tioned to Black Angus. By 2000, the entire herd consisted of Black Angus cows bred to Black Angus bulls. Each year, we artificially inseminate 600 Black Angus heifers to Black Angus bulls designated for our replacement pen. The top cut Black Angus commercial cows are sorted and bred to proven bulls to enhance our maternal base, ensuring longevity and profitability.
In pursuit to continually improve our herd, raise our own bulls and immerse our six children into the junior cattle show program, allowing them to explore another aspect of the agriculture sector. In 2021, the Purebred Black Angus female division was introduced! We tip-toed in (like one would do when packing six kids around), purchasing a handful of females from Miller Wilson Angus. A program we admire for the overall foot quality, sheer power and amount of substance their phenomenal black cattle possess.
While finalizing our list of herds to tour, we turned our attention to Bar-E-L Angus. We were captivated by the cattle’s performance, which included fleshing ability, elite udder quality, and consistency in the physically impressive females that made up the herd; a handful of heifers were added to our herd.
Our interest intensified upon learning the Bar-E-L herd might be for sale. Opportunities to purchase a herd with that much functionality and depth are rare. One we would not pass up! In October 2023, the entire Bar-E-L Black Angus cow herd was acquired and now call Murray Ranches home. At the same time, the 2023 bull calves, heifer calves and a package of bred heifers went down to LT Lindskov Ranch in South Dakota. I want to thank Lee & Dawn Wilson and Dave & Lynne Longshore for their kindness, camaraderie and mentorship over the past four years to us, our children, and our program.
When selecting our next herd sire, we consistently prioritize fertility, performance, structural soundness, and longevity to ensure profitability. We strive to produce top quality cattle that will enhance the beef herd and improve Black Angus genetics. We are confident that this group of bulls will meet those standards and represent the direction we’re headed. We appreciate your feedback and look forward to visiting with you.
If we can further assist, please call any of us. Thank you for taking the time to evaluate our bulls on offer. We look forward to hosting you anytime to tour the bulls or cows and hope to see you on sale day. Everyone is welcome!
Stay Prosperous,
MURRAY RANCHES - A division of GW Murray Ranches
George & Suntana Murray
403-362-1120 / 403-501-8889
Kolby Heaven
780-778-1435
Wacey Manning
Gabe Huckerby
Dantan Bertsch
Murray Ranches owes its success to the incredible dedication and hard work of our team and their families. Your commitment is the foundation of our purebred division. We deeply appreciate everything you and your families do to make this happen. Thank you for your invaluable contributions!
After a lifetime devoted to breeding and raising purebred cattle—most recently, Angus—the time had come for a change. With that in mind, we began the process of selling our purebred Angus herd.
We are fortunate that this journey led us to the Murray family of Murray Ranches, who purchased these exceptional females. George and Suntana Murray, along with their family, are outstanding stewards of these cattle, and we are grateful for the opportunity to work with them.
Over the years, our breeding philosophy has evolved, shaped by both successes and challenges. Our focus has always been on building a cowherd with strong maternal traits—efficient, productive mothers that excel in fleshing ability, udder quality, and longevity. The key driver of success in our herd has always been the propagation of our best cow families, regardless of sire selection. Environmental factors, feed sources, and the challenges that test our genetics have all played critical roles in our mating and culling decisions.
We’ve never relied on estimates like EPDs to guide our breeding choices. Instead, our decisions have always been based on concrete, measurable data—birth weight, weaning weight, 365-day weight, and mature size. There is no substitute for firsthand observation and assessment, which continue to be the most important factors in successful operations. This practical, results-driven approach has consistently outperformed following transient industry trends. By carefully selecting herd sires and using top-tier young sires from our own program, we’ve been able to produce a reliable, high-quality product. The loyalty of our repeat customers—both purebred and commercial breeders—is a testament to the success of this philosophy.
A WORD ABOUT THE BULLS IN THIS OFFERING
George and Suntana have asked us to share a few words about the bulls in this offering, as most of them were bred at BAR-E-L.
