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By LeAnne Peters, Mississippi Cattlemen’s Association

Located in central Mississippi, just outside of French Camp, is a Beefmaster operation filled with quality cattle and a deep love for the beef industry. Owned by Aaron Roebuck and his wife Mona, the two proudly comprise the operation known as Rocking R Ranch Beefmasters.

The Beefmaster breed first originated in 1954 based on a 3-way cross between Hereford, Shorthorn, and Brahman cattle. Tom Lasater, the founder of the breed, selected cattle on the “Six Essentials” which include fertility, milking ability, weight, conformation, hardiness, and disposition. Since then, the breed has grown in popularity among many producers just like the Roebucks.

Aaron first got his start back in 1986 when he purchased his first cow from a sale barn and sold her first calf to begin his herd of commercial cattle. Roebuck then purchased his first Beefmaster bull from Mr. Johnny Sides and ran cattle for several years before deciding to sell out.

During the 1990’s, Aaron’s son Austin became interested in cattle and decided to obtain a youth loan. After looking in the Market Bulletin, they saw an ad for Beefmaster cattle from the Byrd family in South Mississippi and decided to go look. They went to look with the original plan of Austin building for himself a herd of cattle versus purchasing cattle with the primary goal of showing.

It was a productive visit and it resulted in the purchase of five heifers, with several of them being great show prospects. Though Aaron was raised showing horses, he had never shown cattle; however, that didn’t keep Austin from being interested in the idea. The Roebuck family made the decision to go “all in” and Austin began showing on a state and national level.

Since then, Austin has become an established veteran in the show ring and has attended several Junior Beefmaster Breeders Association Jr. Nationals, as well as national shows in both Houston and Fort Worth. Though Austin has now aged out, he continued his own herd of Beefmasters. Aaron has even got the showing bug by participating in open shows and exhibiting a bull that was raised on their farm.

“Hopefully one day I will have grandkids that are interested in showing,” said Aaron. “We have had some really good heifers the past few years that are made for the showring, and it’s been a large part of our lives.”

As he has built his herd over the years, Aaron has purchased cattle private treaty and at Southeast Beefmaster Breeders Association (SEBBA) sales, as well as Emmons Ranch and BBU sales at Houston.

Using both artificial insemination and natural service, the cows are bred to superior Beefmaster bulls, producing hardy cattle that are adapted to the Gulf Coast environment. By utilizing some of the top AI sires in the breed along with Gunslinger, a bull that he owns in syndicate, and his herd sire EMS Cool Daddy, Roebuck is building a herd of cattle that will work in the show ring and for seedstock and commercial producers alike.

While he is currently in the process of building his herd, most of his heifers are retained to put back into the herd, and many of his bull calves are sold to the local livestock markets. His son Justin is also building a herd of Angus and Angus cross commercial cows that he is utilizing Beefmaster bulls to create.

If you spend any time with the Roebucks and their cattle you see that docility is a major factor in their herd. “You can see that most of our cattle are pets,” said Aaron. “We come out to the pasture and most all of them will walk up to you and let you handle them.”

All cows and calves on Rocking R Beefmasters are maintained under a complete herd health program where cattle are vaccinated and dewormed twice a year, as well as being given a 7-way and blackleg vaccine. Common Bermuda along with mixed native grasses provides the foundation of the pasture system and all the farm’s hay needs. With the help of his son, Justin, Aaron bales his own hay.

Aaron is a proud member of the Mississippi Cattlemen’s Association, where he serves as an area vice president. He is also a member of Beefmaster Breeders United.

While he is certainly proud of his growing herd and operation, one thing that Aaron is always proud to say is that his family is still on the land that was a land grant by the government to his great-great grandparents. From those original 140 acres, several other family members, as well as Aaron, have added to the original property, with several cousins owning adjacent property as well.

The Roebucks continue to improve their herd each year by breeding quality genetics to produce cattle for today’s cattle producer.

RAYMOND, MS

SEPTEMBER 11, 2021

• 6 BULLS $30,000 AVG $5000
• 4 3Nl $25,500 AVG $6375
• 2 PAIR $9000 AVG $4500
• 23 BRED $92,400 AVG $4017
• 12 OPEN $62,650 AVG $5221
• 1 PICK $4750
• 1 SEMEN LOT $17,460
• 2 EMBRYO LOTS $3300 AVG $1650
• 51 TOTAL LOTS $245,060 AVG $4805

TOP BULLS

• LOT 19- SIRE, CAIN 550F3 OF 4248, CONSIGNED BY RANDY MASON, BROWNSTOWN, IL; SOLD TO JEFF GARNER BLUE RIDGE, TX FOR $10,000.
• LOT 20- SIRE, CF SUGAR BRITCHES, CONSIGNED BY RANDY MASON, BROWNSTOWN, IL; SOLD TO DOUBLE R MISSION, TX FOR $5250.
• LOT 18- SIRE, CHRK KONG, CONSIGNED BY RANDY MASON, BROWNSTOWN, IL; SOLD TO ROLAND LEE, PICAYUNE, MS FOR $4250.

