A feature article in our 2021 Fall issue written by Doug Urban.
Compiling a list of the top Red and White Holsteins that Richard Green of Greenlea Holsteins, Middletown, Delaware bred or owned is no simple task. High-quality Holsteins using the Greenlea prefix have been registered by Richard and his father George L. Green since the 1960s. During his sophomore year of college, his father became ill, and Richard did all the dairy chores while attending classes. His father decided to sell the cows so that Richard could pursue an education.
Following graduation from the University of Delaware Richard worked at his alma mater Middletown High School as a librarian, teacher, athletic director and coach of numerous sports including track, cross country and baseball. Richard retained his interest in dairy farming and after retirement from his career as an educator, he became one of the most prestigious breeders of Red and White Holstein cattle in the world, winning numerous Premier Exhibitor and Breeder banners at World Dairy Expo. He started showing Red and White Holsteins in 1997, and eventually exhibited four Grand Champions at the Red and White Show at World Dairy Expo with four different cows. Richard twice had the Reserve Grand Champion, several Junior Champions, and 56 class winners that he bred or owned. Even today the “Greenlea” farm prefix is in the pedigree of many of the top individuals around the world.
Richard made his first purchases of Red and White cattle in the 1990s. He was impressed by Stookey Elm Park Blackrose *RC EX-96-3E GMD DOM and purchased her Kinglea Leader *RC VG daughter, Miss Leader Redrose-Red-ET EX-90. Redrose made a top record of 4-04 365d 33,970 3.8 1285 3.1 1070. She had several outstanding daughters including Greenlea Rose-Red-ET EX-91 sired by STBVQ Rubens *RC. Richard felt that Blackrose offered a sure source of quality. He felt that her son Indianhead Red-Marker *RC sired large and coarse dairy cows with a wide muzzle and wide chest. He often combined Rubens and Red-Marker bloodlines with great success.
One of Richard’s Holstein friends was Robert Yeoman of Bar-Lee Holsteins in Oklahoma, whom he spoke to on a daily basis. It was from the Bar-Lee herd that he purchased Bar-Lee MS Marcy-Red EX-92 by Brooknook Milestone-Red-ET. Marcy was All-American R & W Sr. 2-Year-Old and Res. All-American R & W 5-Year-Old.
He also owned Marcy’s Red-Marker daughter Bar-Lee Marker Mandy-Red-ET EX-94-3E who was All-American R & W Sr. 2-Year-Old, Res. All-American R & W Sr. 3-Year-Old and All-American R & W 5-Year-Old. She was also 2003 Reserve Grand Champion at the Grand International R & W Show. Mandy had several Very Good and Excellent daughters including Greenlea Mindy-Red EX-94-2E and Greenlea Rub Marlene-Red-ET EX-94 by Rubens and Bar-Lee Storm Maggie EX-93 by Maughlin Storm.
Marlene was a 4th generation All-American winning All-American Sr. 2-Year-Old, All-American Sr. 3-Year-Old and All-American 5-Year-Old. In 2007 she was Reserve Grand Champion at the Grand International R & W Show in Madison. Marlene made a record of 3-07 365d 35,394 4.0 1410 3.1 1108. She was also an outstanding brood cow having many outstanding daughters. KHW Kite Advent-Red-ET EX-94 would prove to be a great mating with Marlene producing 6 Excellent and 3 Very Good daughters including JK-RG Advent Earlene-Red-ET EX-94 and JK-RG Advent Arlene-Red-ET EX-93. When mated to Picston Shottle-ET GM Marlene had 4 Excellent daughters including RG-JK Shottle Marvel-ET EX-95, RG-JK Shottle Mildred-ET EX-92 and RG-JK Shottle Millie-ET EX-92. The RG-JK prefix denotes the partnership between Richard Green and John Kisst of California.
Macs-Acres Fannie-Red-ET EX-94-2E was the first cow to be named Grand Champion for Richard Green at the Grand International R & W Show in 2003. She was All-American R & W 4-Year-Old, 5-Year-Old and Aged Cow. Fannie was sired by Markwell Romancer-ET *RC the Browndale Stardust son of Blackrose EX-96. She made 7-10 365d 25,920 4.7 1190 2.9 749. She was selected 2004 International Cow of the Year by the readers of Holstein International. Fannie had a daughter by Ladino Park Talent-Imp-ET *RC named Greenlea Lil Fannie-ET EX-91 and an Advent daughter Greenlea Advent Fav-Red-ET EX-91.
Yursden Kite Caramac-Red EX-92 may be the most influential Red and White cow at Greenlea. She was sired by Markwell Kite-ET *RC the Donnandale Skychief son of Blackrose *RD EX-96. She made 4-02 365d 31,774 4.2 1325 3.1 979. Caramac was All-American R & W Jr. 2-Year-Old and Reserve Grand Champion at the Grand International R & W Show and 1st place 4-Year-Old and Grand Champion at the Grand International R & W Show. She was selected the Holstein International Red & White Cow of the Year in 2007. Her legacy carries on through her many high-scoring daughters and descendants. These include Greenlea A Care-Red-ET EX-95-3E by Apples Absolute-Red-ET EX-94, Greenlea Talent Cat-Red-ET EX-94 by Talent *RC, Greenlea Ad Ae-Red-ET EX-94 and Greenlea Ad Ace-Red-ET EX-93 by Advent-Red, Greenlea Redman Val-Red-ET EX-92 and Greenlea Redman Cara-Red-ET VG-88 by Valleyriver Ruben Redman-Red-ET.
