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BREEDER Spotlight
Rocking R Ruffin Ranch was established in 1882 in Brady, Texas, making the sheep ranch 140 years old. The ranch is currently managed by Taunya Ruffin, a sixth-generation shepherd with an Animal Science degree from Texas A&M. Keith Cornwall, Taunya’s husband, assists on the ranch by specializing in solving mechanical problems that are bound to arise in day-to-day operation. Sandra Davenport, Taunya’s mother, grew up on the ranch and still plays a vital role in the operation to this day.
Ruffin Ranch was purchased by Josef Jordan who was looking for premium land for a sheep ranch when he moved to Texas from Virginia in 1882. His son Henry began raising 1,000 Rambouillet ewes on the ranch. He had to work extra hard to succeed because he only had one leg. Much of his work was done in a mule or horse-drawn wagon. The work ethic he displayed has been passed down through generations. Work ethic wasn’t the only thing passed down through generations: love for the land and dedication to sheep were foundational for “Lt. Col.” L.V. Ruffin “Big Daddy”, as he was called. Those passions were passed down to Taunya in the form of lessons that still influence the ranch today. Ruffin Ranch takes great pride in the sacrifices made by the generations before us.
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In 1998, on a dog judging trip in Australia, Taunya got the first introduction to the Dorper sheep. The fascination began. In 2002 and 2005- dog judging trips to different areas of South Africa allowed more investigation into this breed. She began to believe that this heavy meat breed with no need for shearing was the way of the future. Taunya lived in Eastern Europe and trained police dogs and only returned to the ranch during calving and lambing season. In 2010, on a trip back home, there was a flock of hair sheep on the ranch. The wool sheep had finally been replaced by Royal white hair sheep. In 2015, the first set of Australian embryos were born on Ruffin ranch. The first White Dorpers. Beauty and practicality are the main goals within the breeding program at Ruffin Ranch. Taunya spent 35 years showing dogs, so a flashier sheep is appealing but sticking to the South African standard is paramount. Learning from Tienes, Colene Grevelink, Ash Phillips, dorper courses, and so many other brilliant breeders and judges has helped form a flock of ewes that are competitive in the show ring and sound in the pasture. Rams are expected to be tough. Ram lambs are culled with a heavy hand and sent to market if any breed faults are displayed. Modern technology such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer are utilized to offer customers top- of-the-line genetics. Taunya takes time with each customer to evaluate their individual needs to offer the best ewes or rams to suit their operation.
The motto at Ruffin Ranch is “Quality evolves from precise selection” and Taunya is known to spend copious amounts of time analyzing each sheep, their parents, grandparents, and any previous mating before selecting a particular mating. She studies what details need improvement and considers the parents structure, as well as the individual animals crossing them with a match that is strong in the desired characteristic, and whose parents share that strength. Each ram is evaluated for each ewe on an individual basis. When looking at the Ruffin Ranch flock, uniformity is obvious and impressive. Another aspect that sets Ruffin Ranch apart is the forward-thinking animal husbandry and handling practices. Taunya has sought out animal handling techniques in other countries and implemented them in Texas. She and her mother traveled to Turkey to observe first-hand how 10 shepherds can herd 1,000 sheep collectively and individually by voice. That trip showcased sheep being handled without force or pressure, but instead, following like they were bred to do. Taunya then started implementing a more hands-on approach on the ranch. The sheep can now be loaded onto a trailer from the pasture quietly and calmly. The interest and influence for this handling technique originated from one of Taunya’s favorite bible verses.
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” – John 10:27 Ruffin Ranch is a Johnes free flock
