Crago Cattle Company Receives 50 Year Breeder Award

The Crago family started raising quarter horses in 1957 when Vincent and Margaret Crago bought two AQHA registered mares and a stallion. At that time, Vince and Margaret were partners with Chet and Zola Crago under the name “Crago Brothers.”

“This is a 50 year award, but it actually started over 65 years ago,” Chuck Crago said. “First it was Crago Brothers, then Crago Cattle Company; now we each have our individual operations.”

Cragos held 38 annual production sales between 1976 and 2008. Although business structures and nomenclature have changed, the family’s deep love for good Quarter Horses has only grown over the decades.

Vince and Margaret bought Wrangler Red in 1963. The pretty red dun stallion was double bred King P-234 on the top with Chubby and Yellow Jacket on the dam side.

“We all grew up on these Wrangler Red get,” Chuck said. “They were cowy, athletic and trainable. We won many awards using them in 4-H and roping. They were also super ranch horses.”

Margaret’s father Ralph Beckwith also raised Quarter horses on his ranch near Midland, South Dakota.

“Our Grandpa Beckwith would bring four or five mares up every year to turn out with Wrangler Red,” Chuck recalled. “In 1976, we went and looked at a red dun stallion by the name of Beckwith Dun at Grandpa’s, and bought him. He was by a Classy Flap, a grandson of Sugar Bars, with Leo on his papers, and out of a Wrangler Red daughter.”

The Beckwith Dun get were very nice horses and won many awards with all the Crago families.

“He was a Sugar Bars, Leo and King bred horse; a great pedigree then and still great today!” Chuck said.

Crago wins on homebred horses go back to Center of the Nation Quarter Horse Association shows throughout the 1980s, including Futurity Halter Champions, Hi Points, Super Horse Award, Working Cow Horse and Super Horse Runner Up. In 1991, Bruce, Ralph and Chuck placed fourth at the AQHA World Championship in Team Penning with all three brothers riding Crago bred horses. The team of brothers also won the South Dakota Rodeo Association Team Penning Championship in 1990-91-92. Chuck, Bruce and Mary were the AQHA Amateur Team Penning Reserve World Champion team in 1992.

In 1976, Vince and Margaret Crago and their three sons Bruce, Ralph and Chuck formed the Crago Cattle Co. partnership. The operation continued until Vince retired in 2000. At that time the three Crago sons with their families split into their own individual horse and cattle operations. Although Crago Cattle Co. is no longer an entity, the hard work behind building a strong breeding program and passion for good horses continues in each branch of the Crago family.

Vince Crago passed away in 2006, but Margaret still resides on the old Crago homestead. She still owns two young mares. She also continues to own and operate LaMode, a dress shop in Spearfish, South Dakota, at 92 years of age.

Bruce Crago and family raise horses and cattle. He has three sons: Barry and his wife Kristin have two daughters, Lilly and Caroline Crago; Colby and his wife Tanya have three daughters, Chloe, Lainey and Brylee Crago; Justin and his wife Stephanie have a daughter, Remi, and a son, Gray.  The kids are all involved with horses, showing, rodeoing and ranching.

Colby Crago and his wife Tanya won roping championships at the Regional AQHA event, and Colby won numerous saddles including 2017 Wrangler TR Header Saddle, 2016 Wrangler Team Roping Saddle and 2016 Steele Trailer winner in roping. In 2013 Tanya was third place in the All Girl Wrangler Finals. Recently, Colby’s daughter Chloe was the South Dakota Junior High Champion Break Away Roper, and top 30 in the nation. All three of Colby’s daughters compete in rodeo events, winning at local and 4-H rodeos.

Ralph and Becky Crago have four children. Angela is married to Jason Schmit, and they have one son, Trenton. Kristy and her husband Clete Schmidt and their son Casen and daughter Kyler are on the ranch with Ralph and Becky, raising horses, cattle and sheep. Ryan and his wife Allison have three daughters, Kendall, Jude and Shae Crago. Megan and husband Tony Hoffman have four daughters: Gabby, Lola, Dottie and Tillie. 

“All of the grandkids are great help on the ranch riding, branding, lambing, calving – whatever they can help with,” Kristy said. “My sisters’ girls are into 4-H and showing horses; my brothers girls enjoy coming out to the ranch and riding and helping out.” 

Ralph and Bruce and their families have had several good stallions through the years. Nestea, Beckwith Playboy, Cragos Doctor Nick, Bluejay Hancock, Butte County Playboy, Loves Jessie James, and Sabres Blue Gun.

Loves Jessie James (now deceased) was by Taylor Jess Tivio and out of Beckwith Lobo (Beckwith Dun). Ralph, Clete and Kristy used him until he passed away.

“He produced exceptional offspring that we are riding and competing with today,” Kristy said. “We like horses with good foot, bone, withers, a running walk, and they have to have cow! This is why we like to use the Beckwith Dun in our pedigree because they fit the description. We are crossing a few Beckwith Playboy daughters on Platinum Ferrari, a blue roan stud owned by Curt and Cheryl Westland and bred by Chuck and Mary. We are very pleased with this cross and excited to see what the future brings.”

