America's Heterosis Headquarters Annual Bull & Female Sale by Ranch House Designs

APEXCattle

AMERICA’S HETEROSIS SOURCE!

RANCH LOCATION

1146 7th Avenue / Dannebrog, NE 68831

Located four miles east, two miles north, and a half mile west from Dannebrog or from the junction of Hwy 281 and 58, thirteen miles north of Grand Island or seven miles south of St. Paul - travel west six miles to sign, then two miles north and a half mile west.

CONTACT

Dan (308) 750-0200 / sales@apexcattle.com

Jody Hazen, Foreman (806) 201-3345

SPECIAL GUESTS

American Simmental Association

Chris Ivie, Chairman

Victor Guerra, Vice Chairman

Scott Trennepohl, Treasurer

Wade Shafer, PhD, Exc. Vice Pres.

Chad Cook, Trustee

Ryan Thorson, Trustee

Greg Walthal, Trustee

Loren Trauernicht, Trustee

Troy Marple, Trustee

Nebraska Simmental Association

Chris Woerner. President

Cory Rains, Vice President

Diane Duren, Secretary

Volume Bull Discounts & Large Sire Groups

Individual buyers have bought, 23 bulls, 20, bulls, 19 bulls, 16 bulls plus 35 females, 32 females, 30 females, 24 females and so on!

Welcome Cattlemen!

We are in the most exciting time our industry and country has witnessed in history. Cattle prices for all classes of cattle are at record levels providing profitable opportunities to everyone involved…and the consumer loves our tasty beef!

This year’s offering is a culmination of over five decades commitment in providing the finest seedstock genetics with always a goal to add profitability to our customer’s operations, whether small or large. The quality and data represented in catalog is a testimony to the positive direction of our breeding program.

HETEROSIS IS YOUR ONLY FREE LUNCH in the cattle business! Industry publications have featured numerous articles on the added profitability gained with heterosis, and from what is lost without it. Universities and the USDA’s Meat animal Research Center have published similar data in full support of heterosis advantages.

We are committed to serve our customers with the best genetics in the Simmental and Angus breeds to achieve maximum benefits in their respective operations. Importantly, we can ensure calving ease predictability with increased performance, improved maternal traits, and added carcass values all at the same time. As you study the catalog, please note the many top percentage EPD rankings of the100K high density testing we provide…it’s your road map to success.

If you have not used a good SimAngus™ bull, or realized the benefits of the productive SimAngus™ females, then we encourage you to join us sale day. Better yet, come in advance and walk the pens of our good-natured bulls and females selling.

We are most thankful for Jody Hazen, our very capable foreman and Jacob Yoder who does feeding. We are also appreciative of our son Joel, plus TR Andersen, Keith Zimmerman, Braden Hazen, and Jacob’s brothers for their day help with larger projects.

May God Bless You, Your Families & Operations as well as our Great Country!

Dan and Shirley Leo Jody & Roberta Hazen Family

Jacob Yoder

MONDAY - 12:30 PM

HETEROSIS HEADQUARTERS Annual Bull & Female Sale

SALE CONTACTS

Dan Leo..........................................................308-750-0200

Jody Hazen, Foreman......................................806-201-3345

AUCTIONEERS

J oe Goggins 406-861-5664 Jered Shipman 806-983-7226

PUBLICATION REPRESENTATIVES

Craig Talkington 785-623-1789

Ryan Denton , 918-629-3004

Ty Groshans , Western Livestock Journal 970-818-6016

BUYER REPRESENTATIVES

Jeremy Ruble , Ruble Cattle Services 406-581-7940

Kelvin Jorgenson 402-366-9475

TR Anderson 308-870-4142

Jay Stowater 515-320-3167

Buddy Robertson 580-747-7000

Matt DeNeui 605-359-7189

INSURANCE Available sale day through Sheila Jensen, Jensen Insurance Agency at 785-262-1116.

LUNCH Complementary lunch served at 11 AM.

CATTLE INSPECTION Visitors are welcome to view the cattle in person at the ranch headquarters any time prior to the sale. Videos of the offering will also be available on CCILIVE.com andAPEXCattle.com.

SALE ORDER The sale order will be posted on APEXCattle.com and CCILIVE.com, as well as the APEX Facebook page prior to the sale. Printed versions will be made available for sale attendees.

SUPPLEMENT SHEET Scrotal measurements will be provided on sale supplement sheet. This will be made available and posted on APEXCattle.com and CCILIVE.com prior to the sale.

PHOTOS Taken late November; cattle will change substantially by sale day.

COLOR AND POLLED STATUS

BB – PP are HOMOZYGOUS Black or Polled

Bb – Pp are HETEROZYGOUS Black or Polled

B – P are not DNA trait tested

Offering Includes Age Advantaged Two-Year Old and New Generation Yearling Bulls, Bred and Open Heifers plus Fall Pairs!

EPDS AND PARENTAGE VERIFICATION EPDs listed are as of 12/15/2024 and accessible on ASA website for weekly updates. All bulls and females have genomically enhanced EPDs to assure the most accurate genetic prediction information is provided. All sale lots have been parentage verified to ensure genetic accuracy.

GUARANTEE

All bulls have been semen tested by a licensed veterinarian. All bulls will be covered 50% by APEX Cattle if they are injured during their first breeding season, Breeding season is defined as the 90-day period following the first turn out of the bulls. 50% if the value of the injured bull, minus one-half salvage value, will be given as a credit in a future sale or towards a replacement bull if one is available. Salvage value, if any, will be split equally between APEX Cattle and the buyer. All injured bulls must be diagnosed by a licensed veterinarian. Please notify us as soon as possible should injury occur and prior to the injured bull being sold for salvage. All claims must be made by October 1. We will not replace a dead animal for any reason.

TRUCKING & DELIVERY All bull lots will be delivered free to central points in Nebraska and the adjoining states within 500 miles. We provide nationwide bull delivery assistance guaranteeing delivery anywhere within the continental US to central points for at the lowest possible prorated rate ranging from $200 to a guaranteed maximum $500 if APEX Cattle coordinates trucking. All bulls shall receive a $50 credit if hauled by the buyer directly from the sale location. All bulls will be cared for and delivered following the sale, at the buyer’s risk. Bred heifer buyers are encouraged to haul heifers on, or immediately after, sale day as they will be near calving. Insurance recommended.

SEMEN INTEREST APEX Cattle is retaining a 1/3 revenue interest in all bulls, and the right to collect semen for within herd use, at time when convenient with new owner.

VOLUME DISCOUNTS Volume purchases are encouraged to take advantage of our discounts! Contact us with any questions or orders.

We develop bulls so they will stay sound, have good feet and are conditioned to go anywhere!

Our time-tested bull development program ensures long term soundness and increases longevity, both which are very important to bull buyers.

No corn is fed to older bulls, only ground hay, ground cornstalks, limited silage, supplement and distillers to increase palatability. We have fed this same ration for years with excellent success!

This conditioning program has insured that our bulls have adjusted to their new locations. With our customer base stretching throughout the US, we have received numerous reports on how well our bulls have adapted to their new environment.

From West Virginia to Florida to Texas, North Dakota and California, and many other states in between, we have repeat customers. They appreciate how we manage our bull development, keeping our customer’s satisfaction a priority.

HETEROSIS

DON’T BE IN BUSINESS WITHOUT IT!

Weaning Performance advantages are well established and proven at MARC and many land grant institution’s data. Most importantly it is PROVEN and REALIZED in thousands of herds across the country!

Feedlot Performance is heterosis is driven! Feeders demand cattle that perform and they are paying premiums to own them. They know crossbred cattle get the job done best, whether in the yard or on the rail.

Marketability advantages are real with the crossbred genetics added to the equation. Whether in the sale barns or on video auctions like Superior, higher prices are being paid for cattle that have extra genetic punch.

Profitability is vital for survival! Heterosis is the key element that generates more net dollars in the budget. Measure heterosis lots of ways…labor savings, calf survival, performance, cowherd longevity or fertility. Bottom line, it comes from buying the right bull!

Better Cowherds are built using heterosis. Hybrid vigor increases fertility and longevity, two of the most important traits every program requires as substantiated by MARC research.

Simmental and Angus Genetics are responsible for the best heterosis package in the industry! Each breed bring lots to the table, but when combined there is nothing close to how they are impacting the industry.