From the Queen of the Breed C Glenridge Citation Roxy EX-97-4E GMD family comes Golden-Oaks Banner Rae-Red-ET EX-90 a Markwell Banner-ET *RC a Lystel Leduc son out of Blackrose *RC EX-96 out of 8 generations of Excellent cows including his dam Scientific Beauty Rae-ET *RC EX-90 by Rubens *RC. Rae has daughters Greenlea Ad Mae-Red-ET EX-93 and Greenlea Ad Rae CC-Red-ET EX by Advent and Greenlea SS Rare-Red-ET EX by Pursuit September Storm-ET *RC.
Another influential STBVQ Rubens daughter is Erbacres Rubens Libby-Red-ET EX-94. Her daughters include Greenlea Advent Leta-Red EX-94, Greenlea Ad Lid-Red-ET EX and Greenlea Ad Lin-Red-ET EX all by Advent-Red. It is interesting to note that in a 2009 interview Green predicted that KHW Kite Advent-Red would become the “Elevation” of the Red & White breed. A recent count indicated there are at least 26 Excellent and 28 Very Good Red & White daughters of Advent-Red with the Greenlea prefix.
A cow with All-American inheritance is R-Pine RM Sarah-Red-ET EX-93, a Red-Marker *RC daughter out of Ac-O-Acres Logic Sammy-Red EX-95-3E. Sammy was a 4-time winner in milking form at the Grand International R & W Show including Grand Champion, Res. Grand Champion and Hon. Mention Grand Champion. Sammy was sired by Shady-Lawn-U Logic-Red-ET. Sarah herself was All-American R & W Winter Calf, Winter Yearling and Sr. 2-Year-Old. She has high-scoring daughters by Advent-Red–Greenlea Ad Share-Red-ET EX-93 and Greenlea Ad Cherie-Red-ET EX-93.
Creek-Knoll Mae Distrig-Red-ET EX-94 was a September Storm *RC daughter with 3-03 365d 35,173 3.4 1188 2.8 1007. She was All-American R & W 4-Year-Old and Grand Champion at the 2007 Eastern National R & W Show. Her daughters include Wea-Land SS Mia-Red EX-92 by September Storm *RC, Greenlea Adv Mae May-Red-ET EX-94 by Advent-Red, Greenlea Diamond-Red-ET EX by Tiger-Lily Ladd P-Red-ET and Greenlea Des Mae-Red EX by Scientific Destry-ET *RC.
KY-Blue Ruben Marla-Red-ET EX-94-2E was a Ruben *RC daughter out of Bar-Lee Storm Maggie EX-93, a daughter of Bar-Lee Marker Mandy-Red-ET EX-94-3E. Marla had 2-08 365d 29,855 3.7 1093 3.3 979. She had Excellent daughters Greenlea Marla-Red-ET EX by Advent-Red, Greenlea Deb Milly-Red-ET EX by Scientific Debonair-Red-ETS and Greenlea D Marla-Red-ETS EX-90-3E by Scientific Destry-ET *RC.
Cherrie-Kreek Beulah-Red-ET EX-92 was another Advent-Red daughter out of Pinehurst-FL Britney-Red-ET EX a Rubens *RC daughter. She had 2-02 365d 28,399 3.7 1038 3.2 901. Her pedigree traces to the great 7-generation Excellent family of Jan-Com Fond Matt Matilda EX-97-5E GMD that was developed by David H. Bachmann of Pinehurst Farms, Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin. Owned with Tom Mercuro, Beulah had daughters Greenlea-TM Real Ab-Red-ET EX-93 by Absolute-Red, Greenlea-TM Des Beu-Red-ET EX-91, Greenlea-TM Des Bea-Red-ET EX-91 and Greenlea-TM Des Beulah-Red-ET EX by Destry *RC.
The list of cows Richard Green bred and developed could go on and on. Open any sale catalog today, and odds are that a number of the red & white consignment trace back to cows he bred or owned. He made careful matings, had a successful embryo transfer program, and marketed a great number of embryos. He also had seven sales called the Greenlea Dream Invitational Sale from 2004 to 2010 where he sold individuals and embryos from his outstanding herd and others. He had his animals housed at various farms in the USA and Canada and hired some of the top show people to exhibit his show string. He also sampled a few bulls from his top cows.
The slogan he used to promote his herd was “For the Very Best in Red…Go Green!” It is obvious that Richard had an eye for good cattle and a talent for matching cows with bulls with excellent results. His passion for the Red and White cow benefited the breed greatly. Richard M. Green, Sr., 83 of Middletown, DE died peacefully at home on Saturday, July 31, 2021 after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, teacher, coach and farmer.