TEXAS LONGHORN TRAILS
FEBRUARY 2019
TEXAS LONGHORN TRAILS
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26 | December 2018
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Alaska
17 13 18
2 3
16
14 15 NORTH WEST
Hawaii
9
8
CENTRAL
EAST
12
6
5
7
10
SOUTH
4
11
SOUTHEAST
TLBAA Regions
DIVISION A ~ REGIONS 1-6
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
1
Canada, New Zealand, Australia
Chairman of the Board: Tom Matott • (303) 500-9465
Secretary/Parliamentarian: Chad Smith • (701) 764-6277
Executive Vice Chairman: Ken Morris • (704) 361-6035
Treasurer: Mark Hubbell • (269) 838-3083
1st Vice Chairman: Tony Mangold • (830) 237-5024
Director: Alex Dees • (805) 300-4617
2nd Vice Chairman: Stephen Head • (979) 549-5270
Director: Chris Herron • (909) 721-7577
DIVISION B ~ REGIONS 7-12
DIVISION C ~ REGIONS 13-18
At-Large Director
At-Large Director
At-Large Director
Mark Hubbell
Keith DuBose
Jim Rombeck
(269) 838-3083 hubbelllonghorns@aol.com
(979) 277-2161 kwdubose@gmail.com
(785) 562-6665 jl.rombeck60@gmail.com
At-Large Director
At-Large Director
At-Large Director
Ken Morris
John Parmley
Tom Matott
(704) 361-6035 khaoslonghorns@gmail.com
(281) 541-1201 john@jspservicesinc.com
(303) 500-9465 tom@rockymountainlonghorns.com
Region 1 - Director
Region 7 - Director
Region 13 - Director
Jeff Jespersen
David Wars
Chad Smith
(780) 966-3320 jeffj91@hotmail.com
(936) 404-2116 w5longhorns@yahoo.com
(701) 764-6277 smithlonghorns@hotmail.com
Region 2 - Director
Region 8 - Director
Region 14 - Director
Nelson Hearn
Kevin Rooker
Brian Varner
(484) 638-0228 nel_tam_hearn@yahoo.com
(817) 692-7843 krooker@centurylink.net
(785) 224-1005 longhorncreek@yahoo.com
Region 3 - Director
Region 9 - Director
Region 15 Director
Tom Smith
Russell Fairchild
David Edwards
(616) 293-0977 tom@widespreadranch.com
(254) 485-3434 fairchildranch@yahoo.com
(918) 557-0364 dledwards.texaslonghorncattle@gmail.com
Region 4 - Director
Region 10 - Director
Region 16 - Director
Aaron Adkins
(704) 490-9208 doublealonghorns@gmail.com
Sandi Nordhausen
(512) 750-1350 sandi.nordhausen@gmail.com
Kenny Richardson
Region 5 - Director
Region 11 - Director
Region 17 - Director
Terry King
Stephen Head
(970) 352-3054 krichardson21@aol.com
Alex Dees
(850) 299-6875 tklonghorns@centurylink.net
(979) 549-5270 headshorns@hotmail.com
(805) 300-4617 atdees@aol.com
Region 6 - Director
Region 12 - Director
Region 18 - Director
Kathy Kittler
Tony Mangold
Chris Herron
(501) 690-0771 k.kittler@hotmail.com Charles Schreiner III* 1964-1967 Walter G. Riedel, Jr.* 1967-1969 J.G. Phillips, Jr.* 1969-1971 Walter B. Scott* 1971-1973 James Warren 1973-1975 J.W. Isaacs* 1975-1977 J.T. “Happy” Shahan* 1977-1978 John R. Ball* 1979-1980
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Bill Anthony* 1981-1982 Dr. L.V. Baker 1982-1984 Dr. W.D. “Bill” Clark 1984-1986 Richard D. Carlson 1986-1988 John T. Baker 1988-1990 Riemer Calhoun, Jr. 1990-1992
(830) 237-5024 tmangold@sbcglobal.net
Glen W. Lewis 1992-1995 Tim Miller* 1995-1998 Sherman Boyles 1998-2003 Bob Moore* 2003-2005 Joel Lemley 2006-2007 Ben Gravett* 2007
Dr. Fritz Moeller* 2007-2009 Maurice Ladnier 2009-2010 Robert Richey 2010 Steven Zunker 2010-2011 Brent Bolen 2011-2012 Bernard Lankford 2012-2013 Todd McKnight 2013-2016
TEXAS LONGHORN TRAILS
(909) 721-7577 chris@herronconstructioninc.com
TLBAA EDUCATIONAL/RESEARCH ADVISORY COMMITTEE Matt McGuire - (405) 742-4351 semkinlonghorns@mindspring.com Mark Hubbell – (269) 838-3083 hubbelllonghorns@aol.com Dr. David Hillis – (512) 789-6659 doublehelix@att.net Felix Serna – (361) 294-5331 fserna@elcoyote.com John T. Baker – (512) 515-6730 jtb2@earthlink.net Russell Hooks – (409) 381-0616 russellh@longhornroundup.com
26 | December 2018
TEXAS LONGHORN TRAILS
COVER STORIES
2019 HERD SIRE EDITION FEBRUARY 2019 Vol. 30 • No. 11
DEPARTMENTS 2 Board Of Directors
10
Choose Carefully: Criteria for Selecting Your Herd Sire It’s a decision that will have a huge impact on your program. By Justin Rombeck
26
46
Winter Nutrition For Bulls
Conditioning through winter ensures a
better spring breeding season. By Heather Smith Thomas
The Benefits of Bull Alley A great opportunity to promote your bull in
a unique way.
Rules of the Road… to World Show
36 TLBT Page
38 In The Pen
40 Perception is Key In Marketing Put your best foot forward, always. By Myra Basham
24
Editor’s Note
34
FEATURES 18
6
Affiliate News
48
Producing Supplemental Income With F1’s Generate additional revenue with your registered Texas Longhorns in a different way.
News On The Trail
50 In Memoriam
32
Why Is There A Ring In His Nose? The purpose of a bull nose ring
55 Index/Just For Grins
34
What In The World? An overview of what the TLBAA World Show is.
56 Calendar
About the Cover: The 2018 TLBAA Horn Showcase People’s Choice Ultimate Bull, Rebel HR (WF Commando x HR Slam’s Rose), is proudly owned by Kent & Sandy Harrell of Harrell Ranch in Oklahoma. A complete package of proven genetics, splashy color, horn and conformation, Rebel is passing it all along to his offspring. For more information about the Harrell Ranch program turn to pg. 17 or visit www.harrellranch.com The Texas Longhorn Trails (ISSN-10988432, USPS 016469) is published monthly by the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America, 221 W. Exchange, Ste. 210, Fort Worth, TX 76164. Periodical Postage Paid at Fort Worth, TX. Subscription rates: $105 per year; foreign per year $180. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Texas Longhorn Trails, 221 W. Exchange, Ste. 210, Fort Worth, TX 76164. Phone (817) 625-6241. Fax (817) 625-1388. Advertisers and advertising agencies assume liability for all content of advertisements printed and also assume responsibility for any claims arising from such advertisements made against the publisher. Publisher reserves exclusive rights to accept or reject advertising or editorial material submitted for publication in the Texas Longhorn Trails magazine. Articles and photos from this publication may be reprinted only with permission of the publisher.
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EDITOR’S NOTES BEWARE OF TUNNEL VISION
Focus is good, but make sure you know what your focus should encompass. Take herd sires for example. There is much more to see than the specimen standing in front of you. Bad genetics can produce a goodlooking bull sometimes, and bulls that don’t look impressive can out-produce themselves magnificently. Learn what things you need to consider before taking the plunge and choosing your next herd sire by turning to page 10. This entire issue is full to the brim with beautiful bulls packed with genetics. The abundant supply of bulls can make things overwhelming at times. This is where you need to make sure your tunnel vision broadens enough to see pedigree, sire’s maternal line performance, his existing progeny performance and his overall soundness for breeding purposes. Widen your field of vision a bit more to consider your goals for your program, the cows you are using, the feasibility of housing a bull…the list goes on. Always educate yourself and reflect on where you are and where your want to go before buying, leasing or utilizing a bull for A.I. Another area many get trapped by tunnel vision is always trying to sell Longhorns in the registered seed stock market. In the process of raising animals and working towards that goal, you will produce some very good animals that just aren’t marketable for seed stock at the price you need. One option is to look at the feasibility of selling a crop or two of F1’s - offspring of two registered cattle breeds. You can enjoy your registered Longhorn herd while putting some money in the bank selling some F1’s through your local sale barn. Turn to pg. 24 for more explanation. The goal of this is to benefit from keeping your registered Texas Longhorns even if you don’t have top-of-the-current-market animals and you do not wish to process them and sell the beef. The beef community is well aware of the benefits of hybrid vigor, and when calves are born polled and solid colored, they sell at the local sale barn for better prices. You can also find commercial cattlemen willing to take a registered Longhorn bull off your hands for their first-calf heifers as well. There is a great importance to maintaining your registered Texas Longhorns. It is a breed that has a lot to offer in productivity, lean beef, nostalgia and pure enjoyment of a beautiful animals. As with all forms of agriculturally-based endeavors, sometimes one must diversify a bit and generate new revenue streams to improve and pursue the part of their operation they are most passionate about - improving their registered Texas Longhorn herd. Blessings,
DEADLINE: April 2019 Issue:
Myra Basham
Editor-in-Chief: Myra Basham Ext. 104 • myra@tlbaa.org trailseditor@tlbaa.org Advertising: Karen Price • (254) 223-4470 karen@tlbaa.org Graphic Design & Production: Trace Neal • Ext. 103 trace@tlbaa.org
Registrations/Office Manager Rick Fritsche • Ext. 101 rick@tlbaa.org Membership/Registrations Dana Coomer • Ext. 102 dana@tlbaa.org Administrative Assistant/DNA Specialist: Amelia Gritta • Ext. 100 amelia@tlbaa.org Special Events Pam Robison • Ext. 106 pam@tlbaa.org Accounting Theresa Jorgenson • Ext. 105 theresa@tlbaa.org
Myra Basham Editor-in-Chief
Printed in the U.S.A.
