C2s—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, Nwlff 1,19t>
BY JOYCE BUFF
Stafl Correspondent
AIRVILLE As the guest
of honor, Ella appeared less
than impressed. Granting
only token recognition to the
clusters of people who had
gathered to pay tribute, Ella
showed considerable more
interest in a rubber tub
brimming with grain and
beet pulp.
Nearly 200 friends and
business associates gathered
last Sunday afternoon to
honor “Northcrott Elevation
Ella” (2E-96), the fr-yr.-old
York County registered
Holstein recently named
Supreme Champion at the
Central National Dairy Show
at Madison, Wisconsin.
The barbeque luncheon
celebration was hosted by
Ella’s “family”, the George
Knights of Woodbine Farms,
Airvilleß2.
Ella’s story is another
chapter in a history of im
pressive individuals
developed by the Knights
from their Woodbine
Holsteins. This entire family
is devoted to cows and in
cludes George Jr., and his
wife Priscilla, sens Paul,
James and George HI, now
the farm herdsman, and
daughter Cindy.
Among the Knight
family’s numerous
registered Holstein suc
cesses were some of the
finest daughters of the
legendary sire, Osborndale
Ivanhoe. Probably the most
famous is Woodbine Ivanhoe
MolUe, one of the few cows in
Holstein history to score 97-
4E and continue to be
productive nearly a decade
and a half.
Another of their Ivanhoe
daughters, Marilyn Ivanhoe
Ema, won the Harrisburg
Eastern National in 1969 and
ms reserve champion at the
Madison Central National.
But this is Ella’s story, and
it began, for the Knight
HEAT FOR LESS
Farmers gather to honor
supreme champion cow
family, at tbe 1976 Win
tercrest Sale in New York
state, where the Knights
placed the final bid of $B5OO
on a towering Elevation bred
heifer.
At 2 years, 9 months, Ella
calved, dropping a bull. At
the time, it was just another
baby bull calf from a first
calf heifer; and like
numerous daiiymen, the
Knights sent it the usual
route of bull calves.
“Of course we didn’t keep
it!’ laments George 111 “and
it was probably out of a bull
that would have come
through with a good proof
now.”
Within two weeks, the
rangy heifer with the big
appetite was putting out 90
pounds of milk per day.
Then disaster struck and
her production dropped to
nothing overnight. Rushed to
New Bolton veterinarian
center, Ella underwent a
displaced abomasum
operation for a diagnosed
stomach twist She ab
scessed. A second operation
was performed.
“It was at Christmas
time,’’ George recalls. “I
spent two and a half months
with her over there. They
practically graduated me
when I left”
At her first DHIA test after
returning from New Bolton,
Ella milked 89 pounds. By
the second, she was at 91.
Through the rest of that first
lactation she never again
dropped below 70 pounds per
day.
And at the end of 365 days,
Ella had produced the
incredible first lactation
record of over 32,000 pounds
of milk and 1101 pounds of
fat.
During her second lac
tation, George dried the
prized producer off early to
ease her stress on the show
circuit That record spanned
only 328 days, with Ella
-%S
welcomed her visitors, with George 111 at the
Dlter, and flanked by George Jr. and Priscilla
Knight in the foreground are a few of Ella’s recent
awards: from left the Pennsylvania state show
champion trophy, the Japanese trophy and the
cranking out 35,517 milk and with 289 days included
1411 fat. through the September test
Now in her third lactation, results, Ella has credits to
* ** *
A> . Hetts memorial award from the Central
National exhibit and the champion trophy from the
Eastern National. Ella’s plus-38,000 pound milk
records also carnered her the Sidney Waazer
production award at the Central National, a gallon- -
size pewter milk can traveling trophy.
38,179 milk frith 1514 of fat
She peaked at 161 pounds in
the Spring, but George says
■C
be has gotten as much as 180
pounds per day on occasion.
(Turn to Pace C2B)
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