TOP FEMALES

• LOT 12- BRED TO LIGHTS OUT, CONSIGNED BY CHANNAROCK FARM, ROCKFIELD, KY; SOLD TO DARYL HARVEY, WESTMORELAND, TN FOR $11,500.
• LOT 15- OPEN, SIRE MCC DARTH VADER CONSIGNED BY RANDY MASON, BROWNSTOWN, IL; SOLD TO STEVEN ANDERSON, AMARILLO, TX FOR $10,500. LOT 13- 3Nl , CALF SIRE, CHRK FIRST CLASS, CONSIGNED BY CHANNAROCK FARM, ROCKFIELD, KY; SOLD TO JON AND MICHELE COLBURN, COLLEGE STATION, TX FOR $8500.
• LOT 2- OPEN, SIRE, CHRK BIG DADDY, CONSIGNED BY CHANNAROCK FARM, ROCKFIELD, KY; SOLD TO 6X BEEFMASTERS, OAKDALE, CALIFORNIA FOR $7500. LOT 17- OPEN, SIRE MCC DARTH VADER, CONSIGNED BY RANDY MASON, BROWNSTOWN, IL; SOW TO AK BEEFMASTERS, MAGNOLIA, TX FOR $7000.
• LOT 41- 3Nl, CALF SIRE, MR CJ’S FIREBALL, CONSIGNED BY HIATT DIAMOND H, MT ULLA, NC; SOLD TO BARRY ROBERTSON, AXTON, VA FOR $7000.

VOLUME BUYERS; DARYL HARVEY, WESTMORELAND, 1N; JEFF GARNER BLUE RIDGE, TX; 6X RANCH, OAKDALE, CA

AUCTIONEER- ANTHONY MIHALSKI, SAN ANTONIO, TX
SALE CONSULTANT- BRUCE ROBBINS, SAN ANTONIO, TX
SALE MANAGER- 3G CATTLE SALES & CONSULTATION, FRANKLIN, GA

Lexington, TN August 28, 2021

• 1 Donated Semen Lot $6,600.00
• 3 Bulls $5,200.00 Avg $1,733.00
• 2 3Nl $9,200.00 Avg $4,600.00
• 5 Pair $12,700.00 Avg $2,540.00
• 8 Bred $39,150.00 Avg $4,894.00
• 9 Open $53,150.00 Avg $5,906.00
• 1 Embryo Lot $7,665.00
• 1 Semen Lot $5,500.00
• 7 Commercial Lots $27,550.00 Avg $3,936.00
• 37 Lots $166,715.00 Avg $4,506.00

Top Lots

• Lot 13- Bred to The Rock, Consigned by J T Farms, Henderson, TN: Sold to Charlie Lopez, Houston, TX for $12,000.
• Lot 4- Open, Sire, CJ’s Sure Fire, consigned by Clark Jones and Steve Dodds; Sold to Charlie Lopez, Houston, TX for $9500.
• Lot 15- Bred to LL Red Kiota, Consigned by Ronnie Teague, Ramer, TN: Sold to Charlie Lopez, Houston, TX for $8,500.
• Lot 8- Open, Sire, CHRK. First Class, Consigned by Rick Seeker, Brenham, TX: Sold to Charlie · Lopez, Houston, TX for $7,500
• Lot 6- Open, Sire, The Colonel, Consigned by Bailey Farms, Pinson, TN: Charlie Lopez, Houston, TX for $7,000.
• Lot 40- 3nl, Calf sire, Addicted To Love, Consigned by South Oaks Ranch, Lexington, 1N: Sold to Daryl Harvey, Westmoreland, TN for $7,000.

Volume Buyers: Charlie Lopez, Houston, TX; Daryl Harvey, Westmoreland, TN

Auctioneer-Tim Haley, Russellville, KY
Sale Manager- 3G Cattle Sales and Consultation

Live Oak Beefmaster Breeders Association (LOBBA) is sponsoring a heifer development program at Landair, Inc., in Beeville, Texas. The purpose of the program is to provide LOBBA members a means to economically feed and grow out heifers in preparation for sale or other private use purposes. The heifers will be grouped by age to form contemporary groups where the cattle can be evaluated, compared and graded according to desired phenotypical look. Scan data and weight gains will be acquired at proper intervals for participating heifers. Note: this is a development program not a gain test. Heifers will be fed accordingly for proper growth and conditioning. Structural defects will be pointed out so that the owner can decide if any action is required regarding their animal. This information and data will be obtained in order to provide the owner the data for performance evaluation and potential sale requirements.

The open heifers will be separated into two groups, Fall (born between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31), and Spring (born between Jan. 1 and May 1).  Landair will separate into additional groups using the age criteria depending on the number of cattle enrolled in the program. Landair will also pen the heifers so that bulls are not penned adjacent to them. Landair’s health requirements, marking, and weaning criteria will also need to be provided by the owner prior to delivery. Landair’s contractual agreement similar to the bull development program will also be required. See files linked below. All movement of cattle in and out of the program shall be the responsibility of the owner to coordinate with Landair.

