For those of you who have never been to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, it can be hard to imagine the urban setting of Exhibition Place in Toronto where it is staged. It is just blocks away from downtown Toronto and sits on the shore of Lake Ontario. The Direct Energy Centre is home to trade shows throughout the year, but for ten days in early November it is totally given over to agriculture. Dairy, beef, sheep, goats, poultry, rabbits and, of course, horses are all judged at some point during the ten-day show.

Agricultural products like butter, cheese, honey, maple syrup, vegetables and jams & jellies also compete as well as square dancing, although I have to admit I have never seen the judging of the square dancers.

The beautiful entry hall of the Direct Energy Centre.

The exhibit hall is full of shop stalls, trade booths and food vendors.

Of course, our main interest was the dairy cattle, but the Horse Show is the biggest draw and the biggest commercial aspect of the Royal. Anything and everything you could want dealing with horses, from saddles to clothing to artwork, you can find somewhere here.

The Holstein Show takes place in the Ricoh Coliseum. This is the main show ring on the grounds – also where the Horse Show takes place. It””””””””””””””””s a bit disconcerting at first as the surface level of the ring is below you even if you are at rail side, but you get used to it pretty quickly.

Like the show ring at Madison, this facility is also a hockey arena in the winter months – home of the Toronto Marlies (the American Hockey League affiliate of the Toronto Maples Leafs). As such, there is the big screen scoreboard showing the classes and the results in both English and French.

The Royal show is the National Holstein Show of Canada. The event ran smoothly throughout both days thanks to the efforts of the Holstein Canada, Ontario Holstein and Quebec Holstein staffs and, of course, lots of volunteers.

This year, there was also a Red & White Show for the first time, so the Holsteins parading in the ring were all of the Black & White variety. In order to accommodate an extra dairy show, the schedule for the Holstein show was rearranged for this year with the heifer show on Thursday and the cow show on Friday as opposed to the Friday/Saturday schedule of years past. The show also started pretty early both days – 7:00am for the heifer show (and earlier yet if you wanted to get a good seat!). Pictured below is the winning Senior Calf – Sunspark Laramie Doobie – owned by Futurecrest Holsteins.

The winning summer yearling was a heifer we were familiar with from the day before – Kingsway Dundee Abra Codabra – an $80,000 sale topper from the Royal Exhilaration Sale. Abra Codabra was one of the youngest heifers in the class – born July 6, 2006 – yet took home the red ribbon (the first-place ribbon color in Canada).

It””””””””””””””””s not the greatest picture, but the winning Senior Yearling and eventual Junior Champion, Parile Jasper Rosanna displayed a remarkable combination of size and balance as she glided her way to Champion honors.

The HM All-Canadian Senior Calf from last year, Rosanna is a delightful result of North American breeding. She was bred in Quebec by Ferme Parile from four generations of Craigcrest dams (a Master Breeder herd in Ontario) and then her pedigree extends back into the Tikvah and Rinehart herds of the eastern US. Reviewing her sire stack is a quick trip down memory lane of some Holstein greats: Jasper, Igniter, Rudolph, Lindy, Triple Threat, Sexation, Glendell, Fond Matt, Elevation, Ivanhoe.

Reserve Junior Champion Mibelson Goldwyn Hazur – the winning Intermediate Yearling owned by Chilliwack Cattle Co. & R&F Livestock, Inc.

Judge Martin Roberge and Associate Judge Claude Lafrance did an efficient job of sorting through the sizeable heifer classes and the first day was completed by shortly after noon. This gave people the chance to go through the barns and exhibits or to catch most of the National Red & White Show that began at 11:30am in the smaller Ring of Excellence just steps away from the cattle barn.

I didn””””””””””””””””t get to see much of the Red & White show, but here is the Grand Champion – Parile Kite Alicia – the winning Senior Three-Year-Old and Intermediate Champion exhibited by the show””””””””””””””””s Premier Exhibitor, Deslacs Holsteins. With the same prefix as the Junior Champion of the Holstein Show, it obviously was quite a successful year at the Royal for Ferme Parile, Inc. of St. Francois, Quebec!

