The combined sales totals for the Greenlea Dream V and the March Madness VII Sales, held last night and today reached a level of $1.25 million, with March Madness averaging $10,150. Topping the sale was Lot 1, the *RC Advent born in September from Windy-Knoll-View Pledge. The fancy young calf sold for $55,000 to Richard Green and was consigned by the Burdette family. Second high seller at $28,500 was J&K-Vue Sept Storm Raine, the All-American Fall Yearling in 2007. Due in May to Final Cut, Raine sold to Duane Conant & Mark Butz and was consigned by Gerald & Kathy Boop. Look for more details on photos from the whole weekend’s activities on Monday morning’s daily news.

There were close to 1,000 people in attendance at the Butlerview Parade of Perfection sale Saturday in Elkhorn, WI…1,000 people who perhaps witnessed the highest grossing Holstein sale in history! Topping the event was the 12/07 Talent calf of KHW Regiment Apple-Red-ET, selling for $190,000 to Triple Crown Genetics, Kingsmill Genetics and Gene Iager. Other high selling prices included the package of 4 Durham x Alicia females selling for $155,000; the Shottle x Debutante Rae-ET selling for $75,000; and the 9/07 x Regancrest Jed Deborah selling for $41,000. Look for more sale details and information on tomorrow morning’s Holstein World news. Congratulations to the Butler family for an event that looks to average over $21,000.

This is the final set in the series chronicling the 2008 Holiday ET Cruise Sale by World Staffer Frank Putman. The “Las Vegas” type atmosphere in the ship lounges always make for a fun venue. Look for a complete sale report and stats coming soon in daily news!

Livin” the sea life, more views from the Holiday ET Cruise 2008!

It’’s Five O”Clock somewhere!

Is it time for dessert again already?

Hi to everyone back home!

It’’s just another day in paradise!

Perfect sand for a little sculpture…..look at all the boats!

I don”t think I”m in Vermont anymore!

There’’s nothing like a sunset at sea.

An inviting port.

Ships at port.

More good times at sea are recorded by World Staffer Frank Putman as many escape cold weather and winter blues stateside for a week of Holstein Fellowship. The caps are temporary creative license granted to Julie Brown……

Ahhhhhhhhh…….so this is Margaritaville!

They found the lost shaker of salt……

Steve Crumley and Dallas Burton pause for a candid. The ET Holiday cruise is just one of the “out-of-the-box” marketing concepts the Burton-Fellers Sales team initiated that has been successful for many years.

Ed Fellers with friends having some fun poolside. Look at the vibrant carribean color in the decor, blues, corals, etc.

Trivia question-Who is this comedian?

The Whitakers are yearly participants in this enjoyable trip.

Joan Seidel, one of the hardest working people in the industry-relaxing.

In these photos,Holstein World Staffer Frank Putnam captures some of the fun and sun on deck the first day of the 2008 Holiday ET Cruise.

Enjoying some camaraderie with Industry Friends…..

Studying what”’’s selling while taking on a little sun….

Discussing the weather back home? Or a new marketing plan?

The ship prepares for departure as home away from home for a week. Yes, the water really is that blue…….

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!

If yesterday was the gray, soggy, foggy day for Legends of the Fall, today was the complete opposite with a gorgeous, sunny, warm autumn day that was the backdrop for a spectacular sale. Topping the event was Lot #1, Budjon-JK Gibson Enjoy-ET, the VG-87 Gibson daughter of Budjon-JK Linjet Eileen-ET (2E-96, DOM). Enjoy was consigned by the Enjoyable Syndicate and purchased for $82,000 by Lawson Bennett and sale host, David Tait. Following as a close second high seller was Scientific Gold Dish Rae-ET, the 12/06 *RC *TV Goldwyn daughter of Scientific Debutante Rae-ET *RC *CV (EX-92). She was consigned by Scientific Holsteins and purchased for $81,000 by Todd Stanek, with John George putting in the contending bid.

Other prices of interest:

* Choice of 2 *TV Durhams x EK-Oseeana Ambrosia (VG-89) $52,000

* First choice Zenith x Regancrest Jed Deborah (2E-95, DOM) $22,000

* Gloryland Lola Rae-ET (VG-87) - Roy x Gloryland Lana Rae $35,000

* Galestone Spicey-Red-ET (12/06 Advent x Scientific Rubirae Socks) $17,000

* Indianhead Adv Flame-Red-ET (2/07 Advent x Indianhead Raquel) $18,000

* Badger Boliver Pat 3356-ET (6/06 Boliver x Badger Durham Patsh-1429) $17,200

* First choice Goldwyn x Windy-Knoll-View Pimlico-ET $19,000

Long-time Maryland friends Douglas King and O.C. Smith drove the short distance to Virginia for the Legends of the Fall Sale.

Sale topper Budjon-JK Gibson Enjoy sold for $82,000.