The bulls in this sale group are stout, masculine individuals with strong maternal genetics. They represent a blend of calving ease sires and those with high-performance potential. Rest assured, you’ll be impressed with the quality of the calves they sire, and their ability to thrive on forage alone. Half of these bulls grazed at BAR-E-L this past summer, and after weaning, they gained between 3.2 and 4 pounds per day from September 24th to November 6th on triticale pasture—without any creep feeding. These bulls have continued to develop at a similar pace as we approach sale day. We take great pride in this group, as it reflects the strength and quality of our cowherd.
It has been incredibly rewarding to see our efforts come to fruition as the Murray family prepares their first sale offering. It’s gratifying to know that the high standards we set for ourselves and our customers will continue under their expert care and management.
Dave and Lynn Longshore
Dave & Lynne Longshore
BAR-E-L Angus
From Provost, Alberta
Head west on Hwy 600 24km.
Turn south onto Rge Rd 50
Head south 19km
Turn west onto Twp Rd 370A
Head west 5.5km
Turn north at Rge Rd 53
From Monitor, Alberta
Turn North on Rge Rd 50
Head North 19km
Turn west onto Twp Rd 370A
Head west 5.5km
Turn north at Rge Rd 53
From Consort, Alberta
Head North on Hwy 41- 9.1km
Turn east onto Twp Rd 362A
Head 1.4km
Turn East onto Twp 363
Head East 4.9km
Turn North onto Rge Rd 55A
Head North on Rd 4.5km
Road curves into Rge Rd 54 go North 1.5km, and then road curves East into Rge Rd 370
Head East 1.7km
Turn North on Rge Rd 53
From Wainwright, or North side of Neutral Hills
Turn south onto Hwy 41
Head south 75km
Turn east onto Rge Rd 372B “Sandhurst Road” (turns into Rge Rd 373)
Head east 13km
At T intersection turn south onto Rge Rd 53
Head south 4km
Sale yard on West side of Rge Rd 53, drive in past houses to the sale barn.
AIR TRAVEL - International Airports
Calgary, AB - 3.5 hour drive
Edmonton, AB – 3 hour drive
To Murray Ranches, Consort, AB
Let us know if you require assistance with your travel plans. Consort has a small local airport and pick up can be arranged from there.
Schedule of Events
March 6, 2025, at Murray Ranches, Consort, AB 9:00am MST.............................Viewing and Coffee 12:30pm.............................Lunch 2:00pm.............................Sale .............................Social to follow
BUYERS, PLEASE REGISTER FOR A BUYER NUMBER BEFORE PURCHASING
SALE DAY PHONES AND CONTACTS
Please contact anyone on this list. We’re here to help you with any inquiries on the bulls, or sale assistance you may need.
George Murray - Murray Ranches......................................................................403-362-1120
Suntana Murray - Murray Ranches.....................................................................403-501-8889 .....................................................................suntana@gwmurrayranches.com
Kolby Heaven - Murray Ranches.........................................................................780-778-1435
Wacey Manning - Murray Ranches.....................................................................780-753-4578
Gabe Huckerby - Murray Ranches......................................................................403-363-7285
Dantan Bertsch - Murray Ranches......................................................................639-541-0061
Casey Lawes - Provost Livestock Exchange.......................................................780-753-1466
Colin McNiven - Southern Alberta Livestock Exchange.................................403-793-1699
Jimmy Joe Henderson - Canadian and USA representative............................403-740-9270
Kent McCune - USA representative....................................................................817-602-8629
Mark Holowaychuk - OBI Livestock ltd.....................................................403-896-4990
Roger Peters - Petrosa Exports - Mexico representative..................................403-828-9815
Rob Voice - Bohrson Marketing Services- Blockman......................................306-270-6082
Nate Marin - Bohrson Marketing Services -Ringman......................................306-869-7130
Jaxon Payne - Bohrson Marketing Services -Ringman.....................................306-830-0456
Scott Anderson - Bohrson Marketing Services, Consultant/Clerk.................587-282-9683
Rebecca Bohrson - Bohrson Marketing Services, Clerk..................................403-869-5599
Shaylen Fortner - Bohrson Marketing Services - Clerk
Dan Skeels, Auctioneer
DLMS, Log in to view sale and bid live. Videos will be posted on dlms.ca for viewing. www.dlms.ca
Mark Shologan.......................................................................................................780-699-5082
VIEW AND BID ONLINE ACCOMMODATIONS
Consort, Golden Prairie.........................403-577-2770 Wainwright, Ramada..............................780-842-5010
PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOS
Kolby Heaven Melissa Stenger..............................................403-664-1148 Canadian Farm Insurance Corp.