February 25th Longhorn Beef
6 | February 2019
(817) 625-6241 • (817) 625-1388 (FAX) P.O. Box 4430 • Fort Worth, TX 76164 trails@tlbaa.org • www.tlbaa.org
Member
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Frank Anderson Jr. and III 828 S. Rosemary Dr. • Bryan, TX 77802 (979) 846-8020 • (281) 501-2100 edie.wakefield@gmail.com
Beadle Land & Cattle Ray & Bonnie Beadle Los Gatos & Hollister, CA 95032 (408) 834-0110 Ray.Beadle@gapac.com
BPT Longhorns Ben & Phyllis Termin Weatherford, TX 817-374-2635 luvmylonghorns@gmail.com
Christa Cattle Co. Jason & Louis Christa 2577 FM 1107 • Stockdale, TX 78160 christacattleco@msn.com www.christacattleco.com (210) 232-1818
Dalgood Longhorns Malcolm & Connie Goodman 6260 Inwood Dr. • Houston, TX 77057 (713) 782-8422 dalgood@comcast.net www.dalgoodlonghorns.com
Jane’s Land & Cattle Co. John & Jane Thate 418 W. Margaret St. • Fairmont, MN 56031 (507) 235-3467
This space is available for your ranch listing! Call Karen Price: (254) 223-4470 or Karen@tlbaa.org
Butler Longhorn Museum (281) 332-1393 info@butlerlonghornmuseum.com www.butlerlonghornmuseum.com
Kaso, Lisa & Jake Kety Little Ace Cattle Co. P.O. Box 386 • Folsom, LA 70437 (985) 796-3918 ketyfolsom@aol.com
McLeod Ranch Michael, Jackie, Mike & Makayla McLeod 355 CR 3031 • Edna, TX 77957 (361) 782-0155
Brennan & Michele Potts Rocking P Longhorns P.O. Box 579 • Emory, TX 75440 (903) 473-2430 Cell: (903) 348-5400 www.rockingplonghorns.com bpotts1@verizon.net
Rio Vista Ranch Elmer & Susan Rosenberger 4818 Eck Lane • Austin, TX 78734 (512) 266-3250 Cell: (512) 422-8336 elmer@riovistaranch.com www.riovistaranch.com
Triple R Ranch Robert & Kim Richey 21000 Dry Creek Rd. • San Angelo, TX 76901 (325) 942-1198 r3ranch@aol.com www.butlertexaslonghorns.com
Westfarms Inc. Dale, Lynette, Leslie & Matt Westmoreland 13529 Hwy 450 • Franklinton, LA 70438 (985) 839-5713 Cell: (985) 515-3172 westfarmsinc@gmail.com
This space is available for your ranch listing! Call Karen Price: (254) 223-4470 or Karen@tlbaa.org
Butler Breeder’s Futurity James K. Turner (936) 689-1914 the5tcorp@yahoo.com www.butlertexaslonghorns.com
Breeding
CHOOSE CAREFULLY:
Photo courtesy of Deb Lesyk
For most breeders, almost 90% of the genetic makeup of their herd is comprised of genes from the sires used in the last three generations. It is a decision that merits careful consideration. What do you want from your herd sire? Do you just need a bull to cover cows and produce calves, or do you want to take your program to the next level? Buying a new herd bull is a decision that will have long-term effects on the profitability of your cowherd.
T
here are many facets to consider when evaluating a potential herd sire, ranging from genetics to physical characteristics, all related to the goals you have for your breeding program. Even the type of cows you will be breeding him to needs to be considered. While there is not one concrete set of criteria that fits every program, following are the general areas that one must thoughtfully consider before making a decision to utilize a herd sire, or even to purchase the semen of an A.I. sire.
PEDIGREE Part of what classifies a pedigree as “good” is what your objectives are. If you are linebreeding, you want to ensure that all the ancestors of your bull come from that family. On the other hand, if you are interested in breeding for overall quality, then outcrosses involving several families are likely to give you better results. Look at more than the bull’s sire to gauge potential performance. The maternal influence has just as much or more influence on the quality of the offspring. Sometimes, just genetics (Genotype) is not enough and the Phenotype (physical characteristics) of the bull may factor in to his suitability for your females.
CONFORMATION Barring physical defects due to injury, the physical structure of your bull is very important. Structural defects are highly heritable. While there may be exceptions, you increase your odds of correct calves when you use a bull that is built correctly. His legs and feet should be straight and strong, so 10 | February 2019
that he can travel well over distances. He should have a good tail set with a long switch that almost drags the ground. His skin should be tight and his body smooth and muscular without being overweight (which reduces reproductive ability). He should be well balanced from front to rear.
DISPOSITION While behavior can be learned, the disposition of an animal has a large genetic component. A bull should be gentle, calm and easy to handle. It is also extremely important to have a bull that will stay home with his herd. Any extreme in behavior is undesirable. If a bull wants to run away and take his cows with him or always looks for a fight, he’s not a good herd sire candidate. On the other hand, if your bull is just a big pet and doesn’t know he’s a bull, then he could have a decreased libido and not enough interest in covering females and leave you with open females. If you wind up with a bull with behavioral issues, do not sell him to another breeder without disclosing the problem. An aggressive animal is better to be sold across the scales or put in the freezer.
COLOR Most people like Longhorns for their variety in color and coat patterns. Pretty sells. Desirable colors range from blue roan to a black brockle face to animals with more speckles than a guinea hen. While most see Longhorns as a “box of chocolates”, never sure what the calf will look like, DNA will allow more predictability in the future. The only current dependable prediction
TEXAS LONGHORN TRAILS
By Justin Rombeck
Criteria For Selecting Your Herd Sire is breeding to a Homozygous Black bull. Every calf he sires will be black or black & White/roan. Heterozygous means that will happen for a certain percent of the time. For more on the color of Longhorns and the part genetics play, go to www.doublehelixranch.com/color.html.
HORN No matter what your goals are for your breeding program, horn plays a part in the Texas Longhorn industry, even if you’re not out looking to set records. Horns are what set the breed apart and what often drives prices at public auctions. Exceptional horn length is a bonus, but not always a necessity when selecting a herd sire. There have been several sires that have produced phenomenally, even though they themselves were average on horn. Look at his dam, granddams, and sisters. If they are awesome, he has the ability to produce daughters like them. Those who prefer twisty horns have different things to consider. The trait is heritable through the bull, but it is expressed primarily in females. Many breeders cull young animals if they do not have enough length of horn or the horns roll up early in life. Do your homework before you make a decision you will regret for the next 30 years. Also keep in mind that different families grow horn at different speeds. If horn is your focus, you need to understand that some bulls need to be bred to a certain genotype to produce horns while others you need to breed to a certain phenotype. You also need to look at genetic patterns that have already been home runs.
REPRODUCTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES AND ABILITIES A potential young herd sire should be viewed as an athlete. You wouldn’t ask a 7th grader to go out and play college football. He’d most likely get hurt and you’d wind up losing. The same is true of that 14 month old bull. Don’t expect him to cover 40 cows his first season out. Chances are you will have a bunch of open cows
and you lose potential revenue. A good rule of thumb would be to put a young bull on the number of cows that match his age. If he is 18 months old, he should be able to cover 18 females. If you are wanting to test breed a 12-13 month old bull, give them an opportunity at 6 or 7 heifers. It gives him a chance to figure out how to do his job, and your risk of not getting the females bred is decreased to a few. Some criteria hold true for bulls of all ages. A bull should have a high sperm count, high libido and the ability to travel to track down all the cows in heat. If a bull can’t reproduce adequately then all other qualities don’t mean much. Fortunately, low fertility is not common among Texas Longhorns. Mature bulls should have sperm count checked before the beginning of the breeding season each year. If that is not feasible, then you should check the breeding record of the bull to see what percentage of the cows he serviced had calves each year. If they are not dropping calves, it is time to do some investigating. Scrotal/testicular development plays a part in fertility. It is an indicator that many Longhorn breeders are not familiar with. The two testes should be nearly the same size and hang symmetrically in the scrotum. The total scrotal circumference should be 35-38 cm on a mature bull. Research has shown that the daughters of larger scrotal bulls go into sexual maturity earlier. The heifers you are raising and keeping need to be fertile for future financial success.
VALUE OF EPD’S Expected Progeny Difference (EPD) is the prediction of how future progeny of each animal are expected to perform relative to the progeny of other animals listed in the database. EPDs are expressed in units of measure for the trait, plus or minus. Science has a lot to offer in predicting birthweight, weaning weight, marbling, mothering ability, color,
NEVER Buy A Bull Without A Breeding Soundness Exam The soundness exam, performed by a veterinarian, includes a visual inspection, measuring testicular circumference and stimulating him with an electric ejaculator or by mounting a steer. During this process, they are looking for normal extension of the penis, as well as abnormalities such as hair rings, warts or crookedness. Bulls are classified as “satisfactory potential breeders” if they have no physical abnormalities that would prevent breeding and if they meet the minimal qualification for scrotal, sperm motility and sperm morphology. Bulls that do not meet these criteria are classified as “unsatisfactory potential breeders” or, if the results are marginal or questionable, they are considered “classification deferred and a retest is recommended.
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Breeding horn growth, twist…the possibilities are endless. With good EPD information one could remove heifers that are not going to cut the mustard at an early age. It can save hundreds of dollars in feed when you don’t have to grow out individuals whose genetics you don’t want to keep in your herd. It can even help prevent you from passing genetic flaws on to other breeders that will hurt your program’s reputation in the future.
MOTHERING AND MILKING ABILITY One of the most basic requirements of raising healthy calves is the ability to produce milk in an udder that a calf can easily feed from. The female also needs a strong maternal instinct to avoid rejected offspring. In order to check these traits as well as other desirable female characteristics, look to the bull’s dam and two granddams. Looking at the female genetics the bull carries is a predictor of what his daughters will be. If you see poor milk production or poor udders (blown teats) you should pass on the bull. Flaws such as these can take 5 generations to breed out of your herd.
LEARNING FROM THE COMMERCIAL CATTLE INDUSTRY Commercial cattle operations utilize bulls differently than most Longhorn operations, and as a result they move their programs forward at a faster rate. Longhorn owners often get a bull as a yearling and use him for 13 years. Instead of using that one bull, Longhorn owners should have utilized 3-4 sires during that time, stacking pedigrees and making our herd more uniform genetically and phenotypically. If you want to increase consistency, this method will help. If you have cow families in your herd that are not moving you toward this goal you need to ask yourself why. Do you need a different bull on them or do they need to be sold?
HOW MUCH AND HOW LONG?
