By MEGGIE I. FOSTER
Assistant Editor WEST UNION, Iowa — Hundreds of the world’s most competitive dairy breeders found themselves in West Union, Iowa on June 2 for one of the largest, highest grossing dairy sales in the country.
The Field of Dreams IV and The Chosen Few at Country Hills biennial sales auctioned off nearly 200 head of registered, show-winning Holsteins and Jerseys, during what could be called the million-dollar sale.
“I guess it was the best when we look at the total gross of $1.2 million,” said Norm Nabholz, visionary and chair of the two sales. “The cattle sold well, and yet there is money to be made in them. I think we will have a lot of happy buyers, which will lead to future successful sales.”
With over 500 people in attendance on a rainy June day in northern Iowa, the Field of Dreams sale crew spent the day selling some of the best show calves and cows they could find from across the country, according to Nabholz.
The Field of Dreams sale kicked off the festivities on June 2 with brief announcements by Nabholz and the auctioneer as the auction block opened for bidding for a million-dollar day in the dairy industry. In total, the Field of Dreams IV sold 153 live animals and choices averaging $5,147, of which, 73 Holsteins averaged $6,245 and 80 Jerseys averaged $4,145.
The high-selling Holstein animal for the Field of Dreams IV sale was lot number H23, Budjon Redmarker Shar-ET, consigned by Budjon Farms of Lomira, Wis. and purchased by Shar Partners of Hanford, Calif. for a whopping $40,000. Shar is a flashy four-year old sired by Indianhead Red-Marker-ET, who has tremendous potential to win at the big shows this summer, said Nabholz. Last year, she was the 5th senior three-year old at the Wisconsin State Show and 4th three-year old in the 2006 Wisconsin State Futurity.
The high-selling Jersey animal for the Field of Dreams IV sale was lot J4 Sunset Canyon Sultan Nadine 111-ET, the daughter of the infamous Waymar Patrick Nadine cow, owned by Sunset Canyon Jerseys of Beaver, Ore. The original Nadine cow boasts numerous show-winning accolades including Supreme Champion of the World Dairy Expo in 1996, two time Reserve Supreme Champion at the World Dairy Expo, Supreme Champion at the Ohio Spring Show and twice Reserve Grand at the Royal Winter Fair in Canada.
Due to calve in August, the Sultan and Nadine daughter was purchased by Brad and Duane Midtling of Wilson, Wis. for $19,000.
During the Chosen Few at Country Hills sale, hosted at the Country Hills Golf Course, Nabholz and auctioneer Chris Hill auctioned 31 live animals and choices averaging nearly $12,000. A choice animal offers the buyer the opportunity to pick one out of two animals led in the arena. Many times the animals are full or half sisters, according to sales staff.
Also during the Chosen Few at Country Hills, 49 Jersey embryos were sold, averaging over $500 per embryo and 31 Holstein embryos were sold also averaging over $500.
A particularly interesting aspect to the Country Hills sale, besides the genetically-superior Holstein and Jersey animals sold at record-breaking prices, may have also been the unique arena set-up. The live animals, indeed, paraded right through the country club doors and into the dining room, as quite possibly the first dairy calf to visit a country club in the state of Iowa.
Nabholz, who owns and operates Nabholz Farms in West Union, has been showing registered dairy cattle nearly his entire life. He kicked off his first successful Field of Dreams Holstein and Jersey dairy sale in 2001 and has hosted the event every two years since. The world-class event is said to be one of the nation’s most elite sales, where many winners and dams of winners parade in the shavings for the very first time.
“We were very happy in the end,” admits Nabholz, reflecting on the recent success of his 2007 sale. |
