PRESS RELEASE
February 17, 2009
Bradley 3 Ranch Hosts Successful Sale
In one of the most exciting sales of this spring, Bradley 3 Ranch sold 159 bulls to average $3680. At the start of the sale, the Bradley family was presented with the American Angus Association’s Heritage Foundation Award for over fifty years of Angus seedstock production. This longtime history certainly lent to buyer confidence as they bid steady on the stout, real-world oriented bulls. Registered buyers from 10 states representing over 200,000 head of cows filled the seats and bid on Superior Livestock. Buyers ranged from new, small producers to cattlemen who run thousands of cattle to 30 year long Bradley customers. Some of Texas’ most historical ranches were represented at the sale and showed their confidence in this time tested program.
Long time friend and repeat customer, Lynn Cowden, knew the value of the Bradley 3 Ranch genetics as he bid to purchase the top five selling bulls. Cowden recognized the longevity represented in the Bradley 3 Ranch donor selection criteria as he three of his top selections were out of Bradley donors.
He purchased one half interest in Lot 41, a Garden Wave son for $8500. This outcross sire boasted a B3R bottom side pedigree and he hit the mark for calving ease, ribeye area, intramuscular fat, average daily gain, efficiency and GeneSTAR data.
Cowden’s next selection was the crowd favorite, Lot 16. This powerful Retail Product son garnered genetics of the proven Bradley 8017 donor cow. This bull led the sale offering for ribeye area and yearling weight while maintaining a 1.1 birth weight EPD. He sold for $8,000.
The third high selling bull in the sale weaned at 67.9% of his dam’s weight, had a 6.0 IMF score and top 10% $B. Tracing back to the Bradley 3 Ranch foundation sire, 8082 on the bottom side, the Lot 11 bull was a son of Retail Product. He sold for $7500.
Cowden outlasted other bidders to own one half interest in Lot 17 at $5500. This full brother to Lot 16 posted an impressive carcass combination with a 7.18 IMF score and 1.25 ribeye area per hundred weight.
Another Bradley 3 Ranch, long time New Mexico customer, was a consistent bidder throughout the day. He paid $6500 to own Lot 21, a son of B3R P061. In the customer’s program where he retains ownership, this bull will pay dividends with his 5.50 average daily gain and added growth.
More than ninety five percent of the sale offering sold to commercial breeders. These producers demanded bulls with muscle, fleshing ability and soundness and the Bradley bulls delivered.