Students prepare for annual bull sale

Ryan Vargas, CSU Seedstock Merchandising Team member and junior animal science major, clips the hair from a bull in the chute at ARDEC so it can be photographed for the sale catalog. Photo credit: Dixie Crowe.

The 2014-2015 CSU Seedstock Merchandising Team in the CSU booth at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association conference in San Antonio, Texas. Pictured from left to right: Janna Smith, Becca MacQueen, Melanie Shumaker, Ryan Vargas, Brady Rink, Jessica Spear, Gina Phillips, Austin Piombo, and Dr. Jason Ahola. Photo credit: Dixie Crowe.

Saturday, March 28 was Colorado State’s 39th annual bull sale. It’s a long-standing tradition and for more than a decade, it has provided a hands-on learning experience for members the CSU Seedstock Merchandising Team, which is the only team of its kind in the U.S.

According to the sale catalog, the team has had an impact on over 100 students including past team members, many who are now leaders in the beef industry.

Current team member Jessica Spear, a junior double majoring in animal science and agricultural business, said she transferred to CSU because of the Seedstock Team.

Students take an introductory class in seedstock merchandising in the fall term and then interview to be selected for the team. This year’s team of eight students spent the last six months selecting and developing a set of yearling bulls and heifers produced from the registered Angus and Hereford seedstock herd at CSU’s Agricultural Research, Development and Education Center north of town.

They halter-broke and showed a pen of Herford bulls and heifers at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, which included clipping and grooming them. The attended the Colorado Cattlemen’s Midwinter conference and went on a road trip to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Conference in San Antonio, Texas.

Working with Dr. Ahola, animal science associate professor in beef production systems, the students served as committee chairs to gather the genetic and pedigree data for each animal, write promotional material, groom the bulls for a photo shoot, and prepare the sale catalog. Each student furthered their leadership skills in their area of interest while working as a team to produce this year’s sale.

There were 30 yearling Angus and Hereford bulls as well as 20 yearling commercial heifers t sold on Saturday. Next year's sale will be held on the fourth Saturday in March.

Watch videos of the CSU Seedstock Team bulls here. 

Read coverage from last year's sale here.

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