While the Brown family has always and continues to focus on the needs of the commercial cowman, AI companies and seedstock breeders have also discovered the superior genetics at R.A. Brown Ranch. The large crowd of more than 400 people included 217 registered buyers from 17 states and Mexico.

Angus and Red Angus bulls were the hottest item of the day. The demand for carcass data was evident as the bulls with excellent EPDs and ultrasound data sold above average. However, with the large volume of superior bulls, producers were able to get excellent bulls from $1,500- $2,000 with several yearling bulls selling from $1,000 - $1,400.

The quality was tremendous as ABS Global, the largest semen company in the U.S. partnered up to buy the first 2 Angus bulls through the ring. Lot 1, RAB-GAR Leverage 4222L, sold to ABS and Matt Dahl of Billings, Mont., for $20,000, making him the highest selling bull ever at R.A. Brown Ranch. His full brother, RAB-GAR Load Up 4049J topped the sale just two years ago and also went to ABS. This family shows tremendous superiority for a multitude of traits: calving ease, growth, maternal and carcass. A 3rd full brother sold to T.L and Eric Daniel of Bowie, Texas for $5,250 as lot 22.

The 2nd Angus bull, a 6I6 son, was another highlight of the day, selling for $17,000 to ABS Global and Charles Williams of H&W Angus in Jena, La. Another 6I6 son, lot 19 went to A1 Land & Cattle in Muenster, Texas for $5,000. Bruce Lowrie of Ft. Worth bought a total of 16 head including lot 8, a T510 son out of a Payload daughter, for $4,750 and lot 35 for $4,000. Bill Howell bought one of the top bulls for Chaparrosa Ranch at LaPryor, Texas at $4,250. The volume Angus buyer of the day went again to the many times repeat buyer and friend of the Brown family, T.L. Griffin from Borden County, Texas who bought 18 Angus bulls. Other strong Angus buyers included Don Paddack from Krum, Texas with 10 head, and Trubenbach Cattle Co from Muenster with five head.

Two bulls at $6,500 topped the Red Angus bulls, selling to Tom Woodward at Broseco Ranch in Omaha, Texas buying the powerful lot 174 and Cody McCollum of Sherman, Texas who bought lot 190 a super calving ease bull sired by Make My Day and out of a Julian daughter. Three more bulls went to seedstock herds at $4,000 each. They went to Frank and Susan Wedel in Leoti, Kansas, K.R. McGinty of Mansfield, as well as Jeff Diles at Vista Genetics in Utopia, Texas who also bought the high selling Red Angus female. King Ranch of Kingsville, Texas was the volume Red Angus buyer for the day taking home 13 bulls. Many time repeat customer John Boswell from Ft. Worth bought 10 head of Red Angus bulls for his ranch in Lamesa, Texas. John and his ranch manager, Wendell Culp, said that using exclusively R.A. Brown Ranch bulls has made for a super set of calves and has opened up more marketing opportunities for them. Randy Robertson of Houston, Texas took home a total of nine Red and Black Angus bulls while Richard Williams of Cross Roads, N.M. bought six.

SimAngus Hybrid bulls (both red and black) were also popular again this year with 36 of them averaging $1,845. Wendell Mints from Vernon, Texas came back to buy eight more SimAngus bulls to go with those they purchased two years ago. Donnell Brown said that they plan to produce more SimAngus bulls because more and more producers are using hybrid bulls and because of their customer's satisfaction with them.

Hotlander bulls were available by private treaty on sale day with 15 of them selling for an average of $1,800. Hendrix Corporation of Dierks, Ark. bought a group of Hotlander bulls making this the 23rd consecutive year for them to buy bulls from the Brown family.

Black Simmental bulls sold well with 19 of them bringing $2,335, however the red Simmental bulls were the bargain of the day with 50 head selling for an average of $1,135. Bob Samuel of Madisonville, Texas who has been at every one of the Brown's 28 bull sales was the volume buyer taking home 19 Simmental bulls and 10 Simmental females. Bill Bay of Navasota who has been to almost every Brown Ranch sale bought 16 bulls, while Larry Abbott, Tongue River Ranch, took home eight bulls. The high selling Simmental bull was lot 331 a Black Legacy son out of a Preferred Stock daughter who sold to Sunshine Farms in Ala., for $5,000. Tom & Diane Risinger from Crockett, Texas, who have also been at every one of the 28 R.A. Brown Ranch sales, took home a Black Legacy son at $2,750.

The outstanding registered females immediately followed the bulls. The quality was tremendous as they sold every three-year-old Red Angus female including all of their embryo donors. Donnell Brown explained to the crowd that their aggressive embryo transfer program allows them to mass multiply their most superior females, allowing them to sell so many really good young cows each year. The enthusiastic crowd of Red Angus breeders took home some great females, with the prime of their life in front of them for an average of $1,540. John and Carla Eklund took home five of the top Red Angus females including a Julian daughter for $3,000. K.R. McGinty of Mansfield, Texas was the volume Red Angus female buyer taking home 12 head. Chip Rice from Eastland, Texas was another volume buyer adding eight Red Angus females to his impressive seedstock herd.

The SimAngus included mates to the Champion Commercial Females at the Ft. Worth Stock Show in 2000 that were bought by Bruce Lowrie of Ft. Worth. Demand for the Simmental females was strong with females going to Simmental breeders in seven different states including Pigeon Mt Simmentals in Georgia, Sloup Simmentals in Nebraska, Silvertown Farms in Indiana, and Arnold McClure in Pennsylvania. The high selling female was a black donor cow sired by Preferred Stock, who sold to John Howard of Pigeon Mountain Simmentals in Georgia for $5,000. P.K. Thomas with Price Thomas Ranch in Post, Texas a long time repeat customer was the volume SimAngus and Simmental female buyer taking home a total of 24 females. Jim Riggins of Vernon, Texas was another volume buyer with eight females.

The Brown family is very thankful to their customers and is proud to continue their goal of providing superior genetics, in volume, at affordable prices to improve their customer's profits. Mark your calendars for their 29th Annual Sale to be held on Wednesday, October 8th at the ranch in Throckmorton, Texas.