Jan. 12, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Milford Jenkins, Angus Foundation president
816-383-5163
ONLINE: Photo available upon request via prphotos@angus.org
Angus Foundation Heifer and Featured Packages Raise $278,000
Lylester Ranch, Martell, Neb., purchased Vintage Blackbird 7184 to support youth, education and research.
Since 1980, the Angus Foundation has sold high-end heifers in the Heifer Package to generate funds for Angus youth, education and research efforts. The tradition continued at the 2018 National Western Stock Show (NWSS) in Denver, Colorado, on Wednesday, Jan. 10 during the Angus Bull Sale. Angus breeders continued to exceed the challenge of pushing the breed further through their generous support of the Foundation Heifer and confirmed heifer pregnancies. This year, the Angus Foundation raised $278,000 in support of the Angus breed’s future.
Dan and Patricia Vergith of Lylester Ranch, Martell, Nebraska, bought the Angus Foundation Heifer Package, Vintage Blackbird 7184, for $215,000 in a packed historic Stadium Arena.
“Dan always has been very generous in his support of the Foundation, and he knows his support goes to a great cause – future improvements in the industry,” said Dick Hollman, Lylester Ranch beef consultant. “We are looking forward to getting her bred, getting a calf and making the heifer a great donor. She’s a perfect addition to the elite pedigrees and great numbers at Lylester Ranch.”
Vintage Blackbird 7184 headlined the 2018 Angus Foundation Heifer Package. She was donated by Vintage Angus Ranch of Modesto, California.
“This year’s Angus Foundation Heifer Package continued a legacy of being the premier fundraiser to increase opportunities for Angus youth, education and research,” said Milford Jenkins, Angus Foundation president. “Through scholarships and leadership development activities, educational events for Angus breeders and funding important research that will impact the Angus industry, the unrestricted funds raised will have an impact that far outreaches this single event. We sincerely appreciate all contending bidders on the Foundation Heifer and confirmed heifer pregnancies, and their generous support of the Angus Foundation.”
The Angus Foundation has raised more than $2.3 million since the inception of the Angus Foundation Heifer Package, and this year continued to add to the total. Members of the National Junior Angus Board (NJAB) presented this year’s heifer package before the start of the National Angus Bull Sale.
In addition to the heifer, Lylester Ranch will receive 30 days of free insurance from American Live Stock Insurance Co., Geneva, Illinois; free transportation to their ranch provided by Lathrop Livestock Transportation, Dundee, Illinois; and an advanced reproductive technology package from Trans Ova Genetics and its cloning division, ViaGen, Sioux Center, Iowa.
Five heifer pregnancies from notable Angus breeders also were auctioned off during the sale to benefit the Angus Foundation. Those pregnancies included:
· Crazy K Ranch, Michie, Tennessee — Purchased for $8,000 by Belle Point Ranch, Fort Smith, Arkansas
· Linz Heritage Angus, Crown Point, Indiana — Purchased for $15,000 by Ingram Angus, Pulaski, Tennessee
· Pasture View Angus, Dunlap, Illinois — Purchased for $13,000 by Ingram Angus, Pulaski, Tennessee
· Seldom Rest Farms, Niles, Michigan — Purchased for $19,000 by Lakeview Angus, Mead, Colorado
· Silveira Brothers, Firebaugh, California — Purchased for $8,000 by 7 Bar O Cattle Company LLC, DBA Richburg Angus, Amarillo, Texas
For more information about the Angus Foundation or the sale of the annual heifer package, contact Jenkins, or visit angusfoundation.org for more information.
– Written by Rachel Robinson, Association Communications
About the Angus Foundation
Established as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1980, the Angus Foundation remains focused on its mission to support Angus education, youth and research. The organization has distributed more than $2.9 million in youth scholarships since 1998, and has also invested more than $1.3 million in beef cattle research throughout the past decade.
For more information, contact the Angus Foundation at 816-383-5100 or visit www.angusfoundation.org.
ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS. The American Angus Association® is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving more than 25,000 members across the United States, Canada and several other countries. It’s home to an extensive breed registry that grows by nearly 300,000 animals each year. The Association also provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers and others who rely on Angus to produce quality genetics for the beef industry and quality beef for consumers.
For more information about Angus cattle and the American Angus Association, visit www.angus.org.
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