Lady Of Meadowbrook

      Lady of Meadowbrook is a short story about the Great Aberdeen Angus Show Cow, Lady of Meadowbrook. It was written in 1904 by Charles S. Plumb, B. Sc., Professor of Animal Husbandry, Ohio State University. Lady of Meadowbrook was an early Matron of the Aberdeen Angus breed being born in 1894.

     Many a beautiful cow has been graced with the title of Lady. The history of the English show yard and breeding herd records more than one Lady of fame, among which might be mentioned Lady Fragrant, Lady in Waiting, Grand Lady, Lady Sarah and Red Lady, while in America Lady Charming, Lady Plushcoat, Lady Superior and yet others are among the elect. On' this side of the Atlantic, however, no individual of the bovine race is better entitled to this name than the Aberdeen-Angus cow Lady of Meadowbrook 21466. 

     Lady of Meadowbrook 21466 was bred by D. Bradfute & Son, Meadowbrook farm, Cedarville, Greene county, Ohio, and was calved on Dec 9, 1894.  Her sire was Zaire 5th 13067, a son of the well known Black Abbot 10423. Zaire 5th for some ten years was a prominent prize winner at the great shows in the United States and has repeatedly been referred to as one of the greatest of the modern show and breeding Angus bulls, for he has sired many most excellent animals. He was short of leg, broad of back, square and full both in front and behind, and was heavily fleshed when in good condition.  At this writing, early in 1904, Zaire 5th is still in active service in an Ohio herd at the age of 15 years.

     The dam of Lady was Lavender of Meadowbrook 15697, a cow of much merit that won many prizes, including first in aged class at the Ohio and Illinois state fairs in 1898. As a 5-year-old she weighed 1900 pounds and possessed a beautiful front, unusually fine top and bottom lines, with a wealth of flesh smoothly laid on. She was known on the circuit as an extra fine cow. Lady of Meadowbrook is three generations descended from Abbotsford 2702 on the sire's side, while on the dam's side she goes back to imp.  Lovelock 4th 6046, a prize winner at the Ohio state fair, as grandam, with Lovelock 2889 as great-grandam and Lavender 2890 as igreat-great-grandam.

     As a calf Lady of Meadowbrook did not particularly attract attention, and at the New York state fair in 1895 she was third in the Angus calf class, being also third at the Illinois state the same season. At this stage of her development she was referred to as "very sweet and chunky." As a yearling the writer can find no record of Lady being shown, but as a 2-year-old in 1897 she was third in class at the Illinois state fair, while she was also placed higher up in other fairs this season, in which she met no opposition outside the local herd. This season she was shown along with her dam, with which she was often compared, she having her mother's full bosom, great spring of rib, full flanks, deep twist and great size.