The program is being implemented as a service to the membership. The data generated by the program will allow breeders to evaluate and compare their cattle and programs with their fellow members and breeders. The cattle may be entered into or removed from the program at the owner’s discretion. The periodic phenotypical evaluation (grading) will only apply to cattle that have been in the program at least three months in order to fairly conduct the evaluation of those cattle that have been grouped, fed and cared for under the same conditions. LOBBA will assess a charge of $50.00 per head to offset the Association’s costs incurred resulting from the services provided during the program. Note, these costs are in addition to any Landair fees, scanning fees, etc.

Arrival of cattle at Landair for participation in this program will commence September 15, 2021. Please note that the timing and length of participation in this program by any member will solely be determined by the member. It is fully anticipated that spring born calves may not be entered into the program until much later due to the member’s weaning program.

LOBBA is also evaluating the possible introduction of a special Heifer Marketing Program (see linked below). The decision to proceed with the special sale will be made at a later date. Note: if the program is implemented, participation by any member is purely optional.

2021 LOBBA Heifer Development Consignment Form (excel required to open)

Landair Weaning Recommendations for Customers

Live Oak BBA Heifer Marketing Program

BOERNE, TEXAS – Beefmaster Breeders United (BBU) is pleased to announce the development and release of their Residual Feed Intake (RFI) Expected Progeny Difference (EPD) and Feed Efficiency Index ($FE). Beefmaster breeders and commercial cattlemen now have the most powerful Beefmaster selection tools at their fingertips.

“Both of these efficiency EPDs will assist producers to select animals that are feed efficient and fit into the ever-increasing demand for sustainability in the beef industry,” said Lance Bauer, BBU Director of Breed Improvement.

Residual feed intake is a measure of feed efficiency. RFI is the difference between an animal’s actual intake and expected intake based on size and growth of an animal on a feed test. The new Beefmaster RFI EPD utilizes ultrasound measured rib fat in the calculation to help select for animals that will grow and maintain optimal condition. When examining this EPD it is important to notate that an animal with a lower RFI EPD is expected to eat less and be more efficient, when compared to an animal with a higher RFI EPD.

The new Feed Efficiency Index is referred to as $FE and balances post weaning growth (the growth from weaning to yearling) with the RFI EPD. This index is designed to select for animals that excel in feed efficiency and post weaning growth.

The new RFI EPD and $FE Index will join an already extensive and powerful group of EPDs and indices that are available to the progressive cattlemen who utilize Beefmaster genetics in their seedstock and commercial cattle operations.

Not only do these tools improve feed efficiency, but also global beef sustainability. Beefmaster Breeders United is committed to producing beef that is socially responsible, environmentally sound, and economically viable. We are devoted to supplying a beef product that prioritizes planet, people, and progress.

“Through implementing these new genetic tools, we are announcing our commitment to support our membership and cattle producers in growing and harvesting sustainable beef products around the globe,” said Collin Osbourn, BBU Executive Vice President.

For more information about BBU and Beefmaster genetics please contact the office at 210-732-3132 or visit www.beefmasters.org.

BOERNE, TEXAS – Approximately 250 Junior Beefmaster Breeders Association (JBBA) members and approximately 550 head of cattle from all over Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Kansas and Mississippi gathered the week of July 17-23, 2021 at the Bell County Exposition Center in Belton, Texas for a fun-filled week at the 2021 JBBA National Show and Convention.

In addition to the cattle shows, the event also included contests and competitions, a leadership conference, silent and live auctions, a meet and greet social and awards banquet were part of this annual event.

“The 37th Annual JBBA National Show and Convention would not have been possible without all of our sponsors, JBBA directors and ambassadors, BBU Staff, JBBA Adult committee and other volunteers. I had the privilege of watching many junior members make lifelong friends, re-connect with old friends, and grow their love for Beefmaster cattle. The people involved in the Beefmaster breed are the ones that make the week special,” said Youth Programs and Membership Coordinator Rylee Barber.

During the convention JBBA members elected the following individuals to represent them as the 2021-2022 JBBA Board of Directors and Officers.
• President: Nikki Brady of Carrizo Springs, Texas
• President Elect: Bennett Janssen of Victoria, Texas
• Secretary: Mackenzie Lee of Sealy, Texas
• Treasurer: Travis Glaser of Rogers, Texas
• Reporter: Bryanna Hardin of Sweeny, Texas

• Directors: Graicie Bouchard of Azle, Texas, Kolton Brady of Carrizo Springs, Texas, Weston Brooks of China, Texas, Paola Castro of Brownsville, Texas, Braylee Cowan of Dodd City, Texas, Maggie DeLaCerda of Denton, Texas, Sarah Mendietta of Kingsville, Texas, Colby Mullins of New Baden, Texas and Brayton Robinson of Kilgore, Texas.

