Tess of Vintage Hill, AHCA #44164, was born June 3, 2006. She is a registered Highland cow bred by Ken and Janet DeWitte of Vintage Hill in Franklin, Missouri.

Tess was the first documented Highland cow in our family's original breeding program at AAA Quality Cattle, now Highland Dale. She lived at our farm for about a decade before moving to Oklahoma.

As we've rebuilt our family's herd book, we've been able to uncover more of Tess's story—and her pedigree reaches much farther back than we originally knew.

Tess's Pedigree

Tess has an eleven-generation documented direct maternal, or tail-female, line reaching back to 1947.

Her maternal line is:

Queen Rosalind → 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

The earliest documented cow in this line is Queen Rosalind, registered in 1947. Each generation can be followed through American Highland Cattle Association and ABRI pedigree records.

Her dam, Weatherhill Jessica, was one of the first Highland cows purchased by Vintage Hill after the farm began its Highland cattle program in 2005.

Jeff Oberhaus at Vintage Hill remembered Jessica as a beautiful dark red cow with a wonderful disposition. He also remembered Tess's sire as dark red.

Jessica unfortunately developed a severe case of mastitis when Tess was still a calf and did not survive.

The Genetics Behind Tess

One of the most notable names in Tess's maternal ancestry is Gille Buidhe of Benmore, known among Highland breeders as “The Gene Machine.”

Gille Buidhe of Benmore was an influential Highland sire whose genetics became part of numerous Highland cattle pedigrees. His story also became part of Highland cattle history when Canadian Highland Cattle Society leader Gordon Kohl worked to save him from destruction during Canada's BSE crisis.

Tess's maternal pedigree carries this connection through Weathercock of Swains, the sire of her maternal grandmother, Marsh Creek Jessica.

Her sire side brings another important Highland name into the pedigree.

Tess's sire, Osceola Abram, traces through the Drover Hill breeding program. Further back in this line is DH King Lear, documented as the 1995 Get-of-Sire Champion Bull.

Together, these maternal and paternal lines give Tess a pedigree connected to several influential Highland cattle programs and historic bloodlines.

Vintage Hill and the Beginning of Tess's Story

Vintage Hill began its Highland cattle program in 2005.

According to Jeff at Vintage Hill, Tess was one of the first calves the farm sold. At the time, the farm was developing a breeding program centered on older Scottish genetics.

Jeff explained that after purchasing their first Highland cattle, the farm studied their pedigrees and decided to concentrate primarily on cows descended from Scottish-import parents and bulls that had been imported directly from Scotland.

That focus became an important part of the Vintage Hill breeding program and continues to be reflected in the pedigrees of its cattle.

Tess is part of that history.

Tess at Highland Dale

Tess spent approximately ten years at our family's farm, where she became part of the early AAA Quality Cattle breeding program.

We also found a 2018 text message from Beauford Wilson about Tess after she had moved to another Highland operation.

He wrote on April 12, 2018 that  Cornerstone Scottish Highland Ranch  said "Tess was doing great. Tess had a heifer last spring and she is a doll. We could not believe it when two days after Tess had her first calf they had to move them, we opened up the trailer and Tess walked right in then turned her head and gave a call and her baby walked right up in with her. She's one of our favorites."

That little piece of history tells us something a pedigree never can.

It tells us what Tess was like.

Tess of Vintage Hill — Quick Facts

• Registered Name: Tess of Vintage Hill

• AHCA Registration: #44164

• Breed: Highland cattle

• Sex: Cow

• Color: Red

• Birth Date: June 3, 2006

• Breeder: Ken & Janet DeWitte

• Sire: Osceola Abram

• Dam: Weatherhill Jessica

Pedigree highlights:

• Eleven documented generations of direct maternal ancestry

• Maternal line documented back to Queen Rosalind, registered in 1947

• Maternal connection to Gille Buidhe of Benmore, known as “The Gene Machine”

• Paternal connection to DH King Lear, the 1995 Get-of-Sire Champion Bull

• Bred as part of the Vintage Hill Highland cattle program

• Part of the early breeding history of AAA Quality Cattle / Highland Dale

Tess's Place in Highland Dale History

Tess is more than an entry in an old herd book.

She is part of the documented history of our family's Highland cattle program.

Her pedigree connects generations of Highland cows reaching back to 1947. Her bloodlines connect her to influential cattle from Vintage Hill, Drover Hill and other established Highland breeding programs.

And for Highland Dale, she marks the beginning of our own documented story.

Tess of Vintage Hill — AHCA #44164.

The first cow in our book.