CONQUERING THE CHALLENGE

Written by Chip Kemp, Director, ASA &

IGS Commercial and Industry Operations

American Simmental Association and International Genetic Solutions

Phone - 573-239-0524

The dynamics of the beef business have always been challenging and complicated. Arguably, the current state of our industry, and what appears on the horizon, exaggerate those challenges. For multiple decades various thought leaders in the business have been stuck in a “revenue” mindset. In other words, the argument suggests that we can generate ever increasing calf checks and expect that to solve all concerns. While clearly, terminal calf value is a major portion of our puzzle, it is not the whole puzzle.

During that same period of time we have seen the long term implications of the short term cow. Many operations are struggling to stay viable as they’ve bought into the marketing hype of straight breeding and ignored the time-tested truths of responsible cross-breeding and heterosis. A renewed focus on maternal longevity has once again brought attention to what Grandpa knew. Breed complementarity and maternal heterosis pay. And pay big. However, we also risk overreacting and just making our cows smaller and smaller to the point of no terminal merit whatsoever.

Packers and feeders have done the math. Whether we like it or not, they know that larger carcasses are a benefit to them. I needn’t complain or lament that. Simply recognize a clear data point. They want bigger terminal cattle. But how do you manage that in your cow herd? Is it even remotely plausible that any single breed can master both ends of this spectrum simultaneously? I’d argue not. Regardless of the strengths of that breed.

To be clear, this isn’t a lost cause. The responsible use of multiple breeds and composite cattle are necessary and the logical path forward. They offer the ability to navigate the need for a moderate female and terminally appealing calf. Combine this compositive approach with the right tool and – VOILA! The complicated just got more clear and more manageable.

Enter SimAngus™ and API. SimAngus cattle combine the most popular breeds in the business. But, of more importance, they combine two breeds that are a near ideal complement to one another. The facts (USDA, IGS, ASA, other breed associations) recognize that the modern Simmental influenced female is distinctly smaller than either her Angus or Hereford counterpart. SimAngus™ steers have value like never before as we need cattle that can grade, maintain cutability, stay healthy, and navigate the modern weights in the feedlot. Then the tool. A whole life cycle index takes into account the primary economic implications across our business. In other words, appropriately weights maternal merit vs. carcass quality. Cow longevity vs. the ability to gain in the feed yard. The All Purpose Index (API) is recognized as the premier example of a well-crafted whole life cycle in our industry.

As you search through this catalogue you are benefiting from two of the most valuable methods of finding profit in our industry - 1) The use of seriously built SimAngus™ cattle and 2) a breeder’s commitment to API as an intentionally designed indicator of operational profit. Congratulations on finding a seedstock supplier dedicated to providing you and your family the right tools to ensure your families longevity in the beef business.

Quick Reference to ASA EPD and $ Indexes

Expected Progeny Differences (EPD): EPD are the most accurate and effective tool available for comparing genetic levels. In using EPD, the difference between two sires’ EPD represents the unit difference expected in the performance of their progeny. For example, if sires A and B have EPD of +10 and –5, a 15-unit difference would be expected in their progeny (moving from -5 to +10 yields 15 units). Key to using EPD is knowing what units they are expressed in. For example, if the above case referred to weaning weight EPD, A would be expected to sire 15-pounds more weaning weight than B. If calving ease were the trait, A would be expected to sire 15-percent more unassisted births in first-calf heifers; in other words, if B sired 30 assists in a group of 100 heifers, we’d expect A to require 15 assists. A percentile-ranking chart is required to determine where a bull’s EPD rank him relative to other bulls in the breed.

Back Fat (BF): Inches of backfat.

Birth Weight (BW): Pounds of birth weight.

Calving Ease (CE): Percent of unassisted births when used on heifers.

Carcass Weight (CW): Pounds of carcass weight.

Maternal Calving Ease (MCE): Percent of unassisted births in first-calving daughters.

Milk (MLK): Pounds of weaning weight due to milk.

Marbling (MRB): Marbling score.

Maternal Weaning Weight (MWW): Pounds of weaning weight due to milk and growth.

Ribeye Area (REA): Square inches of ribeye.

Stayability (STAY): Percent of daughters remaining in the cowherd at 6 years of age.

Weaning Weight (WW): Pounds of weaning weight.

Yearling Weight (YW): Pounds of yearling weight.

Yield Grade (YG): Yield grade score.

$ Indexes: Though EPD allow for the comparison of genetic levels for many economically important traits, they only provide a piece of the economic puzzle. That’s where $ indexes come in. Through wellconceived, rigorous mathematical computation, $ indexes blend EPD and economics to estimate an animal’s overall impact on your bottom line. The same technology that led to the dramatic progress in swine, poultry and dairy genetics over the last several decades was used to develop the following $ indexes:

All-Purpose Index (API): Evaluates sires for use on the entire cow herd (bred to both Angus firstcalf heifers and mature cows) with the portion of their daughters required to maintain herd size retained and the remaining heifers and steers put on feed and sold grade and yield.

Terminal Index (TI): Evaluates sire for use on mature Angus cows with all offspring put on feed and sold grade and yield.

Using API and TI: First, determine which index to use; if you’re keeping replacements use API, if not, TI. Then, just as with EPD, zero in on the unit difference between bulls. (As described above, index units are in dollars per cow exposed.) The difference can be used to determine how much a bull is worth compared to another. Or, put another way, how much you can pay for one bull compared to another. For example,when buying an all-purpose-type sire, you can quickly figure a bull scoring +100 for API is worth an extra $6,000 over a +50 bull if both are exposed to 30 cows over 4 years ($50 diff. x 30 hd. x 4 yr. = $6,000). A percentile-ranking chart is required to determine where a bull’s index value ranks him relative to other bulls in the breed.

For percentile rankings or more detailed information about EPD and $ indexes visit www.simmental.org.

100K Genomics on Every Lot…Your

Homeland

REFERENCE SIRE

Homeland puts a stamp of uniformity on his progeny, powered up with more thickness, body mass, structural correctness, and eye appeal. Their performance is excellent as well as their feet. His dam is highly respected for her good udder, hoof design and fleshing ability. He has earned a place in our breeding program, most evident through the quality and presentation of this year’s bulls and bred heifers selling. 9 EPDS and INDEXES rank in the breed’s top 1-15%.

Stemming from a great cow family, his top 1% STAY translates to more longevity in his nice uddered, easy fleshing broody daughters.

APEX HOMELAND AD86L

APEX HOMELAND

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #2 BW, #5 MCE, #9 STAY, #4 YG & #10 REA EPDS! All Bulls Ranking: #2 BW & #7 (tie) MCE EPDS! A tremendous individual with impressive calving ease, maternal and carcass genetics. Superb cow family represented by excellent fertility, longevity, and high production history. His -5 BW EPD makes him one of the best Homeland calving ease sons anywhere!

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #7 MCE, #2 STAY & #12

APEX bulls are over 70% of my herd bull battery. We have been buying your bulls since 2019, totaling 20 head to date. Weaning weights and yearling weights have increased significantly since adding your bulls. We finish all our calves and have been extremely satisfied with the marbling in the APEX sired calves, fact is they are consistently over 90% Prime & Choice, and most CAB. See you at the next sale!

-Cooper Shermer Manager, Harmon Farm Corp, Nebraska

APEX HOMELAND 1ZB400L

Herd Bull Deluxe! He combines tremendous structural correctness, eye appeal, quality, and body mass with excellence in genetic predictability. His dam, on own daughter of the great Hoover Dam Angus sire is a beauty in the pasture, perfect uddered and fertile. Keep every daughter as they will be highly maternal and yet be blessed with Homeland’s consistent phenotypic power.

Justice

Justice is a ‘true impacting’ type of sire, whether bulls or females. His EPD and INDEXES read about as good as it gets, and better yet is his progeny fully benefit from this highly predictable numbers in their data and phenotype. His sons and daughters both have exceptional consistency offering dependable calving ease and strong performance plus an appealing maternal and carcass trajectory. His first daughters get us excited as they approach having their initial calving season. He brings a new genetic plateau of profitable traits and quality for our customers. REFERENCE

APEX JUSTICE EH77L

APEX JUSTICE FH927L

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #4 MILK, #7 MWW, #10 STAY, #3 DOC, #2 YG, #8 MARB & #10

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #5 low adj.

