Our friends the Malcolms in Australia have a brand new look to their CrazyCow website at www.crazycow.com.au. Check it out! Voting is still open for the 2007 Jersey Photographic Contest. CrazyCow always features considerable Jersey content from Australia, New Zealand, and around the world!!
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Requiem for a Jersey friend on Jersey
This past May 16th marked another birthday for me. This year the day was also marked by an e-mail from Derrick Frigot on Jersey informing me of the passing that morning of John Le Ruez a famed Jersey breeder on the Island, home of the Jersey breed. The news was not totally unexpected as a week or so earlier Derrick had informed that John was facing some very serious health challenges.
John had led a long and effective life. He was within a week or so of celebrating his 87th birthday.
I first met John and his gracious wife Beryl in October 1986 on my momentous ( for me!) first trip to Jersey. (Since that visit I have always contended that everyone who is passionate, or let's not pussyfoot around, deeply in love with the Jersey breed, should make a big effort to visit the legendary and astounding tiny Island in the English Channel, where the Jersey cow's story started, at least once.)
Max Spann from New Jersey was on the Island at the same time being moved around by his good friend John (Jack) Rondel, another stalwart Jersey breeder and leader on the Island. John and Beryl kindly had us to lunch and I can recall much convivial conversation-undoubtedly about Jersey cows and Jersey breeding around the lunch table. I felt an instant connection with these lovely people. Thereafter, on my three, to date, subsequent visits to Jersey a visit to their farm and home at St. Peter was at, or near the top of, my "must do" list.
On my "walls of fame" at home I have two pictures from a 1992 trip to Jersey that were taken by that contstant photgrapher of global Jerseys and Jersey events Mr. Frigot. The photos show John and I and one of his cows. In one photo John is removing the blanket from a broken-coloured young cow-one of the very best in his not-large herd. In the next photo the nice yong cow has been "unveiled". That visit, like a subsequent one in 1994 was in that transitional period of late September/early October. The Le Ruezs farmed in the traditional way at the time-cows horned and pegged out on pasture with a tether tied around their horns and blankets on to guard against the increasing cold. I liked the Le Ruez's cows almost as much as I liked John and Beryl! The cows were good dairy cows with the will to milk. One that I recall, Itaskas Fillpail Merrydew had been champion producer over the Island I think twice.
Over the years a few pieces of correspondence floated back and forth between John and Beryl's home in the agricultural Parish of St. Peter on Jersey and where I was in Canada. A few years ago news reached us that the majority of their herd was being dispersed. As it turns out their good neighbours John and Sara LeFeuvre and son John-James, just a literal stone's throw away on Jersey bought some of the last few animals for their very good quality herd.
One sunny and glorious April day in the spring of 2006 I was back in Jersey after an absence of about eleven and a half years. Derrick very graciously took me to John and Beryl's home in mid-afternoon. Beryl answered the door for our unannunced visit and was still very much this gracious and graceful lady full of soft smiles and pleased to see us as Derrick has had a wonderful long term relationship with them. John, then almost 86 and not in the best of health, was stationed in the living room. Before long our talk turned to Jersey cows and bloodlines. John and Beryl explained that in their herd the Itaska Filpail cows had been his line, Beryl had been involved with the Vedas and their daugher Kate (one of four children) worked with the Louise line. (Subsequent study revealed that a version of the Louise family has been owned by the Le Ruez family for a very, very long time. John and his well known Jersey breeding brothers the late Francis, like John regarded as a master breeder, and Laurence, now 89, and their numerous siblings had been grandchildren of two renowned Jersey breed movers and shakers on the Island, Francis Le Brocq an effective marketer of Jerseys and their grand father Le Ruez who started his Jersey breeding endeavours with a cow named Sainte Louise. More about the Louises anon.)
All too soon Derrick and I had to move on. Without being too morose I did wonder numerous times afterward if I would ever see John again on this earth. There was hope that in May 2008 when the Jersey world once again descends on Jersey for a super World Jersey Cattle Bureau Conference that a visit could be made. As it turns out another visit to see and talk with John was not to be.
His funeral was held on May 24th. It fell to his neigbour John Le Feuvre to eulogize and pay tribute to his long time fellow Jersey breeder and mentor and friend and close neighbour. By all accounts he did a masterful job with love, respect and appropriate touches of humour! One of the interesting points John LeF made was that in early 1961 the US Jersey Journal devoted a special section to Itaskas Fillpail Dream, a stand out cow in the Le Ruez herd and a cow that had a gigantic influnce on the breed overseas too!
But our story does not end there as the Island Spring Show was held two days later on Saturday, May 26th. Kate LeRuez still owned one milking age female, a younger cow named Maygan Louise. This cow is housed with, and cared for with great attention, by the LeFeuvres.
Late that morning, our time, e-mails started flowing in from various sources on Jersey sharing some truly wondrous news! Maygan Louise had been named the Surpreme Champion of the show! Reports stated the firm opinion that she was the best Champion at Island shows in perhaps a decade or more and some veteran observers were comparing her to the acclaimed show cow of the 1950s Seers Bouquet! It was inspiring and touching to see the love and respect for the Le Ruez family and their cattle breeding efforts that overflowed in these messages and the excitement and rejoicing that also populated them!!!
The next day David Hambrook graciously faxed over a pedigree on Maygan Louise and her ancestors. Subsequent analysis revealed that of her 64 closest relatives in the five nearest generations a full 33 of them would have come from the hands of John or Francis or their brother Laurence at Fairfield, or in recent generations on the female line, Kate. The afore-mentioned Seers Bouquet also features among the ancestors of the new Champion.
