920 the visual flaw. He didn't see the unbalanced 00:05:42.920 --> 00:05:45.000 rump. He saw the pedigree and the production 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:47.019 potential printed on the sheet. He placed his 00:05:47.019 --> 00:05:52.079 bid site unseen. $8 ,100. $8 ,100. Let's pause 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:55.350 on that number. In 2003, for a cow with a massive 00:05:55.350 --> 00:05:57.949 reputation gap, that was still a significant 00:05:57.949 --> 00:06:00.610 speculative bet. And that secured the cow. I 00:06:00.610 --> 00:06:02.709 mean, think about the ROI of that single decision. 00:06:02.889 --> 00:06:05.350 Westwood HC Rudy Missy went on to become the 00:06:05.350 --> 00:06:08.290 2014 Global Cow of the Year. A decade later. 00:06:08.529 --> 00:06:10.829 The fact that she was still dominating the conversation 00:06:10.829 --> 00:06:13.509 a decade after she was nearly rejected at auction 00:06:13.509 --> 00:06:16.209 is staggering. The multiplier effect on that 00:06:16.209 --> 00:06:20.240 single gut instinct bid is... Truly generational. 00:06:20.480 --> 00:06:22.759 Her descendants are not just good cows. They 00:06:22.759 --> 00:06:25.180 are the foundation of modern breeding programs. 00:06:25.279 --> 00:06:27.160 Literally the foundation. We're talking about 00:06:27.160 --> 00:06:29.879 Seagull Bay Super Sire, who, through his semen 00:06:29.879 --> 00:06:32.540 sales, went on to have over 100 ,000 daughters 00:06:32.540 --> 00:06:36.079 worldwide. That is an unbelievable genetic footprint 00:06:36.079 --> 00:06:39.500 on the entire breed. 100 ,000. I mean, it's a 00:06:39.500 --> 00:06:42.670 number that's hard to even comprehend. And the 00:06:42.670 --> 00:06:45.550 legacy doesn't stop there. We're looking at Genasaur's 00:06:45.550 --> 00:06:48.050 captain, a direct descendant who held the coveted 00:06:48.050 --> 00:06:50.550 number one TPI position for seven consecutive 00:06:50.550 --> 00:06:53.769 crew runs right through December 2024. Seven 00:06:53.769 --> 00:06:56.250 in a row. He remains one of the most influential 00:06:56.250 --> 00:06:58.810 sires in the breed right now. For our listeners 00:06:58.810 --> 00:07:00.589 who may not live and breathe these numbers daily, 00:07:01.009 --> 00:07:03.829 TPI Total Performance Index is the global metric 00:07:03.829 --> 00:07:06.389 that dictates breeding direction. It waits heavily 00:07:06.389 --> 00:07:09.149 for health, longevity, and high production components. 00:07:09.769 --> 00:07:11.769 The fact that Missy's line is still producing 00:07:11.769 --> 00:07:13.910 the number one -ranked sire two decades later 00:07:13.910 --> 00:07:16.569 proves the depth of that $8 ,100 investment. 00:07:17.079 --> 00:07:19.060 What's fascinating here is the sheer financial 00:07:19.060 --> 00:07:24.000 gravity. That $8 ,100 phone call generated hundreds 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:27.420 of millions in semen sales, not tens of millions, 00:07:27.560 --> 00:07:30.199 hundreds. It's almost incalculable. If you break 00:07:30.199 --> 00:07:32.779 down the sales figures of Super Sire and Captain 00:07:32.779 --> 00:07:35.839 over two decades, the return on investment is 00:07:35.839 --> 00:07:38.939 just, it's astronomical. I have to challenge 00:07:38.939 --> 00:07:41.300 you and let's challenge the listener right now. 00:07:42.079 --> 00:07:44.699 Knowing the context, knowing that Cal was three 00:07:44.699 --> 00:07:47.100 states away and every expert in the room was 00:07:47.100 --> 00:07:48.740 walking for the exits because of a structural 00:07:48.740 --> 00:07:52.439 flaw? A small one at that. Would you, based solely 00:07:52.439 --> 00:07:55.639 on her pedigree and reputation, place an $8 ,100 00:07:55.639 --> 00:07:59.139 bid? It's easy to say yes now, knowing the outcome. 00:07:59.459 --> 00:08:01.579 Living that high stakes risk is fundamentally 00:08:01.579 --> 00:08:03.939 different. I'm a farmer. My instinct screams, 00:08:04.139 --> 00:08:06.439 I need to see her walk. I need to feel her presence. 00:08:06.579 --> 00:08:09.139 I need to judge that rump for myself. The conventional 00:08:09.139 --> 00:08:11.939 approach, the safe approach, is to trust the 00:08:11.939 --> 00:08:14.100 visual consensus in the room. So you would have 00:08:14.100 --> 00:08:16.060 walked. I don't know if I would have been Steiner. 00:08:16.180 --> 00:08:18.300 I think I would have walked away. And that's 00:08:18.300 --> 00:08:20.600 exactly why I'm sitting here talking about the 00:08:20.600 --> 00:08:23.720 $100 million genetic dynasty instead of owning 00:08:23.720 --> 00:08:27.819 it. Steiner didn't trust the consensus. He trusted 00:08:27.819 --> 00:08:31.160 his own experience, honed over decades, and the 00:08:31.160 --> 00:08:33.679 deep maternal pedigree everyone else dismissed 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:36.840 for a cosmetic flaw. This raises a critical analytical 00:08:36.840 --> 00:08:41.789 point. what exactly did matt steiner buy it wasn't 00:08:41.789 --> 00:08:44.629 just a cow he bought a chance and critically 00:08:44.629 --> 00:08:48.240 the optimal environment yes The stage. And the 00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:50.740 key insight here comes from Missy's co -breeder, 00:08:50.820 --> 00:08:53.740 Steve Wessing, who admitted with incredible candor, 00:08:53.779 --> 00:08:56.259 I don't think she would ever score EX92 at our 00:08:56.259 --> 00:08:58.240 place. Wait, that's a massive admission of humility 00:08:58.240 --> 00:09:00.620 and self -awareness. Wessing is essentially saying, 00:09:00.720 --> 00:09:03.700 we bred this cow, we loved her, but we also acknowledge 00:09:03.700 --> 00:09:06.000 that our environment, our management, maybe even 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:08.399 our own classification expectations might have 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:10.200 held her back. She needed a different stage. 