Gerry & Sherri and Tyler & McKayla Krueger, NE

We have bought APEX bulls for a lot of years because they add to our bottom line. We start calving around February 25th and sell feeder calves in the 2nd week of December at Stockman’s Livestock in Yankton, SD. This year we sold 227 head with an average mid-March calving date, the big 60 head of steers weighed 825 the whole group averaged 753 lbs. and that was all the calves on the place. We purchase your APX bulls Dan because they’re easy calving and just flat grow out well, they are durable plus add weight and quality to our calves.

APEX JUSTICE TF910L

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #1 WW, #1 YW, #7 MILK, #1 MWW, #3 DOC, #7 MARB & #10 (tie) REA EPDS plus #6 AP & #1 TI! All Bulls Ranking: #1 WW, #2 YW, #3 MWW, #9 DOC & #10 MARB EPDS plus #4 IT! He is very impressive physically and genetically, and proof that we make sure the older bulls we offer are equal to the yearlings. Great maternal sister sells as lot 269! 8 EPDS and INDEXES in top 1-5%!

Reserve 210J

3960639

A superb outcross sire that is represented by some of the best two-year-old and yearling bulls in the sale plus an extraordinary set of bred heifers. Bulls are stout structured and powerful, and his oldest daughters will highlight the bred heifers selling. He offers a great advantage with his excelling total body mass and natural muscle plus especially good feet. His progeny will be in strong demand for a host of reasons that relate to raising better cattle that perform and sell at the top, and his daughters that make outstanding mothers. REFERENCE

APEX RESERVE D766L

APEX RESERVE YF55L

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #10 WW & #10 YW (tie), #6 DOC & #11 (tie) MARB EPDS! Excellent combination of growth and maternal genetics throughout his pedigree. Dam is one of the better Angus cows in the herd, easy fleshing and with excellent fertility! Reserve is a standout sire with outcross genetics to most of the Simmental breed backed up by an incredible maternal lineage.

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #6 WW & #4 YW EPDS plus #10 (tie) TI! All Bulls Ranking: #10 YW EPD! For added performance and good carcass carcass values, this age advantaged bull will make a positive impact into any cowherd. His dam stems to a matriarch Angus cow sired by the prepotent Sinclair Excellency 5X25 who has left a large tribe of her genetics in our program including the

heifer lot 268!

APEX RESERVE WB733L

APEX RESERVE ZF928L

APEX RESERVE SF87L

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #10 (tie) YG EPD! He is from one of the best Cowboy Cut daughters in the program that produced a $20,000 feature in last year’s sale. He is a powerful individual and most impressive in his natural thickness, structural integrity, and wealth of performance. Visualize a set of attractive, thick made, easy doing calves by him come weaning time.

They say a picture can

words, and that is the case with

featured Reserve x Dividend son. He is flawless in his

sound structure, and with a gentleman personality. 90% of the cattle in our

industry are bought based on phenotype, so expect his offspring to be

toppers, and good performers to boot!

APEX JRH RESERVE CF457L

APEX RESERVE

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #14 WW & #10 (tie) YW EPD! Buy this bull with confidence knowing he will reproduce his same total body mass, expression of rib dimension, structural correctness, and all with a great attitude. His dam is a model female that could be in the front pasture, anywhere. 6 EPDs in the top 10-30%!

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #5 low adj. BW and #15 WW & YW EPDS! An admirable bull that is stout made, big bodied and wide based. Appreciate his

total body dimension and his evidence of fleshing ability. Dam is a paternal sister to the two top selling females in the historic Krebs Ranch female sale. Excellent, moderate framed cow family!

APEX RESERVE ZG89L

Sire

14.4

Whether you study him in person, in his photo or by video, he is a standout. Featured in much of advertising, he is appealing in his structure, eye appealing and the kind that will improve any breeding program. Reserve sons are very popular, and an outcross to most Simmental genetics. He stems from a great maternal granddam that topped a former Leachman sale.

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #7 low adj.

& #7 (tie) MCE EPDS! This massive, deep sided and easy fleshing

REFERENCE SIRE

Proclamation is known virtually worldwide as one of the most impacting breeding bulls in the Simmental breed. As JW Brune, a long time Simmental breeder, told me last year, “Proclamations is one of those unique, high impact sires that will be used 10 and 20 years from now.” One thing we know is that his sons are in high demand, and his daughters are the kind everyone talks about, but few have. Fortunately, we have built our program around him in the recent years, and the bulk of our younger females are his bountiful, top producing daughters. Invest in his progeny with complete confidence as the supply will become limited with his demise!

APEX PROCLAMATION AF27L

Proclamation sons and daughters are very popular for their good attitudes, extra body, eye appeal, fleshing ability, extra performance, and the sensational maternal values. This bull has lots of friends by bull pen visitors as he is easy to find and appreciate. 9 EPDS and INDEXES in top 30%!

Our calves by your APEX bulls topped the Lamoni Livestock Auction Special Feeder sale. They brought over $2,072 per head as their top quality and performance was in high demand. Had several ask me where I got my bulls to sire calves that good… and I proudly said at APEX Cattle in Nebraska. I really appreciate the good dispositions and how well your bulls held up on our fescue pastures.

APEX PROCLAMATION UB55L

APEX PROCLAMATION BE55L

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #10 MWW EPD! This individual is a maternal brother to the #1 MARB EPD yearling and two-year-old bull in last year’s sale. Dam is incredible female that is super deep, perfect uddered and fertile. Daughters will develop into awesome brood cows! He represents one of the last opportunities to purchase a Proclamation son as he is now deceased! 6 EPDS in top 25%!

APEX PROCLAMATION FH920L

APEX PROCLAMATION PZ479L

This bull is excelling with his extra volume, natural thickness, evidence of performance and structure. His dam, 12 years old at the time of his birth, was a top producing, fertile matron, and the phenotypic kind we always appreciate. Admirably deep, easy fleshing and with a perfect udder clear to the end of her production lifetime. A good Proclamation son!

Two-Year Old Bull

King Of The Road 468H

King of the Road is one of the most consistent sires that we have used! After his first calves hit the ground, with total confidence we knew that we had another ‘big time’ sire similar to Proclamation. Initially proving himself for calving ease, then as time went on, we saw extraordinary development of his first offspring. The rest is history as his first sons had considerable appeal from our serious bull buyers as yearlings. This year we are selling both yearling and two-year-old bulls and bred heifers by him that will virtually ‘blow your socks off’ as they are exceptionally good and they have the data to back them up.

APEX KINGS ROAD FJ87L

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #6 CE, #6 BW & #7 MCE EPDS! All Bulls Ranking: #10 CE & #10 BW EPDS! A top calving ease bull from an incredible Proclamation first calf heifer. A wealth of genetics are represented, including twice to the renown Sugar donor dam, the mother to Proclamation and paternal granddam to King of the Road. 6 EPDS in top 3-20% range.

APEX KINGS ROAD 1DJ949L

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #1 low adj. BW Purebred, #6 CE, #6 MCE, & #5

3874317

REFERENCE SIRE

Johnny Walker

Johnny Walker is amongst the best sons of the popular Guardian, a leader in EPD data. He stems from a line of popular, high producing cows and dam’s of noted herd sires. Exceptional sons and daughters sell that all have evidence of his superior performance, body mass and strong, sound structure. His influence will be long lasting as the daughters are destined to make wonderful brood cows with their capacious phenotype and strong maternal traits.

APEX KINGS ROAD BJ55L

APEX KINGS ROAD EJ910L

EPDS and INDEXES in top 15-30%! He is from one of best cow families, and a valuable two-year-old heifer. His stout EPDs and top 15% All Purpose (API) and Terminal (TI) Indexes clearly presents the opportunity for future profit, no matter what direction of your program. With King of the Road x Proclamation mating, the genetic roadmap is on target!

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #6 BW EPD! This King of the Road x Proclamation mating is predictable and will be profitable for his new owner. Dam, a first calf heifer, descends maternally to a foundation OCC Legend 616L matriarch who is responsible for many daughters and granddaughters plus sale featured bulls and bred heifers. Add him to the short list with confidence!

APEX JOHN WALKER DH27L

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #11 WW, #8 (tie) YW, #8 YG & #1 REA EPDS! All Bulls Ranking: #10 YG & #2 REA EPDS! A top performance bull with one of the best carcass trait EPD profiles in the offering. We always give credit to the strength of our cowherd, and his dam is one of the treasures. Expect his calves to be thick made, sharp looking and with good performance at weaning time, Daughters will be nice!