• Ambassadors: Kaylee Beason of Rockdale, Texas, Emme Dallmeyer of Ledbetter, Texas, Sofia Garza of Edinburg, Texas, Vicente Garza III of Edinburg, Texas, Kaylee Hensley of La Grange, Texas, Rheagan Karisch of Ellinger, Texas, and Wes Shaw of McLean, Texas.

The annual event consisted of several competitions including public speaking, photography, video, livestock judging, creative essay, team sales, individual sales, professional development, marketing design, Beefmaster quiz bowl and Beefmaster Skillathon.

The winners of the public speaking contest are as follows:
• Junior 1st place: Lane Hendricks of Flynn, Texas
• Intermediate 1st place: Kayl Tassin of Sandy Hook, Mississippi
• Senior 1st place: Weston Brooks of China, Texas

The winners of the photography contest are as follows:
• Junior 1st place: Bridger Ethridge of Nacogdoches, Texas
• Intermediate 1st place: Rheagan Karisch of Ellinger, Texas
• Senior 1st place: Mackenzie Lee of Sealy, Texas

The winners of the video contest are as follows:
• Junior 1st place: Bridger Ethridge of Nacogdoches, Texas
• Intermediate 1st place: Braeden Lee of Millsap, Texas
• Senior 1st place: Mackenzie Lee of Sealy, Texas

The winners of the livestock judging contest are as follows:
• Junior 1st place: Makenzie Low of Alto, Texas
• Intermediate 1st place: Kayl Tassin of Sandy Hook, Mississippi
• Senior 1st place: Braylee Cowan of Dodd City, Texas
• Team 1st Place: Los Vaqueros – Makenzie Low, Lane Hendricks, Wylie Butler and Noah Mullins
• Team 2nd Place: The Drop Scores – Braylee Cowan, Bennett Janssen, Travis Glaser and Colby Mullins

The winners of the creative essay contest are as follows:
• Junior 1st place: Shelby Folmar of Hallsville, Texas
• Intermediate 1st place: Wes Shaw of McLean, Texas
• Senior 1st place: Weston Brooks of China, Texas

The winners of the team sales contest are as follows:
• Grand Champion Team: Caeden Scherer, Parker Schwarz, Ryan Pena
• Reserve Champion Team: Maggie DeLaCerda, Riley Austin, Gracie Bourgeois

The winners of the individual sales contest are as follows:
• Junior 1st place: Bridger Ethridge of Nacogdoches, Texas
• Intermediate 1st place: Rhaina Emmons of Streetman, Texas
• Senior 1st place: Bennett Janssen of Victoria, Texas

The winners of the professional development contest are as follows:
• 1st place: Jacob Kolwes of Bellville, Texas
• 2nd place: Maggie DeLaCerda of Denton, Texas

The winners of the marketing design contest are as follows:
• Junior 1st place: Kyndall Schnell of Ledbetter, Texas
• Intermediate 1st place: Vicente Garza III of Edinburg, Texas
• Senior 1st place: Garrett Melnar of Bellville, Texas

The winners of the Beefmaster quiz bowl contest are as follows:
• Grand Champion Team: Garrett Melnar, Kaylee Beason, Colt Scherer
• Reserve Champion Team: Weston Brooks, Colton Klesel, Makenzie Low

The winners of the Beefmaster Skillathon contest are as follows:
• Junior 1st place: Lane Hendricks of Flynn, Texas
• Intermediate 1st place: Kayl Tassin of Sandy Hook, Mississippi
• Senior 1st place: Garrett Melnar of Bellville, Texas

JBBA members exhibited their cattle in seven different shows over the week, including an ultrasound carcass contest, showmanship competition, a bred and owned heifer show, a bred and owned bull show, a Beefmaster E6/Advancer Heifer Show, the JBBA National Cow-Calf Pair Show and the JBBA National Heifer Show.

The winners of the ultrasound carcass contest are as follows:
• Champion E6/Advancer Carcass: Mackenzie Lee of Sealy, Texas
• Reserve Champion E6/Advancer Carcass: Macee Low of Alto, Texas

• Champion Bull Carcass: Jacob Kolwes of Bellville, Texas
• Reserve Champion Bull Carcass: Travis Glaser of Rogers, Texas

• Champion Junior Female Carcass: Ruby Redden of Midway, Texas
• Reserve Champion Junior Female Carcass: Ashley Gray of Deer Park, Texas

• Champion Senior Female Carcass: Audrey Potter of Columbus, Texas
• Reserve Champion Senior Female Carcass: Brayton Robinson of Kilgore, Texas

The winners of the showmanship competition are as follows:
• Junior Champion Showman: Wylie Butler of Cameron, Texas
• Junior Reserve Champion Showman: Camille Dore of Crowley, Louisiana

• Intermediate Champion Showman: Kasen Ramirez of Combine, Texas
• Intermediate Reserve Champion Showman: Elliot Dore of Crowley, Louisiana

• Senior and Pevine Hicks Memorial Champion Showman: Braylee Cowan of Dodd City, Texas
• Senior Reserve Champion Showman: Raegan Emmons of Streetman, Texas

The winners of the Bred and Owned Heifer Show are as follows:
• Grand Champion Bred and Owned Heifer: WR Maryn owned by Shawn Skaggs of De Leon, Texas
• Reserve Grand Champion Bred and Owned Heifer: BR A Ghost owned by Amelia Buckley of Collins, Mississippi.

