Brookview Tony Charity

Last updated
Brookview Tony Charity
Species Cattle
Breed Holstein
Sex Female
BornAugust 6, 1978
Fremont, Ohio, United States
DiedAugust 10, 1988
Port Perry, Ontario, Canada
Resting placeHanover Hill Holsteins
Nation fromUnited States
Years active1978–1988
OwnerJohn D. and Karl E. Havens 1978–1981, John D. and Karl E. Havens 1981–1988, Romandale Farms 1985–1988 (co owned with the Havens after 1985)

Brookview Tony Charity (Aug 6, 1978- Aug 10, 1988) was a notable show cow who at the height of her career was "considered by many to be the best cow ever to walk the face of the earth.". [1] Today she is still cited as the greatest North American show cow of all time. [2]

Contents

Brookview Tony Charity was born in Fremont, Ohio on the farm of John D. and Karl E. Havens in early August 1978. [3] She was a daughter of Kanza Matt Tony. She was purchased by Hanover Hill Holsteins of Port Perry, Ontario (owned by R. Peter Heffering and Ken Trevena) on November 13, 1981 [3] and came to Canada afterwards. [3] It was then that she began competing as a show cow. From 1982 to 1987 she won the top titles at both the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair and World Dairy Expo an unprecedented four times. The accolades included six superior production awards, nine times All-American and All-Canadian, never defeated in class. [2] One expert described her as having the most correct overall conformation of any cow he'd ever seen. [1] On July 15, 1985 a 50% share of the Holstein was purchased by Stephen B. Roman's Romandale Farms for a record $1.4 million. [4] Hanover Hill Holsteins retained the balance of ownership. [2] [3]

She was also a prodigious producer of milk, perhaps one of the most productive in the world in the 1980s. [5] At age 5 she produced 39,015 pounds (17,697 kg) of milk in a year. [1] According to Andrew Hunt, founder of a major dairy magazine, The Bullvine, "She was incredible perfection!" This publication's list of the eight greatest North American show cows of all times ranks Charity at the top, with the comment, "Charity was never defeated in her class and 8 times was Grand at Madison or the Royal [Winter Fair]." [6] [2]

Despite these achievements, her genetic history was unremarkable, and while she produced many offspring, none have reached the same heights of achievement in show cow competitions. [7]

She died of cancer in 1988. [8]

Memorial statue

In 2017, a statue of Brookview Tony Charity on stilts was unveiled in Cathedraltown, a neighbourhood built over the former site of Romandale farm. The bovine statue was donated by Helen Roman-Barber, Stephen Roman's daughter, and developer of the Cathedraltown neighbourhood. The stainless steel sculpture is named Charity, Perpetuation of Perfection and was sculpted by Ron Baird. [5] During the summer of 2017, some residents of the area objected to the piece which is mounted on eight meter tall posts that elevate Charity high above a small parkette. [9] Dairy farmer Ken Trevena who had cared for Charity during most of her life agreed that the "bottom side of the cow is not its best". [8] After some debate on 25 September 2017 Markham Council, cowed by opposition, agreed to abide by the residents' objections and voted to move the statue to a new location (not yet specified) by year end. [10]

In early December 2017, however, residents noted that new granite stonework had been added around the base of the sculpture. The city indicated that it still planned to move Charity to another location but the donor of the work disputed the city's claim of ownership and said the stonework was part of the plan. The Toronto Star reported that the city's agreement with the donor included a clause requiring consultation "with the donor prior to any final decision being made regarding the sculpture's removal and relocation" but that "the decision of the city shall be final." [11]

An August 9, 2017 news item revealed that Brookview Tony Charity had never even visited Markham, having been stabled at Hanover Hill Holsteins in Port Perry from the day she arrived in Canada until her death. She was then buried at Hanover Hill. [3] [8]

In spite of the city's announced intentions to move the sculpture to one of three other locations, it remained on its original site in April 2018. In that month, Romandale Farms filed a lawsuit against the city with three options, based on the claim that it is still owned by developer Helen Barber-Roman who had donated it. The suit demands either a payment of $4 million, including $3 million for conversion of property and punitive damages, or the moving of the sculpture back to Barber-Roman, or confirmation that it will remain at the current location. [12]