APEX JOHN WALKER WE761L

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #3 WW, #5 YW, #8 MWW & #8 YG EPDS

Eagle is well proven and a go to sire to add more muscle and performance while maintaining valuable calving ease. Dispositions have been excellent as well good feet and legs. Sons are a favorite of many for their stoutness and good data. Daughters retained have made very good females,staying in condition with good breed back rates. To add more power and boldness, he has been a easy choice when it comes time to make important breeding decisions.

APEX EAGLE AC55L

APEX EAGLE

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #4 WW, #2 YW, #4 MWW, #10 (tie) DOC & #2 REA EPDS! All Bulls Ranking: #10 WW, #9 YW & #3 REA EPDS! Those in search of top arithmetic and quality will have this lot on the short list. From a highly productive, elder Hoover Dam sired matriarch that has a tribe of good-natured, easy-going females in our herd. 5 EPDs rank in the breed’s top 1-4%!

Those that study our cow herd will recognize this bull’s dam

history. She is an incredible brood cows that would be in the

programs, but in ours because we do not ET, she is in the front pasture with many like her. The mating to Eagle is perfect to insure the best

ASA 3870391

REFERENCE SIRE

Great Lakes

A premier Eagle son that is a true ‘BEEF BULL’ in every definition of the word. Wide based, explosive in is muscle expression and travels freely on a great set of feet and legs. Calves are consistently good structured, stout made and very attractive. Not often do you find a bull with so much power that you can depend on for good calving ease, but he is one good breeding bull. His first sons and daughters sell!

APEX GREAT LAKES U809L

The Great Lakes sire is one of the better Eagle sons, and powerful in his beefy, stout appearance. His thirteen-year-old dam ended her excellent lifetime production cycle with this bull. Her longevity is a testament to her fertility, milking ability, and the predictable genetics she offered. Many of her extended legacy are represented in the sale.

WALKER

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #10 CE, #4 BW & #6

! All Bulls Ranking: #4 BW EPD! Super numbers, and great genetics with Eagle, Beacon, and Proclamation (Mat grand sire) in his pedigree. An excellent calving ease bull that leads the pack and excelling in his maternal attributes. We could write a whole page on the ‘809’ cow family, and its contribution to our operation!

Longtime customer Glenn Cantrell (L) with Dan Leo

Glenn Cantrell, OK

“I buy all of my SimAngus bulls and females from APEX and Angus bulls from Express Ranch, knowing from each I will get the best of genetics and quality available. SimAngus add extra muscle, performance and carcass traits we need.”

“I recently sold our calves sired by your APEX SimAngus bulls, steers averaged 873 lbs. and heifers 823 lbs. If January/February born calves can go out November 10th with those weights, those are pretty good genetics.”

Glenn is one of our many repeat customers, of both bulls and females, a 2X National Western Angus judge and former manager of Hitch Feedlots. In 2020, Glenn bought our entire set of fall calving SimAngus bred heifers to add to his 300 head cow herd.

One of the great red SimAngus bulls, anywhere! For years we have searched for his kind and his progeny have proven that it was worth the wait. Excellent phenotype, structural correctness and EPD profile. His sons and daughters are easy to appreciate for their unique quality, data, and valuable genetic predictability. Unfortunately, we lost him, and those selling represent the last opportunity to own progeny by this great individual.

APEX LANDMARK WD39L

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #10 (tie) DOC, #1 YG & #3 REA EPDS! All Bulls Ranking: #1 YG & #4 REA EPDS! An impressive performance and carcass bull with stout data. His sire, Landmark, is the best Imperial son we could find in search of his calving ease, stayability, docility and carcass genetics. 7 EPDs in top 1-20% of the breed!

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #1 DOC & #9 REA

APEX LANDMARK AD451L

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #10 low adj. BW, #3 CE, #10 (tie) MCE, #3 STAY & #6 YG EPDS! All Bulls Ranking: #4 CE, #3 STAY & #10 YG EPDS! This stout, big topped and thick made individual was featured in much of our advertising. He is easy to like with his strong phenotype, modest birth weight plus calving ease, fertility, and carcass genetics. One of the better red bulls we’ve ever sold!

Leon Beckmann, NE

Your bulls have made our operation more profitable, and our cowherd better. The bulls plus their calves and daughters have excellent dispositions that we really appreciate. Without question, the best and easiest way to improve a herd is in buy buying good bulls like we’ve bought from APEX the past several years. We calve in April and May, and on December 2nd we sold calves with an average weight of 720 lbs!

APEX LANDMARK

APEX LANDMARK UF641L

An outstanding bull that is a maternal brother to one of the top selling heifers a couple years back, both from an elite producing, perfect uddered and voluminous, broody type dam. Since birth he has been a standout. Excellent data, genetic, and individuality combination!

REFERENCE SIRE ASA 3928828

Architect

His first sons where highlights of last year’s bull sale season topping yearlings in our sale at $17,000 and topping the TSN and Leachman of Colorado sales respectively. Only thing we would change is to have lots more of them! Correct structured, eye appealing, gentle natured and with excellent muscle definition. Going forward, expect to see a good number of his sons and daughters as our industry needs many more like them to cover all the bases. The importance of highly predicable calving ease and premium marbling genetics are vital to our business, and he excels in both!

APEX ARCHITECT GJ757L

APEX ARCHITECT

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #1 CE, #1 BW, #4 MCE & #3 MARB EPDS plus #3 API! All Bulls Ranking: #3 CE, #1 BW & #8 MARB EPDS plus #10 API! An impressive Architect son with top calving ease, maternal and carcass genetics, a definite credit to his grandsires: Home Town, Beacon and Proclamation, the decades most dominate sires in the Angus and Simmental breeds!

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #7 BW, #6 MCE, #5 MILK & #4 MARB EPDS plus #6 API & #6 TI! All Bulls Ranking: #7 CE & #9 MARB EPDS! Combining the elite genetics of the paternal grandsire, GAR Home Town and Cowboy Cut plus maternal grand sires, GAR Sure Fire and Proclamation, he comes by his premier genetic profile with certain credibility. 11 EPDS and INDEXES in top 5-25%!

APEX ARCHITECT GJ155L

ARCHITECT GJ154L

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #10 BW, #9 MILK & #2 MARB EPDS plus #7 TI! All Bulls Ranking: #5 MARB EPD! Excellent arithmetic and genetics! Dam is full sister to the $30,000 2024 sale top seller, and he is a paternal brother to the $17,000 featured yearling of last year.. Superior cow family noted for extra volume, good udders, frame moderation and fleshing ability!

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #1 MARB EPD plus #4 TI! All Bulls Ranking: #1

FOCR Powerderhorn H02 - sire of Lot 59

Trait Master H036

APEX JRH TRAIT MASTER EG375L

Two-Year

calving ease bull that is sure to have a host of friends come sale day. We have dedicated lots of our breeding decisions to combine good calving ease and it shows through the catalog, but when an individual has these kinds of rankings, pay attention.

APEX SOVEREIGN DG106L

Fusion sons have been very popular with our customers as they are thick, have excellent calving ease, good structure, and appealing carcass trait advantages. His dam is a true beauty being feminine, excellent uddered, fertile, and especially easy to look at. In many programs, she would be the top donor. His dam is a maternal sister to the popular lot 3 bull selling!

Data Point

APEX DIVIDEND SB167L

APEX GRAND DRIVE BE498L

Two-Year Old Bull Ranking: #10 (tie) YG EPD! A higher growth bull that will sire a good set of attractive, thick ended calves that will be the market topping kind. Dam raised him when she was nine years old, and a very consistent producer over her lifetime.

A paternal grandson of the prepotent GAR Drive that is highly respected for his excellent calving ease, performance, and marbling genetics. Big topped, stout structured and built well to cover lots of cows! Dam is granddaughter of the popular Pilgrim sire.

Wanted to let you know how the last two bulls we bought have done. They covered the females good and have really developed out nice. The best part is their calves, they came easy and have most impressive performance. We’ve bought your bulls before and they did good for us, but this pair is even better. We watch numbers as well as quality, and they for sure help us in knowing which bulls to select.