Deciding on a price point for a bull purchase depends largely on your program’s goals and how quickly you want to achieve them. Are you only using him for a beef program or do you want to produce the best replacement females from him that you can? Knowing your business plan is imperative. Let’s look at the math from a commercial cattle example to show how the numbers can work: A cattle man goes to a sale and buys a bull for $5,000. In many commercial instances that bull will only be used for four breeding seasons. For simple math, the bull covers 20 cows a year for four years with a 100% calf crop each year. Now you have 80 calves out of that sire. Assume half are bulls and half are heifers. Selling your bulls as ropers or beef, we will say they sell for $500 per head for a total of $20,000. There will be expenses taken out of that amount in the form of feed, shots, and commissions, but for now we are considering these bull calves a by-product. We also have 40 head of heifers. Since we are being aggressive at increasing our cow power, we retain 30 heifers over a four-year window and move out older cows. If we do not breed A bull passes the milking ability and mothering characteristics of his dam our heifers until 20 months, we will be bringing and granddams to his offspring. It is important to know the qualities of his in our new herd sire for the first set of 10 heifmaternal line as well as take a look at the females he has produced. ers the year before we are done with the sire of those heifers. After a few strong selections of herd sires and retainPRODUCTION The best measure of a bull is the offspring he pro- ing the strongest heifers, you will have built your herd duces. A potential herd sire may look great in every in the most economical way possible. The majority of other category, but if his offspring are not outstanding your herd will be carrying your brand and will be comfor the traits you desire, then he is not a candidate for prised of ¾ to 7/8 sisters. But not continually bringing your herd. The best way to select a herd sire is to find in outside animals you decrease the odds of introducing offspring that you like and then buy the herd sire that disease. So for your $5,000 investment in that bull, you spent is producing those offspring. However, this is also the most expensive option and often one that isn’t even an $62.50 per calf to build your current herd. Now you can option. When a breeder has done all the work to develop still make money on that sire by selling him to a fellow an exceptional proven herd sire, they are not likely to breeder or, if you don’t want to share the genetics, by want to part with him, at least not without considerable salvaging him. By now the quality of your bull calves compensation. continued on pg. 16 12 | February 2019
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Breeding - continued from pg. 14 should improve as well and you should be able to get better prices or market more as potential herd sires, thus generating more revenue.
OPTIONS TO FULL OWNERSHIP Purchasing a top herd sire is expensive, but there are ways a breeder can access good bulls without that large investment. First – You might consider sharing a bull with another breeder, or even two. A bull can breed all your cows in a few months, so if you can find another breeder who is willing to have an offset breeding season compared to yours, then sharing a bull is often a reasonable and cost-saving idea. Second – You might consider borrowing or leasing a bull. Many breeders are willing to lend (or lease for a reasonable fee) a young bull to another breeder, so that they might evaluate its potential over time. You are less likely to get the use of a time-tested bull in this manner, but you might be able to get the use of a future star for very little cost. Third, you might consider pasture breeding your cows to an established bull that you like. This usually involves a fixed fee plus a pasturing fee paid on a daily or monthly rate. Finally, you might consider artificial insemination. The cost of semen is usually quite reasonable, although
there are many other expenses involved. Unless you do the process yourself.
CONCLUSION Buying a herd sire is something that should take a tremendous amount of thought with many hours of homework. Do not get caught up in single trait characteristics. When we say “I’ll take him”, it is a decision that impacts a true breeding program for years and generations to come. Time spent talking with experienced breeders, researching genetics and viewing the offspring and/or sire in person is an investment you will not regret. On a final note, always remember that housing a breeding age bull on your property is a big responsibility and one needs to be sure that their fences are adequate to keep the bull at home and that facilities are adequate for safely maintaining a bull on the property. If you feel like you do not want to deal with a bull on your property, there are plenty of options available to you from A.I. to taking your cows to someone else for pasture breeding. No matter how you choose to breed your cows, the criteria mentioned are just as important as when you decide to purchase a sire of your own.
Anatomy of a Texas Longhorn Bull
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Marketing
By Myra Basham
Perception Is Key In Marketing Sometimes the only thing stopping folks from calling about an animal or considering it at an auction is a bad photo coupled with an unknown name. Does this mean you have to have a professional photographer and full-page ads to move your registered Texas Longhorns? Well, honestly, that does work well, but it is by no means the only way to effectively represent yourself to the potential buying public.
PHOTOGRAPHS
another reason that even small, repetitive ads are beneficial. How you name your animals can help your ranch name stick in people’s minds.
SOCIAL MEDIA Another place where public perception can affect sales is on social media. Most Longhorn enthusiasts use their personal social media accounts for promoting their Longhorns. Folks, it can’t be emphasized enough… if your posts are belligerent and offensive, even if what you’re saying is “justified” or true, it can make potential customers avoid contacting you about your Longhorns. Not only does it affect how you may be viewed, it can impact how a potential newcomer views the Longhorn industry as a whole. Does it mean you can’t post what you think? Not at all, just have two Facebook pages, one for personal use and a public one for marketing your Longhorns.
There have been entire articles and books devoted to taking a good photograph, even if you only have a cell phone available. The important thing to remember is this… the condition of the animal and the environment it is kept in can influence the opinion of your customer. Even if you don’t get a good angle or the animal is not standing perfectly, great body condition shows. Also, even though it is a given that cattle are sometimes in mud or the fences are not always perfect, try to get the photo subject to an area that is as It is important to remember that anytime you are debris-free as possible to not raise concerns in the public eye, online or in print, you are actually over hardware disease or potential foot or marketing Longhorns and your program. leg injuries due to walking around and over old equipment and fencing materials. Plan ahead and take photos of your herd when the Also consider posts about negative events before weather is nice so that if you choose to promote them making them. For instance, if you just lost a cow and you have pictures to choose from, even if they are not you’re afraid it was a result of disease – don’t speculate as current as you would like. “Pretty sells” is not just publicly about it. While it can happen to anyone, you do about the animal, it is about the entire photo. Flashy not want people worrying that your whole herd could color, good conformation and nice horns can be combe a health threat, especially if disease has not yet been pletely negated by a bad photo. confirmed by a veterinarian. You should show people your facilities/pastures in The same can be said for lost calves. While one may photos, whether on your website, social media or in want help dealing with the loss of a calf, if that photo is print. Think of those photos as you would your livposted in a public forum it can dissuade those who love ing room if company is coming. If you see junk in the animals from considering taking the risk of livestock viewfinder or your cattle are standing in an area with ownership. While death is a part of ownership, it is not no grass at all, change locations. While photos can be the part you want potential buyers dwelling on. edited to remove things or put the animal completely Bad sales experiences fall in this category as well. on a new background, nothing is more powerful than Publicly berating a buyer or seller due to problems with showing them in a natural environment that is pleasant a transaction is not a good business practice. Handle and conveys a healthy atmosphere to a potential buyer. it tactfully in private. Public denouncements of others, especially if it turns out that it was not entirely accurate, NAMING ANIMALS can really make potential customers leery of working In an industry where many animals compete in the with you. This is somewhat of an intangible at times, show ring, futurities or measuring contests, put some but is it really worth doing things that could turn away thought into naming your marketable animals. Generbuyers with cash to spend? ally, a prefix or suffix used in naming helps identify animals you have bred in your program. One should not use their naming convention on cattle that were bred by another. If you did not own the dam at time of conception, then you are not the breeder of that calf. If you re-breed that cow you bought, then the next calf can be named with your ranch’s moniker on it. Why choose a suffix or prefix at all? It allows the results of your breeding to be recognized as more of your offspring enter the marketplace or competitions. It is 18 | February 2019
PROMOTING YOUR PROGRAM So how does one ingrain in the minds of potential customers that you are a person they want to do business with and that your Longhorns are worth buying? Put yourself and your program forward in a good light on social media, on your website and in print in a consistent, repetitive way that makes one remember your name and react positively when it comes to mind.
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Marketing – continued from pg. 18 You do not have to break the bank to accomplish this. Social media accounts are free, basic websites can be free or very low cost if you’re willing to do the work, and when you consider smaller ads running consistently in print as opposed to one or two full pages a year, it is in reach of most budgets. That is not to invalidate the success of running large ads or spending to have all the bells and whistles on a website. From a consumer’s view, it is the name that has ingrained itself into memory that will receive the email or phone call asking about their program. Fresh posts and content that includes awesome photos and ads of any size that catch someone’s eye in print consistently are what build your name and reputation as a Longhorn breeder. If you feel you do not have time to continually generate ideas, there are plenty of people working in both the marketing and Longhorn industry that can help you generate successful ad and marketing content, not the least of which is your Trails magazine staff. Not sure what you should be sharing with others? Here are some points that are good to promote: • Genetics: Show off the genetic lines you are building on. Show the sire and dam and/or any well known ancestors of the offspring you have available. If you are selling an older animal, show it’s production. • Your facilities: In the Longhorn industry it
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seems good scenic shots are rare. A ranch ad with a beautiful photo of your pasture with several animals represented in it in a natural setting is extremely appealing to viewers whether in a Facebook post or as a focal point of a print ad. • Your goals: Let people know what you are breeding for and why. It can lead you to others who share your direction and lead customers to you who have the same goals. • Your family/heritage: People drawn to livestock are often drawn to the family-oriented nature of the business and the benefits of raising kids in a “country” lifestyle. Knowing that your operation shares those family values could bring potential buyers your way. If you do not have a family, but are carrying on a family ranching tradition that can be shared as well. Whether you have steers for pasture art or a whole herd to build a breeding program, you are never too small and it is never too early to think about how you will market your animals. The first sale or event you attend and interact with other breeders is the beginning of marketing as you tell them who you are and what your plans and goals are with Longhorns. To ensure your forward growth and success in the industry, take the time to present your program, your cattle and your facilities in a positive light via as many platforms as possible.
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Longhorn Beef
Producing Supplemental Income With F1s Producers of other breeds of beef cattle are wellversed in the success of F1 catle. These are simply the offspring of a registered sire and dam of two different cattle breeds. The purpose of this is to get an offspring that on average, outperforms the parents in traits that are not highly heritable when breeding within the breed. That increase in performance is known by the term heterosis. There are two factors in the beef market that are guaranteed to affect what cattle bring at a sale barn. First, horns are penalized. Second, spots and wild colors are penalized as well. Combine horns and spots and you have an animal that is devalued in the commercial beef industry. This is where the F1 cross comes into play. Registered Texas Longhorn bulls are known for lower birthweights and calving ease. This makes a good quality registered Texas Longhorn bull that may not cut it for horn or show competition marketable as a bull for first calf heifers. While some of those offspring may get docked for too much color or horns that did not get bred off, any rancher will tell you a live, healthy calf is worth getting docked at the sale barn. Another, perhaps even more lucrative side for one who loves the Longhorn breed, but is more focused on
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being a cattle producer to make their living is to maintain a registered Texas Longhorn cow herd and breeding them with a registered polled breed that tends to throw solid colored calves. Breeds such as Saler, Limousin and Angus have been used successfully for offspring that sells well in the commercial cattle industry. Isn’t this hurting the Longhorn industry? Not at all. While one should continue to try to build their market for their purebred Longhorns, the reality is the average cattle owner needs steady income to stay in business. Those F1 calves can provide funds necessary to buy better cattle and build your registered Texas Longhorn herd into the program you want it to be. Diversity is key to the survival of any agriculture business today. Even those programs focused on producing sale-topping Longhorns need a way to add value to those animals who are solid producers, but not as desirable in a specific market such as show prospects or large horn producers. Selling your lower end cattle as beef product is a great source of income, but not everyone has the time to develop that market and some have no desire to be involved in meat processing. Utilizing those registered mommas for F1 crosses is a good way to enjoy the breed while putting money in your pocket.