The winners of the Bred and Owned Bull Show are as follows:
• Grand Champion Bred and Owned Bull: CPR BM Lifeline owned by Braylee Mackie of Lott, Texas.
• Reserve Grand Champion Bred and Owned Bull: BR A Full House owned by Amelia Buckley of Collins, Mississippi.

The winners of the Beefmaster E6/Advancer Heifer Show are as follows:
• Grand Champion E6/Advancer Heifer: EMS New Model owned by Raymie Emmons of Streetman, Texas.
• Reserve Grand Champion E6/Advancer Heifer: KTCC 421 owned by Kayl Tassin of Sandy Hook, Mississippi.

The winners of the National Cow-Calf Pair Show are as follows:
• Grand Champion Cow-Calf Pair: EMS Fired Up owned by Raegan Emmons of Streetman, Texas.
• Reserve Grand Champion Cow-Calf Pair: EMS Princess Diana owned by Rhaina Emmons of Streetman, Texas.

The winners of the JBBA National Heifer Show are as follows:
• Grand Champion Heifer: CF Bebe’s Breeze owned by Colt Scherer of Brenham, Texas.
• Reserve Grand Champion Heifer: Lyssy’s Prada owned by Kaylee Beason of Rockdale, Texas.

To wrap up the event, JBBA members and their families attended the annual awards banquet. Contest and event winners from throughout the week were announced and received awards. All-Around Champions were awarded in each age division, determined from points earned throughout the week. The top ten in each age division were recognized.

The All-Around Champion Awards were presented to the following JBBA members:
• All-Around Junior: Lane Hendricks of Flynn, Texas
• All-Around Intermediate: Kayl Tassin of Sandy Hook, Mississippi
• All-Around Senior: Braylee Cowan of Dodd City, Texas

In addition to contest awards, several scholarships were awarded to the following senior JBBA members:
• Brian L. Murphy Memorial Scholarship: Gracey Leopold of Sweeny, Texas

• JBBA Scholarships: Troy Glaser, Nikki Brady, Garrett Melnar, Braylee Mackie, Amelia Buckley, Faith Martin, Braylee Cowan, Camrin Byers, Bryanna Hardin, Caeden Scherer, Jacob Kolwes, Preston Dallmeyer and Kace Murphy.

• Beefmaster Educational Endowment Foundation (B.E.E.F.) PRIME Scholarship: Jacob Kolwes of Bellville, Texas

• Beefmaster Educational Endowment Foundation (B.E.E.F.) Scholarship: Raleigh Scherer of Brenham, Texas and Thomas Stran Hines of Chester, Texas.

• Beefmaster Breeders Cattlewoman Scholarship: Madilyn Fannin, Kaitlin Flisowski, Hudson Ham, Dustie Parker, Gracey Leopold, Anna Hiser, Sarah Mendietta, Braylee Cowan and Kace Murphy.

• Kenneth Lewis and Robert Miles Memorial JBBA Scholarship: Kaitlin Flisowski, Thomas Stran Hines, Anna Hiser and Kace Murphy.

• East Texas/Louisiana Marketing Group Scholarship: Troy Glaser, Nikki Brady, Faith Martin, Jacob Kolwes and Amelia Buckley.

• David Wagner Memorial Scholarship: Troy Glaser, Caeden Scherer and Faith Martin

This year the WorkHorse Award was presented to Troy Glaser of Rogers, Texas. The WorkHorse Award honors an individual that demonstrates a great work ethic, who willingly goes above and beyond what their responsibilities call for during the JBBA National Show and Convention.

Champion Herdsman was awarded to Troy and Travis Glaser of Rogers, Texas and Reserve Champion Herdsman was awarded to Matthew and Mackenzie Lee of Sealy, Texas.

The JBBA Top Hand Award was awarded to Bennett Janssen of Victoria, Texas. This award is similar to the BBU Breeder of the Year Award and recognizes a JBBA member that participates in JBBA and BBU programs, while also working to build their herd and market their cattle.

In recognition of outstanding JBBA volunteers’ service, dedication, time, and support to the JBBA program, the JBBA Helping Hand Award was presented to Debbie Bradbury and Elgin Breeding Services.

The BBU Staff and JBBA Board of Directors would like to thank everyone that made this year’s event possible and congratulate all the participants. Join JBBA next year at the 38th Annual JBBA National Convention and Show to be held in the same location in Belton, Texas.

Click here to download winner photos.

For more information about BBU and JBBA please contact the office at 210-732-3132 or visit www.beefmasters.org/juniors.