In early May 2018, a judge decided that residents should not be forced to accept an unwanted gift, and dismissed Barber-Roman's injunction to prevent the removal of the sculpture from its current site. The lawsuit against the City of Markham was not affected by this court decision. [13] [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calumet County, Wisconsin</span> County in Wisconsin, United States

Calumet County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 52,442. The county seat is Chilton. The county was created in 1836 and organized in 1850.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cerritos, California</span> City in California, United States

Cerritos is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, and is one of several cities that constitute the Gateway Cities of southeast Los Angeles County. It was incorporated on April 24, 1956. As of 2019, the population was 49,859. It is part of the Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim, California Metropolitan Statistical Area designated by the Office of Management and Budget.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Markham, Ontario</span> City in Ontario, Canada

Markham is a city in York Region, Ontario, Canada. It is approximately 30 km (19 mi) northeast of Downtown Toronto. In the 2021 Census, Markham had a population of 338,503, which ranked it the largest in York Region, fourth largest in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and 16th largest in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holstein Friesian</span> Breed of dairy cattle

The Holstein Friesian is an international breed or group of breeds of dairy cattle. It originated in Frisia, stretching from the Dutch province of North Holland to the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. It is the dominant breed in industrial dairy farming worldwide, and is found in more than 160 countries. It is known by many names, among them Holstein, Friesian and Black and White.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dairy farming</span> Long-term production of milk

Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for the long-term production of milk, which is processed for the eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a history that goes back to the early Neolithic era, around the seventh millennium BC, in many regions of Europe and Africa. Before the 20th century, milking was done by hand on small farms. Beginning in the early 20th century, milking was done in large scale dairy farms with innovations including rotary parlors, the milking pipeline, and automatic milking systems that were commercially developed in the early 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dairy cattle</span> Cattle bred to produce milk

Dairy cattle are cattle bred with the ability to produce large quantities of milk, from which dairy products are made. Dairy cattle generally are of the species Bos taurus.

<i>Salem Sue</i> Giant fiberglass-made cow sculpture located in United States

Salem Sue is a giant fiberglass Holstein cow sculpture located in New Salem, North Dakota, United States. Salem Sue was built in 1974 for $40,000, by donations from local farmers and residents, and was sponsored by the New Salem Lions Club in honor of the local dairy farming industry. The artist was Dave Oswald, who is also known for designing the world's largest catfish, which sits in Wahpeton, North Dakota. The cow, which is hollow, was constructed by Sculpture Mfg. Co in La Crosse, Wisconsin and then transported in 3 parts before being put together. The statue stands 38 feet (12 m) high and 50 feet (15 m) long and weighs about 12,000 pounds (5,400 kg). It sits on School Hill near Interstate 94 off exit 127 S and can be viewed for several miles.

Ross Butler (1907–1995) was a farmer, photographer, songwriter, livestock judge, cattle and poultry breeder, pioneer of cattle artificial insemination, painter and sculptor of farm animals, as well as a writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butter sculpture</span> Sculptural technique

Butter sculptures are three-dimensional works of art created with butter, a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. The works often depict animals, people, buildings and other objects. They are best known as attractions at state fairs in the United States as lifesize cows and people, but can also be found on banquet tables and even small decorative butter pats. Butter carving was an ancient craft in Tibet, Babylon, Roman Britain and elsewhere. The earliest documented butter sculptures date from Europe in 1536, where they were used on banquet tables. The earliest pieces in the modern sense as public art date from ca. 1870s America, created by Caroline Shawk Brooks, a farm woman from Helena, Arkansas. The heyday of butter sculpturing was about 1890–1930, but butter sculptures are still a popular attraction at agricultural fairs, banquet tables and as decorative butter patties.