00:09:10.460 --> 00:09:13.389 That's the critical piece of the puzzle. Steiner 00:09:13.389 --> 00:09:15.970 didn't just acquire good genes. He provided the 00:09:15.970 --> 00:09:18.090 optimal environment for those genes to express 00:09:18.090 --> 00:09:21.149 their full potential. He gave her the stage to 00:09:21.149 --> 00:09:23.789 perform, not just in terms of comfort and feed, 00:09:23.970 --> 00:09:26.210 but in terms of aggressive breeding and flushing 00:09:26.210 --> 00:09:28.870 programs designed to maximize genetic transmission. 00:09:29.190 --> 00:09:33.529 That single anecdote forces us to question, are 00:09:33.529 --> 00:09:35.769 we maximizing the potential of the genetics we 00:09:35.769 --> 00:09:38.590 already own, or are we inadvertently limiting 00:09:38.590 --> 00:09:41.169 them by the environment we provide and the standards 00:09:41.169 --> 00:09:43.940 we impose? That's a practical check every farmer 00:09:43.940 --> 00:09:46.259 needs to make. We spend so much time chasing 00:09:46.259 --> 00:09:48.440 the next great bull, but are we walking past 00:09:48.440 --> 00:09:50.659 the grade of cow we'll ever own because she doesn't 00:09:50.659 --> 00:09:53.340 meet the visual standard that we impose, rather 00:09:53.340 --> 00:09:55.519 than the genetic potential she truly holds? It's 00:09:55.519 --> 00:09:57.559 a powerful moment of instinct over collective 00:09:57.559 --> 00:10:00.639 dismissal. But to truly understand Missy, we 00:10:00.639 --> 00:10:03.379 have to rewind further, back to the early 1990s 00:10:03.379 --> 00:10:05.080 and the foundation of her life, a foundation 00:10:05.080 --> 00:10:08.480 built on partnership, not profit. This is segment 00:10:08.480 --> 00:10:11.279 two. The two Steves of partnership forged in 00:10:11.279 --> 00:10:13.789 fire. This is where the story shifts from financial 00:10:13.789 --> 00:10:17.169 risk to deep emotional commitment. Steve Wessing 00:10:17.169 --> 00:10:19.389 and his wife Cheryl started out in the early 00:10:19.389 --> 00:10:23.029 1990s with just 18 registered Holsteins from 00:10:23.029 --> 00:10:26.370 the Milkstein herd. Just 18. A small start. And 00:10:26.370 --> 00:10:28.289 they were immediately warned by industry veterans 00:10:28.289 --> 00:10:32.129 that the herd lacked type. The critique was focused, 00:10:32.190 --> 00:10:34.370 again, on aesthetics. Always the aesthetics. 00:10:34.610 --> 00:10:36.830 And when those first cows were classified, the 00:10:36.830 --> 00:10:39.789 industry warnings seemed accurate. Only one cow 00:10:39.789 --> 00:10:43.539 scored. Very good. Milkstein citationed Della, 00:10:43.700 --> 00:10:46.940 the direct ancestor of Missy. Just one. But Della 00:10:46.940 --> 00:10:49.340 was the kind of cow you rely on. She showed up 00:10:49.340 --> 00:10:51.759 every day, did her job, and was low maintenance. 00:10:52.039 --> 00:10:54.379 She didn't win ribbons, but she delivered the 00:10:54.379 --> 00:10:56.779 goods. But Wessing trusted his eyes over the 00:10:56.779 --> 00:10:59.480 conventional wisdom. He saw consistency and depth 00:10:59.480 --> 00:11:01.980 of pedigree, not just flash. And the other Steve, 00:11:02.179 --> 00:11:04.480 his neighbor Steve Hayes, was also paying extremely 00:11:04.480 --> 00:11:07.049 close attention. This is a quiet story about 00:11:07.049 --> 00:11:10.470 observation across a shared fence line. Here's 00:11:10.470 --> 00:11:12.860 what gets me about this part of the story. Hayes 00:11:12.860 --> 00:11:15.679 wasn't consulting. He was studying. He walked 00:11:15.679 --> 00:11:17.960 past that fence line every morning, watching 00:11:17.960 --> 00:11:21.100 Wessing's young cows, how they moved, the depth 00:11:21.100 --> 00:11:22.940 through their hearts, the structural soundness 00:11:22.940 --> 00:11:25.740 that classification scores often miss. He was 00:11:25.740 --> 00:11:28.240 looking for the engine underneath the paint job. 00:11:28.500 --> 00:11:31.059 And when Della's granddaughter, Westwood Elton 00:11:31.059 --> 00:11:34.000 Meany, came along, both Steves recognized that 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:37.320 she had that unquantifiable quality. Meany was 00:11:37.320 --> 00:11:40.720 described as a treasure of a cow. Very low maintenance, 00:11:40.840 --> 00:11:43.120 easy to work with. Her personality. She had personality. 00:11:43.460 --> 00:11:45.620 She made sure she was always first at the feed 00:11:45.620 --> 00:11:48.039 bunks. The quintessential farmer's cow, the kind 00:11:48.039 --> 00:11:50.279 that pays the bills. But then the story takes 00:11:50.279 --> 00:11:53.000 a devastating turn because farming is often brutal. 00:11:53.360 --> 00:11:56.519 The disaster came. The fire. Anyone in agriculture 00:11:56.519 --> 00:11:58.980 knows a barn fire is the absolute nightmare scenario. 00:11:59.700 --> 00:12:01.360 Imagine the sound of the structure collapsing, 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:04.500 the smell of burning hay, the terror, the helplessness, 00:12:04.580 --> 00:12:07.259 as years of work disappear into the smoke and 00:12:07.259 --> 00:12:10.149 ash of one night. The sources recount that Mimi's 00:12:10.149 --> 00:12:12.909 13 -year -old grandmother, Claudette, survived 00:12:12.909 --> 00:12:16.350 the flames and the chaos. She had already given 00:12:16.350 --> 00:12:18.970 Wessing a phenomenal quarter million pounds of 00:12:18.970 --> 00:12:21.269 milk. Oh, huge producer. But the trauma caused 00:12:21.269 --> 00:12:23.990 hip damage, effectively ending her milking career 00:12:23.990 --> 00:12:27.110 just short of the 300 ,000 -pound milestone. 