Spring of 2026 seems to be getting better and better! For instance, last week I received 2-3 inches of rain at our ranch near Castell, and from what was reported to me, many of you south and southeast of San Antonio received even more than that. This recent rainfall should boost our native grasses and improve pastures to finally green up and grow, which is exactly the way spring is supposed to be. I’m not sure if it’s just me, but ever since 2011 (the year of the drought), I get a really bad feeling in my stomach even when I think it’s getting a little bit dry. Texas has been so blessed this spring, and I hope it continues a long way into the summer. But then, we all know what happens in July and August. The dome of high pressure takes over and for the next eight weeks we must endure the heat and absence of rainfall, which is almost a guarantee. 

All the sales that I have been to since the first of this year have been outstanding! The market in the registered business has been very good, and I’ve seen several new buyers at each one. There appears to be a lot of confidence from the purebred buyers, especially in the better-quality cattle.  I’m also seeing a lot of new buyers, which is interesting since there hasn’t been much growth in most of the cattle breeds in the last 10 years. This is a very good sign, especially for breed associations, but more importantly for the breed executives who are responsible for making them grow.

I’ve always been somewhat confused by different segments of the cattle industry and how they function. You start with the cow-calf operator, the sale barns, the stocker, the feeder, the packer, and the meat purveyor just to name a few and each one is trying to make the most profit it can from the same cattle. Then, you have the purebred or registered breeders, and they are in a class all by themselves. They usually have a lot more invested in their herd. They must keep accurate records on their cattle including date of birth, performance information and DNA testing, all which create extra expenses to sell their product. It’s a tough and frustrating business but one that is very necessary for the cattle industry to improve efficiency and quality. For we all know, whatever these purebred breeders do today will influence our cow herds for many years. We buy our bulls from them and on up the chain our products go all the way to the consumer’s table. Now, many of you on the commercial side of the business make comments all the time about registered breeders and how they don’t really understand the way the real cattle business works. Let me tell you that they do, and they continue to improve by providing a better product so that you can improve, also. I’ve been around the registered business since 1983, and I have seen our cattle improved immensely in that time. Most of that improvement has come at the expense of registered breeders and the investments of time and money they’ve been willing to make.

The next time you go to a registered breeder’s ranch and he prices you a bull for $8,000-$10,000, stop and think about the ones he had to cull for infertility, a broken leg, poor quality, disposition, or many other reasons. Then consider what he had to do to get that animal to the point where you would be happy to have him in your pasture.

For those of you who are new to the registered business, I would like to welcome you and say thank you for your enthusiasm and effort to make our industry better. I look forward to meeting and visiting with at future sales this year.