Clete and Kristy Schmidt have showed in the Ranching Heritage Challenge with success including 2016 RHC Level 1 4 year old and up working ranch champion, Amateur Boxing Champion, 2017 RHC Cowboy Class Champion with top placings in working ranch amateur and level one. Kristy has won numerous titles as 2002-2004-2006 Ladies Ranch Horse Champion at the Black Hills Stock Show, 2003 Wyoming State Fair Ranch Horse Champion, and 2003 Loveland, Colorado Foundation Quarter Horse Registry Reserve Champion High Point and champion open team sorting and open heading. Clete also has won numerous saddles in roping and ranch rodeo competitions on Crago bred horses.

Clete and Kristy’s children Casen and Kyler are competing and showing in 4-H on their home raised Beckwith Dun descendants. Casen won the Top Horse award at the Newell Ranch Rodeo in 2023. Colby, Clete, Kristy and Casen won the Nisland Ranch Rodeo on home-raised horses. Kyler was the Beginner Hi-Point Performance Champion and showed the Champion Halter Mare at the Butte-Lawrence County Fair for 2023. Casen was the Junior Hi-Point Performance Champion. Both kids have won numerous trophies and awards in equitation and performance classes at the county and local fairs, and both enjoy competing in rodeo as well.

Clete and Kristy sell a few weanlings and young ranch prospects every year at the Ranchers Quarter Horse Breeders Association sale.

“We have had many repeat customers and some of the high sellers at this sale,” Kristy said. “We continue to ride what we raise. We love hearing from customers who are enjoying and having success with horses we’ve raised.”

Chuck and Mary Crago married in 1985. Through 30 years of production sales and following the switch to private sales, their children were all active in the horse program and on the ranch.

Billy Donovan and wife Laura live in Rapid City with their three children, Alexia, Austin and Alicen. Troy Donovan and wife Jordan with their sons Thomas and Henry live in Colorado. Troy designed the family’s website: http://www.crago.com. Courtney and her husband Hayse along with their daughters Reata and Rustyn live in Texas where they rope and run barrels. Jade also lives in Texas where he breeds and trains barrel horses and also has a leather shop.

Three of Chuck and Mary’s most notable early stallions were Docs Decatholon, Taylor Jess Tivio and PC Bronsin.

“We like the cow and speed with proven bloodlines through the old AQHA Hall Of Fame horses and legends like Sugar Bars, Leo, King, Three Bars, Driftwood, Jet Deck, Doc Olena and Sun Frost,” Chuck said. “When we bred these stallions to Doc O Dynamite, Sak Em San, Beckwith Dun, Sun Frost, and Driftwood mares we ended up with super prospects the public loved and could go on with and show. With horses bred like this we drew customers from all over the U.S.A. and even a few from Panama.”

The next stallions Chuck and Mary stood were Nonstop Bubblin, Son Of Hickory, Dox Wired Lena, Duals Blue Peppy and home raised CM Dynamite Frost.

“Mary showed Nonstop Bubblin at many levels from Amateur association to big WPRA rodeos, making the Badlands Circuit finals and two amateur finals. CM Dynamite Frost was campaigned in the WRCHA and heading and heeling with great success at AQHA shows.  We are very proud of these stallions too.” Chuck and Mary still have these old but great bloodlines in their stallions and mares.

 “We are so proud of all the stallions we have had, but equally happy with our broodmares,” Chuck said. “We have several daughters and granddaughters of our old stallions. We have also added broodmares with the bloodlines such as Tres Seis, Darkelly, Ivory James, Dash Ta Fame, Flit Bar, and Mulberry Canyon Moon.”

Cragos were confident that these mares would cross well with their stallions. The resulting foals have proven themselves time and again.

One mare they are especially proud of is a mare they call “Hope,” CM Bubblin Dynamite. Hope is by CM Dynamite Frost and out of a Nonstop Bubblin daughter and her second dam is by Bugs Alive in 75.

“The best thing about Hope was that she was a great ranch horse, NRCHA money earner, trained in the heeling, won the three year old ranch horse competition with Chuck, and then campaigned with Jade, Mary, and Courtney. She has a long record of winning at every level from local to big shows and WPRA rodeo and stayed sound to run until she was 20, then retired to just keep raising a few more babies. We had always flushed her and continued to show her. Hope was a great producer too, she is the dam to three 1-D barrel horses and her fillies are now in the breeding program. We are super excited about her son High Road Ta Fame, by Dash Ta Fame, who is one of our most popular stallions. He is a classy looking, athletic 1D stallion with an impeccable disposition and balance in his conformation which makes it easy for speed and turn, everything we want in a stallion!”

Chuck and Mary are using five stallions today. Fire On Bug, CM Nonstop Nitro, and Platinum Bully are older and have sired winners in calf roping, team roping, barrel racing and many more events.

“We love our boys,” Chuck said. “The two younger stallions are Bubblin Ta Fame and High Road Ta Fame. We raised these two stallions and their foals are just getting old enough to compete. We are so excited about these stallions. They are great outcrosses for many mares.”

The Crago families are very thankful for all the customers they have had who still remain friends and repeat customers because of the horses through the years.

“What a fun ride we have had,” Chuck said.

The Crago heritage lives on in the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Vince and Margaret Crago. Working cattle every day with ranch raised horses is a true legacy.