00:12:27.850 --> 00:12:31.690 She was done. Her legacy survived, but her career 00:12:31.690 --> 00:12:34.230 didn't. And Steve Wessing was left standing there. 00:12:34.539 --> 00:12:36.940 staring at the ash -covered remains of his business, 00:12:37.139 --> 00:12:39.919 doing the brutal, demoralizing math of loss. 00:12:40.399 --> 00:12:43.159 He had no financial path forward except to call 00:12:43.159 --> 00:12:46.379 a dispersal sale in December 1994. It's the moment 00:12:46.379 --> 00:12:48.480 where you sign the paperwork and admit that sometimes 00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:51.159 the uncontrollable forces win and you lose everything. 00:12:51.460 --> 00:12:53.240 But this is where the partnership truly saves 00:12:53.240 --> 00:12:55.519 the genetics, and maybe saves the person, too. 00:12:55.820 --> 00:12:58.419 Before the auction even started, Steve Hayes 00:12:58.419 --> 00:13:01.429 approached Wessing. He worked at a private handshake 00:13:01.429 --> 00:13:03.669 agreement. What's the deal? If Hayes bid highest 00:13:03.669 --> 00:13:06.730 on Mimi, they would own her together. Wait, think 00:13:06.730 --> 00:13:08.409 about that level of partnership and emotional 00:13:08.409 --> 00:13:11.789 commitment. Hayes wasn't bidding primarily to 00:13:11.789 --> 00:13:14.129 profit from his friend's loss. He was stepping 00:13:14.129 --> 00:13:16.789 in to share the burden, to keep the genetics 00:13:16.789 --> 00:13:19.389 alive, and to ensure his friend remained connected 00:13:19.389 --> 00:13:21.929 to the life and the success they had both watched 00:13:21.929 --> 00:13:23.929 and believed in. When's the last time you saw 00:13:23.929 --> 00:13:26.169 that level of friendship and selflessness at 00:13:26.169 --> 00:13:28.620 a high -stakes auction? I can't think of one. 00:13:28.759 --> 00:13:31.080 Hayes kept raising his hand past the point where 00:13:31.080 --> 00:13:34.139 most breeders would squirm and drop out of financial 00:13:34.139 --> 00:13:37.620 prudence. When the gavel finally fell, the two 00:13:37.620 --> 00:13:39.820 friends became co -owners of what would eventually 00:13:39.820 --> 00:13:42.440 be one of the most valuable cows in Holstein 00:13:42.440 --> 00:13:44.840 history. It's the definition of turning adversity 00:13:44.840 --> 00:13:47.980 into a shared opportunity, not for selfish reasons, 00:13:48.080 --> 00:13:51.159 but for preservation. And it paid off in 1997, 00:13:51.519 --> 00:13:53.240 although they felt only disappointment at the 00:13:53.240 --> 00:13:56.039 time. How so? They bred Mimi to start more Rudolph. 00:13:56.590 --> 00:13:59.750 The AI stud specifically wanted a bull calf from 00:13:59.750 --> 00:14:02.090 that mating, the quick cash flow. Of course, 00:14:02.110 --> 00:14:04.429 the industry wants the immediate financial return 00:14:04.429 --> 00:14:06.889 on a bull sale. But the result was a heifer calf. 00:14:07.830 --> 00:14:10.149 Westwood HC, Rudy Missy. The one they didn't 00:14:10.149 --> 00:14:12.470 want. At the time, that must have felt like a 00:14:12.470 --> 00:14:15.789 punch in the gut. The universe actively not cooperating. 00:14:15.789 --> 00:14:17.970 You do the math on the lost bull sale and you 00:14:17.970 --> 00:14:20.809 feel the disappointment. It was only in retrospect, 00:14:21.009 --> 00:14:24.110 decades later, that they could see how the thing 00:14:24.110 --> 00:14:27.059 that frustrated them. A heifer calf became the 00:14:27.059 --> 00:14:29.139 foundation of the dynasty that would redefine 00:14:29.139 --> 00:14:32.039 the breed for the next 50 years. And that dynasty 00:14:32.039 --> 00:14:34.539 was built on Missy being a genetic multiplier? 00:14:34.899 --> 00:14:38.580 She ultimately produced 18 sons accepted into 00:14:38.580 --> 00:14:42.500 AI service, and 42 daughters classified excellent 00:14:42.500 --> 00:14:46.120 or... Very good. Just incredible numbers. That's 00:14:46.120 --> 00:14:48.419 a relentless high percentage transmission of 00:14:48.419 --> 00:14:50.720 positive traits. It wasn't a single home run. 00:14:50.820 --> 00:14:53.279 It was a consistent line drive, generation after 00:14:53.279 --> 00:14:55.240 generation. Which again reinforces the theme. 00:14:55.440 --> 00:14:57.460 They were betting on a cow that didn't look perfect, 00:14:57.580 --> 00:14:59.139 and they're betting on a partnership born of 00:14:59.139 --> 00:15:01.840 tragedy. When the conventional industry dismissed 00:15:01.840 --> 00:15:05.299 her rump five years later in 2003, Matt Steiner 00:15:05.299 --> 00:15:07.840 saw the potential, completing the trifecta of 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:09.639 instinctual decisions that launched this empire. 00:15:09.820 --> 00:15:12.759 It's an amazing story. Now, let's shift focus 00:15:12.759 --> 00:15:15.840 completely and move 15 years earlier to segment 00:15:15.840 --> 00:15:18.759 three, which shows us that the industry's failure 00:15:18.759 --> 00:15:21.779 of conventional wisdom is a chronic, recurring 00:15:21.779 --> 00:15:24.840 theme, often driven by the instability of outside 00:15:24.840 --> 00:15:26.960 money. Oh, yeah. We're going to talk about how 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:29.860 bankruptcy breeds champions, the Black Rose story. 