AMERICAN ANGUS ASSOCIATION - THE BUSINESS BREED

Angus Foundation honors breed’s anniversary with celebratory events

May 26, 2023

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

For more information, contact:

Holly Martin, director of communications

816-383-5143

hmartin@angus.org

 

To download a photo, click here.
Cutline: Ranchers’ Revelry, hosted on May 19 by Audley Farm in Berryville, Va., celebrated 150 years of Angus in America. A total of over $160,000 was raised through the Angus Foundation’s celebratory events honoring the breed’s anniversary.

 

Angus Foundation honors breed’s anniversary with celebratory events

A total of $160,000 was raised through the Foundation’s Angus Day of Giving and Ranchers’ Revelry events. 

 

The Angus Foundation had a successful week commemorating the 150-year anniversary of the breed’s arrival to the United States. On May 17, 1873, Scottish Angus breeder George Grant settled in Victoria, Kansas, with the first four Angus bulls. This milestone was celebrated May 17 with the Foundation’s annual Angus Day of Giving and May 19 in Berryville, Virginia at the Ranchers’ Revelry event. Angus Day of Giving raised over $80,000 for the Foundation’s Legacy Built campaign, and Ranchers’ Revelry raised over $80,000 as well. In total, the breed’s anniversary celebrations garnered $160,000 in unrestricted funds to help support the organization’s mission and ensure the Angus legacy continues.

 

Angus Day of Giving has been celebrated since 2021 to commemorate the day Grant arrived to the prairies of Kansas. This year, Angus Day of Giving marked the starting point of the Foundation’s goal of 1,000 donations by December 31, 2023, to its Legacy Built campaign. The campaign was launched to honor the breed’s 150-year milestone, and asks donors to pledge $150 to sustain the Angus legacy for the future. Donations are earmarked to the Angus Fund, which uses unrestricted funds to support a multitude of American Angus Association® programs.

The Foundation received 309 donations to the Legacy Built campaign to kick off its challenge. These gifts had double the impact with the help of a $30,000 matching gift from an anonymous donor. In total, the celebration raised over $80,000 to support the Angus Foundation’s mission to advance Angus education, youth and research.

“It’s always amazing to see the outpouring of support from our Angus family, and this day of giving was no different,” said Jaclyn Boester, Angus Foundation executive director. “With the generosity of all who contributed to the Legacy Built campaign, including our anonymous match donor, we’re well on our way to ensuring the Angus legacy is sustained for the next 150 years.”

 

Ranchers’ Revelry was held May 19 in Berryville, Virginia, at Audley Farm. For over two centuries, Audley Farm has been a part of American history, with the most well-known of its residents being Eleanor “Nelly” Custis Lewis, the adopted daughter of George and granddaughter of Martha Washington. Nelly was known for her “revelry” as the hostess of Audley Farm.

“We thought we could bring a little bit of a unique offering with our Thoroughbred program, our Angus program and just the rich history of this farm,” said Turner Kobayashi, Audley Farm general manager. “To be a part of history and honor it and honor Mr. Grant, and just to meet and develop the fellowship and comradery with other ranchers out here, it’s just a wonderful opportunity.”

During the Friday evening event, a unique collection of exclusive experiences, art, collectibles and business services were auctioned, raising $67,950. Attendees enjoyed a night of Angus fellowship in celebration of the anniversary, with Audley Farm beef served for dinner. The evening also featured "The Steaks Races,” a tribute to Audley’s Thoroughbred racehorses with prizes sponsored by Certified Angus Beef. The opportunity allowed guests to “claim horses,” entering to win a variety of Certified Angus Beef ® brand items. In total, the event raised over $80,000 to benefit the Angus Foundation’s mission.

“Ranchers’ Revelry was an incredible evening to celebrate our great breed among Angus friends and family, and we are so appreciative to those who made it possible,” Boester said. “The Angus Foundation is grateful to Audley Farm for underwriting this event, the Angus breeders and allied industry members who donated to this fundraiser and those who supported by bidding and buying in our auction. This was a truly memorable event that gives me great confidence in the future of our legacy.”

In addition to Audley Farm, Ranchers’ Revelry was made possible by a dedicated group of volunteers. Event coordinators Julie McMahon French, Belle Point Ranch, and Wynn Dalton, Daltons on the Sycamore, along with many Virginia Angus breeders and Angus Foundation supporters, volunteered their time and efforts to the event. The auction garnered support from Angus enthusiasts around the country, as both item donors and buyers.

 

A complete list of auction items, donors and buyers follows.

 

Auction Results:

 

Lot 1: 150th Celebration Silk Scarf – Number 1 of Limited Edition of 150

Donor: Angus Foundation

Buyer: Tom McGinnis, Heritage Farm – Shelbyville, Ky.

 

Lot 1X: Certified Angus Beef ® Vintage Tie

Donor: John & Bernice Mrotek – Gainesville, Va.

Buyer: Tim & Gretchen Clark, Clark Boys at Elba West – Gretna, Va.

