Good Sales Don't Just Happen - They're Managed

Bluff-Ridge Winter Fest

A nice crowd of Holstein enthusiasts turned out on a beautiful day for the Bluff-Ridge Winter Fest, held at the Interstate Fairgrounds in Bloomington, IL. The sale was held on Saturday, December 4, the day after the Illinois Holstein convention in nearby Peoria.

The Butlers have enjoyed a great deal of success with their Bluff-Ridge cattle, including being named Premier Breeder at the 2004 Illinois Championship Show. The lineup averaged $2502, and featured 30 young cows and 32 heifers that were extremely well received by the Illinois breeders. In addition, the cattle found new homes in Iowa, Indiana, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

Topping the sale at $4200 was a VG-88 4 yr old Integrity milking 94 lbs a day, and recently bred to Dundee. She completes 5 generations of VG and EX dams and was purchased by Luke McDermott of Delmar, IA. Tied for 2nd high at $3600 was a VG Leduc 2 year old, due in late spring to Shoremar James. She was backed by 3 EX dams and then 3 more VG dams and was taken by Allison Telgmann of Strasburg, IL. Danielle Hisle of Saybrook, IL gave $3600 for a full sister to the well-known 2E-95 Bluff-Ridge Broker Jay, due in March to Jordan and backed by three EX and two VG dams.

Also included in the Winter Fest were five heifers from another well-known Illinois herd, Zehrview. The Zehr family were the Premier Breeder at the 2004 Illinois State Fair and have had back-to-back homebred winners at the World Dairy Expo in 2003 and 2004. Larry Kleiner made the announcements, Don Zehr, Scott Courtney and Don Mayer worked the ring, and Lucas Clanton and crew had the cattle in top shape. Sales managers Tom and Sandy Morris handled the auctioneering and clerking duties.

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