2008 Illini Golden Opportunity Sale Summary

            Holstein enthusiasts from across the country gathered at Lindale and Team Holsteins, Hampshire, Ill., on October 25, 2008, for the 2008 Illini Golden Opportunity Sale. Managed by the Illinois Holstein Association, with Jeff Drendel as chairman, the sale averaged $4134.44 on 91 live lots and choices grossing $380,225.
            Topping the sale at $16,000 was a Lylehaven Lighting first choice female from Gold-N-Oaks S Showdoll-ET, VG-87 EX-MS 2y. Showdoll is a Shottle daughter with a +2278 CTPI and a 2-2 2x 288d 26,397 5.1 1340 3.0 788 incomplete record. John and Judy Swenson of Barneveld, Wis., consigned the first choice female and Gordon Lamb, Oakfield, N.Y., placed the winning bid.
            Top selling live lot and second high seller of the day was Regancrest-BH Dixie-ET, selling for $13,000. Dixie is a fancy March 2008 Baxter daughter of Windsor-Manor Z-Delight-ET, EX-91. Consigned by Regancrest Farm and Butz-Hill Holsteins, Waukon, Iowa, the heifer sold with a +1867 PTPI. Her dam already has six sons in A.I. and made over 33,000 lbs. milk in her first lactation. The grandam of the consignment is the 2008 #1 Productive Life cow in the nation, Windsor-Manor Rud Zip, 3E-95 GMD DOM. She has 20 sons in A.I. and embryos have been exported worldwide. Mark Paul, Luxemburg, Wis., purchased Dixie.
            Third high selling female of the day was Opsal Durham Sammi-ET, for $11,500. Sammi was consigned by Troy Opsal, Blue Mounds, Wis., and purchased by Bremer Holsteins, Sheldon, Wis. Sammie is a VG-86 Durham daughter and sold fresh in September. She had a 2-4 record of 24,750  4.3  1066  3.2  786 in 365 days. She also have a full sister that is also VG-86. Her dam was a 2E-92 GMD DOM Rudolph with over 125,000 lbs. milk lifetime. She is backed by eight generations of Very Good or Excellent with records exceeding 38,000 lbs. milk.
            Selling for $11,000 was A-L-H Daisy Daytona-ET, consigned by ALH Genetics USA Inc., Spring Green, Wis. Daytona, a April 2008 Laurin, was purchased by David Kelp, Manheim, Pa. Her dam is Markwell Durham Daisy-ET, EX-92 GMD DOM, and was nominated All-American Senior 2-yr.-old in 2002. She has a best 365-day record of 40,490 lbs. milk, 1628 lbs. fat and 1262 lbs. protein. The consignment’s great-grandam is the Queen of the Breed finalist Markwell Bstar E Raven-ET, 3E-95 GMD DOM.       

Drendel family: Hosting this year's sale was the Drendel Family of
Lindale Holsteins, Hampshire, Ill. From left to right are Carrie Corson
(Drendel) with Olivia, Linda, Dale, Jeff and Julie.


High Seller: Sale Chairman Jeff Drendel with Sale Staff Scott Courtney,
Larry Kleiner, Auctioneer Tom Morris and Charlie Will. High selling
female of the day was a first choise Lylehaven Lightning daughter from
Gold-N-Oaks S Showdoll-ET, VG-87 3y. Purchasing the choice for $16,000
was Gordon Lamb, Oakfield, N.Y. The choice was consigned by John and
Judy Swenson, Barneveld, Wis.


Second high seller: Selling for $13,000 was Regancrest-BH Dixie-ET,
consigned by Regancrest Farm and Butz-Hill Holsteins, Waukon, Iowa.
Dixie is a fancy March 2008 Baxter from Windsor-Manor Z-Delight-ET,
EX-91 3y.

Prior to the sale’s start, Peter DeBlock presented the fourth Unsung Hero Award in a series that began in 1998. Below is the award’s presentation:

            This award is given in memory of Russell Buswell who was herd manager at Mathewsfield Farm, Washingtonville, NY until its dispersal in 1976.  The selection of the winner is made by an anonymous committee of members of the U-S-O Holstein Club in southeastern New York, the club of which Russ was a member, and served in several executive positions including president.  Just like Russ, the award is given to someone who has not owned cattle of his own, but has cared for the cattle belonging to someone else, just as if they were his own.
            Russ’ boss was H.J. Szold, a native of Champaign, IL who went on to a highly successful career as a partner in a prominent financial firm in New York City.
            Mr. Szold told me once that he was just like Tom Morris, a natural-born salesman, saying that when he was ten years old he sold his dog for ten-thousand dollars.  When I asked if he got all of that in cash, he said, “No, the kid next door gave me two five-thousand dollar cats in trade.”
            Szold used his great wealth to purchase some great cattle for the foundation of Mathewsfield, and followed the herd’s development with great interest.  It was only natural then, and rightly so, that he should be given much of the credit for the herd’s success.  But it was Russ Buswell though who was on the scene all the time, and who made all of those day to day decisions that brought the herd to national prominence.  Russ was truly the unsung hero of this operation.
            I could go on for quite some time telling you about the pedigree of the man we are going to honor here today, but time is short, and there is so much other pressing business to be transacted, so I will keep this short.
            Our honoree is a favorite-son of northern Illinois, but his expertise with cattle, his participation in local and state Holstein organizations, his love of family, and his devotion to his friends are all well known even beyond the borders of his home state.
            This man has been a great personal friend for more than thirty-five years, and I have been the recipient of his thoughtful advice and counsel on many occasions.
            I have been especially uplifted as I have witnessed his wonderful attitude and great approach to life.  He has often said that the two keys to success in life are to believe in God, and always tell the truth.
            At this time we are going to present this gentleman with this beautiful Bonnie Mohr print entitled “Autumn Splendor”, and I am going to ask my friend Brett Berghorn to read the inscription attached to it:

