June 27, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information contact:

Anne Lampe, American Angus Auxiliary president, at 620-872-3915 or alampe@wbsnet.org; or

Katie Allen, Angus Foundation director of marketing and public relations, at 816-383-5100 or kallen@angusfoundation.org

French River Cattle Company Bids $9,000 to Purchase the American Angus Auxiliary Heifer

Proceeds from the purchase benefit the Auxiliary’s scholarships and awards endowments within the Angus Foundation.

Support of Angus youth is a main priority of the American Angus Auxiliary, and thanks to French River Cattle Co. of Ontario, Canada, the purchaser of the 2012 American Angus Auxiliary Heifer, that support of youth scholarships and awards continues. The heifer was purchased for $9,000 at the All-American Angus Breeders’ Futurity in Louisville, Ky., on June 17. Tom McGinnis of Heritage Farm, Shelbyville, Ky., was the contending bidder.

In addition to providing for many Angus youth through her auction proceeds, the elite female, GAR Progress M381, donated by Gardiner Angus Ranch of Ashland, Kan., also will serve as a start for a young girl’s very own Angus herd. The heifer will be transferred to 11-year-old Selena Stronach and her farm, Daisy Springs, also in Ontario. Selena’s father, Andy Stronach, and George McGaffin own French River Cattle Co.

“At times, we have to look outside the box, from our own farms, families or businesses,” McGaffin says. “By supporting the American Angus Auxiliary and Angus Foundation, we give back to the breed in a manner that allows excellent work and efforts to continue. It certainly was an easy call for us when we could see and appreciate the quality of Mark Gardiner’s fine donation.”

GAR Progress M381 is a daughter of GAR Progress, and she sold bred to GAR Prophet. Gardiner Angus Ranch also donated the transportation costs to the buyer’s ranch.

“The reality is the American Angus Association^®, the Angus Foundation and the American Angus Auxiliary—the whole team—is so valuable,” says Mark Gardiner of Gardiner Angus Ranch. “I feel my family wouldn’t have survived without the support of this team, which allowed us to build a business to support our family. This is why we were happy to pull our weight and donate this heifer.”

Auxiliary President Anne Lampe says the sale of a heifer was reintroduced in 2011, after a several year hiatus, as “The Tradition Continues” project.

“The American Angus Auxiliary’s mission is further enhanced through the generosity of Angus breeders and supporters,” Lampe says. “Collaboration with the All-American Angus Breeders’ Futurity and the Angus Foundation for this project is exciting and lends awareness of our organization and our mission. We sincerely thank the donors, the Gardiner family, and the buyers, French River Cattle Co., for sharing our commitment to the Angus breed and its junior members.”

All proceeds from the auction will benefit the Auxiliary’s scholarship and awards endowments, which the Angus Foundation maintains. The scholarship and awards endowments benefit 10 Auxiliary scholarships; the Crystal, Grote and Spader Awards; the Silver Pitcher Award; the Miss American Angus contest; the All-American Certified Angus Beef^® (CAB) Cook-Off contest; and the National Showmanship Awards. The awards and scholarships are presented annually during the National Junior Angus Show, which this year will be July 15-21 in Louisville, Ky.

For more information about the heifer auction or the American Angus Auxiliary, visit www.angusauxiliary.com. Find out more about the American Angus Auxiliary Scholarship Endowment Fund and other endowments maintained by the Angus Foundation at www.angusfoundation.org.  

The American Angus Association is the nation’s largest beef organization, serving more than 30,000 members across the United States and Canada. It provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers and others who rely on the power of 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’s programs and services, visit www.angus.org.

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