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Health
Heather Smith Thomas
Winter Nutrition For Bulls The bull supplies half of the genetics for your calves, so you want to make sure your bulls are fertile, healthy and sound, in good body condition through winter. Young bulls are still growing, so they need adequate energy and protein to supply their needs for growth as well as maintenance and body condition, and body heat on a cold day. Winter feed requirements will vary, depending on whether the bulls are weanlings, yearlings or mature bulls, and how cold your climate is (all cattle need more feed during cold weather). Dr. Bart Lardner (Research Scien“For a weanling bull over the winter, we want a diet tist, Professor in the Department of Animal and Poulwith about 13 to 14% protein and about 60 to 65% energy try Science, University of Saskatchewan) says many (TDN), and then as these young bulls reach puberty we ranchers are a little more prudent in how they feed and want to reduce that to about 10 or 11% protein and about manage their bulls (compared with purebred breeders) 58% energy. Thus it is important to test all your feeds and are less apt to overfeed them. Some breeders feed to assess their nutrient levels; don’t just guess,” he says. their young, growing bulls too much grain, to grow Young bulls need adequate nutrition for grown and them faster. “The main thing is to assess your goals for development. “You only have about 160 days from bulls. They have two functions—to impregnate cows weaning age until yearling, and today we are seeing and heifers, and to pass on certain genetics to their more yearling bulls offered for sale because seedstock progeny. Thus you want to make sure they are fertile producers don’t want to feed them for 2 years. It’s hardand sound, with adequate libido,” he says. You don’t er now to find 2-year-old bulls for sale,” says Lardner. want them too thin or too fat because either extreme “During that 160 days of development, producers can interfere with optimum fertility and breeding pershould make sure those growing formance. bulls have adequate protein and Body condition is very imenergy on a forage-based diet, portant. Bulls need enough body BULL PERFORMANCE with about 5 to 6 pounds of supcondition to do their job, without Even though we do a breeding soundplement per day. They will lose being too fat or too thin. They ness evaluation prior to the breeding seabody condition (often as much as need adequate nutrition, which son, we can’t measure libido. A bull may 200 pounds) during the breeding includes proper levels of energy, be fertile, but we don’t know how many season. A bull with high libido protein, minerals and vitamins. cows he will actually breed. In our rewill be out doing his job, chasing “These are the key, and you need search we have used DNA parentage testafter cows.” Thus you need to feed to determine where they will get ing of calves in a multi-sire group. Then them adequately over the winter those nutrients. Generally the you know which calves were sired by to achieve the target weight goal energy sources are carbohydrates and have some reserve fat as a which bulls. Some of our data has shown from forages (hay and green buffer, but not too fat. feed) and concentrates like cereal (in a group of 6 or 8 bulls, with about 25 Body condition is scored on a grains. Protein sources include cows for each bull) that the number of scale of 1 to 9, with 1 being emagood alfalfa hay and supplements calves sired by a certain bull has ranged ciated and 9 being obese. “You like soybean meal and canola from 1 to 54.” Fertility, libido, soundness want these bulls to be about 5 or meal and DDG. We also need to and dominance factors all play a role in 6 on that scale, which equates to pay attention to the necessary how many calves a bull will actually sire. about 20% body fat. This is an adminerals, calcium-phosphorus Some bulls are more aggressive and sire equate fat reserve for these bulls,” ratio, and the trace minerals. more calves, some may be poor breeders he says. Pay attention to their diet Copper, zinc and manganese are because they are less dominant or have over winter to make sure they the important trace minerals for poor libido or become lame or injured. fertility,” Lardner says. continued on pg. 28 26 | February 2019
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Health - continued from pg. 26 achieve this, and also make sure they have enough water in cold weather (not frozen). If they are not drinking enough they will not be eating enough. “Most herds here are looking at the end of June as the start of breeding season, so we are looking at bull condition coming out of winter and through the spring to make sure they have that extra bit of condition and adequate weight by breeding time. For a young bull at the start of his first breeding season, he needs to be about 75 to 80% of his mature body weight, so you build the winter diet to meet those target points,” he says.
Some producers are taking a little longer to grow these bulls, so they don’t have to push them so hard to be big enough to breed as yearlings, and are selling bulls at about 1.5 years of age. This can be a good compromise between selling yearlings (which often means overfeeding young bulls) and having to wait and sell 2-year-olds. This works nicely if a producer wants to calve in late spring or early summer, or fall calve, rather than having to calve in January/February in order to have yearling bulls old enough to sell in an early spring sale. “That extra 6 months of age is certainly a benefit when purchasing a young bull; this enables the bull go grow out some more and become more mature and ready to breed,” says Lardner. When managing bulls it also helps to keep the younger ones together as a group, separate from the older ones, and this holds true in breeding groups, as well. This enables the younger ones to gain confidence and not be so beat up or intimidated by the older bulls. You can help those younger bulls a lot by managing them separately.
Take care to supply adequate nutrition without creating excessive body fat that can hinder fertility. “Also make sure that wherever the bulls are wintered they have adequate shelter and bedding, to prevent scrotal frostbite,” he says. Adequate windbreaks can also help reduce cold stress and reduce the need for so much extra feed to generate body heat. Over the years we’ve also learned about the detrimental effects of too much fat, and how it can create soundness problems and hinder fertility. “You don’t want to overfeed bulls, but you do want to meet their requirements for energy and protein—and this will vary depending on whether they are weanlings, yearlings, or 6-year-olds. Always pay attention to body condition coming out of winter, and also continued on pg. 30 28 | February 2019
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Health - continued from pg. 28 coming out of the breeding season.” Some bulls lose a lot of weight during breeding season and need to be fed differently than a mature bull in adequate condition that can coast through winter on a good maintenance ration.
Tailor the nutrition to the bull, some lose a lot more weight during breeding season than others Many bulls don’t need to be fed grain. Good quality forages are generally adequate, depending on the genetics of the bulls. “A high quality grass-legume forage or green feed will do the job. The challenge can be finding those feeds; some years it is more difficult to find good forage, such as in drought years, so each producer must figure out what can work best in a given situation. Post-breeding management is important, and it pays to start early, to allow thin bulls to put that weight back on gradually,” says Lardner. You want the bull to be back in proper body condition before cold weather. Winter nutrition really needs to start in the fall. Bulls are a very expensive investment and you want to take good care of them so they will last a long time.
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Equipment
Why Is There A Ring In His Nose? Humans have been using nose rings on bulls for centuries, with reference being made to hooks in the nose even in Biblical times. The septum (part of the nose the ring is inserted in) is very sensitive. Just pinch your own nose to see! In the Longhorn world, nose rings are most commonly seen in the show ring, both on bulls and on steers. They are not there to lead the animal by, but rather an additional way to get the animal’s attention when they stop responding to the halter and show stick. No matter how well trained a large animal is, there are always times a handler needs additional help in keeping their attention and discouraging unruly behavior from getting out of control. Ideally, when leading a bull, the bulk of the pressure is on the halter. While the lead can run through the ring as well, most Longhorn handlers prefer a second lead to the nose ring so pressure is applied separately. Once again, pressure on the ring should be brief and only as needed. It is not intended as a means to lead a bull, but a reminder that he is to pay attention to you. While it is possible to apply nose rings yourself, most sources advise against it. A veterinarian should do the procedure. When applying a nose ring to a very young bull, use a smaller ring and replace it when the animal
grows. Extra weight on a young bull’s nose could cause damage and the small ring in an adult’s nose can certainly become uncomfortable. As with any handling, the use of a nose ring should be introduced at a young age and the animal slowly accustomed to the device to ensure its safety and effectiveness. Properly inserted and used, the nose ring is an important piece of equipment for close handling of bulls.
SOME THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT BULLS • Bottle or bucket raised bulls are naturally more aggressive due to imprinting on humans as part of the herd. When possible let a surrogate cow raise an orphan or rejected calf. • Bulls raised as pets cause more accidents than bulls left alone. When a “pet” bull reaches breeding age his friendly head butts can easily escalate unexpectedly
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as he needs to assert dominance and you are perceived as a part of the herd, or worse, a threat. • If a bull turns broadside to you it is a threat. Head lowering, bellowing or pawing means you had better remove yourself from the situation as quickly and calmly as you can without turning your back on him. There is nothing cute or safe about an agitated bull.