APEX RESERVE B473M

APEX RESERVE UD55M

Yearling Bull Ranking: #10 (tie) WW EPD! His picture shows him just like he is being thick from end to end, soft made, deep ribbed and loaded up on quality. Dam is the best Angus cow on the ranch! He will sire extra high-quality offspring with added performance, structural correctness, and eye appeal. Females will be extra valuable based on our Reserve daughters, and from this bull’s dam!

We take calves all the way to finish and raise our own replacements. It is not easy to find bulls to meet these needs, we need to buy genetics. We rely heavily on EPDs and deep, known pedigrees in our selection process. APEX Cattle offers consistent quality across several sire groups allowing us to find uniform bulls that will sire calves that are born easy, grow well, cut well, grade well, make outstanding replacements, and look good doing it. Dan is really good at turning generations so we can buy year after year and still avoid inbreeding.

APEX JUSTICE CG722M

Yearling Bull Ranking: #6

All Bulls Ranking: #8

#5 YW, #4 MARB & #6 REA

plus # 3

& #3 TI! A tremendous herd sire candidate with impressive data combined with stoutness and structural integrity, and backed up by a superb dam that is a maternal sister to a $14,000 bred heifer we sold! 9 EPDS and INDEXES in the elite top 1-5%!

APEX JUSTICE WD172M

APEX JUSTICE

Yearling Bull Ranking: #3 MCE, #1 MILK, #2 MWW & #10 MARB EPDS plus #9 TI! All Bulls Ranking: #3 MCE & #1 MILK EPDS! He will be the ‘must own’ future ‘big time’ herd bull of many for his obvious superior physicality and his valuable ‘top tier’ impacting EPD profile. Important to note, his amazing dam would be considered the top Cowboy Cut daughter in the herd, powerful and productive from every description possible. 11 EPDS and INDEXES in the top 3-20%!

APEX JUSTICE XG809M

Yearling Bull Ranking: #4 MILK EPD! All Bulls Ranking: 4 MILK EPD! A stemwinder of a bull that combines the highly predictable Justice and Proclamation reputable genetics. His dam would be ranked at the very front of the Proclamation daughters being deep ribbed, great uddered and impressive in her kind stemming from the great ‘809’ cow family. 6 EPDS and INDEXES in the top 5-15% of the breed!

APEX JUSTICE GK172M

WE172G

Yearling Bull Ranking: #2 WW, #2 YW, #9 MILK, #1 MWW & #4 MARB

plus #2 API and #1 TI! All Bulls Ranking: #4 WW, #3 YW, #10

& #1 MWW

plus #2 API & #1 TI! ‘One of a kind’ would best describe this ‘special’ purebred, awesome in his phenotype that equally matches his data set. The matriarch of his highly valuable cow family was a prolific HARB Pendleton 765 Angus cow. 7 EPDS and INDEXES in the elite top 1-2% breed ranking!

HOOK`S GALILEO 210G

HA JUSTICE 30J

DACIA 14D

PROCLAMATION E202

APEX KARISSA YE448H

KARISSA WY448E

Yearling Bull Ranking: #5 MILK, #8 MWW, #3 YG, #8 MARB &#9 REA EPDS plus #5 API & #4 TI! All Bulls Ranking: #5 MILK, #10 (tie)

plus #6 API & #5 TI! Another of the highly predicable Justice x Proclamation son that has ‘big time’ herd bull written all over him. He presents excellence in his EPD values throughout the entire table. 7 EPDS and INDEXES in the top 1-15%

APEX JUSTICE GJ920M

Yearling Bull Ranking: #10 MWW & #10 (tie) YG EPDS plus #5 TI! All Bulls Ranking: #6 TI! A higher performing yearling that demonstrates excellent balance among his performance, maternal and carcass EPD trait values which is not easy to achieve. Dam is awesome three-year-old of donor caliber quality. Highly recommended individual! 9 EPDS and INDEXES in top 2-10% breed ranking!

APEX JR JUSTICE FK457M

Rich & Jeff Horton, South Dakota

Yearling Bull Ranking: : #9 YW & #6 DOC EPDS! All Bulls Ranking: #8 DOC EPD! Product of a two-year-old

We have used SimAngus™ bulls in our program for over 40 years. For a number of years, APEX Cattle has been a source because they have a balanced approach to EPDS, high quality and consistently have excellent feet/ legs plus good dispositions. Strong maternal genetics and moderate frame size is also emphasized in our bull selection.

APEX JUSTICE AE62M

Yearling Bull Ranking: #1 WW, #3 YW, #9 MWW & #6 YG

One of the top sires for the best of all traits in the breed! His progeny have tremendous eye appeal, excellent feet and legs, a wealth of natural muscle and impressive data. Progeny have been popular sale features, and his daughters are making excellent cows. Highly recommend his sons for calving ease, to add maternal value, performance, and excellent carcass traits.

APEX RESOURCE BF502M

11 EPDS in top 25% of the breed demonstrates his astute genetic value. A purebred that the good stockmen will all find and appreciate. Particularly strong cow family noted for having extra volume and depth descends to the prepotent DUFF New Look Angus sire! He presents new genetics for our many past bull customers in a wellbalanced, predictable EPD profile package.

APEX RESOURCE AG920M

Yearling Bull Ranking: #7 YW & #2 REA EPDS! All Bulls Ranking: #8 YW & #5 REA EPDS! Unquestionably, one of the sale’s premier herd sire prospects! From birth he always had that unique presence about him, now maturing into one of the bestlooking yearlings in the sale offering. Appreciate his top 1% ADG and REA EPDS, stout performance and carcass values coupled with double digit calving ease. 12 EPDS and INDEXES in top1-15% breed ranking!

APEX RESOURCE

This sire’s progeny have topped sales across the US, and for a host of reasons. Their data is most impressive, calves ease is good, growth is exceptional, and the daughters are beauties. We utilized him in our program to introduce outcross genetics while being able to propagate the similar data and phenotype of which we are fully committed. The results have been excellent as is featured in the several yearling bull and open heifer lots selling.

APEX ESSENTIAL EG627M

Yearling Bull Ranking: #8 MILK & #3 STAY EPDS! All Bulls Ranking: #9 MILK & #7 STAY EPDS! An outstanding yearling, and from the very best Rembrandt daughter in our program. One of the best ‘across the board’ EPD profiled bulls in the entire sale that is double digit calving and with negative birth weight values. We predict him to be a very prepotent sire of highly economical traits. 15 EPDS and INDEXES in top 1-30% of the breed!

APEX KZ ESSENTIAL BK716M

Sire Dam

Yearling Bull Ranking: #5 BW EPD! All Bulls Ranking: #10 (tie) BW EPD! Here is a calving ease prospect with the look and power you expect from only a highperformance bull. His dam was purchased as bred heifer in last year’s sale by neighbor, Keith Zimmerman who often helps us with larger ranch projects and sale preparations. We featured bull in all our advertising as he is flawless in his design, eye appealing and stout! 13 EPDS and INDEXES in top 3-30!

10 EPDS and INDEXES in top 10-30% of breed! He is a maternal brother to top two-year-old in last year’s sale, both being from a deep, heavy milking dam. He is the kind that will sire market topping feeder cattle and the best of replacement heifers! Expect an advantage in performance, natural thickness and eye appeal from his progeny.

APEX ESSENTIAL TF202M

Yearling Bull Ranking: #3 MILK, #7 MWW, #10 (tie)

APEX COVENANT AG910M

Yearling Bull Ranking: #4 BW EPD! Dam is incredible

Proclamation daughter, who’s first bull calf topped a previous sale. Truly a ‘very special’ purebred herd sire prospect exhibiting tremendous power, structural correctness and a great disposition that are all typical traits of the Covenant progeny. Add him to the short, short bull buying list if you if you are serious, and particular! 11 EPDS and INDEXES in top 4-30%!

Covenant HA 30K

ASA 4040505

REFERENCE SIRE

A remarkable sire that will make a huge impact within our program, and the entire breed as well. Proven excellent for calving ease as we bred him to a number of heifers. Performance has been impressive as his progeny develop displaying extra volume, total body mass and good natural thickness. Covenant’s feet and legs are perfect which is another important trait of our program. His first sons sell providing those at ringside a valuable opportunity.

APEX COVENANT GK122M

Yearling Bull Ranking: #10 (tie) WW & #10 (tie) YG EPDS plus #6 TI! All Bulls Ranking: #8 TI! This purebred Covenant x Eagle son will be on the short list of many! He exhibits excellent performance, natural thickness and is good from the ground up. Dam would be one of the better Eagle daughters earning her way to our front pasture. 9 EPDS and INDEXES in top 5-15% breed ranking!

