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New face at Belle Fourche Livestock: Travis Linch taking over the cowtown’s auction barn

Excerpt from Teddy Roosevelt's "The man in the Arena" "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

One of the region’s iconic livestock enterprises is coming under new ownership.

The South Dakota Animal Industry Board, in December of 2024, approved an auction market license for Travis Linch of Belle Fourche, who is taking over Belle Fourche Livestock Market from Baxter and Skyler Anders.

Linch and his two sons Kavin (15), Jaxon (12) and daughter Sameen (5) will all have their roles at the barn. The boys will have responsibilities in the yards, etc, and Sameen “likes to make people smile,” he said.



Travis Linch (left) steps in to take ownership of Belle Fourche Livestock from Baxter Anders (right). Courtesy photo
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Anders, who owned the barn for over six years also owned Philip Livestock, located in Philip, South Dakota, for a few years.

For now, Anders is out of the livestock auction business, and Linch plans to keep the operation going smoothly. In fact, Linch said that he very much appreciates Anders, not only for giving him the opportunity to buy the business that is truly a staple to the community, but he also credits Anders for spending the time to show him the ins and outs of the business in recent weeks.



“Baxter is going to stay here until I feel comfortable on my own. There a lot of things he can teach me,” said Linch.

The new owner said the staff will remain mostly unchanged, and he appreciates the longevity and experience of the employees – from field men to yard help.

“Most of the crew has been there a long time, which is awesome. They know more than I do, and I’ll lean on them to help me learn the day to day workings and the seasonal flow of the business,” he said.

Auctioneers Jade Harper and Collin Gibbs will continue to call bids. “I think they are wonderful,” said Linch. “They’ve grown so good at their jobs. They are clear, they know the markets, they know the customers, they just know what needs to be done. I’ve had a great relationship with both guys, and I appreciate their knowledge and experience,” he said.

Linch, who grew up involved in his dad’s trucking business, graduated from Belle Fourche High School, and eventually established and grew his own trucking company, said the salebarn was always one of his favorite places to be as a kid.

“The salebarn was always my place. That’s where I developed an interest for this. I was always with dad in the truck, we’d go pick up cattle for ranchers and haul them to Belle Fourche. We built relationships with ranchers.” It was those relationships that were the foundation for his trucking company, and will be the basis for his foray into the auction barn business, too, he said.

After driving with his dad for 15 years, Travis Linch Trucking was born in 2017.

“That built me a good customer base and helped me to learn about all aspects of the livestock marketing business,” he said.

Linch said his 11 trucks regularly haul cattle from Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming to Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado and sometimes beyond.

His trucking business isn’t going anywhere but he may have to hire someone to help manage it, he said.

Linch says he has “the gift of gab” and he looks forward to getting to know ranchers in the area. “I want to personally connect with the buyers and sellers,” he said. He expects to hear from customers and says he will take the good with the bad.

“I’m not going to blow them off. Everyone, from buyers to sellers, has a valid voice. I want happy customers,” he said.

He hopes to make some incremental improvements to the yards, vet shack, and more, as time and finances allow.

The Livestock Marketing Association staff was helpful in completing the paperwork and bond application, said Linch. “Bryce Dibbern with LMA helped make the process as seamless as possible,” he said.

Bonds protect both buyers and sellers as well as the auction barn owners themselves from potential downfall from bad checks or clients whose credit isn’t trustworthy.

Travis Linch, Baxter Anders and auctioneers Jade Harper and Collin Gibbs sell weigh-ups before the feeder calf sale starts Thursday, Jan. 16, 2024, at Belle Fourche Livestock Market. Courtesy photo
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Bart Krautschun, a local cattleman, said he has done business at Belle Fourche Livestock for most  of his life. He appreciated working with Anders, and believes Linch will continue to carry on a tradition of success.