Cowaramup is a town in the South West of Western Australia, 12 kilometres north of Margaret River in the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moose in the City</span> Series of sculptures in Toronto, Canada

Moose in the City was a public art display in the year 2000 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada organized by the municipal government, which throughout the city placed 326 life-sized moose sculptures that had been decorated by local artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral of the Transfiguration (Markham, Ontario)</span> Slovak Greek Catholic cathedral in Canada

The Cathedral of the Transfiguration is a Catholic former cathedral and current parish of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ, first of the Slovak Greek Catholic Church and currently of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. The cathedral, in Markham, Ontario, just north of Toronto, is the centrepiece and namesake of Cathedraltown near Victoria Square, an unincorporated hamlet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shelley M. Shier</span>

Shelley M. Shier is a Canadian-American entrepreneur, art consultant, curator, music and theatrical producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedraltown</span> Neighbourhood in York, Ontario, Canada

Cathedraltown is a planned neighbourhood with an estimated population of 3,000 in the City of Markham, just north of Toronto. Cathedraltown was named after the Cathedral of the Transfiguration, around which the neighbourhood was built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toogood Pond Park</span>

Toogood Pond Park is a 33.3-hectare park located in the neighbourhood of Unionville, in Markham, Ontario, Canada that is best known for Toogood Pond. The pond is home to many Canada geese, ducks, fish, and plants. The park is owned and operated by the Corporation of the City of Markham, and is maintained by the city's Parks Department.

<i>Homeless Jesus</i> Sculpture depicting Jesus as a homeless person

Homeless Jesus, also known as Jesus the Homeless, is a bronze sculpture by Timothy Schmalz depicting Jesus as a homeless person, sleeping on a park bench. The original sculpture was installed in 2013 at Regis College, a theological college federated with the University of Toronto. Other copies of the statue were installed in several other locations beginning in 2014. As of 2017, over 50 copies were created and placed around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel R. Gernatt Sr.</span> American businessman

Daniel R. Gernatt Sr. was an American entrepreneur, businessman, horseman, and dairy farmer in Collins, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Baines</span> Australian artist

Andrew Baines is an Australian artist based in Adelaide, South Australia, known for his "quasi-surrealist" paintings of politicians in exposed positions and bowler-hatted office workers on beaches, and "living statues". He does a lot of work for charities, particularly those focussed on the plight of homeless people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwen Gillen</span>

Gwendolyn "Gwen" Gillen was an American sculptor and artist. Her best known works include a bronze sculpture of actress Mary Tyler Moore tossing her Tam o' shanter hat into the air as a homage to the final scene of opening credits of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Gillen's life-size sculpture of Moore, dedicated in 2002 on the Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, is one of the city's most recognizable landmarks and a "symbol of Minneapolis". Her other well known pieces include a 4-foot bronze sculpture of Gertie the Duck, which was installed on the Wisconsin Avenue bridge in Milwaukee in 1997.

Laura Hernandez is an American associate professor of dairy science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison who studies endocrinology and lactation, especially that of dairy cows. Hernandez aims to apply the findings from the ungulates to humans having issues with breastfeeding.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "World's best cow" . Farm Show. Vol. 9, no. 6. 1985. p. 17.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "The 8 Greatest North American Show Cows of All-Time". The Bullvine - the Dairy Information You Want to Know when You Need It.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "HOCANF3568949 - Owner History".
  4. "50 Years of the World Dairy Expo | Dairy Quality Inc". Archived from the original on 2017-07-28. Retrieved 2017-07-28.
  5. 1 2 "Cathedraltown cow just one of family developer's personal design cues". The Toronto Star. 27 July 2017.
  6. "Some Markham residents unhappy with $1.2 million cow". farms.com.
  7. Sidney L. Spahr; George E. Opperman (1995). The Dairy Cow Today: U.S. Trends, Breeding, and Progress Since 1980. Hoard's Dairyman Books. pp. 105–. ISBN   978-0-932147-26-4.
  8. 1 2 3 Javed, Noor (9 August 2017). "Is story behind Markham's controversial cow sculpture a tall tale?". The Toronto Star.
  9. "'Moooove' it: Residents have beef over giant cow statue". CTV News. 27 July 2017.
  10. Javed, Noor (25 September 2017). "Markham's cow statue on stilts to get new home". The Toronto Star.
  11. Javed, Noor (4 December 2017). "Udder confusion surrounds fate of cow-on-stilts". The Toronto Star.
  12. "City of Markham sued for $4 million by owner of controversial cow sculpture". The Toronto Star. 18 April 2018.
  13. Javed, Noor (May 4, 2018). "Act of Charity was unwanted, judge decides". Toronto Star via PressReader.
  14. Javed, Noor (May 3, 2018). "Judge clears way for unloved Markham cow statue to be removed". Toronto Star.