00:15:30.039 --> 00:15:33.379 This takes us back to the truly chaotic 1980s 00:15:33.379 --> 00:15:36.740 investor era, a bizarre and speculative time 00:15:36.740 --> 00:15:39.519 in the dairy industry fueled entirely by tax 00:15:39.519 --> 00:15:42.620 code. This was driven by Section 46 of the Internal 00:15:42.620 --> 00:15:45.019 Revenue Code. Let's be clear about what Section 00:15:45.019 --> 00:15:47.299 46 did, because it's crucial to understanding 00:15:47.299 --> 00:15:50.460 the insane prices. This section essentially allowed 00:15:50.460 --> 00:15:53.320 wealthy outsiders to write off high -value cattle 00:15:53.320 --> 00:15:56.259 purchases against their personal income, often 00:15:56.259 --> 00:15:58.580 through accelerated depreciation or treating 00:15:58.580 --> 00:16:01.159 these expensive animals as immediate high -value 00:16:01.159 --> 00:16:04.419 tax -deductible assets. Precisely. This completely 00:16:04.419 --> 00:16:06.759 decoupled the price of a Holstein from the reality 00:16:06.759 --> 00:16:09.379 of farming economics. The source material mentions 00:16:09.549 --> 00:16:11.629 famous examples like John Lennon of the Beatles. 00:16:11.789 --> 00:16:13.889 The actual Beatles. Investing heavily through 00:16:13.889 --> 00:16:16.929 George Morgan's Dream Street operation. You had 00:16:16.929 --> 00:16:19.649 rock stars and Hollywood lawyers throwing money 00:16:19.649 --> 00:16:22.789 into the pot. And cattle prices soared to astronomical 00:16:22.789 --> 00:16:25.029 heights because the tax savings were the primary 00:16:25.029 --> 00:16:27.429 motivation, not the milk check. And Jack Stuckey 00:16:27.429 --> 00:16:30.419 was the man for that era. He built a huge empire, 00:16:30.700 --> 00:16:33.919 dominating shows, all based on external investor 00:16:33.919 --> 00:16:36.740 money flowing freely into the system, chasing 00:16:36.740 --> 00:16:39.279 those tax write -offs. But bubbles always burst 00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:42.120 when the underlying structure is unsound. When 00:16:42.120 --> 00:16:44.500 the IRS began challenging those tax schemes, 00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:47.779 the outside money dried up overnight. Gone. The 00:16:47.779 --> 00:16:50.059 speculative bubble burst and financial collapse 00:16:50.059 --> 00:16:52.299 followed immediately. This leads to one of the 00:16:52.299 --> 00:16:54.860 hardest parts of the story to digest, demonstrating 00:16:54.860 --> 00:16:57.480 the destructive, immediate power of financial 00:16:57.480 --> 00:17:01.240 failure on pure genetics. In the winter of 1985, 00:17:01.779 --> 00:17:04.440 Stuckey couldn't pay his staff, and he was desperate 00:17:04.440 --> 00:17:07.259 for cash flow. He ordered staff to load a trailer 00:17:07.259 --> 00:17:09.680 with bull calves, bulls he had previously intended 00:17:09.680 --> 00:17:11.579 to sell for breeding, and send them to slaughter. 00:17:11.839 --> 00:17:14.440 This was purely for the immediate cash realization. 00:17:14.900 --> 00:17:18.180 And these weren't just any bull calves. No. Among 00:17:18.180 --> 00:17:20.799 them were three sons of the legendary Continental 00:17:20.799 --> 00:17:23.519 Scarlet. Wait, an AI stud had already spoken 00:17:23.519 --> 00:17:26.140 for one of those bulls. The potential was known, 00:17:26.279 --> 00:17:30.819 the future pedigree was there, but Stooky couldn't 00:17:30.819 --> 00:17:33.319 wait. The bills couldn't wait. Think about the 00:17:33.319 --> 00:17:36.019 hired hands loading those prime calves onto the 00:17:36.019 --> 00:17:38.140 trailer, knowing the generational potential they 00:17:38.140 --> 00:17:40.559 were sending to the rail simply because a corporate 00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:42.859 balance sheet had collapsed. It's a moment of 00:17:42.859 --> 00:17:46.119 absolute visceral loss. Genetics that could have 00:17:46.119 --> 00:17:48.619 shaped the breed for decades were wiped out for 00:17:48.619 --> 00:17:51.259 the sake of a weekly payroll, the direct consequence 00:17:51.259 --> 00:17:54.779 of leveraging pure genetics with unsound external 00:17:54.779 --> 00:17:57.559 financing. But where most people saw only the 00:17:57.559 --> 00:18:00.480 wreckage, Louis Prange saw potential. This is 00:18:00.480 --> 00:18:02.960 the moment where we see another exceptional stockman 00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:06.180 who trusted his eyes over the chaos. Right. Everyone 00:18:06.180 --> 00:18:07.900 else was running from the stooky mess and the 00:18:07.900 --> 00:18:10.259 smell of bankruptcy, but Prange knew the world 00:18:10.259 --> 00:18:12.460 -class genetics were still there, locked up in 00:18:12.460 --> 00:18:14.920 legal limbo. He worked out an incredibly clever 00:18:14.920 --> 00:18:17.660 deal with the bankruptcy trustee. He would lease 00:18:17.660 --> 00:18:20.720 the best cows, flush embryos, and split the proceeds. 00:18:21.140 --> 00:18:23.660 This allowed the genetic legacy to survive the 00:18:23.660 --> 00:18:26.019 courtroom drama and the financial meltdown. And 00:18:26.019 --> 00:18:28.420 among those salvaged genetics... Was Nandette 00:18:28.420 --> 00:18:31.180 T .T. Speckle -Red? a dominant red and white 00:18:31.180 --> 00:18:34.019 show cow. Branch's next move was a textbook example 00:18:34.019 --> 00:18:36.500 of advanced breeding philosophy, the corrective 00:18:36.500 --> 00:18:40.220 cross. Speckle Red was a stunning show cow, but 00:18:40.220 --> 00:18:42.440 needed a boost in certain structural areas and 00:18:42.440 --> 00:18:45.240 components. So he planned to breed her to Tumar 00:18:45.240 --> 00:18:47.940 Blackstar, a proven production powerhouse who 00:18:47.940 --> 00:18:50.279 needed structural help. He was aiming for that 00:18:50.279 --> 00:18:53.079 perfect, balanced combination of type and production. 