80 Bulls Averaged $2,396

The Lasater Beefmaster 54^th annual field day and production sale was held September 9 and 10 at the Lasater Ranch near Matheson, Colorado.  An excellent group of purebred Beefmaster breeders and commercial cattlemen were in attendance, with the majority of those being long-time customers and repeat buyers.  The focus of the auctionwere the Lasater retired herd sires and two-year-old forage developed bulls.  Thirty-three buyers from twelve states and Mexico purchased bulls and females.

 Lasater Beefmaster 8351  Purchased by Salt Creek Beefmasters

A special thanks to the volume buyers

 at our annual production sale:

Violeta Ranch Beefmasters, Texas, Ivan Aguirre, Sonora, Mexico;  

Robert Latimer, Tennessee; Jack Johnson, Florida; Nolan Ryan, Texas;

Ricky Aycock, Tennessee; Jack Burrell, Texas;

Conrad Allison, Texas; John McGrew, Idaho; Tom Gluch, Oregon; 

Sef Lente, New Mexico; Fisher Ranch, Colorado

 Also to:

Hargis Ranch, Charles LeDoux, Steve McFaull,

 Fernando Elizondo, Nick Brown, Joe Durben, Rick Sacket, Fred Wallace, James Garner, Mark Blau, Fred Schneider, Jorge Lopez, Gary Frenzel, Ron Rasser, Monty Miller, Myers Beefmasters, Jerry Davis, Salt Creek Beefmasters, La Ventana Cattle Co., Rod Hennegin, Simon Creek Beefmasters, Harry Schlientz, Roy Ratliff, Ron Ranly

La Violeta Ranch and the Garza family were among the volume buyers of Lasater Beefmaster bulls and bred females at our 2003 production sale. Those cattle purchases represent a durable chronicle of doing business in America, where few branded products and family businesses survive to the half-century mark.

Tom Lasater (1911-2001) and Humberto Garza (1909 -1995) made their first bull deal in 1947.  Their grandsons, Alex and Eddie, were involved in this year’s cattle trade. We are proud of this multi-generational connection and we are grateful for this enduring business relationship and for the friendship between our families.

Along with the Garza family, we add Casey Beefmasters in Texas and Evans Beefmasters in Utah to the list of ranches with which we have done business continuously for more than fifty years. And if space permitted we would add dozens of additional cattle raisers with whom we have dealt for one, two or three decades.

 In an era of frequently disturbing front-page stories chronicling misconduct in the business world, it is a pleasure and a privilege to deal with families stretching from coast-to-coast whose word is their bond and who represent the bedrock values of the American tradition. We truly have much to be thankful for.   

An experienced cowman recently stated that he would buy a bull only from a seed stock producer who had clearly demonstrated his ability in udder management.  In the age of DNA and EPDs, that would seem like an old-fashioned way to approach bull buying, but it makes sense. A herd that exhibits good udders on two-year-old and twelve-year-old females indicates a breeder’s awareness of one of the most important details that makes a herd functionally efficient and productive in a practical setting.  Conversely, outstanding performance records cannot overcome the management problems of bad bags or other defects. 

After studying this herd, one leading animal scientist said that he knew of no group of cows with better udders than those he observed here.  You can achieve the same thing if you are willing to cull, or you can get a running start by using genetics from a herd where strict culling has been practiced for more than fifty years. 

If you would like the opportunity to purchase functional females that have been selected strictly for productivity traits in a range environment we would invite you to contact us and request a Lasater Beefmaster Cow Contract for the 2004 sale year.

This past year, we have experienced tremendous interest and demand for Lasater Beefmaster bred females.  Since 1998 we have been selling females at private treaty in conjunction with our annual field day and production sale on a first come, first served basis.  While this method of selling has worked, in recent times it has also created tension as we have sought to fairly give everyone who would like to buy these females the same chance to do so. In an effort to simplify this situation and give all of our customers the same opportunity to purchase these genetics, we have decided to restore the Lasater Beefmaster Cow Contract.   

The Lasater Beefmaster Cow Contract is a simple, straightforward method of selling females that Tom Lasater instituted in the 1950’s.  The plan allowed all of those people interested to have the same opportunity to purchase Foundation Herd genetics at set prices.  The Lasater Beefmaster Cow Contract will work as follows. 

On approximately November 1, 2003 Cow Contracts will be sent to all interested parties.  This contract will list the information regarding the pricing structure of the females and the approximate age groups that will be available. The females will be sold in groups of three.  A person can contract to purchase one group of three or as many groups of three as they would like.  Should a person desire to contract more than one group, he can either send in one contract for as many groups as he wishes to purchase, or he can separate the contracts with one or more groups on each contract. 

A drawing will be held to establish the priority of selection for those sending in contracts on the females.  All contracts must be postmarked on or before December 1, 2003.  Thereafter all cows will be sold on a first come first served basis.   

The contracted females will be bred from May 15 through July 1, 2004 to our top herd sires.

The females will be pregnancy checked prior to delivery and will be guaranteed safe with calf.  If a buyer wishes to recheck the pregnancy status of the females we request that this be done within 30 days of the date of delivery.

 The cows will be delivered at Matheson, Colorado on September 7, 2004.  At that time, those who contracted females will have the opportunity to choose the females they wish to fill their contract based on their ranking in the drawing.  If you are interested in receiving a contract or have any questions concerning how the Lasater Beefmaster Cow Contract works, please contact us.

APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF CONTRACT FEMALES

AVAILABE BY AGE GROUPS

 35 Head of Two-Year-Olds

10 Head of Three-Year-Olds

15 Head of Four to Seven-Year-Olds