Rockdale, Texas

7/10/21

• 12 Bred Heifer: Gross=$85,600.00 Avg=$7,133.33
• 4 Open Heifers: Gross=$27,000.00 Avg=$6,750.00
• 29 Pair: Gross=$158,250.00 Avg=$5,456.90
• 3 Embryo Pair: Gross=$19,000.00 Avg=$6,333.33
• 30 Bred Cow: Gross=$155,200.00 Avg=$5,173.33
• 1 Bull: Gross=$7,000.00 Avg=$7,000.00
• 1 Frozen Embryo: Gross=$24,625.00 Avg=$24,625.00
• 1 Semen: Gross=$25,390.00 Avg=$25,390.00
• 81 Total Lots: Gross=$502,065.00 Avg=$6,198.33

Bred Cow

• Lot 5 – Cf 680 Painted Oasis – Painted Tiger x Cf Oasis Bred to EMS Fire & Smoke “$21,000” San Gabriel “Travis Greybeal, KS.”
• Lot 38 – 585/15 – L2 Captain Sugar x Cf 430 Bred to EMS Fire & Smoke “$11,000” San Gabriel “David Botello, CA.”
• Lot 20 – 19/17 – Cf Sugar Bear x Cf 469 Bred to EMS Fire & Smoke “$9,000” San Gabriel “David Botello, CA.”

Bred Heifer

• Lot 57 – SG 35/9 Creamsickle – L2 Captain Sugar x Painted Oasis Bred to EMS Fire & Smoke “$17,000” San Gabriel “Travis Greybeal, KS.”
• Lot 17 – SG 15/9 Bubba’s Singapore Baby – EMS Bet on Bubba x SG Singapore Sling Bred to Cf Sugar Bear “$15,500” San Gabriel “Mazoch Land & Cattle, TX.”

Pair

• Lot 70 – SG 54/8 – L2 Captain Sugar x Painted Oasis with Heifer calf by JT The Rock “$13,000” San Gabriel “Cottage Farm, TN.”
• Lot 71 – 14/16 – Cf Sugar Bear x TVR RedLace with embryo bull calf by L2 Infinity x Painted Oasis Bred to CJ’s Game Day “$11,000” San Gabriel “Bounds Swinging B, TX.”

Open Heifer

• Lot 89a – SG 17/0 Miss Juicey Lucy – Cf Dr. Love x L2 Sugar Jewel “$14,000” San Gabriel “David Botello, CA.”

Embryo Pair

• Lot 63 – Brangus recipient with Heifer calf by L2 Infinity x Painted Oasis “$10,000” San Gabriel “Gary Osmundson, CA. / Cottage Farm”

Frozen Embryo

• Lot 92f – EMS Bet on Bubba x Cf 530 $375 each San Gabriel “Kacer Farms, KY.”

Volume Buyers: David Botello, CA.; Travis Greybeal, KS.; Roy Barrett, TX.; Doug Sanford, TX.; Augustin Hernandez, MX.; Larry Scott, TX.; Cottage Farm,TN.; Gary Osmundson, CA.; Steven & Lyn Anderson, TX.; Henry Davidson, TX.

Auctioneer – Anthony Mihalski Sale Consultants – Anthony Mihalski, 3G Sales & Service

Sale Manager – Robbins Cattle Consulting & Marketing, Bruce Robbins

Freezing temperatures and record-breaking snowfall is synonymous with February 2021. It was a turbulent time for everyone, especially cattle producers. Despite the difficulties brought forth by many days living below zero, the Beefmaster herd at Texas A&M University (TAMU) endured the cold and more than tripled in size.

“One of the calves happened to be born during the middle of the ice storm, where it was down to zero and essentially, we couldn’t read a temperature on the calf,” said Jason Cleere, Ph.D., TAMU Associate Professor and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Beef Cattle Specialist. “We had graduate students work to save the calf and it survived. Our students have bonded with our Beefmaster cattle, and they are getting real-world learning experiences.”

In 2019, TAMU launched a purebred Beefmaster herd through donations from several Beefmaster Breeders United members. The donors supplied 15 purebred Beefmaster heifers and purebred Beefmaster embryos to the TAMU Beef Center. The Beefmaster herd has expanded from 15 heifers to 53 total Beefmaster animals.

“Overall, the program is going well. All of the donated cattle are doing well,” said Cleere.

The spring 2021 calving season resulted in 15 natural purebred Beefmaster calves and 23 purebred Beefmaster embryo calves, by way of commercial cow recipients.

“We’re really grateful to the donors that supplied the live animals, as well as the embryos that were donated,” stated Cleere. “The opportunity to flush some of the best donor cows has allowed us to build the program rapidly. We are thankful to BBU and the breeders. We are excited about the program.”

TAMU made the decision to upgrade their cattle breeding program with a purebred Beefmaster herd, as well as a purebred Red Angus herd, back in 2018 and began accepting donations in 2019.

“There are multiple reasons why we decided to initiate a herd with Beefmasters,” said TAMU Animal Science Department Head Dr. Cliff Lamb. “Globally, about 70% of the world’s beef cattle are in tropical or sub-tropical regions. It is certainly a reason to have a breed that is associated with the ability to adapt to those climates.”