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Shows
TLBAA World Show Committee
The Road To World Show
Unmanageable Animals
From page 43 in The TLBAA Handbook: Unmanageable Animals “All show entries are expected to be manageable. Should an animal become unmanageable, the show management shall have the right and responsibility to remove such animal from competition, and all entry and stalling fees shall be forfeited.” This seems to have become a frequent problem at shows. Unmanageable animals are those that continually break loose from their exhibitors, or do not behave in a manner that allows them to be judged properly. No ribbon, buckle, plaque or other award is worth putting fellow exhibitors or spectators at risk for injury. Calves that are not well controlled are also at risk of injuring themselves and the other calves in the show ring. Show calves can be quite spirited, especially those that have recently been halter broke. For safety reasons, it is important that exhibitors are physically able to control their calves. While an occasional loose calf is expected, what is not acceptable are calves that continually get away from their exhibitor. This becomes a safety hazard not only to that particular exhibitor, but
to every person in the ring, including other exhibitors, ring stewards and judges. Loose animals are also at risk for escaping the show ring and causing injury to spectators. Ring stewards are in the ring to assist and keep exhibitors safe, it is not their duty to show an animal that an exhibitor cannot control. Show management, which includes show chairs, ring stewards and judges have the authority and responsibility to dismiss unmanageable animals from the show ring. It is very difficult if not impossible for a judge to evaluate an animal that cannot be controlled. Unmanageable animals are often placed lower in class than they otherwise might be for this reason. It is to your benefit to have a calf that is well controlled and therefor well exhibited. Working with your animals on a daily basis will help them to trust you and become more manageable. There are suggestions for halter breaking techniques in the The TLBAA World Show and TLBT National Youth Show are often TLBAA Handbook, beginning on referred to simply as the “World Show”. In the past, the entire event was page 60. If an animal continually titled the Texas Longhorn Exposition featuring the TLBAA World Show gets loose from its exhibitor, it may and TLBT National Youth Show. In the tradition of simplification, the be time to consider a different ex32-year-old event is now simply referred to as the TLBAA World Expo. hibitor, or removing the animal The shortening of the name by no means indicates a lessening of from the show circuit. Continually the event. The TLBAA World Expo continues to grow, and is eagerly breaking away from an exhibitor anticipating utilizing a brand new arena at the Bell County Expo in can become a learned habit. The Belton, TX. More than just a show ring experience, the event includes more an animal is allowed to bethe Texas Gold Futurity, a photography contest, breeder’s memorial, have in an inappropriate manner, awards banquet and more! the more difficult it becomes to How does one participate in all the fun? To qualify to compete in train them properly. If they canthe TLBT National Youth Show or the TLBAA World Show, an animal not be properly halter broke, they must earn a spot by qualifying at an approved affiliate sponsored show should not be shown. during the show year prior. Those who qualify receive an invitation As always, let’s all play by the from the TLBAA to compete in the prestigious national show. rules and keep the competition fair. There are ways to participate without qualifying, such as Trophy Remember, this is what we do for Steers, miniatures and futurity competition. The TLBT National Youth fun! Show offers opportunites to all youth to participate, without the need Download your own copy of to qualify, including Gold Merit, Showmanship, Livestock Judging and the TLBAA Handbook by going to more. the TLBAA webpage (www.TLBAA. It is a great opportunity to face off against some stiff competition in org), click on the TLBAA tab, then a fun family atmosphere. Even if you do not participate in the ring, it is click on the TLBAA Official Handa great opportunity to fellowship with old friends and meet some new book link toward the bottom right ones, all while enjoying some beautiful Texas Longhorns. of the page. Or you can type the This year’s Expo will be held June 26-30th and there are still many following URL into your browser: opportunities to qualify to compete. Turn to the last page of Trails http://www.tlbaa.org/wp-conMagazine each month or look online at www.tlbaa.org for the dates of tent/uploads/2018/12/TLBAAupcoming qualifying shows and to find contact information. We hope Handbook-Jan-2015.pdf to see you at “World” this year!
What in the World?
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Texas Longhorn Breeders of Tomorrow
Presidents
Message
Hey TLBAA! I hope you are all enjoying the cool weather. However, my cows and I are not enjoying the rain too much. I am sure most of you know February is holding a really fun major show, San Angelo Stock Show. Even though it is one of our longest drives, it’s always worth it. I love being with my longhorn family and why would I miss out on such a great show? The TLBAA world show is only five months away. It seems like a while but how fast this past year went by, I know it’s coming quick! At the World show, we will be raffling off the heifer donated by Rodney and Patti Mahaffey. Thank you so much you two for your generosity to the TLBT youth. The funds will go back to the youth and the TLBT is extremely thankful for breeders like you in our circuit! Thank you breeders who help contribute to the TLBT members in our circuit. Thank you for the many opportunities and doors you have opened for us youth. I don’t know where I’d be if it was not for the adults who have shown me their ways. Due to the opportunities I’ve been given, not only the path to success in the show ring has opened but also to success as a leader in society. I’ve seen true hard work and personal development arise through our TLBT members. This builds a path for us and our future. Thank you so much for giving us that opportunity. San Angelo, here we come! I hope to see you there TLBT!
Gabby Curtis
TLBT OFFICER SPOTLIGHT: TLBT Officer Position: Junior Director Age: 7 1.) Why did you join the TLBT? To get more involved with the organization and youth activities. 2.) What is your favorite Longhorn show, and why? Holiday Extravaganza in Decatur because it is a smaller show and closer to home. 3.) What is your favorite longhorn color and pattern? Black and white spreckled 4.) Where did you earn your first award? What type of award? World Show 2018 2nd in Speech, 1st in Photography, 2nd in Points 5.) What has been your biggest challenge showing Longhorns? Being smaller and showing bigger animals and sometimes losing control of them in the ring. I try really hard to not give up or get frustrated and keep trying. 6.) What is your favorite movie? Anything MARVEL
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COLTON WOOD 7.) Do you enjoy showing Longhorns? Why? I do enjoy showing longhorns not only because I love my animals but because of the people who you get to meet along the way. 8.) What person has influenced you the most? Jacob Lowrie, he helps me continue to learn and grow and is never too busy to help me. 9.) If you were going to be turned into a mythical creature, what would you want to be? A dragon 10.) What is your favorite season? Why? Summer, NO SCHOOL and Swimming 11.) What is your favorite quote? Why? “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game” –Babe Ruth No matter how hard something is for you, you keep working on it and at it and you get better if it is something you love. 12.) What do you want to be when you grow up? A scientist. 13.) What is the best part about being a TLBT member? All of the shows and activities. 14.) What advice would you give a newcomer to TLBT? Get involved and meet lots of new people!
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Texas Longhorn Breeders of Tomorrow
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT:
DESTANY YOUNGBLOOD 1.) How old are you? I am 16 2.) How long have you been showing Longhorns? This is my 2nd year showing longhorns. 3.) Why did you join the TLBT? I joined the TLBT because I was looking for something I really liked to do. I loved showing animals I just hadn’t found the one that really made me work until I got my first longhorn. We started going to shows and everyone was so welcoming and kind and I fell in love with it! 4.) What is your favorite restaurant? My favorite restaurant would have to be any place that serves chicken, but if I had to pick one, I’d say Texas Roadhouse! 5.) What do you think the most important trait to look at in a Longhorn is and why? I’d have to say the most important trait to me would be good confirmation. I want my Longhorns to have a good structure on them so they can live a long and healthy life with little to no issues.
IN THE
6.) Who is your role model? My role model would have to be my mom. I never really thought about a role model, but everything I know I have learned from her. She’s been there every step of the way to support me in everything I do. She’s the back bone of the operations and I couldn’t do it without her. 7.) What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be an ag teacher. I’ve flipped and flopped and then I could finally see myself in the future working with kids and help them grow the way the FFA programs and TLBT programs have helped me! 8.) What is your favorite longhorns name and why is he/she your favorite? My favorite restaurant would have to be Counter Cafe in Austin Texas even though they have some very good food their Counter Burger is to die for. 9.) What is your favorite Longhorns name and why? My favorite Longhorn would be RedStar Arizona! He was my 2nd Longhorn to start showing courtesy of my ag teacher Mrs. Krueger. Arizona and I have struck a connection. I never knew you could love a big steer so much! Heck, I never even saw myself doing this as I grew up. It kind of just happened and then became my life.
PEN
We thank these folks for kindly droppin’ in at the TLBAA office. 1. Tyson Griffin - Blum, TX • 2. Savannah Anderson - Mansfield, TX & Madison Looney - Alvarado, TX 3. Brent & Cindy Bolen - Lufkin, TX • 4. Jaylin & Laurie Krimmel - Boyd, TX 5. (l-r) Chase Raetz, Eric Redeker, Tiffany Daniels & Brittany Jackson.
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3 The next time you visit Fort Worth, Texas, be sure to check out the historic Fort Worth Stockyards District. While you’re here, stop by 221 W. Exchange, Ste. 210. The TLBAA staff always enjoys seeing members!
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AFFILIATE NEWS
AFFILIATE UPDATES WEST TEXAS LONGHORN ASSOCIATION DENNIS URBANTKE PRESIDENT 325-655-3500
The West Texas Longhorn Association held a general membership meeting on Jan. 8, 2019. Our Association is excited to be the host for three shows this year. The San Angelo Stock Show on Feb. 16-17. Arrival will be on Friday, Feb. 15th. The Great Western Trails Show in Coleman, April 26-28, and the West Texas State fair Sept. 6-8, 2019 in Abilene. Everyone needs to remember that the San Angelo Show is the second leg of the Texas Trifecta. The third and final leg of the trifecta the Heart of Texas in Hamilton April 12-13. 2019. If you showed in the East Texas State Fair in Tyler Sept. 28-30, 2018, you have to show in the second and third
shows to qualify for the trifecta. It has been pointed out to us that the dress code has not been enforced in a few of the shows around the State, so therefore that needs to be corrected in the future. The West Texas Association will be enforcing the dress code in all three of our shows. Dress code is printed on page 70 of the TLBAA Official Handbook. Anyone wanting to advertise or sponsor in any of our shows, please contact me at judy@thlonghors.com. Any and all help is greatly needed and appreciated. We are looking forward to lots of fun and friendships this year. See you at the shows.
