August Sire Summary: Monumental for Select Sires

PLAIN CITY, Ohio, Aug. 20, 2008 — With the release of Aug. 19 genetic evaluations, Select Sires graduates 11 outstanding new Holstein sires that are some of the most elite in the breed. The exciting group includes high-ranking Total Performance Index™ (TPI™) sires, Milk improvers, Type specialists and more.

“Every sire summary is special at Select Sires, but this one can be truly called monumental,” said Blaine Crosser, vice president of dairy sire product line and sales management for Select Sires. “This class of new graduates is one of the most exciting in recent memory and includes many sires that we’re confident will greatly impact the Holstein breed. In October, five more outstanding Holstein sires will be released, making this graduating class even more impressive.”

One in a MILLION
7HO8165 England-Ammon MILLION-ET is a high-ranking TPI sire (+1905 TPI), standing among the top-15 in the breed. This Herdlife Builder™ and HealthMark™ sire combines production (+1,403 Milk) with elite Type (+3.04), and also excels in health traits (+4.0 Productive Life, +0.5 Daughter Pregnancy Rate and 2.89 Somatic Cell Score). There may be many Comestar-Outside-ET sons available, but MILLION stands out at 7% Calving Ease. Also a Superior Settler™, MILLION is sure to be a popular choice for embryos and as a sire of sons. MILLION is available with gender SELECTed™ semen.

The Art of Fine Breeding by SANCHEZ and ALEXANDER
Entering the lineup as the highest Type bull at Select Sires (+3.86 Type), 7HO8190 Gen-Mark Stmatic SANCHEZ offers all four composites over +3.00. He boasts a flawless linear and will be in great demand for any breeder emphasizing type that lasts in the herd or wins in the show ring. This Comestar Stormatic-ET son will be a great complement to 7HO5157 Regancrest Elton DURHAM-ET*CV bloodlines, and for aAa enthusiasts, SANCHEZ’s code of 246 will garner attention.

High components (+.13% Fat and +.01% Protein) and even higher Type (+3.37) are the specialties of 7HO8221 Golden-Oaks St ALEXANDER-ET. He stands among the top-20 in the breed for TPI at +1874 and excels for both Feet and Leg Composite (+3.60) and Udder Composite (+2.54). Topping Select’s lineup for foot and legs score at +4.11, ALEXANDER produces tall, silky dairy cows with high, wide rear udders.

MORTAIL: The Milk Master
7HO8223 Far-O-La Sable MORTAIL-ET has high Milk spelled throughout his pedigree. MORTAIL is a Stouder Morty-ET son out of a Very Good (88-EX-MS-GMD-DOM) 7HO4637 Ladys-Manor WINCHESTER-ET dam who produced a first-lactation record of nearly 40,000 pounds of milk. At +2,320 Milk, MORTAIL is third among Select’s sires. He is already being compared to customer-satisfaction specialist 7HO5708 Fustead Emory BLITZ-ET, siring taller, smoother-made cattle with more substance of bone.

LIGHTNING Strikes
The buzz from Canada has moved south as 7HO8368 Lylehaven LIGHTNING has been the talk of the industry for weeks. This DURHAM son debuts as the No. 8 LPI bull in Canada with extremely favorable components (+.05% Protein and +.18% Fat). His dam is Lylehaven Formation Laura (EX-93-2E-EX-MS), a prolific show cow and great component maker. LIGHTNING’s grandam, recently fresh at 12-years-of-age, is Thiersand Lili Starbuck-ET (EX-94-4E-EX-MS), and his world-famous sister is Lylehaven Lila Z (VG-89), a perennial show winner in Canada and high-ranking LPI cow. A Superior Settler, LIGHTNING offers calving ease (8% CE) and sires a consistent pattern of tall, stylish cows that are ready for the show ring with a sweeping rib cage and neat tail setting.

New Red Leaders
The No. 1 bull for TPI among Red and Red Carrier Holsteins is new graduate 7HO8058 Ra-Mar-Land LION KING*RC at +1743 TPI. LION KING fills the bulk tank at +2,209 Milk. His maternal sister recently sold in the National Holstein Convention Sale for $26,000. He combines outstanding linear traits, favorable conformation (+1.92 Type, +1.86 UDC and +1.70 FLC) and an outcross pedigree (Starstruck J Paradox-Red-ET x Etazon Addison-ET). 7HO8291 Sure-View ARROW-RED-ET debuts as the No. 2 Red Holstein at +1694. His high components (+.07% Protein and +.05% Fat) will place him in high demand.

Select’s Newest Superior Settlers
7HO8179 Savage-Leigh LIMELIGHT-ET and 7HO8350 Ked Merchant MICKEY are both Superior Settlers with calving ease. LIMELIGHT is a former Super Sampler™ with 190 daughters in his production proof. He is a great choice for breeders seeking solid production (+1,722 Milk) with outstanding Type (+2.22). His grandam is the famous Savage-Leigh Bellwood Linda (EX-92-2E-EX-MS-GMD-DOM), the dam of Savage-Leigh Durham Licorice-ET (EX-92-EX-MS-GMD-DOM). An excellent choice for heifers, he offers 6% Calving Ease. MICKEY is the highest ranking Altagen-I Merchant-ET son in the country at +1897 TPI. He is extreme for production at +2,145 Milk and reduces calving difficulty at 5% Calving Ease.

Health-Trait Specialists
New graduates with the HealthMark™ label include 7HO8306 Wilstar-RS Out ALTITUDE-ET and 7HO8170 Ensenada Champion PAT-ET. ALTITUDE is a Superior Settler with exceptional fitness traits (+5.4 PL, +1.2 DPR and 2.91 SCS). He adds dollars to the bottom line at +$508 Net Merit and is backed by three generations of Excellent dams with Excellent mammary systems.

PAT is the third son out of Plushanski Amel Patty-ET (EX-93-3E-EX-MS-DOM) to graduate into active service at Select Sires. This maternal brother to 7HO8081 Ensenada Taboo PLANET-ET holds his own niche as a health-trait specialist (+3.9 PL, +0.6 DPR and 2.67 SCS) with solid improvement for production and type. Also a Herdlife Builder™, PAT makes cattle that last.

Based in Plain City, Ohio, Select Sires Inc., is North America’s largest A.I. organization and is comprised of 10 farmer-owned and -controlled cooperatives. As the industry leader, it provides highly fertile semen as well as excellence in service and programs to achieve its basic objective of supplying dairy and beef producers with North America’s best genetics at a reasonable price.

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Source: 08/08 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Interbull and Holstein Association USA.

08/08 Rel: MILLION USDA 88%, HA Type 84%, PL 57%, DPR 57%, SCS 73%; SANCHEZ HA Type 84%; ALEXANDER USDA 85%, HA Type 81%; MORTAIL USDA 85%; LIGHTNING IB-M 85%; LION KING USDA 84%, HA Type 83%; ARROW RED USDA 90%; LIMELIGHT USDA 92%; MICKEY USDA 83%, CE 69%; PAT SCS 72%, PL 58%, DPR 58%; ALTITUDE NM$ 76%, SCS 71%, PL 56%, DPR 54%

™Total Performance Index and TPI are trademarks of Holstein Association USA; Herdlife Builder, HealthMark, Superior Settler, gender SELECTed and Super Sampler are trademarks of Select Sires Inc.