00:18:53.359 --> 00:18:55.839 And here's Stooky, even in bankruptcy, trying 00:18:55.839 --> 00:18:58.190 to exert control. When it came time for the Black 00:18:58.190 --> 00:19:00.789 Star seaman delivery, Stuckey allegedly tried 00:19:00.789 --> 00:19:03.269 to interfere, telling Prange that his tank ran 00:19:03.269 --> 00:19:06.710 dry. Unbelievable. A final petty attempt to sabotage 00:19:06.710 --> 00:19:09.430 the future of his own cattle line. But Prange 00:19:09.430 --> 00:19:12.569 followed his gut and his vision. On March 24, 00:19:12.890 --> 00:19:16.509 1990, Stuckey Elm Park Black Rose was born, conceived 00:19:16.509 --> 00:19:18.809 not through corporate mandate, but through vision 00:19:18.809 --> 00:19:21.109 in the shadow of the bankruptcy court. Again, 00:19:21.210 --> 00:19:23.380 she was just a calf. But when she hit the auction 00:19:23.380 --> 00:19:26.920 block in December 1991, selling for a modest 00:19:26.920 --> 00:19:30.519 $4 ,500. A fraction of the investor error prices. 00:19:30.759 --> 00:19:33.259 Significantly lower, yeah. A fitter named Mark 00:19:33.259 --> 00:19:36.220 Rueth saw her. And Rueth, who spent his life 00:19:36.220 --> 00:19:39.400 analyzing cattle movement and confirmation, saw 00:19:39.400 --> 00:19:42.900 the potential. He told his partner, Mark Vanmersbergen, 00:19:43.039 --> 00:19:46.119 that this heifer was special. Deep -ribbed, wide 00:19:46.119 --> 00:19:48.559 -rumped, you just know. You just know. Another 00:19:48.559 --> 00:19:51.059 moment where Instinct absolutely trumped the 00:19:51.059 --> 00:19:53.599 low price tag. They partnered with Indian Head 00:19:53.599 --> 00:19:55.819 Holsteins on the purchase. And Black Rose grew 00:19:55.819 --> 00:19:58.680 into an absolute force of nature. Her numbers 00:19:58.680 --> 00:20:02.339 were exceptional. EX96 classification and massive 00:20:02.339 --> 00:20:06.400 production. 42 ,229 pounds of milk at five years 00:20:06.400 --> 00:20:09.640 old with huge components. A 4 .6 % butterfat 00:20:09.640 --> 00:20:12.440 average. Just a powerhouse. But the real industry 00:20:12.440 --> 00:20:14.480 -changing legacy of Black Rose came through her 00:20:14.480 --> 00:20:17.420 lineage. That line eventually led to lavender 00:20:17.420 --> 00:20:20.819 ruby red rose red, who in 2005 did something 00:20:20.819 --> 00:20:23.259 truly unprecedented. She became the first and 00:20:23.259 --> 00:20:25.740 only red and white cow ever named supreme champion 00:20:25.740 --> 00:20:28.539 over all breeds at World Dairy Expo. We have 00:20:28.539 --> 00:20:31.400 to let this moment land with our listeners. For 00:20:31.400 --> 00:20:34.180 decades, decades, red and white breeders had 00:20:34.180 --> 00:20:36.980 been considered second tier. Absolutely. They 00:20:36.980 --> 00:20:38.859 were told their cattle were beautiful, competitive 00:20:38.859 --> 00:20:41.819 within their color class. But structurally, visually, 00:20:42.059 --> 00:20:44.180 or genetically, they would never stand against 00:20:44.180 --> 00:20:46.119 the best black and whites in the ultimate contest. 00:20:46.460 --> 00:20:49.240 It was institutional dismissal of an entire genetic 00:20:49.240 --> 00:20:52.039 pool. The conventional wisdom had written off 00:20:52.039 --> 00:20:54.140 the color and the people who championed it. When 00:20:54.140 --> 00:20:56.880 Red Rose Red stood alone in the Coliseum at Madison, 00:20:57.079 --> 00:20:59.359 above every single other champion in the building, 00:20:59.579 --> 00:21:02.500 it was complete vindication. It was a massive 00:21:02.500 --> 00:21:05.160 industry -wide correction. It proved something. 00:21:05.359 --> 00:21:07.759 It proved that the genetic potential salvaged 00:21:07.759 --> 00:21:10.279 by Prange didn't care about the bankruptcy court 00:21:10.279 --> 00:21:12.299 that tried to kill it or the conventional wisdom 00:21:12.299 --> 00:21:14.680 that dismissed its color. They won the whole 00:21:14.680 --> 00:21:17.319 damn thing. And the dynasty is still active today, 00:21:17.500 --> 00:21:20.319 proving the long -term power of Prange's vision 00:21:20.319 --> 00:21:23.839 and the Black Rose Cow. That same bloodline flows 00:21:23.839 --> 00:21:26.759 through Lady Rose Caught Your Eye, who was EX95 00:21:26.759 --> 00:21:29.759 and dominated the color shavings at the 2024 00:21:29.759 --> 00:21:32.920 World Dairy Expo. It's a lineage that began in 00:21:32.920 --> 00:21:35.400 the wreckage of a financial collapse and defied 00:21:35.400 --> 00:21:38.440 every aesthetic bias in the book. It's the ultimate 00:21:38.440 --> 00:21:41.279 proof that you cannot kill great genetics with 00:21:41.279 --> 00:21:44.099 bad business decisions or restrictive classification 00:21:44.099 --> 00:21:47.309 standards. That brings us to segment four. where 00:21:47.309 --> 00:21:49.910 we reiterate the uncomfortable truth by looking 00:21:49.910 --> 00:21:52.690 at the definitive historical comparison. The 00:21:52.690 --> 00:21:56.650 cheap cow wins. Again, we have to question, why 00:21:56.650 --> 00:21:59.190 does the industry keep making this mistake? The 00:21:59.190 --> 00:22:01.930 pattern holds relentlessly across eras. Let's 00:22:01.930 --> 00:22:04.150 go back to the legendary Hanover Hill dispersal 00:22:04.150 --> 00:22:07.529 sale in 1985, the very heart of that chaotic 00:22:07.529 --> 00:22:09.849 investor era we just discussed. On one side, 00:22:09.910 --> 00:22:12.450 you had Brookview Tony Charity. She was the conventional 00:22:12.450 --> 00:22:15.240 sure bet, the consensus pick, the... The poster 00:22:15.240 --> 00:22:17.160 child for the investment bubble. All the hype. 00:22:17.299 --> 00:22:18.759 She had the pedigree, the look, and the hype. 00:22:18.880 --> 00:22:23.279 She sold for $1 .45 million. That was the price 00:22:23.279 --> 00:22:25.240 of guaranteed pedigree and perceived certainty. 