SOUTH TEXAS LONGHORN ASSOCIATION JEREMY JOHNSON PRESIDENT DOSNINOSRANCH@GMAIL.COM
Despite nasty, rainy weather, Edna was the place to be. Animals were gorgeous , sweaters were ugly and exhibitors’ moods could not be dampened. Even though folks scratched quite a few animals due to the rain, over 300 entries were able to make the trip and unloaded at the spacious Brackenridge Recreational Complex for the STLA WinterFest Longhorn Show. Top honors throughout the two day show went to : Open: Kenn Harding, John Marshall, Marceala Gonzalez, Troy Unger Youth: Kyrah Schanbachler, Jodie, Ging, Clarice Francis Showmanship: Hannah Smith, Leif McCullough, Oran Chambliss, Libby
Butterfield Christmas cookie winners taking home the cash were Lulu Buentello , Brenda Tudyk and Elvis Pineda. So many people volunteered to judge those awesome cookies. There were so many tasty recipes that Hope Thurmond and Colette Varner had trouble picking the winners. John Marshall and Danny Russell had a hard time choosing the winners for the Ugly Sweater Contest. They finally settled on Alexandria Staples, Rick Garcia , Adeline Unger. Always so much fun to see! Many thanks to Stephen Head, Kim Head, Mark Daniels, Jeremy Johnson, Sandi Nordhausen, Kathy Bruner, Courtney Caffey, Jennifer Francis, Hope Thurmond, Bubba Bollier, John Marshall, Danny Russell, Hollie Unger, Troy Unger, Colette Varner, Brenda Tudyk, Jeff Ging, Phil Tudyk , and the wonderful staff at the Brackenridge Facility. Forgive us if we have missed anyone. It really takes a lot to make a show successful and our volunteers are the best at pitching in. Day 3 was the futurity chaired by Jeremy Johnson. We are happy to have so many quality entries coming back to Edna every year for this. After the bad weather scratches, there were 77 entries. Top heifer honor went to John and Christy Randolph for Cherry Merry Kettle while the winning bull destignee was WP Ax’em Jax’s owned by Kim Pavlas. STLA is not one to let grass grow beneath its feet. We are moving on the San Antonio February 8 -9. Kathy Bruner is taking on Rodeo Austin this year with the show taking place March 15-16. The deadline for entries is February 1. All info for entering is on the stla.org site. Judges are Noy Hendricks and Lana Hightower. Sandi Nordhausen is preparing for the Rockdale Show April 26-28, so get those crazy socks ready. The judges will be John Oliver, Mark Oliver, Russell Hooks, and David Wars. 40 | February 2019
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TEXAS LONGHORN TRAILS
December 2018 | 27
AFFILIATE NEWS CANADIAN TEXAS LONGHORN ASSOCIATION DEB LESYK PRESIDENT 306-867-9427
GREAT PLAINS TEXAS LONGHORN ASSOCIATION GORDON HOWIE PRESIDENT GKHOWIE@YAHOO.COM
Organizing for Spring Select Sale and Annual Meeting in April. Any agenda items or by-law changes need to be received by February 15th by the CTLA office, so any proposed changes can be available to our members in advance of the meeting. Sale consignment sheets will be on the CTLA website or available from the CTLA office. Discussing some new promotional ideas and events we may be able to attend to showcase our animals and educate the consumers about longhorn beef. If you know of new longhorn owners in Canada, let us know so we can invite them to be part of the CTLA. Hope winter is going well for all members. Our Affiliate status was approved in January, but it’s been several years in the making. We are excited that our three states now have a TLBAA Affiliated association. The FOURTH Annual World Qualifying Show (sponsored by the GPTLA) will take place on Sunday, August 18, 2019 at the Central States Fair in Rapid City, SD. Many thanks to our friends in Nebraska and Wyoming for all the help, participation and encouragement over the last few years. Our show is open to TLBAA members from everywhere! This year we expect participation from even more breeders
from near and far. The GPTLA is also sponsoring a Regional Horn Measurement Competition on Friday, August 16, 2019. This event is scheduled so that participants can get an official measurement prior to the entry deadline to the TLBAA Horn Showcase. We are already hearing from people in several states who are planning to attend! We will team up for a Satellite Measurement event for the Horn Showcase too!! As if that weren’t enough to keep us busy, we have made arrangements to make this a 3 day event in 2019! O’Bryan Longhorns are teaming up with Gordon Howie for the first annual Top Hand Invitational Longhorn Sale on Saturday, August 17, 2019. Joel Lemley will be in charge of the microphone for this sale. Some really nice cattle are already being consigned. You can call Scot O’Bryan at (605) 344-2263 or Gordon Howie (605) 381-3998 for more information on this sale. The GPTLA will be teaming up with others (Like our great partnership with the Central States Fair) to promote Texas Longhorn cattle in our region and beyond. We like to create opportunities that float everyone’s boat! There might even be a Longhorn Beef Co-operative… you never know!!! One thing is certain… we LOVE our Longhorn cattle!! We would also love to connect with you! We like to hang around Facebook (Great Plains Texas Longhorn discussion group and Longhorn News and Market). Join us there to keep updated on Longhorn news and events. Our lives are centered around family, God & country… and beautiful Texas Longhorn Cattle!! Happy New Year from the Great Plains Texas Longhorn Association!!
42 | February 2019
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AFFILIATE NEWS The NTLA Spring Sale is scheduled for Saturday May 18, 2019 in Beatrice, Nebraska just 25 miles north of the Kansas border. We are honored to announce that this years sale will be managed by Hired Hand. We are pleased to announce this Spring 2019 sale will be the Associations 38th annual sale. Catalog and consignment form online at nebraskatla.com. PAUL SCHLECHT We will again allow Futurity Heifers in the catalog and following with a non PRESIDENT 402-719-7317 catalog sale. The consignment deadline is Feb 28, 2019. Early consignments may be given additional advertising. Sale contacts: President-Paul Schlecht (402)719-7317, Justin Georges (402)580-0209, Consignments-Bonnie Damrow (402)580-3673, brdamrow6@aol.com. Hope to see you at the upcoming shows and sales.
NEBRASKA TEXAS LONGHORN ASSOCIATION
The annual Winchester Futurity and Cattle Baron Sale will be held on Friday and Saturday, February 22nd & 23rd. The events will take place at the Mid-Tex Livestock Auction facility in Navasota, TX. Futurity entry forms, as well as the schedule for both the futurity and the sale, can be found at www. tlbgca.com. Entry deadline for the futurity is February 10th. Futurity awards STEPHEN HEAD will be presented during a social gathering at the home and ranch of George PRESIDENT & Peggy Wilhite on Friday evening. HEADSHORNS@HOTMAIL.COM Applications for the TLBGCA College Scholarships are now being accepted. Rules and applications are available at www.tlbgca.com. Applications must be submitted via U.S. Postal Service (not e-mail) and must be received by March 15th. The TLBGCA Spring Show will be held at Miracle Farm, near Brenham, TX, on May 3rd, 4th & 5th. Entry forms can be found at www.tlbgca.com. Entries can be submitted in paper form via U.S. Postal Service, or by e-mail, or - new this year - an on-line entry form with an on-line payment feature. The TLBGCA Spring Show is the last chance of the season to get animals qualified for the TLBAA World Expo and it is one of the few opportunities to get those late 2018 calves into the show ring. TLBGCA welcomes new members. Membership application forms can be found on-line at www.tlbgca.com, or you can call Stephen Head at 979-549-5270 for more information about TLBGCA.
TEXAS LONGHORN BREEDER GULF COAST ASSOCIATION
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44 | February 2019
TEXAS LONGHORN TRAILS
TEXAS LONGHORN TRAILS
December 2018 | 27
TLBAA Horn Showcase
The Benefits of Bull Alley be plenty of signage to direct people to where your bull is stalled so they can view him up close throughout the event. His official measurement is included in the cost. If you intend to have offspring there to be measured or to participate in the futurity that people can also see, that’s a bonus. Semen sales are another benefit of participation. All bulls participating in Bull Alley must be A.I. Certified with the TLBAA and must have semen available for sale. The participants must bring a minimum of 100 straws to the event via their own semen tank or the genetics company that is handling the storage and distribution for the event. Most participants also offer special pricing available only during the event. In 2018, the semen sales were opened up to an online audience as well via Hired Hand Live. The bull that sells the most semen during the event is recognized as the “Bull Alley Winner”. During the event, participants get to vote on the People’s Choice Ultimate Bull at the event, and often those winners are bull alley participants. If you want even more promotion for your A.I. sire, then consider becoming a sponsor of the event. Sponsorship packages will be announced soon, and they include advertising benefits as well as event-specific benefits. These packages offer you promotion for your bull before, during and after the actual event. Those sponsorship monies allow the event to promote and showcase the bulls to the highest degree possible. The TLBAA Horn Showcase draws not only breeders, but those considering the breed as well. It garners media attention for the breed and in the past, a few lucky The easy way to work Longhorn cattle! breeders have been interviewed by • Can be shipped by common carrier anywhere in news media. the U.S. There are many bulls out there • Galvanized pipe and steel sheeting • Grease inserts for easy maintenance & operation being A.I. certified. Those that sell • Vaccinate or deworm cattle more semen are not just quality • Palpation gates bulls, but bulls people have heard • Measure horns W e’ve got dw!hat of. Let your rising star or proven • A.I. cows you nee producer get the exposure he deserves in a unique and beneficial way. More details about sponsorship opportunities and the 2019 event will be coming in Trails and END OF TRAIL RANCH online. We hope you consider prowww.endoftrailranch.com • mbowman@wildblue.net moting your bull with us in 2019!
The lights dim, the music starts and a spotlight hits the ring as your bull enters the ring. As the announcer tells a captivated audience the genetics the bull carries, spectators get to see first-hand the impressive physical specimen that he is. No video or photo can replicate seeing a Texas Longhorn sire in person. In the day and age of cell phones and social media, sometimes the importance of viewing livestock in person is forgotten, or for those new to the livestock industry, may never have been learned. While Longhorn breeders often issue open invitations to the public to come to their ranch and see their sires, in this day of busy people it is hard to find people willing to travel and give up time to see your herd. The addition of Bull Alley to the TLBAA Horn Showcase offers a solution that goes far beyond the moment your bull enters that spotlight in the ring. Simply by being a participant your bull will receive promotion in Trails Magazine, in E-Trails (our electronic newsletter), on social media, and in E-blasts. At the event there will
WORKING CATTLE OR CATTLE THAT WILL WORK!
The Official Chute of the TLBAA Horn Showcase
li ne v ideo of the n o r u o t u o k ec h C n our websi te! chute in action o
Wichita Fence Co., Inc. • 1-800-626-3752 • wichitafence-dab@sbcglobal.net 46 | February 2019
TEXAS LONGHORN TRAILS
TEXAS LONGHORN TRAILS
December 2018 | 27
NEWS On the Trail...
Butler Museum Re-Opens By Helen Cloakey Of all the tourist attractions, museums & historical sites Houston has to offer, my absolute favorite is the Butler Longhorn museum. The museum is located in League City to the south of Houston, nestled in old downtown inside a beautiful 1905 townhouse. The museum tells the story of one of League City’s founding families, their legacy to Texas longhorn cattle & the community which was once known as Milby Ranch. Not only is the museum home to unique historical artifacts & art, it is a center piece of the community, a venue which hosts a multitude of events. Like so many low laying communities along the Gulf Coast, League City suffered badly at the mercy of Hurricane Harvey in September 2017. The museum was not spared & the entire first floor was inundated with water. The museum was closed & volunteers left with no option but to turn away a community who came looking for sanctuary & solace from their own hurricane disasters. Fifteen months of painstaking restoration coupled with complete loss Miss John Wayne lived to be 32 years old. Was in the movie “The Alamo”. John Wayne tried to of revenue gloriously came to an end on Saturday 5th January 2019. The buy her from Milby Butler. museum once again opened its doors & threw a community party to celebrate. I was fortunate enough to attend & it was so enjoyable to see the museum & its ten acre parks bustling with visitors. Whilst the museum houses the history of Butler cattle & will forever be a ‘must’ for every longhorn enthusiast, it also unites a community & tells its story.
Shoulder mount of George W. RG92. The entire ceiling in the room in covered with European mount longhorn skulls donated by multiple breeders.
48 | February 2019
A room with a collection of shoulder mounts A neat sitting room. from some of the most influential longhorns ever. Including Beauty, FM Graves 52, Dixie Hunter and Ace’s Mojo.