THE UNSUNG HERO AWARD
PRESENTED IN MEMORY OF RUSSELL BUSWELL
TO WILLIAM ‘UNCLE BILLY’ BERGHORN
IN RECOGNITION OF AN EXEMPLARY LIFE AS A
DAIRY HERD MANAGER, CATTLE FITTER, FAMILY MAN AND FRIEND
WHOSE GREAT PERSONAL FAITH SPARKED IT ALL
OCTOBER 2008 

Unsung Hero Award: Presenting the 2008 Unsung Hero Award to William "Uncle Billy" Bergorn,
center, is Peter DeBlock, far left. With Bill are his daughter, Rebecca Coduto, wife Shirley,
daughter Shannon Dunham and nephew Brett.

Illinois was well represented in Madison at the World Dairy Expo in 2008.  Congratulations to the exhibitors. 

OPEN SHOW 

6th place winter heifer calf – Kamlake Frangel Mirage-ET, exhibited by Stone Ridge Dairy, Mansfield, IL
1st place fall heifer calf and Honorable Mention Jr. Champion – Maheufils Goldwyn Melinda-ET, exhibited by Austin Rademacher, Penfield, IL
2nd place fall heifer calf – Arnolait Dolman Carion, exhibited by Jeff Butler & Bryan Meyer, Chebanse, IL
3rd place summer yearling –Kamlake Frangel Jasper Glice, exhibited by Butlerview Farm, Chebanse, IL
4th place fall yearling – Cowtown Durham Laughter-ET, exhibited by Jeff & Jim Butler, Gerald & Gerald Todd, Jr., Chebanse, IL
2nd junior 3 year old and Reserve Intermediate Champion – Brookvilla Jasper Aka, exhibited by Jim & Jeff Butler
3rd junior 3 year old – Comco Roy Spears, exhibited by Jeff Butler & Bryan Meyer

RED AND WHITE OPEN SHOW

4th place and Junior Champion summer yearling – Kingsway E Red Flying Kite-Red, exhibited by St-Yle Holsteins, Poplar Grove, IL
6th place summer yearling – Bri-Mel Advent Arika-ET, exhibited by Bryan Meyer & James Butler, Manteno, IL
10th place winter yearling – Net-A-Way Sstorm Rafaela-Red, exhibited by Eric & Cindy Netemeyer, Germantown, IL
4th place milking yearling – Shannandoah Advnt Ranee-Red, exhibited by Verlo DeWall and Rob Gunderson, Shannon, IL
1st place senior 2 year old and Reserve Intermediate Champion – Scenic-Edge Joyful-Red-ET, exhibited by Stephanie Aves, Poplar Grove, IL
5th place senior 2 year old – Tj-Pollema Elegant Sheeba, exhibited by Butlerview Farm

2008 ILLINOIS STATE FAIR OPEN SHOW RESULTS

Supreme, Grand and Senior Champion – Kagwick Durham Ivy, Team Holsteins, Hampshire, Ill.
Reserve Grand and Reserve Senior Champion – Wesemann Forbidden Marilyn, Team Holsteins, Hampshire, Ill.
Intermediate Champion – Schluter Roy Leann, Jessica Telgmann, Strasburg, Ill.
Reserve Intermediate Champion – Gardner Durham Kierdra, Lindale Holsteins, Hampshire, Ill.
Junior Champion - Maheufils Goldwyn Melinda-ET, Austin Rademacher, Penfield, Ill.
Reserve Junior Champion – B-J-Grove Dale Rosalee, B-J-Grove Holsteins, Mulberry Grove, Ill.
Premier Exhibitor – Lindale Holsteins, Hampshire, Ill.
Premier Breeder – B-J-Grove Holsteins, Mulberry Grove, Ill.

CLASS WINNERS

Junior heifer calf – B-J-Grove Rosalee, B-J-Grove Holsteins, Mulberry Grove, Ill.
Intermediate heifer calf – Savage-Leigh Fortune Ella, Jason Swanson, Capron, Ill.
Senior heifer calf – Maheufils Goldwyn Melinda-ET, Austin Rademacher, Penfield, Ill.
Summer yearling – MS Show-N-Style Blk Betty-ET, Calf-Vantage Feeds and Ron Mikulice, Orangeville, Ill.
Junior yearling – Savage-Leigh Alexee-ET, Stephanie Aves, Poplar Grove, Ill.
Intermediate yearling – Moroville SS Lexus-ET, Callie Zoelzer, Moro, Ill.
Senior yearling – Rock-I Lorri Dundee Lambada, Rock-I Farms, Orangeville, Ill.
Junior 2-year-old – B-J-Grove Mailing Mermaid, B-J-Grove Holsteins, Mulberry Grove, Ill.
Senior 2-year-old – Scenic-Edge Joyful-Red-ET, Stephanie Aves, Poplar Grove, Ill.
Junior 3-year-old – Schluter Roy Leann, Jessica Telgmann, Strasburg, Ill.
Senior 3-year-old – Gardner Durham Kierdra, Lindale Holsteins, Hampshire, Ill.
4-year-old – Wesemann Forbidden Marilyn, Team Holsteins, Hampshire, Ill.
5-year-old ­– Mohrfield Leduc Anita, Mark and Brian Olbrich, Harvard, Ill.
Aged cow – Kagwick Durham Ivy, Team Holsteins, Hampshire, Ill.
125,000# cow – Zehrview Simba Buela, Russel Zehr, Graymont, Ill.
Dry cow – Gardner Durham Keyandra, Lindale Holsteins, Hampshire, Ill.

©2008 Illinois Holstein Association