00:22:25.519 --> 00:22:27.720 And then you had designer miss. She was the absolute 00:22:27.720 --> 00:22:31.259 overlooked cow. She sold for $2 ,100, the lowest 00:22:31.259 --> 00:22:33.819 price of the entire sale. She was the ultimate 00:22:33.819 --> 00:22:36.759 reject. The one every bidder walked past and 00:22:36.759 --> 00:22:39.940 dismissed as structurally inferior or lacking 00:22:39.940 --> 00:22:42.539 the necessary immediate pedigree hype. And yet, 00:22:42.619 --> 00:22:45.980 history tells the tale. Every single reject we've 00:22:45.980 --> 00:22:48.859 discussed, Missy for $8 ,100, Black Rose for 00:22:48.859 --> 00:22:53.220 $4 ,500, Designer Miss for $2 ,100, outperformed 00:22:53.220 --> 00:22:56.119 the conventional million -dollar sure bets of 00:22:56.119 --> 00:22:58.859 their respective eras in terms of deep generational 00:22:58.859 --> 00:23:01.980 genetic impact and longevity. The cheap cow won 00:23:01.980 --> 00:23:04.839 the legacy race every single time. What stands 00:23:04.839 --> 00:23:07.059 out to me is that the data available at the time, 00:23:07.099 --> 00:23:09.119 whether it was classification scores or the immediate 00:23:09.119 --> 00:23:11.660 pedigree hype, simply couldn't capture what made 00:23:11.660 --> 00:23:13.759 them special. They couldn't see it. The classification 00:23:13.759 --> 00:23:16.339 standards missed the depth of heart. The auction 00:23:16.339 --> 00:23:18.819 consensus dismissed the slightly unbalanced rump. 00:23:19.079 --> 00:23:21.960 The industry was blinded by immediate hype and 00:23:21.960 --> 00:23:24.480 structural perfectionism, confusing a beautiful 00:23:24.480 --> 00:23:26.980 animal with a foundational animal. So let's bring 00:23:26.980 --> 00:23:29.700 this analysis right up to the present. We are 00:23:29.700 --> 00:23:32.680 sitting here in December 2025. We have genomics 00:23:32.680 --> 00:23:35.319 now. We have tools that tell us more about a 00:23:35.319 --> 00:23:37.880 cow's potential than we've ever known. Health 00:23:37.880 --> 00:23:41.180 indexes, fertility indexes, advanced TPI weightings. 00:23:41.359 --> 00:23:44.859 Are we, as an industry, any better at avoiding 00:23:44.859 --> 00:23:48.279 this persistent mistake? I'm not sure I buy the 00:23:48.279 --> 00:23:50.819 conventional take that we are. We've just substituted 00:23:50.819 --> 00:23:53.240 one form of paper perfection visual classification, 00:23:53.319 --> 00:23:55.880 which was flawed, with another, genomic scores 00:23:55.880 --> 00:23:58.980 and indexes, which can also become dogma. That's 00:23:58.980 --> 00:24:00.619 a great point. The fundamental human challenge 00:24:00.619 --> 00:24:03.000 remains the same. The biggest mistake isn't buying 00:24:03.000 --> 00:24:05.359 the wrong cow. It's walking away from the right 00:24:05.359 --> 00:24:07.240 cow because she doesn't look perfect on paper 00:24:07.240 --> 00:24:10.000 or meet the current trending genomic consensus. 00:24:10.220 --> 00:24:12.579 That's the crux of the issue. We still apply 00:24:12.579 --> 00:24:15.279 human bias to the data. We prioritize a high 00:24:15.279 --> 00:24:17.720 immediate index score that aligns with the current 00:24:17.720 --> 00:24:21.000 market fad. And we risk dismissing the cow with 00:24:21.000 --> 00:24:23.740 slightly lower numbers, but deeper proven maternal 00:24:23.740 --> 00:24:26.180 consistency. the kind that built the Missy and 00:24:26.180 --> 00:24:28.720 Black Rose lines. The sources reinforce that 00:24:28.720 --> 00:24:30.859 the legacies are still active and generating 00:24:30.859 --> 00:24:34.039 massive value today. We have the living proof. 00:24:34.799 --> 00:24:37.640 Genesaur's captain from the Missy line is a defining 00:24:37.640 --> 00:24:40.740 sire of his generation. And Lady Rose Caught 00:24:40.740 --> 00:24:43.480 Your Eye from the Black Rose line continues to 00:24:43.480 --> 00:24:45.839 dominate the show circuit. And let's bring back 00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:48.539 one point that emphasizes generational transmission 00:24:48.539 --> 00:24:52.430 over individual flash. Rudy Missy's great -granddaughter, 00:24:52.569 --> 00:24:56.549 Ammon Peachy Shawna E .T., was named 2015 Global 00:24:56.549 --> 00:24:59.069 Cow of the Year. So that means? That means the 00:24:59.069 --> 00:25:00.569 grandmother and the great -granddaughter were 00:25:00.569 --> 00:25:03.210 back -to -back global cow winners. That kind 00:25:03.210 --> 00:25:05.549 of consistency across multiple generations is 00:25:05.549 --> 00:25:08.920 not luck. No. That is not luck. It's evidence 00:25:08.920 --> 00:25:11.380 of deep -seated genetic destiny and profound 00:25:11.380 --> 00:25:14.019 transmission ability. That ability to relentlessly 00:25:14.019 --> 00:25:16.519 pass on positive traits regardless of immediate 00:25:16.519 --> 00:25:19.539 environment or visual appraisal is the core value 00:25:19.539 --> 00:25:21.880 the industry keeps overlooking. And it seems 00:25:21.880 --> 00:25:24.019 the Steiner family, who bought Missy, they still 00:25:24.019 --> 00:25:26.279 get this. They still host tours and teach that 00:25:26.279 --> 00:25:28.279 maternal lines that consistently transmit health 00:25:28.279 --> 00:25:30.220 and production across three generations matter 00:25:30.220 --> 00:25:32.000 more than the most recent flash -in -the -pan 00:25:32.000 --> 00:25:34.630 bull selection. And while Skill positioned these 00:25:34.630 --> 00:25:37.210 breeders Wessing breeding the Milkstein line, 00:25:37.430 --> 00:25:40.509 Prenge making the precise corrective Crosty, 00:25:40.569 --> 00:25:43.769 we must acknowledge the role of luck. Oh, absolutely. 