Star Lake '12 National Western Blog Report #8 (1/13/12)
Yesterday was the start of the Hereford shows here at the National Western Stock Show. It started in the morning with the Junior Logan Stumpf, Kya Rhodes, and Tessa Stehr each did a fantastic job in showing their heifers that our crew had fit up for them. We also want to acknowledge the Hurst and Rogers families for exhibiting Star Lake bred heifers in the show. When the dust settled Blake Tucker led the polled champion with Bailey Buck winning reserve; on the Horned side Korbin Collins claimed the Grand Champion and Kari Brumley had reserve.
The National Bull Show was supposed to start at Noon and took off out of the chutes at 1:30 pm. Judge Jarold Callahan got right after it in sorting the 150 entries.
We had a total of five bulls compete and in total had three purple banners.
In the Spring Polled bull Calf Division STAR KCL Cumberland 276Y ET was the Reserve Division Champion. He is owned with Hansen Cattle Company, Larson's Polled Herefords and Star Lake Cattle Ranch.
We garnered our only Division Champion of the day when STAR Shock Wave 13Y ET was selected to represent the Polled Junior Bull Calves as their Champion. Shock Wave was the selection of John Moss of Moss Land & Cattle as his purchase in our May Sale of the pick of our 2011 bull calves. An additional interest was purchased by David & Marcia DeLong along with Tom & Mandy Hawk in our recent Fall Sale. Semen interests in the bull have been purchased by 38 breeders in the Shock Wave Group. We are pleased to be business partners with Moss Land & Cattle and DeLHawk Cattle Co. on this outstanding bull calf sired by Shock & Awe.
In the Polled Fall Bull Calf Division, we garnered the Reserve Division Champion banner with STAR KKH SSF Tymeless 506X ET is owned with Harrison Cattle Co, Kasey Herman, Sunnyside Stock Farm and Star Lake.
In the Championship drive we received the Reserve Grand Champion Polled Bull award with STAR Shock Wave 13Y ET behind Ned & Jan Ward's two-year old that was named Polled Grand Champion. Congrats to them and the Embury family from River Valley Polled Herefords who are their partners on the bull. In the Horned Championship drive the Grand Champion was claimed by Hoffman's and W4; while Reserve Grand was picked up by Colyer's and Castle's.
The question many have asked is "Did something happen to Shock & Awe and why was he scratched from the show?" Shock & Awe is just fine and the only thing that "happened" is his birth weight EPD number changed two weeks prior to Denver. We knew that with a new 7.0 BW EPD he was going to be outside the realm of acceptability in the ring. However, he is a superior animal and a tremendous breeding tool and we believed that people wanted to have the opportunity to see him in the flesh in Denver. Shock & Awe is a high performance individual and many herds are reporting their best calves are results of his matings. With that performance and extra length of body his calves still averaged 91 lbs of birth on the bull calves and 86 lbs on the heifers at the ranch. Used and managed properly that single trait is easily overcome. We are still very happy with the bull and even more excited about the progeny that he is putting on the ground...those are the true marks of a champion & his mark on the breed.
Today the activities move from the Hill back to The Yards. The Pens and Carloads show today starting at 8 am. On behalf of Star Lake we will be exhibiting a carload of 10 bull calves. Most of these calves have been sold - most in our 2011 Fall Sale and then kept and maintained at Star Lake for this exhibit. We expect the last bull or two to be sold this morning prior to the carload completion. After the Denver showing these bulls are off to their new homes to make their mark breeding cows.
The Mile High Night Sale will be on the Hill this evening and in the last few years it has become a record setting event of the National Western. Get there early or you won't have a seat. I have suggested for years that the seats be assigned by tickets. Then have the tickets sold by the Juniors as a fundraiser. A $5-10 ticket will clear out a lot of gawkers. Be sure to attend and support this great breed and its many breeders.
I am sitting here in my long johns finishing this (great visual right?) and my family is yelling it is time to get to The Yards... I am hoping for a very lucky Friday the 13th...until tomorrow.
We want to take the opportunity to inform, educate, enlighten and encourage thoughts on topics that impact the technology and philosophy of Herefords and the cattle business.
We want to take the opportunity to inform, educate, enlighten and encourage thoughts on topics that impact the technology and philosophy of Herefords and the cattle business.
