BlB—Lancaster Firming, Saturday, January 29,1983
BY JOYCE BUPP
Staff Correspondent
YORK - that record
priced 1983 grand champion Farm
Show junior steer, continues to
make state agricultural history.
York insurance executive Arthur
Glatfelter, who purchased the
1,255-pound Angus-Chianina
crossbred for a record $l2 per
pound, has donated back to
the 4-H and FFA youth of York
County.
In ceremonies last Friday on a
downtown York sidewalk, in front
of the Chamber of Commerce
offices, Glatfelter officially turned
the $15,060 steer back to the in
terim care of 4-H exhibitor Annette
Walter of Airville.
Youth of the county’s 4-H and
FFA groups will be selling raffle
tickets for ten prizes of beef from
the winning steer. Five top prizes
are packages of steaks, roasts and
hamburger, ranging from 50 to 150
pounds. Sixth through tenth place
winners earn steak dinners for two
at the noted Accomac Inn,
overlooking the Susquehanna
River north of Wrightsville.
“ J.D.’s” final public appearance
is scheduled for Feb. 26 at Glat
felter’s Insurance firm’s office at
Leader Heights, when the
drawings will be held.
During a press conference that
followed the steer’s visit to
downtown York, Glatfelter
released a statement in response to
the dozens of inquiries he’s gotten
on his reasons for purchasing the
champion steer.
“In view of the fact that the only
natural resource we have left in
this country, that is really
marketable, is our farm products.
BY JOYCE BUPP River, 20 miles from Yellowstone
Staff Correspondent Park. His slide program depicted
DALLASTOWN Her arms full the events that take place year
of rosebuds fashioned from red- round with a large wool-production
dyed wool, Laurie Rodgers flashed flock.
a winning smile for York County’s The Engle grazing lands covered
sheep and wool producers after the 10,000 deeded acres to the
winning her crown as the ranch, plus large segments of
shepherds’first queen. mountain wilderness government
Sixteen-year-old Laurie is the land grazed by federal permit,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Rainfall may average only 16
Rodgers, R 4, York. A junior at inches a year on much of the
Northeastern High School, she's a ground, and 40 acres are the norm
cheerleader and member of the for supporting six head of sheep,
hockey and track teams and the ski The flock of commercially
club. crossed white-faced ewes spent
Runner-up in the sheep and wool their fall and winters in the
queen competition were Holly mountain valley on the ranch’s
Crisamore, daughter of Mr. and deeded land. In March, the ewes
Mrs. Allan Crisamore, Rl, Dover; were brought in off the high ground
Linda Walteredorff, daughter of for pre-lambing shearing, and
Mr. and Mrs, Robert Walteredorff, rations of extra feed just prior to
Hollywood Drive, York; and Julie lambing. Young ewes were bred
Stremmel, daughter of Dr. and earlier than their older sisters in
Mrs. Robert Stremmel, R 2, Seven the flock, so that more attention
Valleys. could be given them at their first
Crowning of the queen lambing,
highlighted the county’s sheep ■ During the peak of spring
producers’ annual roast lamb lambing season for the several
dinner and meeting, held last thousand ewes, two shifts of extra
Saturday' evening at Blymire’s men tended the flock to mark
Church, Dallastown. newborns and make certain they
The evening program featured a nursed. After a few days together
slide program on sheep production hi small pens to assure that the
on a Montana ranch, presented by ewe and lamb were “mated,” they
Dr. Clair Engle. were turned out with groups of
Dr. Engle, extension sheep other ewes and lambs,
specialist at Penn State was born Ewes with twins were main-
Back together again: Annette Walter and r ‘J.D." will share still another month. With and raised on a Montana sheep tained in a separate grouping and
.Ihegrand champion rosettes come&ahattery .of.mixed
Pennsylvania Angus Queen Chris Shive presented Art
Glatfelter with a "thank you" breed tie tack during
ceremonies held to present the steer to the 4-H and FFA
youth of York County.