Jamie-Rae Pittman, Pittman Print Media
Murray Ranches Bull Sale will be one of the most exciting bull sales to be hosted in the spring of 2025 because it represents the beginning of a new program that has nothing but exciting times ahead. The Murray family goes all in on every venture they tackle with no expense spared to do it to its full capacity. They are extremely knowledgeable throughout the entire agriculture industry and know exactly what the commercial cattleman seek to be profitable in their cow/calf operations. The knowledge behind this program is endless, and they are some of the very best people you’ll get to know. This dedicated family is made up of awesome people, and it will be a pleasure to do business with them.
The Murray’s know full circle about the cattle industry and are developing a set of bulls that will do nothing but excel for their customer base. With the wise investment of the Bar-E-L cowherd from Dave & Lynne Longshore, it fast tracked their progression as they have the ability to take an incredible genetic base and continue to move forward. These cows behind Murray Ranches are awesome in their phenotype and production value with cow families that flat out work and have truly become world-renowned. What a set of bulls we have for you as they are bred for profitability and are developed for longevity. It is hard to make bulls this good and even harder to find bulls this good backed by dams of their caliber.
This family operation is dedicated to breeding the very best purebred Angus cattle and know the importance of strong genetics to enhance your breeding program. We encourage you to come to the ranch and view this set of bulls as it is certain that there will be quality within everyone’s budget. If you can’t make it sale day, feel free to reach out to the Murray’s or any of the sales staff to represent your needs in a professional manner. We look forward to visiting with you further on sale day as the bulls will be impressive and the hospitality will be great from a family that’s fully committed to your success.
Best regards,
BOARD AND DELIVERY
If you pick your up bull or arrange to pick your bull up within a week of the sale, you will receive $150 for each bull. For bulls remaining with us for delivery, insurance is preferred. We will deliver bulls at our convenience to central locations, or your ranch. Depending on the delivery route, we may not be able to deliver directly to your ranch but rather to a central location close to you or the nearest port of entry to the USA. We will work with our buyers to arrange transportation further than 500 kms from the ranch. We will offer free delivery for the first 500kms. Please make delivery arrangements at the settlement desk. Bulls will continue to be developed free of charge until delivery or until April 15, 2025.
For USA & Mexico purchase, we will assist in completing all health testing and export paper requirements for shipment. We will work with our buyers in arranging transportation to central points. Cost is the responsibility of the buyer.
INTERNATIONAL PURCHASES NUTRITION
The bulls were developed primarily on mothers’ milk and native pasture through the spring and into late summer. Going into fall with adequate moisture and beautiful weather, the bulls were able to wean off onto seeded winter triticale and remain out grazing into late November. On the winter triticale, they also had access to a protein pellet and free choice grass hay. In December, the bulls were started on a TMR, which included wheat silage, ground grass hay and a complete Bullseye pellet. We try to keep the bulls moving and growing to aid in their development and longevity. Weaning weights were taken on September 5, 2024. We work closely with Bullseye Feeds and Nutrition Service Associates.
MURRAY RANCHES 2024-2025 PUREBRED HERD HEALTH PROGRAM
Murray Ranches work closely on an ongoing basis with a team of bovine specialized veterinarians to ensure the herd is maintained on a comprehensive health program. The program focusses on optimal disease prevention to best maximize performance and longevity of each individual animal. Bulls, cows, replacement heifers and calves are all on individualized health programs that are considered gold standard from a cattle industry perspective.