For more complete coverage of the Holstein Show – both placings and photos – please visit the 2007 Fall Show Results section of www.semex.com.

Next: The Royal Cow Show – the final day!

The 2007 Mid-East Fall National showcased many quality animals from the region and beyond! Judge Lynn Lee of TN served as the official.

Intermediate Champion was exhibited by Junior Proctor, NC while the Reserve Intermediate Champion was exhibited by Nelson Dairy, OH.

The Senior Champions went onto win the Grand & Reserve Champion honors. Grand was exhibited by Matt Mitchell of Rocky Top Holsteins, TN while Team Holsteins, IL took home the Reserve title.

Junior Champion was exhibited by Tumbleweed Holsteins, MI and Reserve Junior Champion honors went to Maureen Lee, WI.

The 2007 All American Jersey Show is one that will go down in the record books! Just shy of 400 head, exhibitors from throughout the country brought their best to Louisville!

Intermediate Champion was exhibited by the partnership of Buster Goff and Bush River Jerseys, Hobbs, NM and Newberry, SC. Reserve honors went to the Keightly-Core crew of Salvisa, KY.

Judge Wayne Sliker and his Associate Judge Brian Garrison sorted through the classes that were overwhelmed by top-notch individuals.

Champions crowned! The Budjon crew (right) from Lomira, WI takes home the 2007 title while Steve White and Family (center), New Castle, IN earns Reserve Champion honors. Kevin Reichard of FH Jerseys, IN took Honorable Mention and the Premier Exhibitor banner!

Junior Champion was the 1st Spring Yearling exhibited by Budjon Farm, Lomira, WI. Reserve Junior Champion was the 2nd Place Spring Yearling exhibited by Mike Heath, Jeff Stephens and Ehrhardt Farms, Westminster, MD, Troy, Ontario and Baldwin, MD.

The 2007 Jersey Jug Champion – Ratliff Sambo Martina! Exhibited by Christy Ratliff of Ratliff Jerseys, Garnett, KS. Martina also was the winner of the 2007 Kingsmill Futurity that was held at the World Dairy Expo!

Our final stop on Wednesday was at the new state-of-the-art A.I. bull facility at Foundation Genetics in Listowel, Ontario.

The facility was built in 2005 and is quite impressive. The 600”””””””””””””””” main barn features natural ventilation, vinyl ceilings and lots of light. The south wing of the barn can house 21 bulls with each having his own 12”””””””””””””””” X 36”””””””””””””””” sand-bedded pen.

In front of, but separate from, the bull pens is a long window-laden hallway that allows visitors to view the bulls without endangering any health status requirements.

This picture of EK-Oseeana Absolute Lee was taken from the viewing area, which shows how close you are to the bulls.

The bulls were in wonderful condition and were very comfortable on their feet and legs.

Windy-Knoll-View Primetime

In addition to the main barn, Foundation also has an IBR building, an isolation building and a domestic building which offers custom semen collection for all beef and dairy breeds.

There were many, many visitors through the doors during Royal week, including a large group of Italian dairymen while we were there. Everyone was greeted in the large, attractive front office space.

Brian Coghlin – President of Foundation Genetics.

Foundation Sires was started with a philosophy of sampling bulls from dams with deep pedigrees that exhibit longevity and durability. They heavily sample the bulls and noted members of their lineup include Dupasquier Carisma, Stanhope Sovereign and Wedgwood Laramie (who had two class winners at the Royal heifer show on Thursday).

The Canadian National Jersey Show was completed today, with the following champions announced:

Junior Champion: Rosalea Jades Janessa, Champs-Elze, M Laccase, Denis Fossaert, Durham, ON

Grand Champion: Vandenburg Amadeo Gorgeous, Rapid Bay Jerseys, Ormstown, QC

Premier Breeder & Exhibitor: Rapid Bay

After the Royal Exhilaration Sale, we traveled northwest of Guelph to the beautiful farmland of Perth County.