 

Lot 2: 1850s Scottish Thistle Pendant

Donor: Pete & Connie Henderson, Edgewood Angus, LLC – Williamsburg, Va.

KVK Jewelers, The Jewelers Vault – York, Neb.

Buyer: Pete & Connie Henderson, Edgewood Angus, LLC – Williamsburg, Va.

 

Lot 3: “Thistle Downs” 1 of 1 Quilt & Pillow

Donor: Joe & Mary Zarella, Bliss Lane Cattle Company – Great Falls, Va.

Buyer: Audley Farm – Berryville, Va.

 

Lot 4: Auld Aberdeen Scottish Terrier – Pick of Litter

Donor: Dick & Diane Beck – Red Lodge, Mont.

Buyer: Don & Carol Bloom, Bloom Angus Farm, LLC – Westville, Ind.

 

Lot 5: Ultimate Herd Visit, Biltmore – Culinary and Wine Tasting Experience for 8

Donor: The Biltmore Company, Biltmore Livestock – Asheville, N.C.

Buyer: Audley Farm – Berryville, Va.

 

Lot 6: Ultimate Herd Visit, Fort Worth – Western Spirit & Style Experience for 4

Donor: Dan & Farris Wilks, Wilks Ranch Texas, LTD – Cisco, Texas

Buyer: Tim & Kara Coleman, Sierra Ranches – Modesto, Calif.

           Tim & Gretchen Clark, Clark Boys at Elba West – Gretna, Va.

 

Lot 7: A Day in the Life of a Real Montana Rancher – Collection of Angus Fine Art Photography

Donor: 7A: Kurt Kangas – Big Timber, Mont.

7B: Erica Coleman – Charlo, Mont.

7C: Seana Brown – Bigfork, Mont.

7D: Bree Swanson – Chinook, Mont.

Buyer: 7A, B, D: Earl & Candy Enix, Enix Farms LLC – Aurora, Colo.

7C: Wynn Dalton – Lynchburg, Va.

 

Lot 8: Sue Rucker’s Vintage Angus Brooch & 6 Fashionable Fringe Scarves

Donor: The family of Sue Rucker, Hill Crest Farm – Delaplane, Va.

Jodi Hendrickson, Fringe Scarves – Millsap, Texas
            KVK Jewelers, The Jewelers Vault – York, Neb.

Buyer: Tom McGinnis, Heritage Farm – Shelbyville, Ky.

 

Lot 9: One of a Kind, Custom-Made Dinnerware

Donor: Larry & Ryan Cotton, Cotton & Associates – Howell, Mich.

Buyer: Tom McGinnis, Heritage Farm – Shelbyville, Ky.

 

Lot 10: Moore & Giles Benedict Weekend Bag

Donor: Moore & Giles – Forest, Va.

Buyer: Paul & Tracy Bennett, Knoll Crest Farms Inc. – Red House, Va.

 

Lot 11: Ad Agency Press Proof of “The Blacks”

Donor: John & Claudia Mitchel, Optum Angus – Seaman, Ohio

Buyer: Belle Point Ranch – Fort Smith, Ark.

 

Lot 12: First Angus in the U.S. Fine Art Print

Donor: Christy Collins, CCI.live – Frederick, Okla.

Buyer: Mark & Cindy Ahearn, Turner Meadow Ranch – Wills Point, Texas

 

Lot 13: USPS American Commemorative Stamps

Donor: John & Claudia Mitchel, Optum Angus – Seaman, Ohio

Buyer: Audley Farm – Berryville, Va.

 

Lot 14: Grand Champion Cast Metal Art

Donor: Tom & Lois Ames, Spruce Mountain Ranch LLC – Larkspur, Colo.

Buyer: Tom Burke, American Angus Hall of Fame – Smithville, Mo.

 

Lot 15: She Speaks to Me Framed Canvas Print

Donor: John & Claudia Mitchel, Optum Angus – Seaman, Ohio

Buyer: Ryan Borer – Buchanan, Va.

 

Lot 16: Angus Revelry To-Go

Donor: Joan and Blanford Pierce, Woodlawn Farm – Creston, Ill.

Reese Tuckwiller – Christiansburg, Va.

Dean & Marcia Bryant, Roseda Farm – Monkton, Md.

Buyer: Richie & Kelley Longanecker, Big Timber Cattle Company – Lithia, Fla.

 

To learn more about the Angus Foundation and its mission, visit www.AngusFoundation.org.

 

    Written by Peyton Schmitt, Angus 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 $3.9 million in youth scholarships since 1998 and has also invested more than $1.3 million in beef cattle research in the past decade.

 

For more information, contact the Angus Foundation at 816-383-5100.

 

ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS. The American Angus Association® is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving more than 22,000 members across the United States, Canada and several other countries. It’s home to an extensive breed registry that grows by more than 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.

 

American Angus Association | 3201 Frederick Ave, Saint Joseph, MO 64506 | 816-383-5100 | ©Copyright 2024, All rights reserved.