From birth, calves are protected through a variety of current calving and calfhood protocols. There’s a strong focus on carefully ensuring adequate colostrum intake in the first 24 hours of life. From there they receive a combination of intranasal/injectable vaccines, coccidiosis preventatives and nutritional supplements from birth through spring branding, weaning and beyond.
Replacement heifers and bulls are transitioned with the rest of the adult herd onto annual pre-breeding vaccination programs. Dewormers, nutritional supplements and pre-calving vaccines are also used strategically throughout the year to maximize health.
Kylie Hutt
Dr. Kylie Hutt
Veterinarian - Coaldale/Taber
Office: 403-328-4454, Mobile: 306-861-2761
kylie@cattlehealthmanagement.com
The story of the Duchess/Magnolia family began when my father, Sandy, purchased Double Four Duchess 12G as a twoyear-old at the prestigious Cross Country Sale in Lacombe, Alberta, managed by Lloyd Pickard and Doug Henderson. I’ll never forget the day Jim Brown delivered Duchess 12G. After taking her home to calve, Jim brought her to us, and I turned to my dad and said, “Wow, that’s quite a cow!”
Looking back, not every mating choice for her was ideal, but every one of her daughters proved to be exceptional producers. The most notable of these was BAR-E-L Magnolia 143K, the result of a mating to a son of Strathmore April 3A. Like her mother, Magnolia 143K excelled in both quality and production. It’s easy to understand how BAR-E-L Natural Law 52Y became such an influential sire, given the exceptional females in his pedigree. Another standout son was BAR-E-L Unforgiven 102U.
Strathmore April 3A, a direct daughter of Pine Drive Big Sky, epitomized the ideal Angus cow—near perfect frame size, exceptional rib capacity, superior milk flow, and the ability to raise the heaviest calf at weaning. Unfortunately, she was lost too soon, but her legacy lives on through her descendants in the April family. One of her most notable progeny is BAR-E-L April 51F, and we encourage you to watch for her sons and grandsons in this year’s sale offering.
As we reflect on the growth of our Black Angus herd and the success stories of our customers, it’s clear that the Duchess and April cow families have been pivotal in shaping both our herd and the herds of our trusted partners.
When you consider the depth of production from these two families, BAR-E-L Erica 74A stands out. At eleven years of age, she sold for $550,000 US, a remarkable achievement for any cow, and she has become a world-renowned household name with countless outstanding progeny.
Most recently, LT Marquee 169L made headlines with a record-breaking sale of his ½ US semen interest for $700,000 US, setting a new record for a Canadian-born Angus bull.
The influence of the Duchess/Magnolia family and Strathmore April 3A can be traced in both Erica 74A and Marquee 169L. These exceptional animals were both bred and born at BAR-E-L.
Dave and Lynne Longshore
40 FEMALES at Murray Ranches trace back to the Duchess/Magnolia and April cow families.
15 SALE BULLS in this 2025 offering trace back to these prominent females. They are Lots 6M, 12M, 15M, 23M, 31M, 38M, 50M, 51M, 52M, 53M, 66M, 69M, 74M, 83M, 100M
This big-time herd bull is backed by one of the most decorated donors in the industry, Rose 1019. With Renovation on his top side and coupled with his high-quality phenotype, his sons and daughters are sought after. The National sons are deep in quality and consistent, with very few throwaways. National is an exceptional breeding bull, very fertile, and easily covers the pasture. Nineteen sons are selling, which speaks volumes to the consistency National passes on to his progeny. Our National milking daughters are neat-uddered and extremely productive.
Reverence was the $80,000 lead off and high selling bull in the 2023 Hamilton Farms bull sale. He was admired by some of the best cattleman in North America for his soundness, growth, and outstanding maternal heritage. The sons of Reverence are very consistent, soft made bulls, with above average testicular development. His dam 92Z at the age of 13 is still in production and is designated Premier in Canadian Angus herdbook.