In a month when the Jersey breed saw the passing of two international giants of the breed Mr. Jim Thwaites of the Glanton Jersey stud in New Zealand, breeder of Glanton Red Dante, and John Le Ruez on Jersey we can remain thankful for their profound influence on the cow and her fortunes. How rich are the blessings life can offer when we have the chance to meet and know people like these! How much better the experience is when we are aware that we are in the presence of human greatness when we encounter peope like John and Jim! While they would never think that way it is still true!
John had led a long and effective life. He was within a week or so of celebrating his 87th birthday.
I first met John and his gracious wife Beryl in October 1986 on my momentous ( for me!) first trip to Jersey. (Since that visit I have always contended that everyone who is passionate, or let's not pussyfoot around, deeply in love with the Jersey breed, should make a big effort to visit the legendary and astounding tiny Island in the English Channel, where the Jersey cow's story started, at least once.)
Max Spann from New Jersey was on the Island at the same time being moved around by his good friend John (Jack) Rondel, another stalwart Jersey breeder and leader on the Island. John and Beryl kindly had us to lunch and I can recall much convivial conversation-undoubtedly about Jersey cows and Jersey breeding around the lunch table. I felt an instant connection with these lovely people. Thereafter, on my three, to date, subsequent visits to Jersey a visit to their farm and home at St. Peter was at, or near the top of, my "must do" list.
On my "walls of fame" at home I have two pictures from a 1992 trip to Jersey that were taken by that contstant photgrapher of global Jerseys and Jersey events Mr. Frigot. The photos show John and I and one of his cows. In one photo John is removing the blanket from a broken-coloured young cow-one of the very best in his not-large herd. In the next photo the nice yong cow has been "unveiled". That visit, like a subsequent one in 1994 was in that transitional period of late September/early October. The Le Ruezs farmed in the traditional way at the time-cows horned and pegged out on pasture with a tether tied around their horns and blankets on to guard against the increasing cold. I liked the Le Ruez's cows almost as much as I liked John and Beryl! The cows were good dairy cows with the will to milk. One that I recall, Itaskas Fillpail Merrydew had been champion producer over the Island I think twice.
Over the years a few pieces of correspondence floated back and forth between John and Beryl's home in the agricultural Parish of St. Peter on Jersey and where I was in Canada. A few years ago news reached us that the majority of their herd was being dispersed. As it turns out their good neighbours John and Sara LeFeuvre and son John-James, just a literal stone's throw away on Jersey bought some of the last few animals for their very good quality herd.
One sunny and glorious April day in the spring of 2006 I was back in Jersey after an absence of about eleven and a half years. Derrick very graciously took me to John and Beryl's home in mid-afternoon. Beryl answered the door for our unannunced visit and was still very much this gracious and graceful lady full of soft smiles and pleased to see us as Derrick has had a wonderful long term relationship with them. John, then almost 86 and not in the best of health, was stationed in the living room. Before long our talk turned to Jersey cows and bloodlines. John and Beryl explained that in their herd the Itaska Filpail cows had been his line, Beryl had been involved with the Vedas and their daugher Kate (one of four children) worked with the Louise line. (Subsequent study revealed that a version of the Louise family has been owned by the Le Ruez family for a very, very long time. John and his well known Jersey breeding brothers the late Francis, like John regarded as a master breeder, and Laurence, now 89, and their numerous siblings had been grandchildren of two renowned Jersey breed movers and shakers on the Island, Francis Le Brocq an effective marketer of Jerseys and their grand father Le Ruez who started his Jersey breeding endeavours with a cow named Sainte Louise. More about the Louises anon.)
All too soon Derrick and I had to move on. Without being too morose I did wonder numerous times afterward if I would ever see John again on this earth. There was hope that in May 2008 when the Jersey world once again descends on Jersey for a super World Jersey Cattle Bureau Conference that a visit could be made. As it turns out another visit to see and talk with John was not to be.
His funeral was held on May 24th. It fell to his neigbour John Le Feuvre to eulogize and pay tribute to his long time fellow Jersey breeder and mentor and friend and close neighbour. By all accounts he did a masterful job with love, respect and appropriate touches of humour! One of the interesting points John LeF made was that in early 1961 the US Jersey Journal devoted a special section to Itaskas Fillpail Dream, a stand out cow in the Le Ruez herd and a cow that had a gigantic influnce on the breed overseas too!
But our story does not end there as the Island Spring Show was held two days later on Saturday, May 26th. Kate LeRuez still owned one milking age female, a younger cow named Maygan Louise. This cow is housed with, and cared for with great attention, by the LeFeuvres.
Late that morning, our time, e-mails started flowing in from various sources on Jersey sharing some truly wondrous news! Maygan Louise had been named the Surpreme Champion of the show! Reports stated the firm opinion that she was the best Champion at Island shows in perhaps a decade or more and some veteran observers were comparing her to the acclaimed show cow of the 1950s Seers Bouquet! It was inspiring and touching to see the love and respect for the Le Ruez family and their cattle breeding efforts that overflowed in these messages and the excitement and rejoicing that also populated them!!!
The next day David Hambrook graciously faxed over a pedigree on Maygan Louise and her ancestors. Subsequent analysis revealed that of her 64 closest relatives in the five nearest generations a full 33 of them would have come from the hands of John or Francis or their brother Laurence at Fairfield, or in recent generations on the female line, Kate. The afore-mentioned Seers Bouquet also features among the ancestors of the new Champion.
In a month when the Jersey breed saw the passing of two international giants of the breed Mr. Jim Thwaites of the Glanton Jersey stud in New Zealand, breeder of Glanton Red Dante, and John Le Ruez on Jersey we can remain thankful for their profound influence on the cow and her fortunes. How rich are the blessings life can offer when we have the chance to meet and know people like these! How much better the experience is when we are aware that we are in the presence of human greatness when we encounter peope like John and Jim! While they would never think that way it is still true!
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