STATE SCENE

Montana Simmental Association Meeting and Western Choice Sale

The Montana Simmental Association’s annual meeting was held in Billings on the evening of Friday, December 2, preceding the Western Choice sale held on Saturday, December 3. Sixty-two attendees were present at the meeting with individuals from Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and North Dakota. The meeting was preceded by a social hour, followed by an excellent buffet dinner.

The meeting was followed by two guest speakers. Dr. Rachel Frost, Director of the Montana State University Dan Scott Ranch Management Program, gave an overview of the course curriculum and out-of-class experiences and training provided to prepare students with the diverse training needed for careers in ranch management. The second speaker, John Grande, a commercial rancher from Martinsdale and the Montana Stock Grower’s Association (MSGA) First Vice President, provided an overview of how ASA programs and EPD have advanced his cow herd and increased the profitability of calves retained to slaughter. Grande finished his presentation with a short overview of the MSGA and some of the goals for the December meeting.

An exciting fundraising auction was held after the speakers. Items auctioned included numerous gift baskets and handcrafted items, a three-day getaway, and 11 lots of semen. High-selling lots included the three-day staycation in Cody, Wyoming, donated by Black Summit Cattle, Powell, Wyoming, and purchased by Miller Simmentals, Gildford, Montana; along with the ten units of semen on the Bulls of the Big Sky 2021 high-selling bull, MFSR

ROUNDUP 665H, donated by Miller Simmentals and purchased by AOK Simmentals, Chinook, Montana. The auction raised a total of $7,365.

Saturday morning Montana Simmental Association sponsored the 4th annual junior livestock judging contest (also open to 4-H and FFA members). Two divisions were offered, with 16 seniors and eight juniors competing. Corbin Murnin, winner of the contest, received $250 prize money and a $250 sale credit that he applied toward purchase of lot 73 of the Western Choice sale, an Angus/commercial Simmental-cross female from Laird Simmental (ASA #3573530). n

by Larry H. Maxey, founder and superintendent, NAILE Fullblood Simmental Shows larryhmaxey@gmail.com