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IN MEMORIAM
Richard Whitfield Robbins Jr. November 16, 1942 - December 24, 2018
Richard “Dick” Whitfield Robbins, Jr., 76, passed away peacefully Monday, December 24, 2018 at Hilltop Manor in Cunningham. He was born November 16, 1942 in Wichita to Richard Whitfield and Mary Alice (Lightner) Robbins, Sr. Dick started school at the old North School in Pratt. He was a graduate of Culver Military Academy where he was part of the Black Horse Troop. He served in the United States Army with the Kansas National Guard and was part of Fort Carson Honor Guard. He was a member of Pratt Elks Lodge, the American Legion and Texas Longhorn Breeders Association. He was past president of the Kansas Chapter of TLBA and former mayor of
Oldsburg, Kansas. He was very passionate about long horn cattle and trains. He is survived by a daughter, Amber Robbins; and son, Richard W. Robbins, III both of Pratt; brother, William W. Robbins of Kansas; many cousins and past and present employees. He was preceded in death by his parents. Cremation has taken place. A graveside memorial service with military honors will be held at 1:00 p.m., Friday, January 4, 2019 at Soldier Creek Cemetery, Belvidere with John Hamm presiding. There will be a Celebration of Life after the service at Buster’s Saloon, Sun City. Memorials may be made to Pratt County 4-H Foundation or Kiowa County 4-H Foundation in care of Larrison Mortuary, 300 Country Club Road, Pratt.
We publish memorials as a free service to our membership and with the permission of the family. Memorials may be emailed to myra@tlbaa.org.
50 | February 2019
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ALABAMA
FLORIDA
ARKANSAS
INDIANA
CALIFORNIA
IOWA
COLORADO
52 | February 2019
MISSOURI
MONTANA
NORTH CAROLINA
KANSAS
OKLAHOMA
LOUISIANA
OKLAHOMA
TEXAS LONGHORN TRAILS
OKLAHOMA
NORTH TEXAS
SOUTH TEXAS
OREGON
SOUTH TEXAS PENNSYLVANIA WEST TEXAS
CANADA ALBERTA
NORTH TEXAS
TEXAS LONGHORN TRAILS
February 2019 | 53
Classifieds Auctioneers
Cattle For Sale
LONE WOLF RANCH Dr. Lee and Linda Ragains
There’s still a Few TLBAA 2019 Texas Longhorn Wall Calendars Left!
918-855-0704 • Sallisaw, OK
www.lonewolfranch.net Trade & Barter Cattle For Sale BEAVER CREEK LONGHORNS - Est. 1995. Conformation, color, disposition, pedigree and HORNS. Reasonable prices. Carole Muchmore, Ponca City, OK. 580 765-9961 (calls only) or email cmuchmor@ poncacity.net. www.beavercreeklonghorns.com
TRADE YOUR LONGHORNS – We’ll take your bulls and steers in trade for cows, heifers, pairs, herd sires or semen from breed’s top quality bulls. Stonewall Valley Ranch, Fredericksburg, TX. Days 512-454-0476 / Weekends 830-644-2380.
THATE Cattle Company
Your source for big-horned cattle in the North— utilizing the right bloodlines to produce the horn. Fairmont, Minnesota
507-235-3467
7 14
Next Heat: April 27 Due: January 13
Next Heat: May 4 Due: January 20
Palm Sunday
Next Heat: May 11 Due: January 27
Easter Sunday
Custom Hauling...Shows....Sales 8ft wide Trailer for Longhorn Care Ron Bailey 254.534.1886 Rodney Brown 682.220.8501
Reach Texas Longhorn enthusiasts with a classified ad. GET FOUND WITH OUR ONLINE Just $25/month! BREEDER DIRECTORY
1 8 15
2
Next Heat: April 28 Due: January 14
Next Heat: May 5 Due: January 21
AP RIL 20 19
Tue
Next Heat: April 21 Due: January 7
9 16
Wed
Next Heat: April 22 Due: January 8
3
Next Heat: April 29 Due: January 15
Next Heat: May 6 Due: January 22
10 17
Thu
Next Heat: April 23 Due: January 9
4
Next Heat: April 30 Due: January 16
Next Heat: May 7 Due: January 23
11 18
Fri
Next Heat: April 24 Due: January 10
5
22
Next Heat: May 12 Due: January 28
23
Next Heat: May 13 Due: January 29
Next Heat: May 8 Due: January 24
24
Next Heat: May 14 Due: January 30
25
Next Heat: May 15 Due: January 31
Deadline for
28
Next Heat: May 18 Due: February 3
29
Next Heat: May 19 Due: February 4
STLA Rockdale Shows (Rockdale, TX)
30
12
1
Next Heat: May 21 Due: February 6
2
June Trails
Next Heat: May 22 Due: February 7
6
19
Next Heat: May 2 Due: January 18
13
Next Heat: April 26 Due: January 12
20
Next Heat: May 10 Due: January 26 Passover Begins
Full Moon
26 3
Next Heat: May 3 Due: January 19
CTLA Spring Select Sale & Meeting (Saskatoon, Saskatchewa n)
1st Quarter Next Heat: May 9 Due: January 25
Next Heat: May 16 Due: February 1
3rd Quarter Next Heat: May 20 Due: February 5
Frontier Heritage Days (Coleman, TX)
Sat
Next Heat: April 25 Due: January 11
New Moon
Next Heat: May 1 Due: January 17
Good Friday
21
FMB Land & Cattle LLC
Mon
Next Heat: April 20 Due: January 6
April Fool’s Day
Transportation
BUTLER
YOUR SOURCE FOR BIG-HORNED BUTLER CATTLE.
Sun
31
27
Next Heat: May 17 Due: February 2 Passover Ends
Midwest Sale •
(Winfield, KS)
Frontier Heritage Days
STLA Rockdale Shows Next Heat: May 23 Due: February 8
• (Rockdale, TX)
4
• (Coleman, TX)
Next Heat: May 24 Due: February 9
March 2019 S
M
T
W
T
F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
817-625-6241
• Fax 817-625
-1388
tlbaa@tlbaa.or
g • www.tlbaa.org
May 2019 S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Includes: Beautiful Longhorns, Breeding Dates Show and Sale Dates
$10 plus s/h
TX residents add sales tax
ONLINE BREEDER DIRECTORY Get found by creating an online listing for your ranch on the TLBAA website. Listings include a customizeable web page with your program highlights, videos, images, links, and maps. THE COST The member cost is $240 which includes design and proof changes. Save $50 when purchasing with a Breeders Guide ad. For listing samples or more information contact Myra Basham. myra@tlbaa.org / 817-625-6241 / tlbaa.org
myra@tlbaa.org / 817.625.6241 x104 / tlbaa.org
54 | February 2019
TEXAS LONGHORN TRAILS
Advertising Index —A—
—H—
AA Longhorns................................. 14, 15, 52
Horseshoe J Longhorns............................43
A & S Land & Cattle.....................................53
Hubbell Longhorns..................14, 15, 22, 23
American Livestock.....................................54
HV Auctions Bluegrass Longhorn Sale.........3
Anderson, Frank Jr. and III...........................8
Husky Branding Irons................................ 44
Arch Acres.....................................................52
—J—
Astera Meadows..........................................53
J.T. Wehring Family Ranch........................53
—B—
—K—
Bar H Ranch........................................... 47, 52
Khaos Longhorns..................................14, 15
Beadle Land & Cattle............................. 8, 52
King, Terry & Tammy............................43, 52
Bentwood Ranch.................................. 21, 53
Kourtis Family Farms LLC....................49, 53
Bent Oak Ranch.......................................... 28 Big Valley Longhorns..................................52
—L— Lemley Auction Services..........................IBC
BPT Longhorns..............................................8
Lightning Longhorns..................................53
Broken Spur Ranch.....................................52
Little Ace Cattle Co...................................... 9
JUST FOR GRINS HAVE A CUTE PIC? Send us your photo with a funny caption included! Send your photo with caption to: Texas Longhorn Trails, Attn. Myra, • P.O. Box 6030 • Fort Worth, Texas 76164 or myra@tlbaa.org (Email entries should include address.) Photo may be used in a future issue due to number of responses
Buckhorn Cattle Co............................. 41, 52
Lodge Creek Longhorns............................52
Butler Listings............................................ 8, 9
Lone Wolf Ranch.........................................52
Bull Creek Longhorns................................... 7
Longhorn Opportunities Spotlight Sale........ 33
—C—
Longhorn Ventures........................................... 35
Caballo Bravo Longhorns...................30, 52
Lucas Ranch.......................................... 39, 52
Cattle Baron’s Premier Longhorn Sale........19 Cedar View Ranch.......................................52
— M— Mast Longhorns.................................... 22, 23
—T—
Champion Genetics................................... 48
McLeod Ranch...............................................9
Talley Longhorns............................ 14, 15, 43
Christa Cattle Co...........................................8
McGuire Land & Cattle...............................45
Texoma Spring Classic Sale.......................29
Commanders Place Longhorns.............. 44
Moriah Farms...............................................53
Thate Cattle Co.............................................8
Crazy Cattle Co...........................................53
— N— Northbrook Cattle Company....................53
TL Longhorns...............................................42
— O— Outlaw Cattle Company............................ 31
Triple R Ranch (TX)........................................9
— P— Pineywood Longhorn Sale........................24
TS Adcock Longhorns................................53
—D— Dalgood Longhorns......................................8 Danley Enterprises, Inc...............................25 Dauntless Longhorns............................... IFC DCCI Equipment........................................ 50
“Boy, you’ve got a friend in me!” Thanks to Cierra White, Blanchard, OK, for the submission.