Scott Culbertson, left, represents Todd Stanek as buyer of the second high seller, Scientific Gold Dish Rae. Holding the $81,000 heifer is consigner Matt Nunes. Matt was one of several northwest Wisconsin breeders in attendance, joined by Annie Hulle (a big country music fan I learned!) and Bob & Karyn Schauf.

Selling for $20,000 to New Yorker John B. George was Ms Rock-Home Gold Raquel-ET, a 3/06 Goldwyn from Milk & Honey Encore Raizel-ET (EX-90) then Hanover-Hill-R Raizel-ETT (2E-94, DOM).

The very tenacious and personable slip runner, Dawson Bennett!

A much more scenic day, Saturday proved to be a stunning day weather-wise, and provided visitors with very scenic views.

Normally, a dreary, rainy, foggy October day would be a bad thing, but in drought-stricken Virginia, everyone seems happy to have the rain that’’s been coming down for the last two days. Some visitors even came early to the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia to travel the world famous Skyline Drive and and Blue Ridge Parkway, only to be met with dense fog in the mountains.

However, the stage is definitely still set for tomorrow’’s Legends of the Fall Sale, hosted by David Tait and family of Grottoes. The sale will kick off with a complementary BBQ beginning at 11am, followed by the sale at 12 noon.

Part of the heifer lineup for tomorrow’’s sale is pictured here. Chris Reichard and crew had everything looking great for tonight’’s open house.

Joan Seidel and Nancy Powell Raggi discuss, among other things, the Viriginia Tech vs. Boston College football game that Nancy, and her new husband Nick, attended this week in Blacksburg.

Bob Schauf of Wisconsin and Kevin Winter of Kansas take a moment to discuss the sale lineup.

As usual, Annie Tait has orchestrated a beautiful display in the sale ring, as well as around the farm.

It’’s definitely Halloween-time…and you never know who’’s going to show up to help manage a sale!

Although it was a pretty rainy day for travel, Virginia is still breathtaking, as seen in these photos.

Did you know the following facts about Virginia?

* Virginia has 15, four-year public universities

* Virginia has many wineries, and right now, fall wine festivities are in full swing

* Virginia’’s poultry rankings in the U.S. are #4 for turkeys and #9 for broilers

* There are 1.7 million head of beef cattle & calves in the state

* There are also 105,000 head of dairy cattle in the state, with Rockingham county being the most densely populated (Grottoes is in Rockingham County)

Check back tomorrow night for sale information!

Congratulations to the Gillins Family of Canyon Breeze Holsteins for hosting a wonderfully successful Canyon Breeze Elite Sale on Saturday, September 1st! I had the opportunity to visit with Steve today to hear how the event went. Here are a few highlights:

76 lots averaged $6,073
Cattle were sold to over 10 different states with many animals heading to CA, ID, UT, WI & IA.

High Seller - Lot 79, Canyon-Breeze O-MN Ericka sold for $34,000!
Ericka is an up and coming star with an 8/07 CTPI of +2089. She is currently the #25 CTPI cow of the breed and is scored VG-85 VG-MS. In her 2-yr-old lactation she made 36,200M 3.5F 3.2P and is due to calve 10/22/07 to Fortune. She sold with numerous contracts to Richard Jordan of Kuna, ID.

2nd High Seller - Lot 1, 1st Choice Durham Female x Canyon-Breeze EM Ashley 3E-94 DOM sold for $23,500
Milk Source, LLC from Kaukauna, WI will have their choice of 4 Durham females from Ashley herself! This was the first offering from Ashley ever to sell at public auction and they will be born 9/07.

3rd High Seller - Lot 42, Miss Allen Melvina-ET sold for $19,700
The high selling guest consignment, Melvina is a recently fresh Allen daughter of Miss Lee Majestic EX-91 DOM. She was the consignment of Butz-Hill and Marvin Schluter, IA, and is now owned by Warren & Kevin Winter of Hillsboro, KS.

4th High Seller - Lot 17, Canyon-Breeze S Aracelis-ET sold for $10,300
Aracelis is a 2/06 Shottle from a VG-85 VG-MS Morty and then the popular bull mother herself, Canyon-Breeze Blw Alice VG-87 GMD DOM. Aracelis was bred 6/1/07 to Pronto and is now owned by Legend Dairy Farms, Ron Pietersma of Chino, CA.

Aracelis was not the only purchase made by Pietersma that day…she was one of 24 consignments that will now call Legend Dairy Farms home! This added a unique and memorable element to the day as the matriarch of the Canyon Breeze herd, Clarney WC Mark Abigail 2E-91 GMD DOM, was an animal that Steve had purchased from Pietersma many years ago!

Again, congratulations to the Gillins Family and all of the guest consignors to this sale! Look for more information and full sale results to come in an upcoming issue of the World.