00:25:44.089 --> 00:25:46.890 The fire didn't take more. Hayes had the money 00:25:46.890 --> 00:25:49.390 and the heart to bid. Steiner took the critical 00:25:49.390 --> 00:25:52.769 phone call. But those skilled stockmen were positioned 00:25:52.769 --> 00:25:55.730 to capitalize on the lucky break precisely because 00:25:55.730 --> 00:25:58.029 they kept trusting their observation when everyone 00:25:58.029 --> 00:26:01.029 else relied on easy convention. The lesson here 00:26:01.029 --> 00:26:03.950 is, skill puts you in the game, instinct helps 00:26:03.950 --> 00:26:05.809 you recognize the winning card when it's dealt, 00:26:05.970 --> 00:26:09.150 and luck decides when the jackpot hits. That 00:26:09.150 --> 00:26:11.410 leads perfectly into our final segment. What 00:26:11.410 --> 00:26:13.029 does this all mean for the farmer who's driving 00:26:13.029 --> 00:26:15.740 to the feed store right now? How do these historic, 00:26:15.799 --> 00:26:18.079 dramatic stories apply to the very practical 00:26:18.079 --> 00:26:20.119 decisions being made in your barn this week? 00:26:20.400 --> 00:26:23.019 These stories are fundamentally about small human 00:26:23.019 --> 00:26:26.140 decisions. Neighbors, phone calls, risking careers, 00:26:26.460 --> 00:26:29.380 not giant corporate breeding programs. It's about 00:26:29.380 --> 00:26:31.759 maintaining a clear long -term vision in the 00:26:31.759 --> 00:26:34.660 face of crisis and consensus. Let's break down 00:26:34.660 --> 00:26:36.799 the four lessons from the matriarchs. Lesson 00:26:36.799 --> 00:26:38.900 number one, trust your eyes over conventional 00:26:38.900 --> 00:26:42.049 wisdom. We saw this with Steve Wessing, who bought 00:26:42.049 --> 00:26:44.890 registered Holsteins. Others warned him about 00:26:44.890 --> 00:26:47.869 lacking type. We saw it with Matt Steiner, who 00:26:47.869 --> 00:26:52.049 made that sight unseen $8 ,100 phone bid, ignoring 00:26:52.049 --> 00:26:54.710 the consensus fixated on the unbalanced rump. 00:26:54.809 --> 00:26:57.089 And we absolutely saw it with Louis Prange, who 00:26:57.089 --> 00:26:59.509 risked his reputation and invested in genetics 00:26:59.509 --> 00:27:01.829 everyone else had abandoned in a bankruptcy court, 00:27:01.990 --> 00:27:04.170 trusting the potential of the corrective cross. 00:27:04.569 --> 00:27:07.349 Practically speaking, you must develop your own 00:27:07.349 --> 00:27:10.880 eye and trust it. Don't dismiss a promising heifer 00:27:10.880 --> 00:27:13.579 because she falls outside the herd average TPI 00:27:13.579 --> 00:27:16.599 by 20 points or because the classifier noted 00:27:16.599 --> 00:27:19.319 a small structural flaw. If she consistently 00:27:19.319 --> 00:27:21.400 shows up every day, if she's low maintenance, 00:27:21.539 --> 00:27:23.740 if her daughters outperform the average conventional 00:27:23.740 --> 00:27:26.799 wisdom be damned, that cow is paying your bills, 00:27:26.859 --> 00:27:29.920 not the index scores. Lesson number two, build 00:27:29.920 --> 00:27:32.559 partnerships that share your vision. The two 00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:35.230 Steves are the perfect... powerful example here. 00:27:35.349 --> 00:27:37.650 They kept the genetics alive through a devastating 00:27:37.650 --> 00:27:39.549 crisis because they committed to sharing the 00:27:39.549 --> 00:27:41.630 burden. They created more together, Missy, than 00:27:41.630 --> 00:27:44.589 either could have created alone. 100%. Great 00:27:44.589 --> 00:27:47.609 genetics need great teams, especially when disaster 00:27:47.609 --> 00:27:50.390 strikes. And the partnership has to be based 00:27:50.390 --> 00:27:53.029 on shared long -term values, not just shared 00:27:53.029 --> 00:27:55.809 short -term profit. Hayes wasn't trying to make 00:27:55.809 --> 00:27:58.670 a quick buck off Wessing's loss. He was trying 00:27:58.670 --> 00:28:01.309 to preserve a friendship and a genetic line they 00:28:01.309 --> 00:28:03.750 had built together. If you can't trust your partner 00:28:03.750 --> 00:28:06.049 when the barn is literally burning down or the 00:28:06.049 --> 00:28:08.630 bank is calling, they're not the right partner 00:28:08.630 --> 00:28:11.009 for generational success. Lesson number three, 00:28:11.250 --> 00:28:15.250 focus on transmission, not just individual performance. 00:28:15.750 --> 00:28:18.170 This is the absolute critical difference between 00:28:18.170 --> 00:28:20.450 a flash -in -the -pan high seller and a genetic 00:28:20.450 --> 00:28:23.339 dynasty. The cows that built these empires were 00:28:23.339 --> 00:28:25.799 the ones who consistently passed their best traits 00:28:25.799 --> 00:28:28.200 to the next generation, regardless of their own 00:28:28.200 --> 00:28:30.920 show ring status. Like Missy, the genetic multiplier. 