Grand champion brings $5400

NEW HOLLAND, Pa. – It was a brisk sale of 142 head of mainly fresh milking cows in first- and second-lactations on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at the Annual New Holland Sales Stables Dairy Show and Sale. About half the receipts were judged before the sale by John Burket of Burket Falls Holsteins, East Freedom, Pennsylvania.

 The special mid-October event has a more than 70-year history, adding a fall-festive edge to New Holland’s weekly dairy cattle sale, offering cash prizes and friendly competition among cattle dealers, farmers, order buyers, and other consignors as they bring their best cows for sale to be evaluated by the judge, and the buyers. Sale barn president David Kolb sweetened the deal with blocks of cheese for buyers of the champions and several other cows in the lineup.

Since 2021, judging has followed a European-style format, with the cows shown loose in pens. Buyers also seemed to prefer seeing them walk off-halter through the sale ring during active bidding.

The grand champion this year was the first-place 3-year-old, Hobo-Hill Handshake Tate, bringing $5400. It was the first grand champion award for consignors Randall and Glenn Shores of Towanda, Pa. Fresh two weeks and milking 110 pounds, she’s out of an Absolute Red daughter, and had a first-lactation record of 21,000M 4.9F 3.6P.

“This is the first time in all the years we’ve sent cows here that we’ve had the grand champion,” said Glenn Shores. “We bought her as a milking yearling and thought, ‘If we get her bred right and she freshens right, she’ll go to New Holland next year, and here she is.’”

Judge Burket praised her depth and balance. He has judged many times over the past 25 years and said he has bought cattle from this highly regarded sale also.

“It’s always a pleasure to see good cows and work with good cows,” he said. “This (champion) cow will fit in any program, anywhere. That’s the caliber of cattle that come through the New Holland Show and Sale, cows you never regret buying.”

The Shores also had the reserve grand champion, selling for $4700. She was the first-place mature fresh cow, a Helix daughtr out of a registered dam with an EX-91 granddam, fresh two weeks and milking over 100 pounds.

“We had a good friend going out of the dairy business who wanted to sell these cows as they got ready to freshen,” Shores said. “We looked at her a month ago, and he wanted a calf out of her, and we bought the cow. She’s fresh a couple weeks and doing everything she should.”

Bringing the second highest price of the day at $5250 was the first-place fresh 2-year-old, consigned by Reed Comstock of Ulster, Pa. A Crushabull daughter out of an EX-92 dam that had 37,000M 3.8F and several more generations EX, she was two weeks fresh, milking 91 pounds.

She drew the judge’s praise as well. “This heifer has that style and showring presence we all want in our cattle,” Burket said. “She’s green and young but has unlimited potential, maybe a winner here next year or at a bigger show.”

Receipts of 142 head were mainly first- and second-lactation registered and grade Holstein cows fresh 14 to 45 days. Prices per head:

• Fresh mature cows averaged $4025, ranging $3100 to $5000, grand champion $5400.
• Fresh 2-year-olds averaged $3725, ranging $3000 to $4600, first-place $5250, with a string fresh less than 7 days $2600 to $3700.
• Springers averaged $3450, ranging $2900 to $4350.