Top Hand Invitational Longhorn Sale..........32 Triple S Bar Ranch.......................................53
—V — Varner Farms, LLC.......................................52
Dickinson Cattle Co...................................BC
—R— R 3 Hilltop Ranch.........................................42
DK Longhorn Ranch...................................52
Rio Vista Ranch..............................................9
—W — Walker, Ron...................................................53
Double A Longhorns..................................52
Rockin H Longhorns...................................37
WB Longhorns.............................................53
Rockin Hil Longhorns.................................52
Westfarms Inc................................................9
Diamond Q Longhorns..............................52
—E— El Coyote Ranch...................................... 1, 13 —F— FHR Longhorns..................................... 51, 53 Flying D Ranch.............................................53 Flying Diamond Ranch...............................52 Four Color Press......................................... 50 —G— G&G Longhorns...........................................27
Rockin I Longhorns.....................................53
WI Longhorns & Leather............................53
Rocking P Longhorns...................................9
Wichita Fence Company.......................... 46
Rocky Mountain Longhorns.....................52
Woodson School Ranch........................... 20
Rolling D Ranch....................................43, 52 Running Arrow Longhorns....................... 46
UPCOMING ISSUES:
—S—
March: Longhorn Weekend Wrap-Up April: Longhorn Beef
Safari B Ranch..............................................52 Sand Hills Ranch..........................................52 Scott Hughes..........................................14, 15
—H—
Singing Coyote Ranch...............................53
Harrell Ranch........................................ FC, 17
SS Longhorns...............................................53
Helm Cattle Co.............................. 22, 23, 53
Star Creek Ranch.................................... 5, 53
Hickman Longhorns...................................53
Struthoff Ranch............................................53
TEXAS LONGHORN TRAILS
May: Brood Cow Edition February 2019 | 55
SAVE THE DATE FEBRUARY 2019 FEBRUARY 8-9 • STLA Longhorn Show at The San Antonio Stock Show, AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX. Bubba Bollier, bollier7572@yahoo.com or 325-247-6249. Qualify Haltered, Free, Trophy Steers, & Youth. FEBRUARY 15-17 • San Angelo Stock Show, San Angelo Fairgrounds, San Angelo, TX. Entry Deeadline January 10, 2019. Dennis Urbantke (325) 656-9321 or dennis @ thlonghorns.com. Qualifying Haltered & Youth, Youth Points Only, Trophy Steers. FEBRUARY 22-23 • Cattle Baron Premier Longhorn Sale & Winchester Futurity, Navasota, Texas. Rick Friedrich 713-305-0259, Rick@RiverRanchLonghorns.com or www.TLBGCA.com
MARCH 2019 MARCH 3-5 • Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, NRG Park, Houston, TX. Entry Deadline January 5th. Pam Robison 817-625-6241 or pam@tlbaa.org. Qualifying Haltered & Youth, Trophy Steers. MARCH 8-10 • Sulphur Spring “Premium” Spring Show, Hopkins County Civic Center, Sulphur Springs, TX. John & Brenda Oliver, 972-268-0083, joliver210@yahoo.com or boliver84@yahoo.com. Qualifying Haltered, Free & Youth, Youth Qualifying - No Awards, Trophy Steers. The show will have Mini Haltered and Mini Non-Haltered Shows. MARCH 15-16 • STLA Rodeo Austin, Austin, TX. Entry Deadline February 1, 2019. Kathy Bruner 512-689-8624 or kathy@therockingbranch.com. Qualifying Haltered, Free, Youth, Trophy Steers & Miniatures. MARCH 22 • YMBL South Texas State Fair, Ford Arena, Beaumont, TX. Entry Deadline February 7, 2019. Jessica Wade 903-948-5194 or dubosejessica@yahoo. com. Qualifying Haltered, Free & Youth. MARCH 22-24 • OTLA Spring Shoot-Out, Payne County Expo Center, Stillwater, OK. Entry Deadline March 8, 2019. Submit entries to Mary Fowler, 345328 E. 1070 Rd., Meeker, OK 74855.. Contact David Edwards at 918-557-0364 or dledwards. texaslonghorncattle@gmail.com. Qualifying Haltered, Free, Trophy Steers, & Youth. MARCH 23 • Pineywoods Marketing Texas Longhorn Sale,Will Rogers Memorial Center, West Sales Arena, Fort Worth, TX. Contact: Russell Fairchild 254-4853434 , Keith DuBose 979-277-2161 or Joel Lemley 325-668-3552.
TEXAS LONGHORN
Coming Events
MAY 3-5 • TLBGCA Spring Show, Miracle Farm, Brenham, TX. Entry Deadline April 23, 2019. Stephen Head 979-549-5270 or headshorns@hotmail.com. Haltered, Trophy Steers, Youth & Miniatures. MAY 10-11 • Millennium Futurity, Glen Rose, TX. Entry forms available at www.millenniumfuturity.com. Christy Randolph 713-703-8458 or lpinesranch@aol.com MAY 18 • Nebraska Texas Longhorn Association Sale, Beatrice, NE. Contacts: Pres. Paul Schlecht 402-719-7317 / Justin Georges 402-580-0209. Consignments: brdamrow6@aol.com MAY 24-27 • Blue Grass Classic Sale & Futurity, Lexington, Kentucky. Bruce McCarty Promotions, www.brucemccarty.com
JUNE 2019 June 21-22 • Great Northern Longhorn Classic III Sale, Montello, WI. Dan Huntington 715-853-7608. June 26-30 • TLBAA World Expo, National TLBT Youth Show & Texas Gold Futurity, Bell County Expo Center, Belton, TX. Pam Robison 817-625-6241 or pam@tlbaa.org. Haltered, Free, Youth, Trophy Steers, Miniatures, Futurity, Banquet
AUGUST 2019 AUGUST 31 • 22nd Butler Breeder’s Invitational Sale, Lockhart, TX. Kaso Kety 985-674-6492 or Michael McLeod 361-771-5355.
SEPTEMBER 2019 SEPTEMBER 6-8 • West Texas Fair & Rodeo, Abilene, TX. Catherine Morris 325829-9219 or morriscatran@taylortel.net. Qualifying Haltered, Free, Youth & Youth Points Only, Trophy Steers. SEPTEMBER 7 • Struthoff Deep In The Heart Of Texas Sale, San Antonio, TX. Lynn Struthoff 219-473-7768 or Joel Lemley 325-668-3552. SEPTEMBER 20-21 • Fort Worth Stockyards Longhorn Auction, Fort Worth, TX. Contact Lorinda Valentine, panthercreekranch@att.net or 270-996-7046.
MARCH 28-31 • Texoma Spring Classic,Red River Sale Barn, Overbrook, OK. Sale hosts: Bob & Pam Loomis, Dale Hunt & Sherrill Caddel, and Chris & Christina Clark. Contact: Dale Hunt 402-214-4851 or Chase Vasut 512-917-8654.
SEPTEMBER 27-29 • East Texas State Fair, Tyler, TX. Entry Deadline Aug. 27th. John & Brenda Oliver 972-268-0083 or joliver210@yahoo.com. Qualifying Haltered, Free & Youth, Trophy Steers.
MARCH 30 • 41st B&C Spring Sale, Grand River Livestock Barn, Tina, MO. Sale auctioneers: Shawn & Bill Sayre. Contact: Shawn 660-734-8782.
SEPTEMBER 28 • 41st B&C Fall Sale, Grand River Livestock Barn, Tina, MO. Sale auctioneers: Shawn & Bill Sayre. Contact: Shawn 660-734-8782.
APRIL 2019 APRIL 6 • Longhorn Opportunities Spotlight Sale, Oklahoma National Stockyards, Oklahoma City, OK. Justin Rombeck 816-536-1083 or justinthelonghornman@gmail.com. APRIL 12-13 • Blue Ridge Ranch Sale, Llano, TX. Bubba Bollier 325-2476249 or bollier7572@yahoo.com. APRIL 12-14 • Heart Of Texas Dash For Cash Spring Show, Circle T Resort & Arena, Hamilton, TX. Entry Deadline March 29th. Send entries to Cori Garcia 12439 County Rd. 209, Hico, TX, 76457. Contact Cori Garcia at rafter-m-ranch@hughes. net or 479-381-8331. Qualifying Haltered, Trophy Steers, Youth & Miniatures.
OCTOBER 2019 OCTOBER 3-5 • TLBAA Horn Showcase, Lawton, OK. Pam Robison 817-625-6241 or pam@tlbaa.org OCTOBER 18-20 • STLA Llano Longhorn Show, Llano, TX. Entry Deadline Oct. 9. Sandi Nordhausen 512-750-1350 / sandi.nordhausen@gmail.com or Bubba Bollier 325-247-6249 / bollier7572@yahoo.com. Qualifying Haltered, Free, & Youth. Trophy Steers, Miniatures. OCTOBER 25-27 • Ark-La-Tex Annual Fall Show, George H. Henderson Jr. Exposition Center, Lufkin ,TX. Contact Jessica Wade, 903-948-5194 or dubosejessica@yahoo.com. Qualifying Haltered, Free, Youth, and Miniatures.
APRIL 13 • CTLA Spring Select Sale & Meeting, Saskatoon Livestock Sales Ltd., Saskatoon, SK. Contact CTLA Office at 403-575-0114 or office@ctlalonghorns.com.
NOVEMBER 2019
APRIL 26-28 • STLA Rockdale Spring Show, Rockdale Fairgrounds, Rockdale, TX. Sandi Nordhausen (512) 750-1350 or sandi.nordhausen@gmail.com Qualifying Haltered, Youth, 2 Youth Points Only & Trophy Steers.
November 1-3 • Heart of Texas Buckles & Banners Show, Circle T Resort & Arena, Hamilton, TX. Entry Deadline Oct 18th. Send entries to Cori Garcia 12439 County Rd. 209, Hico, TX, 76457. Contact Cori Garcia at rafter-m-ranch@hughes.net or 479-381-8331. Qualifying Haltered, Trophy Steers, Youth & Miniatures.
APRIL 26-28 • Western Trails Longhorn Show, Bill Franklin Center, Coleman, TX. Entry Deadline April 12, 2019 (postmarked). Catherine Morris (325) 829-9219 or morriscatran@ taylortel.net. Qualifying, Haltered & Youth, Youth Points Only & Trophy Steers. APRIL 27 • Midwest Longhorn Sale, Winfield Livestock Auction, Winfield, KS. Joel Lemley 325-668-3552 or jlem@camalott.com
MAY 2019 MAY 3-4 • Red McCombs Fiesta Sale, Johnson City, TX. Alan & Teresa Sparger 210-445-8798 or dodgeram52@yahoo.com. www.redmccombslonghorns.com
56 | February 2019
NOVEMBER 9 • Texas Longhorn & Ranch Horse Fall Select Sale, Crossroads Centre, Oyen, AB. Ron Walker, 403-548-6684, Cell 403-528-0200, walkersu7texaslonghorns@gmail.com, www.walkerslonghorns.com.
APRIL 2020 APRIL 10-12 • Heart Of Texas Dash For Cash Spring Show, Circle T Resort & Arena, Hamilton, TX. Entry Deadline March 27th. Send entries to Cori Garcia 12439 County Rd. 209, Hico, TX, 76457. Contact Cori Garcia at rafter-m-ranch@hughes. net or 479-381-8331. Qualifying Haltered, Trophy Steers, Youth & Miniatures.
TEXAS LONGHORN TRAILS
26 | December 2018
TEXAS LONGHORN TRAILS
26 | December 2018
TEXAS LONGHORN TRAILS