00:28:31.319 --> 00:28:33.940 And the incredible rare feat of her great -granddaughter, 00:28:34.039 --> 00:28:37.960 Shawna E .T., achieving global cow status. Applying 00:28:37.960 --> 00:28:40.619 this directly. How does focusing on transmission 00:28:40.619 --> 00:28:43.019 change your breeding choices this season? Are 00:28:43.019 --> 00:28:45.059 you selecting for the highest single trait index? 00:28:45.319 --> 00:28:47.880 Or are you looking at the proven deep maternal 00:28:47.880 --> 00:28:51.099 lines where the dam and grand dam consistently 00:28:51.099 --> 00:28:54.920 produce offspring that transmit health, production, 00:28:55.059 --> 00:28:57.339 and longevity across three or four generations? 00:28:57.900 --> 00:29:00.619 The smart money goes where consistency is proven. 00:29:00.759 --> 00:29:03.779 And finally, lesson number four, be patient through 00:29:03.779 --> 00:29:07.359 adversity. Fires, bankruptcy, dismissive options, 00:29:07.539 --> 00:29:09.339 these were not endpoints for these breeders. 00:29:09.460 --> 00:29:12.180 They were necessary stepping stones. They kept 00:29:12.180 --> 00:29:14.539 going when quitting would have been easier, quieter, 00:29:14.720 --> 00:29:17.819 and probably, on paper, fiscally smarter in the 00:29:17.819 --> 00:29:21.839 short term. It took 15 years for Black Rose's 00:29:21.839 --> 00:29:24.279 lineage to deliver that supreme champion win, 00:29:24.420 --> 00:29:26.700 vindicating the entire red and white segment. 00:29:26.839 --> 00:29:29.440 It took years for Missy's sons to fully prove 00:29:29.440 --> 00:29:32.700 the value of the $8 ,100 bid. Genetic change 00:29:32.700 --> 00:29:35.200 is measured in generations, not quarters, not 00:29:35.200 --> 00:29:37.920 annual sales cycles. You have to be willing to 00:29:37.920 --> 00:29:40.259 wait for the bet to pay off, especially when 00:29:40.259 --> 00:29:41.960 the market and the critics are telling you that 00:29:41.960 --> 00:29:44.039 you've wasted your time and money. That is the 00:29:44.039 --> 00:29:46.559 essential insight from these matriarchs. The 00:29:46.559 --> 00:29:48.819 best genetics don't announce themselves with 00:29:48.819 --> 00:29:51.059 a million dollar price tag or a perfect rump. 00:29:51.309 --> 00:29:53.910 They show up every day, demonstrate durability, 00:29:54.289 --> 00:29:56.710 and patiently wait for a stockman with the vision 00:29:56.710 --> 00:29:58.890 to recognize them and the environment to support 00:29:58.890 --> 00:30:00.930 them. So let's crane the actionable takeaways 00:30:00.930 --> 00:30:02.970 for the farmer driving to the feed store right 00:30:02.970 --> 00:30:05.509 now. What three things do you absolutely need 00:30:05.509 --> 00:30:08.289 to remember from this deep dive? First, this 00:30:08.289 --> 00:30:11.839 week, walk your barn. Look hard at the heifer 00:30:11.839 --> 00:30:13.940 everyone, including your neighbor, is walking 00:30:13.940 --> 00:30:16.279 past, the one that doesn't quite fit the mold 00:30:16.279 --> 00:30:19.200 on paper. Reclassify her in your mind based on 00:30:19.200 --> 00:30:21.640 observation, efficiency, and depth of heart. 00:30:21.779 --> 00:30:24.839 Ask yourself, is this my missy, waiting for the 00:30:24.839 --> 00:30:27.859 right opportunity? Second, this quarter. Find 00:30:27.859 --> 00:30:30.079 your Steve Hayes. Identify someone who truly 00:30:30.079 --> 00:30:32.539 shares your long -term vision, someone who would 00:30:32.539 --> 00:30:34.519 step in to help you manage the genetics or share 00:30:34.519 --> 00:30:37.319 the burden, not just buy the genetics. Build 00:30:37.319 --> 00:30:39.940 a partnership that can withstand adversity, because 00:30:39.940 --> 00:30:42.500 disaster is always one phone call or one night 00:30:42.500 --> 00:30:46.329 away. And third, long -term. breed for consistent 00:30:46.329 --> 00:30:49.210 transmission across generations. Stop chasing 00:30:49.210 --> 00:30:51.690 the individual flash of the moment and focus 00:30:51.690 --> 00:30:54.309 on the deep, proven maternal power that keeps 00:30:54.309 --> 00:30:57.230 paying dividends 20 years down the line, ensuring 00:30:57.230 --> 00:30:59.730 that your legacy is measured in centuries, not 00:30:59.730 --> 00:31:02.609 just seasons. That's been our deep dive into 00:31:02.609 --> 00:31:04.569 the hidden genetic dynasties of the Holstein 00:31:04.569 --> 00:31:07.589 breed, the stories of cows too good for conventional 00:31:07.589 --> 00:31:10.470 wisdom. That's the bull vine. More straight talk 00:31:10.470 --> 00:31:14.089 and industry analysis at www .thebullvine .com. 00:31:14.440 --> 00:31:16.940 Subscribe wherever you listen. New deep dives 00:31:16.940 --> 00:31:19.359 drop regularly. We'll leave you with this final 00:31:19.359 --> 00:31:23.380 provocative thought. The next Rudy Missy, the 00:31:23.380 --> 00:31:26.460 next Black Rose, is somewhere right now, quietly 00:31:26.460 --> 00:31:28.799 carrying the genetics that will reshape our industry 00:31:28.799 --> 00:31:31.740 for the next 50 years. The experts are walking 00:31:31.740 --> 00:31:33.619 away from her because her rump isn't balanced 00:31:33.619 --> 00:31:37.000 or her genomic index is 20 points too low. Maybe 00:31:37.000 --> 00:31:38.759 the phone is ringing in your back office right 00:31:38.759 --> 00:31:40.940 now. Maybe that cow nobody's fighting for is 00:31:40.940 --> 00:31:42.880 standing in your barn tomorrow morning. That 00:31:42.880 --> 00:31:46.670 might be the one. This is the bullseye, turn 00:31:46.670 --> 00:31:55.130 the volume high. For the icons of the ages, they 00:31:55.130 --> 00:31:59.809 never will die. From the show ring thunder to 00:31:59.809 --> 00:32:05.190 the quiet strength they use. Hear their stories 00:32:05.190 --> 00:32:17.140 now. Legends live here