By J.T. SMITH
Despite the worst stretch of drought in Texas history, this fall’s Dudley Bros. 50th Anniversary Bull Sale attracted a capacity crowd to the Comanche ranch headquarters, and bulls fetched top prices.
Internationally renowned auctioneer Ruben V. Reyes of San Antonio sold 143 Hereford bulls for a gross of $465,900 in just a couple of hours to average $3,258 per bull.
Family spokesman John Dudley said the sale did very well, especially considering it followed a year of record drought. Many Dudley bulls typically go to South Texas, one of the hardest-hit regions by the drought.
Key Points
• Dudley Bros. 50th Anniversary Bull Sale demands top prices.
• Bulls sold strong despite sale dealing with Texas drought.
• Buyers from states outside Texas added power to the sale.
But buying power from Texas remained strong, and bull buyers — many of them repeat customers — from Florida, Arkansas and Louisiana added to the pep and power of the sale.
“We were very pleased with the sale,” Dudley said.In addition to the action inside the Dudley Sales Pavilion, the bull sale was broadcast on RFD-TV through Superior for the first time.
Top bulls
Here are the high-selling bulls:
• Lot 2, DB 4043 Game 9484 sold for $6,000 to Bonchasse Land & Cattle, Grand Cane, La.
• Lot 1, DB 3154 DOM 9396 sold for $5,600 to Chris Scharbauer, Amarillo, Texas
• Lot 14, DB 5216 DOM 9161 sold for $6,000 to Bonchasse Land & Cattle
• Lot 9, DB 321 Play 9028 sold for $5,500 to Linda Cowdan, Midland, Texas
• Lot 11, DB 5216 DOM 9170 sold for $5,600 to Bonchasse Land & Cattle
• Lot 23, DB Monument 6037 sold for $5,000 to Ronnie Stephens, Comanche, Texas
Volume buyers
The volume buyers of the sale were:
• Nunley Bros., Sabinal, Texas, 18 bulls
• Barrow Cattle Co., Andrews, Texas, 13 bulls
• Gentry Land & Cattle Co., Corpus Christi, Texas, 10 bulls
• Ellison Carter, Santo, Texas, nine bulls
• TDC, Huntsville, Texas, eight bulls
• Jim G. Bell, Pollok, Texas, seven bulls
• Bentley Ranch, Zolfo Springs, Fla., seven bulls
• Baker Ranch, Russellville, Ark., six bulls
• Gray Wynn Klein, Henrietta, Texas, five bulls
• Jimmy Blagg, Little Rock, Ark., five bulls
• Ronnie Stephens, Comanche, Texas, five bulls
QUEEN MAKES SCENE: Bethany Nolan, National Hereford Queen, of Gilmer, Texas, attended the Dudley Bros. 50th Anniversary Bull Sale at Comanche, Texas. The freshman at Texas A&M University also is Texas Hereford Queen and past president of the Texas Junior Hereford Association. She is joined by Jack Chastain (left) of the Texas Hereford Association, Fort Worth, and her father, Scott Nolan, who also is president of the Texas Hereford Association.
This article published in the December, 2011 edition of THE FARMER-STOCKMAN.