Summary of the Hokie Harvest Sale IX

Livestock Update, December 2003

Dan E. Eversole, Animal Scientist, Beef Cattle Production and Management

The 2003 Livestock Merchandising Class entertained an enormous crowd of prospective horse and beef cattle buyers on Halloween night at the 9th Annual Hokie Harvest Sale on Friday, October 31st. There were 24 and 18 lots of university horses and beef cattle, respectively, sold concurrently at public auction in the Campbell Arena (horses) and the Livestock Judging Pavilion (beef cattle) to 183 registered buyers from Maine, Colorado, Tennessee, North Carolina, West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia. The beef cattle sale grossed $39,325 with a sale average of $2,185 with the following breed averages: Angus - $2,182; Polled Hereford - $1,850; and Gelbvieh - $2,767. The horse sale grossed $81,800 with a total sale gross of $121,125, which is the second highest grossing sale since the inception of the Hokie Harvest in 1995.

In the cattle sale of three different breeds, Lot 39 topped the cow/calf division at $2,875. This double black, double polled, Gelbvieh cow, a '00 daughter of DDM MR Sherman Tank, is a genetic outlier among active dams with carcass EPDs ranking in the top 4% and 2% for Fat Thickness and Grid Merit, respectively. She sold to John Myers of New Castle, VA. Her stout bull calf, sired by ELK CK Bronco 411G, sold to Doyle Fields of Lebanon, VA.

In the bred heifer division, Lots 41A and 41B were sale toppers at $2,100 and $1,600, respectively. Both Angus heifers have royally-bred pedigrees and both are safe-in-calf to Bon View New Design 1407. The 41A heifer sold to Valley View Farm, Rural Retreat, VA, while the 41B female was purchased by Jerry Gustin of Gloucester, VA.

VPI Activator 2M46 (Lot 44) drew the top bid from Charles Shorter of Blacksburg, VA in the yearling bull division. This Angus bull is a son of Sitz Alliance 6595 and stems from a 9FB3 daughter that posts a nursing ratio of 4@103. He sold for $1,300.

The top selling horse was Lot 11, Moondancer. This 1997 black mare is registered with the American Warmblood Society and is a Shire-Thoroughbred cross. She stands 16.0 hands tall and is trained under saddle for jumping. Andrea Lutton of Hanover, MD purchased this show, hunt, or trail horse for $11,200.

The second highest selling horse was a two-year-old chestnut filly, VT Locksley (Lot 8), who is by the exceptional Hanoverian stallion Arrian who currently stands at Woodridge Farm in Claremore, OK. Locksley earned Premium status and was the Champion Filly at her ISR/OR Inspection in 2001. Locksley's full sister, VT Kudos, tied as the highest selling horse in the 2002 Hokie Harvest Sale. This OLD-NA filly was purchased by Martha Lee Reynolds of Columbia, VA for $8000.

The third highest selling horse was Lot 6, VT Limerick, who sold to Tony Phillips of Staunton, VA for $7,200. This Irish Sport Horse is a handsome chestnut gelding born in 2001 and sired by Snowford Bellman who is a well known registered Irish Draught stallion that has competed successfully in dressage, stadium jumping, and cross-country events.

The 44 students did a marvelous job of preparing for the sale. They gained Œhands-on' experience in sale management, budgeting, cataloging, advertising, livestock photography, clerking, and health requirements. A special thanks is extended to Mr. Jeff Marsh and Mr. Smith Reasor for serving as auctioneers for the horses and beef cattle, respectively. Students Zack Hileman, Lexington, VA; Oliver Irons, Lewisburg, WV; Cindy Parkhurst, Jacksonville, NC; and Jason Pratt, Atkins, VA served as ring men for the beef cattle sale while Seth Deacon, Lexington, VA worked the ring. Bid-takers for the horse sale were Emily DeBord, Lancaster, PA; Robin Dolan, Beckley, WV; Britni Johns, Waynesboro, VA; and Erika Schaefer, Rockville, MD. Students who were clerking Œin the block' were Roselea Riley, Staunton, VA and Ashlee Whitfield, Stephens City, VA for the beef cattle and horses, respectively.

The Food and Beverage Committee, with assistance from the Block and Bridle Club in the Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, served a complimentary BBQ dinner to over 550 guests. Their support and cooperation are greatly appreciated.

The response from the buying public and feedback from the students in the class continue to be overwhelming in favor of hosting another student-managed livestock sale. Plans are currently underway for another beef cattle and horse sale on Friday, October 29, 2004, in the newly-constructed Alphin-Stuart Livestock Teaching Arena.

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