At this time, the Beefmaster herd and Red Angus herd are separate, and will remain separate herds until each herd is well established. The existing goal is to focus on expanding the purebred Beefmaster herd to approximately 60 premier Beefmaster cows. The long-term goal is to breed several of the Beefmaster females to Red Angus bulls, to ultimately demonstrate an example of systematic crossbreeding for educating cattle producers through Texas A&M AgriLife Extension programs. The breeding decisions amongst the Beefmaster and Red Angus cattle is solely to demonstrate a systems approach of crossbreeding for commercial cattle producers for educational purposes, not to develop a new cattle breed.

As a result of the in-kind donations, the Beefmaster herd is currently utilized in the classroom as teaching tools for beef cattle production courses, as well as TAMU Livestock Judging Contests and the TAMU Beef Cattle Short Course.

“Dr. Andy Herring teaches a class, and they discuss crossbreeding systems, body condition score and they’ve actually come out and helped vaccinate and deworm the Beefmaster cattle,” Damon Acord, TAMU Beef Center Manager, described.

The Beefmaster herd has also been utilized by Dr. Ky Pohler to teach graduate students exactly how to collect and sort embryos.

Cleere conveyed that “as a faculty member, it’s really nice to be able to have high quality cattle to use to teach students, as well as to be able to teach ranchers.”

The opportunity for the Beefmaster breed to be at the forefront of educational programs produced by a top agricultural university is invaluable to the marketing of this sustainable and efficient beef cattle breed. More students are learning about Beefmaster cattle and these students are future agricultural leaders. More livestock producers are introduced to Beefmaster cattle and these producers are future customers for Beefmaster breeders. The opportunities are endless for expanding the market and knowledge of Beefmaster cattle.

In the long term, the TAMU Animal Science Department would like to implement another systems approach by developing the crossbred Red Angus/Beefmaster calves on feed, finish them out at the TAMU Beef Center and then market them through their retail outlet as a branded beef program.

Nonetheless, the present goal is to instruct students through hands-on education, instead of instructing them from only a beef cattle production book.

“The temperament from our Beefmaster herd has been great,” explained Acord. “They are compliant, they do what they’re supposed to. They raise the calf. They take care of that calf first.”

According to Cleere and Acord, the Animal Science Department’s demographics are changing, and many students do not come from cattle production, agriculture, and ranching backgrounds. The students can be very naive to working with cattle. The docile Beefmaster cattle are an extremely positive aspect for student engagement and judging contests. The docility and calm temperament exhibited by the Beefmaster herd mixes well with students.

“It really has been a pleasure dealing with the Beefmasters,” Acord confirmed.

The current cow/calf pairs will continue to be used for educational demonstrations in the classroom and extension programs until approximately September 2021. The Beefmaster herd is setup for early spring calving, so the calves will be weaned in the fall. At weaning time, the heifer calves will be retained to expand the herd swiftly and the top bull calves will be developed on feed, and then marketed to bull buyers in fall 2022.

In summary, this partnership has created a tremendous opportunity for the Beefmaster breed to become a part of a leading agricultural university’s quest to build a premier cattle operation. The TAMU Beefmaster herd is growing in numbers and in quality, thus promising a positive outlook for the TAMU Animal Science Department and Beefmaster Breeders United.

Texas A&M University Beefmaster heifers

Texas A&M University Beefmaster heifers

Texas A&M University Beefmaster heifers

Texas A&M University Beefmaster heifers

TAMU Graduate students work to successfully save a calf during the winter storm.

TAMU students are gaining real-world learning experiences with the Beefmaster herd.

TAMU students are gaining real-world learning experiences with the Beefmaster herd.

Savannah, TN. 6/26/21

26 Bred Heifer  Gross=$327,000.00 Avg=$12,576.92
13 Pair Gross=$205,000.00 Avg=$15,769.23
20 Open Heifer Gross=$238,000.00 Avg=$11,900.00
4 Bull Gross=$48,000.00 Avg=$12,000.00
1 Semen Gross=$31,400.00 Avg=$31,400.00
1 Frozen Embryo Gross=$6,000.00 Avg=$6,000.00

65 Total Lots Gross=$855,400.00 Avg=$13,160.00

Bred Heifer

• Lot 53 – Cf 063 – L2 Captain Sugar x Cf Oasis Exposed to Ruger Red Label “$33,000” Cottage Farm “Jacob Bowers, TX.”
• Lot 4 – Miss CJ 1937 – CJ’s Game Changer x Miss CJ 18/17 Bred to CJ’s The Master “$27,000” Clark Jones “Bailey Farms, TN”
• Lot 55 – Cf 029 – CF Brock x Cf DEJA VU Bred to Ruger Red Label “$25,000” Cottage Farm “Noe Lopez, MX.”
• Lot 1 – Miss CJ 1989 – CJ’s Game Changer x CJ’s Hope Diamond Bred to CJ’s Surefire “$24,000” Clark Jones “Southern Grace Beefmaster, GA.”
• Lot 3 – Miss CJ 28/19 – CJ’s Game On x Miss CJ 09-08 Bred to CJ’s Progress “$21,000” Clark Jones “Gary Osmondson, CA.”
• Lot 57 – Cf 064 – CF Brock x Miss CJ 99/12 Tinkerbelle Bred to Ruger Red Label “$21,000” Cottage Farm “Jim Woolman, TX.”
• Lot 21b – Miss CJ 1942 – CJ’s Game On x JT 43 Bred to CJ’s Revolution “$20,000” Clark Jones “Roadhouse Ranch, TX.”

