Tess of Vintage Hill: The First Cow in Our Book

Every herd book starts with one name. Ours starts with Tess.

Tess of Vintage Hill, AHCA #44164, was a red Highland cow born June 3, 2006. She was bred by Ken and Janet DeWitte of Vintage Hill in Franklin, Missouri. She was the first documented Highland cow in our family's original breeding program at AAA Quality Cattle, the program that grew into Highland Dale.

She spent about ten years on our farm before moving on to Oklahoma. As we've rebuilt our family's herd book, we've learned her pedigree reaches much farther back than we ever knew.

One of Vintage Hill's first calves

Vintage Hill began raising Highlands in 2005. According to Jeff Oberhaus at Vintage Hill, Tess was one of the first calves the farm ever sold.

Early on, Vintage Hill studied the pedigrees of its first cattle and made a clear decision. They would concentrate on cows descended from Scottish-import parents and on bulls imported directly from Scotland. That focus still shows in their cattle today, and Tess came out of those first years.

Her dam, Weatherhill Jessica, was one of the first Highland cows Vintage Hill bought. Jeff remembers Jessica as a beautiful dark red cow with a wonderful disposition. Sadly, she developed a severe case of mastitis while Tess was still a calf and did not survive.

Eleven generations of cows, back to 1947

Tess has an eleven-generation documented tail-female line, traceable through AHCA and ABRI records:

Queen Rosalind (1947) → XX Miss Rosaland → UP Ruby → UP Miss B Cora → Wapsie Cora → Lady Anne of Hidden Valley → Lady May of Hidden Valley → TY Lady Ginger → Marsh Creek Jessica → Weatherhill Jessica → Tess of Vintage Hill

Breeders who know our herd will spot some familiar names in the middle of that line. UP Ruby, Wapsie Cora, the Hidden Valley cows and TY Lady Ginger also appear in the maternal line of LEA Faye. Two of the most important cows in our program's history came down from the same cow family, one through Vintage Hill in Missouri and one through LEA-White Farms in Michigan.

"The Gene Machine" on her dam's side

One of the most notable names in Tess's maternal ancestry is Gille Buidhe of Benmore, known among Highland breeders as "The Gene Machine." His genetics spread through a great many Highland pedigrees. He is also remembered because Gordon Kohl, a leader in the Canadian Highland Cattle Society, worked to save him from destruction during Canada's BSE crisis.

Tess carries that connection through Weathercock of Swains, sire of her granddam, Marsh Creek Jessica.

Drover Hill on her sire's side

Tess's sire, Osceola Abram, traces through the Drover Hill breeding program. Further back is DH King Lear, documented as the 1995 Get-of-Sire Champion Bull. Jeff recalls her sire was dark red as well.

What a pedigree can't tell you

Papers tell you where a cow came from. They rarely tell you what she was like.

In 2018, after Tess had moved on to Cornerstone Scottish Highland Ranch, Beauford Wilson passed along a note from her new owners. Tess was doing great and had given them a heifer calf, which they called a doll. Just two days after that calf was born, they had to move the pair. When they opened the trailer, Tess walked right in, turned her head, and called. Her baby walked right up in beside her.

"She's one of our favorites," they wrote.

That's the Tess we remember.

Tess's place in Highland Dale history

Tess is more than an entry in an old herd book. Her pedigree connects generations of Highland cows back to 1947. Her bloodlines tie her to Vintage Hill, Drover Hill and some of the most influential cattle in the breed.

And for Highland Dale, she is where our own documented story begins.

Tess of Vintage Hill, AHCA #44164. The first cow in our book.

Quick Facts

• Registered name: Tess of Vintage Hill

• AHCA Registration: #44164

• Born: June 3, 2006

• Color: Red

• Sex: Cow

• Breeder: Ken & Janet DeWitte, Vintage Hill, Franklin, Missouri

• Sire: Osceola Abram

• Dam: Weatherhill Jessica

Pedigree highlights: 11-generation tail-female line to Queen Rosalind (1947); maternal connection to Gille Buidhe of Benmore, "The Gene Machine," through Weathercock of Swains; paternal connection to DH King Lear, 1995 Get-of-Sire Champion Bull; shares a cow family with LEA Faye

Highland Dale history: First documented cow in the AAA Quality Cattle / Highland Dale breeding program

Common Questions About Tess of Vintage Hill

Who was Tess of Vintage Hill?

A red registered Highland cow (AHCA #44164) bred by Vintage Hill in Franklin, Missouri, and the first documented cow in the Highland Dale breeding program.

What notable bloodlines are in her pedigree?

Her dam's side includes Gille Buidhe of Benmore, "The Gene Machine," through Weathercock of Swains. Her sire's side traces through Drover Hill to DH King Lear, the 1995 Get-of-Sire Champion Bull.

How far back does her maternal line go?

Eleven documented generations, back to Queen Rosalind, registered in 1947.

Photo credit : image of Weatherhill Jessica, Tess of Vintage Hill's mother, red Highland cow, credit Vintage Hill