Mercury was a sire that was chosen for the ET program after we had consistently admired his daughters in several operations. A proven bull that consistently added body, hair, good feet and fantastic udder quality. Mercury is a combination of the two most influential cow families at Brooking Angus Ranch, the Roses and the Beauty’s, it’s no wonder he has been a
Investment is just hitting his stride and gaining popularity each and every day in angus circles. Much like his sire, Coalition, we believe that Investments biggest legacy will be his daughters. That goes without saying, that his sons have also been sale toppers everywhere he was used. Just in the last two months a daughter was the $47500 high seller at Golden Oak, and a son, LT Marquee 169L sold for a record $1.4 million valuation. Only one son sells in this sale but look for many more in the future.
Maternal brother to Investment, 1020, is an exceptionally big bodied, powerful herd bull, as evident by his picture. He is a very good curve bending type herd sire, calves easily and then his calves have extra growth to weaning. Being backed by Flora 6078D is one of the main reasons this bull was initially purchased. She is a very elite level donor cow in the Merit program, whose sons and daughters have been top end cattle wherever they are used. Many might consider Emerald one of the top Renovation sons out there. There probably hasn’t been an Angus bull in Canada sire more high-dollar cattle than Emerald in the past couple of years. His dam was one of the most phenotypically elite cows in the Brooking program, and Emerald transmits those traits consistently. While we may not have direct Emerald progeny in future years, we are excited for a son that joined our bull battery last spring, Brooking Chosen One 3200, and his calves this year look promising.
Alcatraz burst onto the scene in the spring of 2019, selling for $200,000 in the Hamilton Farms Bull Sale. He instantly became the talk of the Angus breed in Canada. He is sound with a big foot, athletic, powerful body type, great hair, and the most pleasing docile temperament you can find. His progeny are born easy, grow fast and weigh up at weaning. The Alcatraz daughters are powerful producing females with exceptional milk flow nurturing big sappy calves! Some of the finest bulls in this sale are from daughters.
BC ROBUST 0807
BC Robust 0807 was bred by Bill and Donna Conley at BC Angus. He was introduced to the public at the 2016 American National Junior Angus Show alongside his mother. His grandmother was on display that day as well. These facts speak volumes as to the maternal power bred into Robust. He has a powerful foot, big hip, exceptional body length, masculinity, and dense power. Mature weight 2480 lbs. We think Robust is an excellent tool for the industry.
Breed for great cows and the rest will follow.
LOT 5M
The only son of Alcatraz in this years sale, and he is a brute. 5M is a power bull, with extra frame and length, yet he ties it all together in a very complete, fault free package. Big testicles, great hair and good footed, all traits that have been passed down from his great sire.
5M’s dam also contributed to the quality of this bull. 90F is a very productive cow that originated from the Bar-H program in Saskatchewan. The Hogberg family at Bar-H run a disciplined program, focused on the basic functional cow/calf traits, and this particular female is a testament to that.
The Alcatraz daughters will continue to play a huge role going forward at Murray Ranches. They are fault free cows that out produce themselves each year. Alcatraz 5M is the number one non parent milk epd bull in the entire Canadian Angus Herdbook. Let him make you heavy weight steers, but don’t be afraid to keep all the daughters.
MURRAY NATIONAL 6M
If you’re on the search for a calving ease bull, and don’t want to sacrifice body mass and growth this is a good place to start. 6M is an ultra attractive, cocky, hairy and stout made son of the ever consistent Brooking National 0144. He offers a unique blend of exceptional phenotype, coupled with calving ease and a maternal pedigree that is second to none. With great cows Soo Line Rose 1019 and Bar-E-L April 51F only two generations back, this bull has no choice but to be a cow maker.
As you go through this catalog, you will continue to see the impact that Brooking National has had and will continue to have for many years. The consistency of both male and female progeny is unrivaled. 7M is maybe the stoutest hipped heavy muscled son of National in this years sale. He’s a bull that has stood out from an early age for his stout look and overall presence. This bull will add muscle shape and hair, while maintaining that soft Angus look. Just imagine a pen of steers just like him, they will be market toppers.
One of the favorites on summer tours, 9M looked like a herd bull from the get go. Big testicled, stout structured on a good set of feet. He has a traditional Angus head and for those wanting cattle that are earlier maturing and sensible in their mature size, this is a bull that offers that with some extra bells and whistles. His G-Man sired dam is a front pasture type cow with a phenomenal udder. She has several daughters in production and a son at Silver Knight Angus and Kary Cattle Co.