Our first destination was the Master Breeder herd of Legacy Holsteins of Atwood, Ontario.

Owned by Dr. Karen Galbraith and Steve Dolson and their sons, Jordon and Scott, the herd consists of 78 cows milked three times a day. Steve breeds for balanced, good-producing cows with solid pedigrees – he likes to see all VG or better dams in the pedigree.

EX Lorenzo daughter

Embryo sales drive the breeding program to a point. Steve has a strong market for embryos that have a high level of production built in, so that determines his choice of some mating sires. The income from those sales pays for all of his flushing expenses – after those embryos are made he branches out and uses some less production-driven bulls as well. Currently, he is using Baxter, Bolton, Mr Burns and, even though he says his heifer barn is full of them, Goldwyn. He just freshened out his first Goldwyn daughter, pictured below.

Steve Dolson with fresh Goldwyn daughter to the right

Silky Powerplay daughter

The couple has been farming since 1985 and they built a coverall barn for the milking herd in 1999. The barn consists of 66 freestalls, double six milking parlor and three maternity pens. There are also 12 tie stalls for fresh cows, special needs cows and those individuals that don”t adapt to the freestalls. With its wide feed alleys on each side and the automatic scraper system, the barn is a unique blend of “big herd” methods put to use with a moderate-sized herd.

Milking barn at Legacy Holsteins

Heifer facilities at Legacy

The herd has put numerous bulls in AI and has also produced show winners over the years. Steve still admires bulls like Boulet Charles for the brood cow abilities exhibited by their daughters – always the chance to get a “good one”!

Next…our visit to Foundation Sires!

It””s been an exciting week at the 85th Royal Winter Fair in Toronto. Big news was the Sale of Stars, held last night, and managed by the Semex Alliance. Early reports are in and the sale averaged over $25,000 Canadian. More reports of high selling lots to follow.

Red & White Show Results

Junior Champion: Pierstein Encounter Molly-Red, Ferme RGB Ruel Inc., Waterville, QC

Grand Champion: Parile Kite Alicia-Red, Deslacs Holstein, Victoriaville, QC

Premier Breeder: Valley River

Premier Exhibitor: Deslacs

Brown Swiss Results

Junior Champion: Round Hill Premium Wink, Bradner Farms, Abbotsford, BC

Grand Champion: Eventide Duke Daisy, Fred Hopkins & Leon Bender, Elmwood, ON

Premier Exhibitor: May Farm, London, ON

Holstein Results

Be sure to check out complete class placings and photos at Holstein Canada””s website – www.holstein.ca and see Silverridge Leduc Noleta walk away with Grand Champion honors and help Lystel Leduc earn Premier Sire status.

Stay tuned for more news tomorrow!

Holstein World staffers Karen Knutsen, Frank Putman and Kathleen O””Keefe have journeyed to Ontario to take in the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair Holstein Show and other events occuring during Royal Week.

Wintry weather greeted us on Wednesday morning as we made our way to Guelph, ON for The Royal Exhilaration Sale. The sale was hosted by Mt. Elgin Farms at their immaculate facility.

The crowd gathering for the sale passed through through the milking barn to a separate building that housed the show cattle. The milking herd was a nice-uddered, milky group of cows with signs above identifying each individual.

The sale featured 50 head consigned to The Royal Exhilaration Sale and 60 head in the Shoremar Herd Dispersal.

The sale was managed by Hanoverhill Sales & Service – Barclay Phoenix welcomed the crowd with opening remarks.

The chilly, damp weather didn””t deter a large crowd from attending the sale.

A crowd favorite was Lot 15R – Kingsway Dundee Abra Codabra. A show-winning summer yearling by Dundee out of Kingsway Terrason Allie, the Reserve All-Canadian Senior Three-Year-Old in 2006. Expected to contend in the Royal heifer show on Friday, Abra Codabra was consigned by Kingsway Farm and she brought $80,000 from Jason Mell of Merrill, WI when the bidding was done.