Open Heifers

• Lot 36 – Miss CJ 2018 – CJ’s Motown x Miss CJ 1780 “$28,000” Clark Jones / Bailey Farms “Windy Hills, MS”
• Lot 59 – Cf 066 – L2 Captain Sugar x Cf Oasis “$20,000” Cottage Farm “Jose Gonzales, AR.”
• Lot 61 – Cf 079 – L2 Captain Sugar x Cf Oasis “$19,000” Cottage Farm “Everardo Canales, MX”
• Lot 27 – CJ 2001 – CJ’s Game Changer x CJ Dark Soul “$19,000” Clark Jones “Junior Carrillo, VA.”

Pair

• Lot 20 – Z 4138 – EMS Cavaliers Image x Prissy with Heifer calf by CJ’s Diamond Rolex Bred to CJ’s Revolution “$28,000” Clark Jones “Travis Graybeal, KS.”
• Lot 19 – Miss CJ 1820 – CJ’s Game Changer x Miss CJ’s Cutting Edge with Heifer calf by CJ’s Tradition Bred to CJ’s The Master “$21,000” Clark Jones “C & M Ranches, SC”
• Lot 23 – Miss CJ 1808 – CJ’s Love Maker x SWB Shakira with Heifer by CJ’s Diamond Rolex Bred to CJ’sThe Master “$20,000” Clark Jones “G5 Ebony Elites, TX.”
• Lot 48 – Cf 926 – Cf Dr. Love x Cf DEJA VU with Heifer by CF Cherry Red Bred to CF Prime 8 “$20,000” Cottage Farm “Jose Gonzales, AR.”

Bull

• Lot 40 – Cf 010 – CF Brock x Cf DEJA VU “$25,000” Cottage Farm “JA Beefmaster, MX.”Semen
• Lot 28a – CF Prime 8 – Logan x Miss Superior 8 “$11,400” Cottage Farm/ Clark Jones “TX.,MX.,AR.”Frozen Embryo
• Lot 18b- CJ’s Painted Tiger x CJ’s Diamond of Soul $700 each Clark Jones “Denise McGaha, TX”

Volume Buyers: Travis Graybeal, KS.; Bailey Farms, TN.; Jose Gonzales, AR.; Gary Osmondson, CA.; JA Beefmaster, MX.; Jacob Bower, TX.; Roadhouse Ranch, TX.; Noe Lopez, TX.; Jim Woolman, TX.; Nextgen Cattle Co., KS.

Auctioneer – Gerald Bowie Sale Consultants – 3G Sales & Service, Anthony Mihalski

Sale Manager – Robbins Cattle Consulting & Marketing, Bruce Robbins

In early 2021, 67 Beefmaster embryos were successfully exported from Texas for delivery to Kafkas University in Kars, Turkey. These genetics will form the foundation herd to help improve beef production in Turkey and adjacent regions.

“We are excited to participate in the initial use of these embryos to create the first Beefmaster calf herd, to be born next spring in Turkey.” said Collin Osbourn, Beefmaster Breeders United (BBU) Executive Vice President.

“The beautiful part about Beefmaster genetics is that you can put them on anything and the result will be an improved product. You can add Beefmaster genetics to it to get the longevity, the structure, the efficiency and it’s going to work within the first year,” said Larry Meacham, BBU President.

If you are a commercial cattleman and/or a Turkish farmer, you simply cannot afford NOT to be crossbreeding. The benefits of a crossbred cow to any commercial herd are undeniable and highly documented.

“We know that crossbreeding with Beefmaster genetics works in the United States and all over the world. We are eager to see the Turkey Beefmaster Project flourish and improve the Turkish beef cattle industry,” shared Osbourn.

Beefmaster and Beefmaster crossbred cows improve calving rates and calf survivability, with more calves born and heavier calves weaned. These improvements equal more pounds of calf produced over the cow’s lifetime, thus yielding a more profitable cattle operation. We know that Beefmasters will also help the Turkish farmer with greatly improved feed efficiency to make more weight with less feed and savings in cost and labor.

Congratulations to Kafkas University and the Turkish Red Meat Producer’s Association. We look forward to your visit to Texas in August to tour the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course, attend beef genetic centers and Beefmaster ranches to learn more about our breed and its benefits for Turkey.

On Friday, June 25, 2021 a Beefmaster and Zavot Cattle Breeds Embryo Transfer launch meeting was held at Kars Kafkas University (KAU) in Turkey. BBU President Larry Meacham and Doyle Sanders, International Committee sub-chairman for Europe & Asia, represented the Beefmaster breed via video conference during the meeting.

Click here to view video of the meeting >