MURRAY NATIONAL 10M
CAA# 2376949 | MGM 10M | JANUARY 17 2024
V RENOVATION 6822
SOO LINE ROSE 1019
BROOKING NATIONAL 0144 BAR-E-L KATHLEEN 67G
EVERBLACK KATHLEEN 5E
6072
72L - $19,000
A V MADAME PRIDE 0151
SOO LINE ROSE 1019 E A ROSE 918 EVERBLACK KATHLEEN 65P
DOT UNANIMOUS 743B
A definite feature of the National sire group is this super long spined, attractive bull. This guy first popped up on the radar because of his exceptionally productive dam 67G. The Kathleen cow family that originated from Everblack Angus has been as productive as any in their tenure at BarE-L and they haven’t slowed down since the move to Consort.
10M himself is the kind of bull that grabs your attention as soon as you walk in the pen. Tons of rib shape, yet big topped and full of muscle, two traits that are tough to put together.
He moves like a cat, and carries himself like a proud masculine herd bull. Bulls like this make the picture and video pen easy work, they just always look good.
LOT 11M
11M is a long spined, flexible Reverence son. Added shot of calving ease bred into this bull. His dam is a good uddered cow that did a great job this year.
Working with the crew at Murray Ranches on their nutrition program has been a pleasure. George, Suntana, and their family are keen and aggressive seedstock producers with a very impressive herd of Angus cattle. Murray Ranches skip no corners when developing their bulls, but more importantly, they raise these bulls with longevity being the top priority. This is a very consistent and high-quality group of bulls they have assembled for their first sale, and I hope you’re able to attend the sale at the ranch on March 6th.
The cowherd utilizes a customized organic mineral program that is balanced throughout the year. Chelated minerals are included to maximize cow/calf performance, fertility, and health. The bull development program is built to maximize forage utilization and gut health. All forages are sampled and analyzed to ensure quality feed sources are used. Once the calves are weaned, they are slowly transitioned to a TMR. The TMR is forage based and is designed to promote lean muscle growth, allowing the bulls to express their genetic potential. The energy source used in the bull ration is a 14% protein pellet. Multiple protein
sources are used that provide a blend of rumen degradable and rumen undegradable protein. A probiotic is included in the pellet to optimize rumen efficiency. Chromium is now utilized in the pellet as well, as Chromium is an essential micromineral that most feeds are deficient in, and it aids in glucose absorption and increases protein accretion. This allows bulls to better withstand effects of heat and cold stress. Rumen health is of upmost importance, which is why suitable protein sources and proper starch levels are fed to the bulls. Organic minerals are used both on the cow herd and sale bulls to ensure proper immune function and overall health.
The nutritional health of both the bulls and cowherd is of major importance to Murray Ranches, and it shows in the quality and consistency of their cattle. These bulls are developed safely on a ration that remains at the same energy level throughout the whole winter-feeding period. If you have any questions about the nutrition program, feel free to reach out. Good luck on sale day.
These Reverence sons are quality ranch type bulls. This guy is a larger framed performance bull that still has a moderate birthweight. He’s been a man from the get go, and worked really well as a heat detector when he was only 3 months old.
His dam is a farm favorite type cow, stemming from the cherished Duchess cow family. 76G is also the granddam of one of the most popular young sires in recent times, the $1.4 million valued LT Marquee 169L.
If you’re looking for a bull that will add pounds, maternal and keep birthweights in check, 12M will be a top pick. Top 2 - YW gain and YW Index 118
Not only are the National bulls top notch, the females are proving to be excellent producers. His dam Bar-E-L Mardi 157K, one of two milking National daughters here are Murray Ranches, and is one of the top young cows in the herd, with a near perfect udder and exceptional phenotype. Her impressive dam, Pedersen Marci 5 is a Density daughter that resides at Pedersen Livestock. 14M himself is a high end calving ease bull. He exhibits extra muscle shape and an excellent foot.
