Ordinary Cows

I just drove cross country from NY to Colorado and Wyoming, back across Nebraska, etc.
The entire west is green and the cows are all fat and shiny, but even without the good year, I'd like to put in a good word for the fine commercial cows I saw out there. I saw cows out in the middle of nowhere that were as beautiful as any we see on here as donors. 4 years ago I made the same drive and, with the exception of one Red Angus herd, saw zero cows that were not black. Last year I made the drive and saw alot of White bulls out with black cows, with a few red cows. This time the red cows OUTNUMBERED the black and there were less white bulls.
And, on HWY 50, between Gunnison and Almont, there is a Red (Angus?) bull in a pasture with a gray horse. This moderate red bull had more depth , substance, character, balance and you name it than any I've seen in all our postings.
So, Ranchers, I really admire your cattle.

I have always said you would be suprised how many great ones are hiding on joe blows back forty covering 20 cows a year. They dont all get clipped, pictured or even looked at.

I have always maintained that many commercial cowboys have the best " eyes" for picking out some good cattle. You are exactly correct in saying that there are some awesome cattle in commercial herds across North America. To me, nothing can compare to the feeling of seeing a rancher, who makes is livelihood and feeds his family from his cows, buying or bidding on your bulls. In our March sale, a commercial man who has 800 cows, bid past $18,000 on our high selling bull. I am still pumped about this! To me, this is one of the best compliments I have received as a seed stock producer.
I am oftentimes amazed at the quality I see in commercial herds I visit. Many of them have females that could easily move to the front pastures of most purebred herds. I think that this happens mainly because these producers know what they want and don't get their heads messed up with fads in the beef industry. Most of the best herds I have seen are owned by people who add cattle to their herds that they feel possess the qualities they want in their herd, regardless of what their pedigree reads.

We have been blessed this year with rain in Wyoming, just got another good rain storm this afternoon. Normally we are dry and brown by now but this is the most rain I can remember ever having in the past 12 years I have lived in Wyoming. So everything is still really green and growing, our grazing pastures are looking great and have not had to move my cattle yet this summer to another pasture as it is growing quick.