National Guernsey sale sets record; top lot brings $34,500

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio — The national Guernsey convention sale set a new record average at $5,794 on 46 live lots.

A large crowd of Guernsey breeders gathered at City Slickers Farm in Cross Plains, Wis., June 30 for the sale, which also included 77 embryos that averaged $645 each

“The demand for registered Guernseys is incredible,” said Seth Johnson, executive secretary of the American Guernsey Association.

The 2007 national sale was a record breaker, Johnson said, but the 2008 sale topped that record by $1,000.

Leading the way

The high seller at $34,500 was a senior 2-year-old, Dymond H Mentor Babyruth, consigned by Cindy Harrison of Gray, Tenn.

The cow was nominated an All-American fall calf in 2006 and is out of an excellent 90-point dam that was the All-American fall calf in 2003. John and Bonnie Ayars of Mechanicsburg, Ohio, and Dr. Kenny Manion of Scottsville, Ky., bought the top Guernsey.

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Mike Weimer of Emlenton, Pa., and Doug Handley of Logan, N.M., purchased the next high seller — the chance to select any animal from the Maplehurst herd in Lynden, Ontario, Canada.

In the past decade, the Ken Forster family has exhibited the Canadian national champion on numerous occasions and bred and shown a reserve grand champion at World Dairy Expo. The choice sold for $18,500.

Also at the top

A granddaughter of Westlynn Tom Dee was the third high seller at $13,200. This March 2008 calf is from an excellent 92-point cow that has been All-American, Reserve and Honorable Mention All-American. The excellent 96-point granddam, Tom Dee, was grand champion at World Dairy Expo four times and has a top record of more than 26,000 pounds of milk and 1,275 pounds of fat. The calf was consigned by City Slickers Farm and was purchased by Mike and Linda Hellenbrand of Cross Plains, Wis., and Clark and Joy Vilter of Hartland, Wis.

Four other animals brought more than $9,000.

Solid lineup

Johnson attributes the record-breaking sale to a lineup that offered the best in the breed. Buyers could find offspring from high index cows, national show winners and all-time milk production leaders.

The sale was co-managed by the American Guernsey Association and the Wisconsin Guernsey Breeders Association. Stanley Chupp of Chupps Auction Co., Inola, Okla., served as auctioneer.