Twenty-four consignors from North Carolina and Virginia brought 62 quality Gelbvieh consignments for the first ever on-the-farm hand-selected N.C. Gelbvieh Invitational Sale. The selection committee headed up by Robert Caudill did a marvelous job of soliciting high quality entries and the rewards were evident as they passed through the sale ring.

Topping another Southeastern Gelbvieh Sale event was the ever-present Little Windy Hill Farm, Doug Hughes of Max Meadows, Va. with the Lot #1 Flush Opportunity. Purchasing the flush out of JNS Miss Carolina Power 25E, the dam of the $85,000 LWHF Fearless bull, was J&K Gelbvieh of Ava, Ill. Jerry Wilson plans to flush this magnificent donor cow to his homozygous black, homozygous polled junior herdsire, Kings Ransome ET who is also royally bred, as he is sired by the National Champion GKT Bud bull and his dam is the dam of the Reserve National Champion SPUR Beretta bull – those are some powerful credentials. The potential of the “King Ransome” bull is unlimited! The Flush Opportunity sold for $6,500 with contending bidders from coast to coast.

Swinging Tail Cattle Company, Bernard Lennon from Evergreen, N.C. offered the next high selling lot when his cow/calf pair that was split in the ring brought a total of $5,000. The November red heifer calf by JEB Polled Gizmo had all kinds of friends, but the final bid of $2,700 went to young Austin Teeter of Green Hills Gelbvieh of Mt. Ulla, N.C. This young heifer will see the show circuit, and she is destined to be a sensational cow. Purchasing the “factory” – a 12/13/96 red polled JCCL Firstborn sired brood cow AI'd to the omnipresent National Champion SLC Freedom and pasture exposed to JBOB Blackout (Carolina Power x Nero 121A), with a bid of $2,300 was Register Farms, Craven and Eloise Register from Clinton, N.C.

JBOB Farms from Biscoe, N.C. offered Lot #48 which followed closely in the line with the high sellers when she sold for $4,800. JBOB Farms made a bold commitment to their Gelbvieh Balancer® program when they consigned an exquisite Flying H Extra 150D sired Balancer® bred heifer. This homozygous black September heifer was safe to the JBOB Carolina Balancer bull and the entire package was SPECIAL. Once again, interest in this consignment was nationwide, but the fortunate final bid went to Scott Morris of Greenville, Ohio.

Starting off the sale on a positive note was the Lot #28 consignment from Rocking B Farm of Gibson, NC when she sold for $4,500. JLAB Miss Jenni ET was a powerful black Einstein daughter out of the tremendous TJB Miss Brooke 162F dam (Jetstream x JBOB Miss Nero 121A). She had recently been selected the Reserve Champion heifer (over 200 head shown) at the Junior Beef Roundup in N.C. and what a terrific junior project she'll continue to be for the fortunate buyer, Mackey Farms of Mars Hill, N.C. Jenni Blackwell from Rocking B Farm had bred her namesake to SLC Freedom for a mid-December calf.

Following on the heels of the $4,500 Rocking B Farm female was the $4,400 Lot #34 from JBOB Farms of Biscoe, N.C. Scott Morris of Greenville, Ohio struck again with the purchase of the “Extra” sired black heifer out of the tremendous Black Image female, JBOB 571E. This heifer was safe in calf to the JBOB Fame bull for a late September calf. This heifer was one “sweet thing!”

Karlebo Gelbvieh from Cleveland, N.C. sold Lot #57/57A for $4,000 to Rupple Cattle Co. from Keenseburg, Colo. Here was a homozygous black female that was a full sister to the $12,500 ELK CK Bronco herdsire. She came with a homozygous black heifer calf by Black Image, and she was safe in calf to Karlebo's homozygous black herdsire, KLBF Blackjack. This was one of the first ever guaranteed complete 3-N-1 homozygous black packages to sell at public auction. Such was the quality of this sale offering that found friends from North Carolina to Colorado.

Swinging Tail Cattle Co. from Evergreen, N.C. made their presence known again when their Lot #66/66A pair sold for $3,900 about two-thirds of the way through the well-attended sale. This red, polled DDF Electric Black, 12/12/96 cow sported super EPD's, had a fantastic January black bull calf at side sired by JBOB Blackout 694E -- safe to this Blackout bull also. This was truly the epitome of a quality 3-N-1 package. Taking home this offering was Floyd Farms, Ray Floyd of Waynesboro, Ga. – Ray continues to put together a nucleus of high performing quality females.

Hill and Dale Farms of Franklinton, N.C. consigned next high selling lot, which was also the high selling red-bred heifer. Bringing $3,500 was their BTI Genuine 2032G ET sired heifer safe in calf to SEAJ MoJo. Beautifully balanced with loads of volume and skeletal substance this gal had plenty of admirers, but the bidding victor was Sundance East of Blacksburg, Va.

Ja Rich Farm, Richard Summit of Stanley, N.C. made their first ever participation in a major purebred sale event – a most memorable one when their 3-N-1 package. Lot #70/70A, was the next high selling lot at $3,350. Here was a Red 11/23/95 Jetstream x Black Image cow that had a bull calf at side that was a magnificent specimen. The bull calf was sired by KLBF Black Bart (a full brother to the Lot #1 Flush Opportunity – the dam of the $85,000 LWHF Fearless bull) – watch for him ‘cause he's a good one. The super cow was AI'd to SPUR Beretta and then PE'd back to KLBF Black Bart. This “opportunity” was snatched up by Pleasant Oak Farm of Aiken, S.C.

Double M Farm from Marion, N.C. put their best foot forward when they offered a bull calf, sired by TLR Cocoa; a recipient Angus cow that was of the highest quality; and two embryos from DBLM Miss Rachel x JRI Pld Grand Prix (full ET sibling to the 1999 NAILE Senior Champion Bull). The Cocoa/Goaltender influence bull calf himself was worth the final $3,200 bid! Larry Evetts (4 Evetts Gelbvieh) of Sentinel, Okla. took this package to the south central plains.

Other quality sales:

$3,000 – Lot #42 from Hill and Dale Farms of Franklinton, N.C. Black Bred Heifer sired by BTI Genuine 2032G ET. Sold to: Floyd Farms, Waynesboro, Ga.

$3,000 – Lot #47 from Leek Farms Inc. of Jefferson, N.C. Red Polled heifer sired by HHF Polled Summit 648U Sold to: Register Farms, Clinton, N.C.

$2,900 – Lot #40 from H&H Farms of Max Meadows, Va. Black Polled Bred Heifer sired by Black Image. Sold to: Hill and Dale Farms, Franklinton, N.C.