“All of the owners of Belle Fourche Livestock have done a great job. I’ve sold there for a long, long time. Travis is a hometown boy and heavily involved in the cattle industry in a lot of different aspects. I think he will be a good addition. He’s always got a positive attitude, and that will help bring some customers in. It’s good for the area,” he said.

Krautschun said Linch is community minded, often donating to fundraisers, helping coach wrestling and just “being there” when needed. “He does right, he’s honest and trustworthy,” he said.

Linch said success in the auction barn industry relies on good livestock, and said his region is elite in this regard. Thus, Belle Fourche Livestock has enjoyed great success. “I appreciate Baxter and Skyler for this opportunity. This is an exciting time in the industry,” he said.

Anders said his family’s experience owning and operating the auction barn was great and he very much enjoyed the work and the people he encountered.

“We are really thankful for the business from cattle owners, buyers and others. We appreciate so many people trusting us with their livestock, and for those who helped us along the way,” he said. “I really want to thank my wife, Skyler, for all she did over the years to keep the sale barn, our ranch, and our family all taken care of.  There were so many sacrifices made to make it all happen and I couldn’t think of a person I would rather have tackled this business with than her. My family is everything to me and I really look forward to spending more time with them.”   The staff will remain relatively unchanged, so the change of ownership should be seamless, he said. “Travis Linch has built a successful trucking business and I’m sure that will carry over into the salebarn business.”

Baxter and Skyler have greatly enjoyed their time in the auction market business.

“Looking back after buying the Belle Fourche salebarn in 2018, we have a lot to reflect on.  We are grateful for the indispensable lessons that owning a business has taught us.  You see the world through different eyes after owning your own business,” said Baxter.

“It is a very demanding business and we couldn’t have done it without our committed employees.  In a world where it seems like work ethic can be waning, we were blessed with some stand out employees that were there for the sale barn day in and day out.  In a world where loyalty and support can also be hard to come by, we thank those loyal consignors that entrusted us with their livelihoods,” he said.

Skyler said that going out on a limb and taking the risk of buying this business was daunting at first. “I can’t imagine choosing to sit on the sidelines and watch that opportunity pass by,” she said.  “You can avoid risk and you can avoid failure. However, in doing so you avoid success and growth. I never wanted to be that person standing outside the fire and that is why we went for it. What a beautiful ride it has been. We are instilling this value in our five children: Merit (12), Navy (10), Salem (7), Story (4), and Dutch (2).  As a matter of fact, we have a silly saying in our family that the children repeat often: ‘If you want the biscuit, you gotta risk it!'”

Skyler said a quote her father shared often has stuck with her for all of her years. “The Man in the Arena” by Theodore Roosevelt, has been meaningful to her. “We had this printed in our last couple market reports. I have carried that quote with me during my lifetime and will continue to do so. If there is one piece of advice I would like to give Travis, it would be to always remember the message in that quote.”

The Anders family looks forward to continue involving their children in their cattle operation. “The livestock industry is not a business for the faint of heart. We owe it to the children of today to teach them how the agriculture industry works and involve them. This doesn’t come by just throwing a cowboy hat and wranglers on them. There are intricate details of the industry that need to be understood, and these must be taught to future generations to ensure success and stability in the industry. I am filled with gratitude to have shared this experience with my husband. I look forward to educating our children so they are able to be an integral part in the livestock industry in years to come,” she said.

Anders said he will continue as a Superior Livestock representative and will conduct other cattle marketing as opportunities come up. “I’m only 35, this surely isn’t the end of anything in the industry for me – it’s just the beginning.”

The competitive bidding environment is alive and thriving, he said. “I don’t think the salebarn business is going anywhere, and I think it’s going to stay really good for a long time,” he said.

The new owner agrees.

“Cattle quality and genetics have gotten better and better. Every direction from Belle Fourche, the cattle are as good as you can find anywhere.” Linch said.

The barn, which sells around 120,000 head of cattle per year, will continue with regular Thursday sales and special sales as needed.