Tied for top seller at $80,000 was KHW Regiment Ariel-Red-ET (VG-87) – a full sister to the extremely popular 2006 All-American Junior Two-Year-Old KWH Regiment Apple-Red-ET (VG-89). Backed by six EX dams, Ariel sold with a package of Redliner and Mr Burns embryos. She was consigned by Phoenix Brothers of Greenbank, Ontario and was purchased by Richard Green of Middletown, DE.

Overall, the sale unofficially averaged $17,069.61 on 51 lots.

Stay tuned to the All Breeds Blog for more adventures north of the border!

Next: Wednesday afternoon visit to Master Breeder Legacy Holsteins at Atwood, ON and a tour of the Foundation Sires facilities in Listowel, ON.

On a sunny and beautiful October day I took a drive to Brookings, SD, for the Central Plains Fall Sale. My first “work trip” since my maternity leave, it was fun to get out of the house and see some cows. Never having been to this sale but knowing the breeders who were consigning, I was excited to see the sale lineup. Although the crowd wasn”t as big as it has been in past years (I was told) because many farmers were busy in the fields, the mood of the sale was positive and refreshing. Its amazing the effect higher milk prices and a good harvest can have on a group of people.

This upbeat atmosphere continued on through the sale as 52 lots averaged $3,289. For a detailed sale report, check out the news item we posted on our homepage on November 3rd. In addition to that report I thought it would be nice to share some pictures of the high sellers that day. Keep in mind that they are in-the-ring shots taken by someone who continues to learn the art of photography with each event she covers

Lot 1 was the consignment of Doug Post of Sipka Holsteins in Volga, SD. It was Buyer”s Choice of the recently scored VG 2-year-olds pictured above. Their dam is Stuartvale Black Dancer, now 3E-92. Her best record at 5-01 and 365 days is 34,730 4.4 1530 2.9 1018. Next dam is the Toddsale Midnight Donna 2E-91, then C Shuries Jetstar Donna 2E-90 and Shuries Dorthy Sheik 2E-95.

SDSU was the winning bidder of the choice at $8,200. And their choice was Sipka Durham Desirae-ET, pictured above. She recently scored VG-85 85-MS and made 66 lbs with 4.2% fat and 3.0% protein on her last test.

The popularity of the choice led to the decision to sell Sipka Talent Demi, too. She was purchased for $6,000 by Bill Steuck of Pipestone, MN. Also scored VG-85, this Talent daughter has an 86-MS.

A bid of $7,000 purchased Lot 2, En-Mar Dunox Jazzabel. This *RC Dunox (Durham x Sellcrest No Rachel-Red) daughter was fresh Sept. 1st and is milking 85 lbs/day. Straight and strong with snug udder attachments, this young cow could really score well when she sees the classifier for the first time. She was sold to Dykshorn Holsteins of Ireton, IA and was the consignment of Erin Marotz in Mead, NE. Jazzabel is backed by 7 VG dams.

Well, that completes the extended sales report from the Central Plains Fall Sale. Next up for me will be a trip to my hometown of Hutchinson, MN for the Minnesota Fall Harvest Sale on Nov. 17th. With any luck I”ll have some more pictures to share!

As posted earlier, Kole Davidson Trapp was born on October 30th weighing in at 8 1/4 pounds. All reports indicate that he, Mom and Dad are doing well and will be back home in Taylor, WI today.

Kole””””””””””””””””s dad, Paul Trapp, is a Regional Sire Analyst for ABS Global and his mom, Sarah (Knoblauch) Trapp is the Holstein USA Field Rep for Northern Wisconsin and UP Michigan.

Another new Badger baby is Whitney Jean Ulness born on October 18th to Mark and Angie Ulness of Valders, WI. Whitney joins sister Clarissa and brother Garrett at home at Ragnar Holsteins. Whitney””””””””””””””””s mom, Angie (Brey) Ulness, is a former Holstein USA Field Rep for Eastern Wisconsin.

With those Holstein ties, I””””””””””””””””ll bet there will be two very new National Junior members quite soon!