Farm Show steer buyer donates "J.D." to York youths
we must all do everything we can
to preserve our farming operations
and help them grow and prosper. If
farmers do not prosper, there is no
chance for the rest of us
prospering,” said Glatfelter in his
press release.
The insurance executive added
that he did grow up in Loganville,
with close ties to the surrounding
farms, and has always fostered a
great love for animals. He and his
wife, Lee, presently raise prize
Paso Fino horses on their farm
near Craley in southeastern York
County.
(The Glatfelter’s Paso Fino
breeding operations will be
featured in a future issue of
Lancaster Fanning.);
Glatfelter chuckled that he “got
carried away with the bidding
but I’m glad I did,” and only
decided to purchase the steer while
qn his way to the Farm Show
auction. County Extension agent
Tony Dobrosky had contacted
Glatfelter prior to the sale to share
with him the news that York
youngsters had taken five of the
nine steer championships, and
invited him to attend the Friday
auction finale.
Lee Glatfelter, who often hosts 4-
H groups on visits to the horse
breeding operation, says that she
told her husband, “Had I not been
'married to you so many years I
wouldn’t believe it.”
As it was, the bidding momen
tum was spirited from the start
and Glatfelter never even got in an
not until the price had passed the
$B-per-pound level. After pausing
at |lO, and then again at $ll, he
made the final bid to win “J.D.”
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In a downtown York press conference, champion steer purchaser
turned the $15,060 steer back to the county’s youth for additional
poses. GiatfeKer and wife. Lee, take a last look at their champion
turning him back to the care of exhibitor Annette Walter.
over contender Konhaus of to Annette as a label for her calf,
Cumberland County. since at that time several other
After pondering over that steers by that name had taken
weekend what he would, do with a championships. Inclined to be
$15,000 steer, Glatfelter contacted more original, Annette instead
Dobrosky to offer the champion opted for an initial change and
back to die county youth. came up with the now famous title
Proceeds from the raffle will
benefit local chapters of the 4-H
and FFA, as well as their county
level groups. Local clubs and
chapters mil retain 80 cents of
every one dollar ticket sold by
their members, with the remaining
20 cents earmarked to the county
level.
Annette Walker, “J.D.’s” for
mer owner, is active in both the 4-H
and the Red Lion chapter of the
FFA. It had been her last chance at
showing in the 4-H competition at
the Farm Show, where her
previous highest placing had been
a second.
Although admittedly nervous
before the show, both Annette and
“J.D.” held up well through the
grueling competition and auction.
Now the senior 4-H exhibitor
faces the most difficult part of all:
trying not to become even more
emotionally attached to the steer
that remains in her care for an
additional month.
The champion is a 5/8 Angus x
3/8 Chianina crossbred, calved in
May 1981, and bred by the Swecker
Brothers of West Virginia. Annette
purchased the calf when it weighed
about 350 pounds. The name
“J.R.” after the television-tycoon
on the show Dallas, was suggested
P
of “J.D.”
In the weeks prior to Farm Show
competition, Annette ‘ and her
sister Brenda, who helped with
fitting the winner for his downtown
York appearance, made certain he
got a long walk every day to
strengthen and- firm his leg
muscles.
Those walks, says Annette, will
continue every day for “the
champ.”
Taking the Farm Show cham
pionship was the frosting on the
cake of a series of beef show vic
tories capped over the past few
York shepherds
crown first queen
Arthur Glatfelter
fund raising pur
purchase before
months by the Donald Walter
family and their R 2 Airville beef
operation. They topped the 1982
Pennsylvania Simmental steer
sale and the Berks County steer
sale, as well as reserve plating and
top• per-pound money at the
Keystone steer sale.
“J.D.’s” total selling price of
$15,060 is believed to be a new
overall sale record for the country.
While the top price at the in
ternationally-known American
Royal Livestock sale at Kansas
City went to $12.35 per pound, the
steer commanding that bid was
lighter, and the total price a lesser
one.
“It’ll be a tough act to follow,” is
the general consensus of all the
principals involved in the history
making saga of a champion steer
named “J.D.”