Bred by Madawaska Holsteins, Arnprior, Ont., Aerostar was the first Hanoverhill Starbuck (Ex-Extra) son to be proven, receiving his first official production and type proof in February 1990. He was also the first proven bull to be part of "Genexcel", the semen pooling agreement that had been initiated by B.C.A.I. Centre, CIAQ Inc. and Western Breeders Service.

Aerostar's career achievements to date include:

• Number one protein bull in Canada from February 1990 through January 1995 with the exception of one proof round.
• Top Lifetime Profit Index (LPI) bull four times - January 1991, July 1991, January 1992 and July 1995.
• Member of top 10 "active" LPI list for an unprecedented eight years in a row (February 1990-1998). He dropped to number 11 in May 1998, but has returned to number 10 in August 1998.
• Tied for leading sire of Honour List producers in 1991 and runner-up in 1995.
• Sire of the 1992 All-American and Reserve All-Canadian intermediate heifer calf, Provale Aero Barbie.
• Sire of 24 Excellent and 1427 Very Good daughters. Had his 1 millionth unit of semen sold on January 13, 1997. Has 21,718 daughters in 6280 herds and is rated +1932 milk, +40 fat, +64 protein, +5 conformation, with an LPI of +1653 and a reliability of 99 percent (August '98).

It was obvious from the start that Aerostar was a modern production sire who could improve protein test while siring functional type. Canadian A.I. units quickly identified Aerostar as
being something special and began using him as a sire of sons following his first proof. His popularity also developed very rapidly
outside of Canada. Here in North America, Aerostar sons were sampled over a much longer period of time than many sires. Why? First, there was some scepticism surrounding Aerostar's initial
proof. Being a Starbuck out of an A linton-Camp Majesty dam, Madawaska Shady (VG-4*), there were many who wondered how Aerostar could be so "high" for production. Then when his second-crop daughters were added to his proof there was renewed enthusiasm about Aerostar and so another wave of sons was sampled.

Aerostar's genes have crossed well with a broad range of pedigrees, a point confirmed by his top sons. The sons have proven too that they can offer breeders a variety of qualities. Back
when Aerostar was initially proven there were many type oriented breeders who were reluctant to use him because of his type rating. Aerostar, however, has demonstrated that he has the ability to sire sons that are better for type than he is thus attracting many more users to the bloodline. "That will probably be one of his real good legacies," Gordon Souter, former general manager of B.C.A.I. Centre and now a sire analyst with the Semex Alliance who
purchased Aerostar, once said in an interview. "When mated to the proper kind of cows he has the ability to produce sons that are very high for type, yet still maintain Aerostar's production."

Living Legends

It is not very often you will find a proven sire of sons like Madawaska Aerostar who has the ability to compete so successfully with those same top flight sons as contemporaries. It is perhaps rarer still to have had three generations of world class
sires who have created their own legacy while still being alive - Starbuck, Aerostar and now the Aerostar sons. As the era of newly proven Aerostar sons draws to an end it will be time for other sires of sons to emerge in the forefront. But if history does indeed repeat itself, in a few short years we may very well find that it is an Aerostar son who will be dominating the news the way his
father and grandfather have so eloquently done before him.