Yearling Bull Ranking: #6

APEX COVENANT EH172M

APEX COVENANT

Yearling Bull Ranking: #10 low adj. BW, #7 CE, #10 STAY & #4 YG EPD! All Bulls Ranking: #7 YG EPD! One of many calving ease bulls to sell. This purebred Covenant x Proclamation herd sire candidate will ensure calving ease, docility, and excellent carcass value to his progeny. His ‘172’ cow family represented is amongst our finest! 7 EPDS and INDEXES in the elite top 4-10% breed ranking!

Yearling Bull Ranking: #6 CE EPD! A top calving ease prospect that will also sire very good females! In our bull offering in general, and as vital component of our program commitment, calving ease is an all-important priority! Throughout the sale offering you will note the many descendants the ‘809’ cow family, one of our most valued. 5 EPDS in the top 10-25% breed ranking!

APEX JOHNNY WALKER TBE920M

Maternal brother to the lot 25 two-year-old bull selling. For exceptional performance, daughters that will make good cows with extra longevity and more muscle, add him to the short list. His calves will have a ton of performance, be excelling in their thickness and will have market topping quality. 6 EPDS in the top 10% breed ranking!

APEX JOHNNY WALKER GJ757M

Yearling Bull Ranking: #4 STAY EPD! All Bulls Ranking: #8 STAY EPD! This mating will ensure long lasting, highly productive females that will be fertile and good uddered. A cowherd can be built from this Johnny Walker x Proclamation bull’s daughters, while selling front-end feeders with extra pay weight and profit. 8 EPDS and INDEXES in top 2-20% breed ranking!

The bull I purchased last year is outstanding and held up well out breeding 2nd and 3rd calf cows, especially considering how dry we were during the summer. He is great dispositioned. I must say, your bulls were the best set I have ever walked through.” The picture included with this text was taken in July, he sure has turned out good! Make sure to send me a catalog.

APEX JR JOHNNY WALKER TF934M

Yearling Bull Ranking: #6 low adj. BW & #7 WW EPD! An outstanding individual in phenotype and genetics, and a maternal brother to a former sale topper selling to a repeat customer. Starting with a modest birth weight and weighing like lead at weaning time. His calves will have his extra quality, performance and good structure, the kind that top markets everywhere. 11 EPDS & INDEXES in the top 3-30% breed ranking!

APEX JOHNNY WALKER AH445M

Yearling Bull Ranking: #9 MCE & #2 STAY EPDS! All Bulls Ranking: #10

1-30% breed ranking!

APEX JOHNNY WALKER CH920M

6 EPDS in top 15-25%

Yearling Bull Ranking: #4

Dan, we buy Simmental cross feeder cattle, last year Seward Cattle bought about 23,000 head from 400 # to 750#. We prefer to buy whole herds because it is the only way we can help cow calf producers with their program, to get better. Might note, we have been buying your bulls over the past ten or more-years, last year I know we got two good yearlings. Your cattle work, and so does the SimAngus cattle in our feedlot. Send your bulls buyers our way as we want their calves.

Bold Ruler

One of the top breeding sons of our Proclamation sire. He has demonstrated excellent calving ease, and his progeny exhibit impressive growth, thickness, eye appeal and have excellent EPD profiles. His dam is one of the highest income generators in the Simmental breed being bred to a number of sires annually via ET and IVF. The sons selling exhibit similar phenotypic traits as their prepotent sire in the complementary matings we made to him.

APEX BOLD RULER CK765M

Yearling Bull Ranking: #3 CE, #2 BW & #6 MCE EPDS! Dam is one of our better twoyear-old heifers that did an excellent job raising her first calf. Highly recommended for ‘sleep all night’ calving ease, knowing that the resultant progeny will have extra value and quality. All Bulls Ranking: #8 CE, #6 BW & #8 MCE EPDS! 6 EPDS in top 10-15% breed ranking!

Yearling Bull Ranking: #1 BW EPD! All Bulls Ranking:

is easy on the eyes with his extra volume,

and total

mass plus his excellent structure. Dam is extraordinary Cowboy Cut daughter that would fit in everyone’s

Global KBHR J138

This flush mate to Bold Ruler is another of the great Proclamation sons demonstrating excellent prepotency in siring progeny that have been in strong demand. Excellent for calving ease and adding eye appeal, thickness, and good structure. Every great sire is replaced by a better son, and it is a toss up at this point if Global, Genesis or Bold Ruler will be the one to replace our legendary Proclamation. The Global calves selling show lots of promise in their development and quality expression.

APEX GLOBAL GK814M

8 EPDS and INDEXES in the top 10-15% of the breed! A herd sire prospect that combines phenotype and arithmetic extremely well. His two-year-old dam is one of our very best Eagle daughters. Recommended for calving ease, a common trait of his sire and both grand sires. His presents a lot of profit opportunity from his attractive, good performing calves.

Clark and Seth Andrews, NE

We have been buyer 2-3 bulls a year for at least five years, and we like them, and the calves they are siring. The quality offered is good, and we especially like the performance and carcass traits you have bred into your bulls. We feed out all of our cattle, so performance and closeouts are important. Might add, we have been retaining replacement heifers sired by your bulls, and we can see our cowherd is getting better. We are more than happy. Thanks for adjusting out with the bull that got snake bit, most appreciated.

APEX GLOBAL BG447M

APEX GLOBAL

E202

MYLADY T930F

060C

8 EPDS in the top 15-30% breed ranking! A pictured bull in our sale’s advertising that displays an abundance of quality, structural integrity, balance, thickness, and fleshing ability. A favorite since birth and certain to be on the short list of many serious bull buyers! Dam is picturesque, bountiful Dividend daughter that has maternal sister featured in the bred heifers selling as lot 169.

Yearling Bull Ranking: #9 low adj. BW! A standout bull in the sale offering for his impressive phenotype, structural build, muscle expression and eye appeal. His perfect uddered dam raised the top selling bred heifer in a previous sale. The good stockmen will all find this unique one…guaranteed! He can make a huge impact the bottom-line with the good one’s he will sire. 7 EPDS in the top 30% breed ranking!

ASA 3603651

REFERENCE SIRE

Proclamation’s highest performance son that ranks in the elite top 1% for WW, YW, CW and MARB EPDS and top 1% TI! Sons and daughters have been featured in many sales creating considerable interest from both commercial and seedstock producers. His sons are impressive, powerful in their overall makeup, sound structured and with large scrotal development. Several of his best sell here.

APEX GENESIS EG172M

Yearling Bull Ranking: #7 MARB EPD! Sired by this premier growth bull in the breed, Genesis, a prepotent son of our great Proclamation sire. Appreciate his particularly impressive carcass EPD values. This bull will sire calves with excellent pay weights, lots of quality and eye appeal plus daughters that will develop into excellent cows, as is his dam and maternal grand dam! 8 EPDS and INDEXES in top 4-25% ranking!

APEX JR GENESIS CJ930M

APEX GENESIS ZG89M

Yearling Bull Ranking: #4 low adj. BW! All Bulls Ranking: #8 low adj. BW! A feature among features is this exciting Genesis x Bankroll x Cowboy Cut son that was pictured in every sale ad this year. They don’t come much better phenotypically with his impressive eye appeal, balance, muscle expression and structural correctness. Visualize just how much your calves will be worth being sired by a bull of this caliber. 8 EPDS and INDEXES in top 5-25% breed ranking!

APEX GENESIS G20M

Yearling Bull Ranking: #1

EPDS! A favorite for his kind, genetics, and data! This Proclamation son is a top herd sire prospect, and a paternal brother to the great Genesis, Bold Ruler and Global prominent sires and many of our best APEX females. A beef type, good, structured bull with extra body, power, and eye appeal. 9 EPDS and INDEXES in top 4-30% breed ranking!

Homesteader TSN

REFERENCE SIRE

This GAR Home Town son has shown extraordinary prepotency in his first calf crop. We highly appreciate the extra body, total body mass and structure along with evidence of performance that he puts into his progeny. We expected great things from him, and he has done that and lots more…proving his prepotency. His sons will be on the short list of many and the daughters in our replacement pen are awesome! His first sons sell, and they are incredibly good!

