one component you are overlooking is individual performance. animals can usually get their accuracy above .30 without any progeny. i dont know if the linebreeding increases the accuracy level possibility, but i dont think so.
Tarentaise (much like all breeds) vary widely from ranch to ranch. it's hard to make a judgement on a breed based on calves from inferior breeding stock.
when i was a little kid at my grandfather's dairy, sometimes he would get milk with blood in it which made it pink and he would tell me that is how they make strawberry milk. :D
Denny:
maybe i am confused by the terminology, but if black bred heifers "topped" the sale, i take that as they were the top sellers. if so, how could red angus bring more?
i guess you are talking about Harlan Hughes. I was just thinking about his statement that the cattle market is headed down now. It's good to hear about enthusiasm being up. i would like for him to be wrong on this one. :-)