Larson Ranch 47th Annual Bull & Bred Heifer Sale
Date: Feb. 24, 2016
Location: Presho Livestock Auction
Auctioneer: Dan Clark
Reported by: Dan Piroutek
The Larson Ranch presented another outstanding set of cattle for their annual production sale held at Presho Livestock Auction. The beautiful Larson Ranch is south of Chamberlain, and just west of Hamill, a tiny town with two churches, a post office, and a rodeo arena. They are located on the south side of White River, with over 25 miles of river frontage.
This family is well-known throughout South Dakota and the Midwest for providing quality genetics through their yearling bulls, and with their tremendous set of bred heifers that are sold each year. The Larson Ranch produces purebred and commercial cattle in volume, and with quality. The herd is mostly Charolais and Angus, but they also sell Simmental and Maine Anjou. They have quite a herd of horses with strong breeding lines that they train and use on their ranches, as well as with rodeo events.
Audie Larson is the spokesman for this family that is now in its 107th year. The Larsons maintain some very loyal customers that go back with family for a long time. They are selling cattle to grandchildren of former customers.
This sale again filled Presho Livestock with mostly repeat buyers sitting in to compete for these good bulls. It seemed that these bred heifers are some of the highlights of the breeding cattle sale season in South Dakota. Several good commercial outfits wait for this sale every spring. Most of the heifers were AI-ed, or presented in short calving periods.
This year’s set of bulls were well-grown and produced some tremendous performance statistics, especially since they were mostly April born calves. They use an extensive AI program, spending a tremendous amount of time and effort to research the potential AI sires before they use them.
As you read the catalog, you’ll find the Larson guarantee on these bulls as complete as you can get. This is probably relates to the fact that so many customers are so loyal to this program. The Larson family really believes that bull buyers are not just customers, but friends….and many of them for a lifetime.
The highest selling Angus bull was Lot 12, at $9,000, selling to Knippling Land and Cattle of Chamberlain, South Dakota. This bull was a son of Buin Uproar 0070, going back to Sitz Upward 307R, and out of a daughter of SAV Bismark 5682. Born at 81 pounds, he weaned at 827 pounds, posting a yearling weight of 1515 pounds. His EPDs were BW 0.4, WW 52, and YW 95. He had a 40 cm. scrotal measurement.
Mark Kenzy from Iona, South Dakota, paid $7,500 to own Lot 41, another Angus bull. Here was a complete package with a weaning weight of 957 pounds, a 15.90 square inch rib eye, and IMF of 6.34 percent, and a YW EPD of 110.
The highest selling Charolais went to Brady Schofield at $6,500. Lot 90 is a son of LT Stagecoach and out of a daughter of Starr D Stem Winder P, and he was born at 92 pounds. He weaned at 953 pounds and reached 1503 pounds as a yearling. His rib eye was 18.56 square inches.
Lots 75 and 83, both Charolais, sold for $6,000 each to Steve Thomas of Presho, South Dakota. These calving ease bulls, with Lot 75 a son and Lot 83 a grandson of LT Bluegrass 4017P, had BW EPDs of -2.1 and 0.2.
The highest selling bred heifers went to Larry Fite of Kadoka, South Dakota. Corey Halverson of Kennebec bought AI Red Angus heifers. Also purchasing heifers were Steve Brown from Hopkins, Missouri, and Kevin and Carol Rawstein from Hamill, South Dakota. Buying registered Black Angus heifers were Loren and Rhonda Ruetter of Allen, Nebraska, and Chip and Misty Mitchell of Kadoka, South Dakota.
Bill and William Klein, Winfred, South Dakota, and Trent and Randy Stroup of Ft. Pierre, South Dakota, were the volume buyers in the Angus breed, while volume honors for Charolais purchases went to Millard Brothers from Presho, South Dakota. Kent and Sonia Aasby and Steve Thomas of Presho, South Dakota, were the volume buyers for the heifers.