APEX KZ HOMESTEADER HK498M

Yearling Bull Ranking: : #10 BW EPD plus #8 API & #10 (tie) TI! He is from a top two-year-old heifer that local cattleman, Keith Zimmerman, bought in our bred heifer sale last year. His return on investment will be very good as this bull, by the prepotent Homesteader, deserves to be on the short list of many. He’s a good one…thick and packed with performance. 10 EPDS and INDEXES in top 3-25% breed ranking!

APEX HOMESTEADER DK502M

10 EPDS and INDEXES in top 10-25% of the breed! Here is a calving ease bull with top 10% WW & YW EPDS who’s high REA and terminal index which translates into more live calves and heavier to sell that will be carcass grid positive. Appreciate his massive body shape, fleshing ability, natural thickness, and easy-going attitude. Dam is a Proclamation sired two-year-old from the same cow family as the great lot 3 two-year-old bull selling!

APEX HOMESTEADER DK812M

Sire

Yearling Bull Ranking: #3 WW, #1 YW, #2 YG & #1 REA EPDS plus #10 (tie) TI All Bulls Ranking: #5 WW, #1 YW, #5 YG & #1 REA EPDS! For certain, one of the sale’s premier performance and carcass trait prospects…top 1% YW, ADG, CW and REA with double digit CE!!! Individually, he would be ranking with the best of the sale for his thickness, total body mass, eye appeal and structure. 9 EPDS in elite top 1-10% breed ranking!

APEX ARCHITECT HK229M

TSN ARCHITECT J618 APEX MARTI DH229K G A R HOME TOWN TSN MISS COWBOY D350 JC KING OF THE ROAD 468H APEX MARTI MD229H

Yearling Bull Ranking: #8 BW, #1 DOC & #2 MARB EPDS plus #9 API & #7 TI!

TSN and our APEX sale. A highly predictable calving ease sire that checks all the boxes for his appealing phenotype and data. 5 EPDS in elite top 2-10% breed ranking!

Equation

ASA 4027303

REFERENCE SIRE

An extraordinary, high quality sire that is right on the money for calving ease, marbling and his top 1% All Purpose and Terminal Indexes. He has a valuable outcross pedigree, an abundance of quality, great structure, super attitude, and is especially sound structured from the ground on up starting with his good feet. We will have many more by him next year, so watch for great things to come!

APEX KINGS ROAD 1ZBG400L

Yearling Bull Ranking: #3 low adj. BW! All Bulls Ranking: #7 low adj. BW! A calving ease King of the Road son that is from the same Hoover Dam cow family as the lot 3 sale featured two-year-old, a maternal siter to this bull’s mother. His dam is a beauty being deep ribbed, perfect uddered, easy fleshing and with abundant eye appeal. Built correct from the ground up displaying excellent balance, structure, and quality.

APEX JR KINGS ROAD DF928M

Yearling Bull Ranking: #8 DOC EPD! The only Equation son in the sale, but next year we will have a bunch. His calves are loaded up on quality, attractive, structurally very good and gentle dispositioned. Dam is excellent two-year-old Proclamation daughter of the featured fall cow selling as lot 259. New outcross genetics for many in this impressive yearling! 5 EPDS in top 5-10% of the breed!

New Era

New Ear is one of he most intriguing Guardian sons in the breed! A tremendous individual with superb phenotype, eye appeal and excellent performance with top STAY and MARB EPDS combined and elite top percentile All Purpose and Terminal Indexes. Next year’s sale will have more of his goods sons and daughters selling, and will be exciting!

APEX NEW ERA CH502M

Yearling Bull Ranking: #7 BW & #5 STAY EPDS! All Bulls Ranking: #9 STAY EPD! For calving ease and females that will be fertile and productive over a longer timeline, ad him to the list. The only New Era bull selling this year, but an opportunity to add excellent genetics and quality. Dan is broody, sweet uddered matron from our productive ‘502 Ginger’ cow family. Daughters will be good!

This year’s bred heifer offering is represented by a tremendous assembly of the best females we’ve ever sold!

Keith Zimmerman, a young and sharp local cattleman who does occasional day work for us purchased five bred heifers in 2024 sale. Pictured is one of the resulting four bulls they produced, how’s he for a return on the investment? He demonstrates the potential profitability that can be generated, in just the first calf!

Their quality, maternal genetics and EPD profiles present a most predictable future of earning power. These bulls are the results of bred heifer purchases from APEX Cattle!

His dam was selected from our 2022 bred heifer sale offering by Jody Hazen, our foreman, as his first APEX bred heifer, and since purchased others in build his and Roberta’s herd (JR prefix in name). This exceptional individual is one of the sale’s features, and an example of the earning power our bred heifers can offer.

• Whether searching out females to simply improve your herd, or with an immediate goal to raise your own herd bulls and your best-ever replacement heifers, or to permit us to help you develop and market your bulls as we’ve done with Keith and Jody…the opportunity is huge!

• This same message goes with the Fall Pairs and Open Heifers as we want our customers to prosper. There has never been a better time to own quality females with strong inherited predictability…than now!!

• At no time in the cattle business has it been more profitable to own cattle, and at no time has it been more important to own genetically superior, quality females that can generate premium returns!

APEX RACHEL EH172L

APEX SAVANNAH DH448L

APEX EMILEE XD930L

APEX GOLDIE EJ62L

APEX CHARISMA TG928L

APEX GLENDA AD106L

APEX JEWEL SE87L

APEX KARMEL YF451L

APEX TESS RBF154L

APEX CECELIA FJ102L

APEX KASIDI CE45L

APEX SASSIE EH39L

APEX TESS RW154L

APEX BAILEY CF17L

APEX PRINCESS XG757L

APEX MS CASH AC758L

APEX ANGEL GJ122L

APEX ELBA B447L

APEX BRANDY GJ921L

APEX MEGAN AJ390L

APEX CHERI E773L

APEX TESS

APEX SUNSET XG236L

APEX NATASHIA TD910L

APEX KAREN

APEX LIBBY C765L

APEX TESS EG154L

APEX EVE TF202L

APEX SWEAT PEA ZE627L

APEX SHANNELL DG927L

APEX RANDI BH498L

APEX KARMEL DF451L

APEX RYTHUM BE884L

APEX SASSIE CE39L

APEX STELLA ZD2157L

APEX APRYL

APEX EMERY

BENEFITS OF SIMANGUS FEMALES

C apitalizing on HETEROSIS by crossbreeding is a very valuable tool in beef cattle production. Probably the most significant, long-term study of HETEROSIS was conducted by the conducted by the USDA Meat Animal Research Center (MARC), right here in Nebraska.

The study concluded that 80 crossbred cows producing crossbred calves are as economical in life cycle production as 100 straight bred cows raising straight bred calves. This 20% added bonus in efficiency starts with increased fertility of the crossbred cows, which is followed by increased vigor and hardiness of the newborn calves.

Crossbred cows producing crossbred calves wean a higher percentage of calf crop…and the calves are heavier! This translates to an increased feedlot performance. And today, more than ever before, crossbred calves are in high demand by order buyers and feedlots searching out more profitability and healthier cattle.

Market demands and environmental challenges bring out the best in SimAngus cattle. They’re worth more, tough, and fertile!

The Simmental and Angus breeds make up the BEST GENETIC package in the business.

APEX ETHEL GJ2919L

APEX MAI DH236L

APEX VICKI UF461L

APEX PAMELA A2G38L

APEX SHANNELL BF927K

APEX GOLDIE AC64L

APEX PRINCESS WD761K

APEX STELLA

APEX KAREN WA502L

APEX CAMEO

APEX MABEL UD86L

APEX GOLDIE XC479L

Adaptability is important to

APEX ETHEL TB919L

APEX RACHEL

APEX STACY XA375L

APEX NATASHIA TE910L

APEX MARTI MD229L

APEX KINDRA BDF202L

APEX KARMELA EH833L

APEX SASSEE XD809L

APEX KARI AF39L

APEX SASSEE CJ809L

FOR COW/CALF

Magnifique

APEX DORA ND155G

Lot 256 is natural dam to this $30,000 top selling in our 2024 bull sale…APEX APPROVAL DG155K! She is a tremendous probable donor cow that has never been flushed. Two IVF flushes are reserved at the buyer’s convenience and seller’s expense. Note, embryo transplant has not been part of our program, but selling this female at such a young age will keep us from retaining her daughters, thus IVF is another option available to continue her valuable legacy.

