Top Genetics on Display at NWSS Gelbvieh and Balancer® Pen Show

The Gelbvieh and Balancer® Pen Show took place at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado, on Sunday, January 13, 2019. A total of 17 pens entered in this year’s show and included 14 pens of bulls and three pens of heifers. Quinton Smith, Lebanon, Tennessee, judged both the pen bull and pen heifer shows.

Beastrom Ranch, Pierre, South Dakota, exhibited the grand champion pen of three Balancer heifers in the inaugural Gelbvieh and Balancer heifer pen show. The champion pen consisted of three March 2018 calves. The average weight among the pen was 945 pounds with an average weight per day of age of 3 pounds. All heifers entering the pen shows are ultrasound scanned at the time of check-in, which took place on Thursday, January 10, 2019. The champion pen had an average ribeye area of 11.24 square inches, 3.88% IMF, and 0.27 inches of back fat.

The reserve grand champion pen of three Balancer heifers was exhibited by T Bar S Cattle Company, Billings, Missouri. All three females in this pen were November 2017 calves with an average weight of 961 pounds with an average weight per day of age at 2.2 pounds. This pen’s ultrasound data averaged a ribeye area of 12.71 square inches, 4.37% IMF, and 0.32 inches of back fat.

The grand champion pen of five Balancer heifers was exhibited by Warner Beef Genetics, Arapahoe, Nebraska. The pen consisted of five late-January to early-March 2018 heifers. Average weight for this pen was 874 pounds with an average weight per day of age of 2.6 pounds. The ultrasound data revealed an average ribeye area of 12.41 square inches, 4% IMF, and 0.35 inches of back fat.

Judd Ranch Inc., Pomona, Kansas, exhibited the grand champion pen of three Gelbvieh bulls. The champion pen consisted of three January 2018 born bulls. This pen had an average weight of 1,248 pounds and an average weight per day of age of 3.4 pounds. All pen bulls are ultrasound scanned at the time of check-in. This pen’s ultrasound scan data averaged a ribeye area of 15.63 square inches, 3.5% IMF, and 0.26 inches of back fat.

The reserve champion pen of three Gelbvieh bulls was exhibited by Bar Arrow Cattle Co, Phillipsburg, Kansas. This pen consisted of February 2018 bulls and had an average weight of 993 pounds with an average weight per day of age of 3.4 pounds. This set of bulls had average ultrasound scan data of 13.74 square inches for ribeye, 2.8% IMF, and 0.20 inches of back fat.

Judd Ranch Inc., Pomona, Kansas, also exhibited the grand champion pen of five Gelbvieh bulls. This pen consisted of three January 2018 bulls and two February 2018 bulls. The pen had an average weight of 1,198 pounds and an average weight per day of age of 3.4 pounds. This set of bulls had average ultrasound scan data of 14.66 square inches of ribeye, 3.39% IMF, and 0.26 inches of back fat.

In the Balancer pen show, Judd Ranch Inc., Pomona, Kansas, struck again and exhibited the grand champion pen of three Balancer bulls. This pen consisted of one January 2018 born bull and two February 2018 born bulls that averaged 1,180 pounds with an average weight per day of age of 3.5 pounds. The pen’s average ultrasound scan data is as follows: ribeye area of 14.45 square inches, 3.33% IMF and 0.31 inches of back fat.

The reserve champion pen of three Balancer bulls was exhibited by Boehler Gelbvieh, Orleans, Nebraska. Their pen of February 2018 born bulls averaged a weight of 1,016 pounds and 3 pounds weight per day of age. This pen averaged 13.11 square inches for ribeye area, 3.8% IMF and 0.40 inches of back fat with their ultrasound scan data.

Warner Beef Genetics, Arapahoe, Nebraska exhibited the grand champion pen of five Balancer bulls. This pen included four February-born and one March 2018 born bull. This champion pen had an average weight of 1,165 pounds and an average weight per day of age of 3.5 pounds. The pen’s average ultrasound scan data was 13.69 square inches for ribeye area, 3.55% IMF, and 0.31 inches of back fat.

Judd Ranch Inc., Pomona, Kansas, exhibited the reserve champion pen of five Balancer bulls. This pen included three January and two February 2018 bulls. This pen averaged a weight of 1,148 pounds and had an average weight per day of age of 3.3 pounds. This set of bulls had average ultrasound scan data of 14.55 square inches for ribeye area, 3.37% IMF, and .28 inches of back fat.

The American Gelbvieh Association is a progressive beef cattle breed association representing 1,000 members and approximately 40,000 cows assessed annually in a performance-oriented total herd reporting system.

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