Cattlemen put top-notch cattle on display during NWSS carload and pen shows

The Yards at the National Western Stock Show (NWSS) in Denver is a historic, one-of-a-kind, open-air venue, where cattlemen from across the U.S. and Canada gather to show off their best stock. 

Over the course of the 16-day event, judges sort through hundreds of cattle entries across multiple breeds, and producers compete for the highly-sought after title of champion. 

This year, the West was well represented during the popular and highly-competitive carload and pen shows.

Carload show

Cattle producers from Nebraska made the West proud during the NWSS Carload Show.

The Grand Champion Angus Carload was exhibited by Krebs Ranch of Gordon, Neb., and the Reserve Champion Angus Carload was exhibited by Chestnut Angus of Pipestone, Minn. 

The champion carload in the Hereford division also hailed from Nebraska. The title went to Landgren Ranch of Bartlett, Neb., followed by Harvie Ranching of Olds, Alberta, Canada. 

Pen show

To kick off the 2024 NWSS Pen Show, Circle L Angus of Dillon, Mont. topped the podium in the Angus division with the Grand Champion Pen of Three Yearling Bulls, followed by Neil Johnson of Pipestone, Minn. as reserve.

Krebs Ranch made the leaderboard a second time with the Grand Champion Pen of Three Angus Bulls, and Conley Cattle of Sulphur, Okla. had the reserve champion pen. 

Chestnut Angus took home another top honor upon exhibiting the Grand Champion Pen of Three Angus Heifers, and David Dickerson of Paradise, Kan. had the reserve champion pen. 

In the Charolais division, Cody Runft of Scandia, Kan. had the Grand Champion Pen of Five Bulls, while Kurt Schwarz of LaCygne, Kan. had the reserve pen. Zehnder Waage Partnership of Stanchfield, Minn. exhibited the Grand Champion Pen of Three Bulls, followed by Wright Charolais of Richmond, Mo.

Honors for the Grand Champion Pen of Three Charolais Heifers went home to Ellensburg, Wash. with Clift Livestock, and Dickerson made another showing with his Reserve Champion Pen of Three Charolais Heifers. 

Gelbvieh and Balancer bloodlines were next to compete, and several Western producers topped the podium. 

Warner Beef Genetics of Arapahoe, Kan. had an impressive showing, taking home the Grand Champion Pen of Three Gelbvieh Bulls, the Grand Champion Pen of Three Balancer Heifers and the Reserve Champion Pen of Three Balancer Bulls. 

Following Warner Beef Genetics with the Reserve Champion Pen of Three Gelbvieh Bulls was Judd Ranch, Inc. of Pomona, Kan., and Matt Raile of Saint Francis, Kan. had the Reserve Champion Pen of Three Balancer Heifers. 

The title of Grand Champion Pen of Three Balancer Bulls went home to Pritchett, Colo. with Mark Crane. 

Red and white cattle decorated the yards during the NWSS Hereford Pen Show. Coyote Ridge Ranch of LaSalle, Colo. took home honors for exhibiting the Grand Champion Pen of Three Bulls and Chapman Land and Cattle of Nunnelly, Tenn. was crowned reserve. 

The Champion Pen of Three Hereford Females was exhibited by Jensen Brothers of Courtland, Kan., while the Bill King Ranch of Moriarty, N.M. had the reserve pen. 

Kersey, Colo.’s Ochsner Limousin took home honors with the Champion Pen of Three Limousin Bulls, followed by Wolf Cattle of Morris, Minn. in reserve, and Bruce Lawrence of Anton, Texas had the Grand Champion Pen of Three Lim-Flex Bulls, while Austin Hager of Karlsruhe, N.D. had the reserve pen. 

Mark Beauprez of Byers, Colo. swept the Maine-Anjou show, taking home both grand and reserve champion honors in the Pen of Three Main-Anjou Bulls division. 

In the Maintainer division, Dustin Dorsey of Eaton, Colo. exhibited the Grand Champion Pen of Three Maintainer Bulls, followed by Dejong Ranch of Kennebec, S.D. with the reserve pen. 

Red Angus cattle were up next, and the Canadian producers were hard to beat. 

Six Mile Ranch of Fir Mountain, Saskatchewan, Canada had an impressive showing, taking home honors of Reserve Champion Pen of Three Bulls and Grand Champion Pen of Three Heifers. 

In the bull division, Six Mile Ranch was topped by a fellow Saskatchewan operation Cockburn Red Angus, Ltd. of Briercrest, Saskatchewan, Canada. They were followed by L83 Ranch of Westhope, N.D. in the heifer show. 

North Dakota cattlemen also had a good day in the ring during the Shorthorn Pen Show. Jungels Shorthorn Farm of Kathryn, N.D. took home grand champion honors in the Pen of Five Bulls and the Pen of Three Bulls. They were followed by Paint Valley Farms of Millersburg, Ohio in reserve. 

Fellow North Dakotans swept the heifer show, with Pearl Valley Shorthorns of Valley City, N.D. winning Grand Champion Pen of Three Shorthorn Heifers and Vogel Shorthorn Farm of Rogers, N.D. with the reserve pen.

Simmental and Percentage bloodlines wrapped up the NWSS Pen Show. 

Scott Shaake of Westermoreland, Kan. had the Grand Champion Pen of Five Simmental Bulls, while Jerry Lee of Columbia, Mo. had the reserve pen, and Matt Aggen of Harmony, Minn. had the Grand Champinon Pen of Three Simmental Bulls, followed by Freking Cattle of Tecumseh, Neb. in the reserve slot. 

The Grand Champion Pen of Three Simmental Females was exhibited by CK Cattle of Highmore, S.D., with Brenda and Jock Beeson of Crawford, Neb. exhibiting the reserve pen. 

The Beesons made the leaderboard for a second time with the Grand Champion Pen of Five Percentage Bulls, followed by Felt Farms of Wakefield, Neb. with the reserve pen.

Kler Cattle of Saint Charles, Minn. took home champion honors with the Grand Champion Pen of Three Percentage Bulls and Daniel Kimball of Seymour, Wash. had the reserve champion bulls. 

Amanda Hilbrands of Clara City, Minn. and Freking Cattle topped the podium in the Pen of Three Percentage Females Show, respectively taking home the titles of grand and reserve.

Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.