APEX ERICA YB55J

APEX SASSEE

9/15/2024

HC by HA COVENANT 30K 258A

APEX GLITTER UA804G

APEX TAMARA XC929J

APEX TESS XB154E

APEX PLEASURE YA315H

The FALL PAIRS SELLING represent a TREMENDOUS EARNING POWER OPPORTUNITY!

3 and 1 Packages feature valuable caves at side by the prepotent HA Covenant 30K and LBRS Genesis G69 trait leader sires that will be future herd sires and top replacement females. Cows ‘all’ feature service of the popular HA Magnifique 72L boasting a 211 (top 1%) API!

New to our sale… SELLING OUR BEST OPEN HEIFERS in the following lots. Never before in five decades have we sold the top of our open heifers! They are phenotypically and genetically superstars! Their pictures, videos and pedigrees leave little need for footnotes on each.

APEX ERICA UH55M

APEX NATASHIA

APEX CAMEO WD814M

KBHR BOLD RULER H152

APEX GOLDIE CE62M

BRIDLE BIT RESOURCE G9117 APEX GOLDIE YC62E HOOK`S ENCORE 65E BRIDLE BIT MISS B452 CCR BOULDER 1339A

AMERICA’S ‘HETEROSIS HEADQUARTERS’

…LOCATED AT APEX CATTLE

Photos courtesy of APEX Cattle

2025 where nearly 300 head of SimAngus and

At 76 years of age, Dan Leo brings lots of background, experience and commitment to the beef industry. His understanding of heterosis is well founded and dates back to his youth, growing up in Iowa where he was surrounded by many purebred seedstock livestock operations representing different species, most of who’ve went by the wayside as trends and genetic changes came about. In contrast, two nearby firms, both within only 30 miles, have lasted over time being Pioneer Seed Corn and Hyline International (world’s largest poultry genetics source today) primarily because of heterosis and systematic crossbreeding developments.

Dan shares a bit breeding single breed vs crossbreeding history. “Until the late 80’s purebred swine breeders, representing numerous breeds dominated the pork landscape. In 1984 crossbreeding changed that industry forever because of what the packing industry demanded. Today purebred swine breeders are somewhat of a novelty in a business that is propelled by heterosis, crossbreeding and extensive genomic utilization. Imagine where we would be today without hybrid seed corn, soybeans, wheat, forages, hogs or poultry. and the extraordinary progress made through genomic progress. Heterosis is a common profit driver to everything in agriculture!”

ing different species, most of who’ve went by the wayside as trends and genetic changes came about. In contrast, two nearby firms, both within only 30 miles, have lasted over time being Pioneer Seed Corn and Hyline International (world’s largest poultry genetics source today) primarily because of heterosis and systematic crossbreeding developments.

and Hyline International, have since dominated the seed corn and poultry industries through heterosis and systematic crossbreeding.

opinion. Fact is, between 1974 and 1984 the swine industry changed forever going from 650,000 operations to less than 50,000 today. Like it or not, our beef cattle industry will be similarly challenged if we do not actively implement heterosis into our breed planning strategies.” he projects.

that era. Understanding the value of outcross genetics, he searched out and brought the ‘first’ Line 1’s to Nebraska. The popular progeny were sold in the ‘first’ ever yearling Hereford bull sale ever held in the state. As times dictated changes, so did Dan’s direction in breeding cattle as his full commitment to heterosis was 100% in the years following at the families APEX Cattle operation located near Dannebrog, Nebraska.

In comparison, the beef industry has been the slowest to adapt to the benefits of heterosis of which much Dan believes can be attributed tradition. “At APEX Cattle, we breed cattle that have true heterosis, combining the best of the complimentary Simmental and Angus breeds to enable more predictability, profitability, and sustainability for us and our customers. If, and when, the beef industry pivots largely to more composite genetics driven by heterosis and increased profit opportunity, is anyone’s

In comparison, the beef industry has been the slowest to adapt to the benefits of heterosis of which most Dan believes can be attributed tradition. “At APEX Cattle, we breed cattle that have true heterosis, combining the best of the complimentary Simmental and Angus breeds to enable more predictability, profitability, and sustainability for us and our customers. If, and when, the beef industry pivots largely to more composite genetics driven by heterosis and increased profit opportunity, is anyone’s opinion. Fact is, between 1974 and 1984 the swine industry changed forever…going from 650,000 operations to less than 50,000 today. Like it or not, our beef cattle industry will be similarly challenged if we do not actively implement heterosis into our breed planning strategies.” he projects.

Searching out the best genetics of various breed combinations has led him fully committed to the SimAngus cattle. Both breeds excel in complimentary traits, and combining the best of both Angus and Simmental genetics is the foundation for his APEX Cattle program. Over the course of time, he has never wavered on his commitment to quality, structure, performance, temperament, and strong maternal traits.

Today, heterosis predictability is well proven and driven by DNA. “Every herd sire, all females and their progeny have genomically enhanced EPDs and are parentage verified. With complete confidence, it permits us to make the precise breeding decisions, and our customers to be fully informed of the genetic potential of seedstock they purchase,” Leo said.

In his early years back in the early 70’s after moving to Nebraska, Dan bred purebred Herefords, a breed that dominated the landscape during

headquarters. Dan says, “The vast majority of our bull buyers have Angus cowherds, and they realize the many advantages that heterosis contributes from using our SimAngus and Simmental bulls. Heterosis is free, it is gained by simply making the ‘right’ genetic decision.” Dan recognizes that he could not do it alone and realizes that good help is necessary, and most appreciated. At his age, he still AI’s most all females himself, except for larger synchronized groups of heifers and cows, night checks, and enjoys the marketing aspects

times dictated changes, so did Dan’s direction in breeding cattle as his full commitment to heterosis was 100% in the years following at the families APEX Cattle operation located near Dannebrog, Nebraska. In the early 80’s Dan dispersed his Herefords and has never looked back. Searching out the best genetics of various breed combinations has led him fully committed to the Si-

In the early 80’s Dan dispersed his Herefords and has never looked back. Searching out the best genetics of various breed combinations has led him fully committed to the Si-

The contributing value of heterosis is well documented today with decades of research at the Meat Animal Research Center and various universities. “They’ve proven the added efficiency gained contributes significantly to increased profitability, performance and better producing females that last longer than

In his early years back in the early 70’s after moving to Nebraska, Dan bred purebred Herefords, a breed that dominated the landscape during

mAngus cattle. Both breeds excel in complimentary traits, and combining the best of both Angus and Simmental genetics is the foundation for his APEX Cattle program. Over the course of time, he has never waivered on his commitment to quality, structure, performance, temperament, and strong maternal traits. He recalls, “We’ve been blessed to have dominated the coveted Midland Bull Test performance and sire groups, shown multiple Denver pen bull champions plus national bull and female champions, but that

plus summer haying projects. His experienced foreman Jody Hazen is instrumental in running the day-to-day operation. Hazen and his wife Roberta have purchased a group of APEX females with a goal to carry the operation and its solid reputation into the future. He also relies on Jacob Yoder, a local Amish teenager for feeding, haying and maintenance along with other talented day workers for larger cattle projects.

He credits his wife, Shirley, for her unwavering support over the 57 years of their marriage. They are devoted to Christianity, the cattle business, and trying their best to do what is right along this path of life.

*continued on page 48

Find out more about how this dedicated operation can boost your bottom-line profitability at APEXCattle.com

Dan Leo (right) with past repeat bull and female cus-

Dan Leo (right) with past repeat bull and female customer, Glenn Cantrell from Oklahoma

DELIVERY

Leave the trucking up to us!

APEX Cattle bulls, females and semen are sold throughout the US. Delivery of cattle purchases can be reasonable, and efficient …and we do the best to accommodate both.

Bulls are delivered FREE to central points in Nebraska and the adjoining states within 500 miles. Outside this area, we customarily get cattle delivered at reasonable prices of $150-$250 with a guaranteed maximum of $500 to central drop points, determined by load routes, using our many industry commercial trucking contacts. Annually we send cattle to virtually all regions throughout the US at affordable prices. Guarantee maximum is only applicable if trucking is arranged by APEX Cattle. All bulls that are hauled sale day receive a $50 per lot discount.

We recommend that bred heifers are transported as soon as possible, and we will make it a priority to assist buyers in arranging trucking as needed.

Dannebrog, NE 68831