Sweethearts of Arethusa ... A Look Back - Cowsmo

Sweethearts of Arethusa … A Look Back

A feature article in our 2021 Winter Issue written by Kathleen O’Keefe.


Cowsmopolitan was sorry to hear of the passing of George Malkemus in September 2021. Mr. Malkemus along with his husband and partner, Tony Yurgaitis, established and developed Arethusa Farm in Litchfield, CT. In its two decades of existence, Arethusa became synonymous with a standard of excellence rarely attained in this or any other business. While the restaurant and creamery continue on in Connecticut, the barns at the farm are now empty of cattle.

From the legendary Global Glamour Sale in 2008 to the two editions of the Avonlea Summer Splash Sale held at the picture perfect location, Arethusa was both the stage and the backdrop for the sale of some of the best-known cows in the industry. A sale at Arethusa meant a beautiful weekend in Connecticut enjoying hospitality that was always perfectly on point.

The story of Arethusa Farm deserves an entire book, but we thought a look back at just a few of the tremendous cows that called it home was a fitting remembrance. We thank Terri Packard (Farm Manager 2004-2012) and Matt Senecal (Farm Manager 2013-2021) for their thoughts on some of their favorites during their time at Arethusa.

Huronia Centuion Veronica EX-97%
Supreme Champion, WDE 2006
Terri: Aside from all of her achievements in the show ring and as a brood cow, Veronica was remarkable simply for her full-blown personality. We purchased her in the winter of 2002 and she stayed at Arethusa for a time. They had the first option to buy her then, but passed because at that point, Arethusa was only buying Holsteins. They did eventually purchase her a couple of years later. I was at the farm full-time by then, so I was fortunate to spend many, many years with her – she was the smartest cow I ever knew.

Arethusa Veronicas Comet EX-95%
Grand Champion, RAWF 2010 // All-Canadian 4-Year-Old 2010
Matt: Though she was bred here, Comet was sold as a calf and didn’t return until she was a cow. I fell in love with her when she got back to the farm. She had issues with bloat throughout her life, so I had a lot of quality time with her walking and walking in the pasture. She was Grand Champion at the Royal in 2010 for Ernier Kueffner and returned to Arethusa ownership in 2012. She has been one of the best brood cows out of the Veronica line. People still want offspring and embryos out of her to this day – years after she finished her show ring career.

Arethusa Response Vivid EX-96%
Supreme Champion, RAWF 2014 // Grand Champion, WDE & RAWF 2012
Matt: Obviously, Vivid is a legend. She had been Grand at Expo and the Royal in 2012, and calved again in 2014 after Ernie & Terri left, so we felt the pressure bringing her back into form. I got to lead her at the Royal, where she was Grand Champion and then Supreme Champion. It meant a lot to me because the Royal was the place that really got me hooked on showing and show cattle. She could have a very spicy attitude like her grandma (Veronica), but she led perfectly that day. Like Comet, she is one of the ‘old-timers’ that is still in demand for embryos.

‘The Reindeer’
Terri: This isn’t an individual, but I can’t talk about Arethusa without remembering the ‘Reindeer’ crop of daughters out of Veronica
– Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen. They were Arethusa-bred full sisters by Furor born in December 2005 and they were such a fun little clan to have in the barn. They each had their own personality from the start – Cupid was lovable, Comet was reserved, Vixen was tough, Dasher was a doll, etc – and they all kept those personalities and even bred on that way (the Vixens are still tough!). Seven of the eight scored Excellent (Dancer was Very Good), and two of them – Comet and Dasher went EX-95%. A really fantastic group from the early days of Arethusa.

Arethusa Sanchez Dice EX-96%
Grand Champion, Northeast Fall National Show 2015
Matt: Cherown Sy Delilah EX-96 (Dice’s granddam) calved for the last time when I first started my internship at Arethusa. Delilah was one of the first high-profile cows purchased by Arethusa and though she was done showing, they were still making some daughters from her. She had an EX-93 Shottle daughter who then had Dice. Dice had a nice show career – she was Intermediate Champion at the New York Spring Show in 2014 – and eventually went on to become the 1st homebred EX-96 Holstein for Arethusa.

EO Siemers Ashlyns Angel EX-96 3E
All-American Winter Yearling 2005 // HHM All-American Aged Cow 2010
Terri: She was a cow who loved loving! She had been a 4-H project as a heifer, so I don’t know if you would say she was spoiled, but she really responded to people loving on her and she thrived on attention. She was so level and easy to be around – she was really a great ambassador that loved the end stall and interacting with people. Of course, she was a daughter of Ashlyn, a cow that had made so many good memories for us, so she was very special to us for that reason too.

Ernest-Anthony SC Vivian EX-96 4E
All-American 125,000 Lb Cow 2007
Terri: Again, she was another cow loaded with personality, which goes a long way with me! She had a very sweet temperament. Vivian was one of the first cows we sold to George and Tony in the winter of 2002. They looked at purchasing three cows that day: Vivian, Brigeen Skychief Rose, and Ernest-Anthony Tyra. They took Vivian and Rose – Vivian was a young cow at the time, and was due with her second calf. We had owned her mother who was All-American and All-Canadian, so it was gratifying to see the breeding continue with her at Arethusa.

Page-Crest Excitation Karlie EX-95%
Supreme Champion, RAWF 2013 // Grand Champion, WDE 2013
Matt: Karlie was the first cow I was involved with buying at a sale for Arethusa. We purchased her along with several pregnancies and embryos from the Franchise 2 Sale in 2013, where she set a new record for a Jersey sold at public auction at $170,000. It was nerve-wracking, but it paid off that fall when she was Grand Champion at Expo and Supreme Champion at the Royal Winter Fair. She scored EX-95 in 2019 at ten years of age, which delighted everyone at the farm because we all loved her.

Arethusa Vespera EX-95%
All-American Spring Calf 2014 // Nom. All-American 5-Year-Old 2019
Matt: I’ll always have a soft spot for Vespera. She was the first calf I ever led at Madison. She won there and at the Royal and was ABA All-American and All-Canadian Spring Calf – that blew me away! She was one of our most reliable performers – she went to Expo every single year from a spring calf to a 5-year-old and consistently placed in the top ten if not the top five. It was a real pleasure to lead her this fall at the Western National Jersey Show where she was HM Senior Champion for her new owners, Misty Meadow Dairy.

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