What a difference a year can make!
Mother Nature can send us challenges that will push people to their breaking point, but the irony is that once it has reached that point where nearly all hope is lost, the rain comes. The far West has been under such a severe drought over the last several years, and the cycle has finally turned for the year. In fact, a recent email from the California Cattlemen’s Association included information regarding a webinar on flood assistance.
The relevance of this is that it sets cattlemen at ease for the time being. When the stress of drought continues for multiple years, and the rains finally come, the sense of relief can literally be seen.
That was an overarching theme with Red Bluff this year. Stockmen and women were in good spirits and ready to celebrate with their friends. The weather was absolutely fantastic and drew enormous crowds each day. With green grass growing along the western U.S., people gathered to celebrate the Western way of life. Red Bluff is a perfect place to do so.
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The Red Bluff Bull and Gelding Sale, and Stock Dog Sale are events you simply have to see to believe. The traditions, reputation and nostalgia are everywhere at the Tehama County Fairgrounds. Pictures of committee members, judges, cattle, events and crowds can be seen throughout each building. You get to stroll through history and see what Red Bluff has meant to the West.
The tradition of Red Bluff taking place the last week of January carries so much meaning. There are families with deep ties to Red Bluff, and you see those names throughout the committees and event organizers. However, we challenge that this event affects so many more. People treat this week from all angles. Some treat it in their business plan with their operation’s annual cash flow. Some use it to expand their business in the trade show. Some use it to simply network. Some use it to gauge the value of their stock at home. Some use it for their cow herd’s genetic needs. Whatever the reason, Red Bluff brings value to so many people.
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The hardest part of Red Bluff is to explain the meaning it has to everyone. Once you see Red Bluff, it just makes sense. But until then, it’s hard to comprehend. One of the marketing team members, Jerry Cassady of the American Angus Association, has been a career fieldman and a breed association management team member for over 30 years. When WLJ asked him his thoughts on the event, he commented that he had heard about Red Bluff for years but had never gotten the opportunity to see it. Upon attending it for the first time, he commented that it was hard to put words to it. He could see others’ opinions as they described it to him prior to him traveling, and although they were all accurate, it simply had to be seen for it to all make sense.
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The week is filled with events, trials, meetings, educational forums, socials, shows, horse events and even bull riding. The schedule from the start of the event until the final night is completely filled. We’d challenge that no one would be able to see everything if they tried.
Red Bluff offers plenty of family-friendly sights. The western trade show fills the fairgrounds. Each would-be empty space is filled with exhibits. Everything from cattle handling equipment and irrigation needs to Western clothing and even supplements are shown throughout the grounds. If someone were to attend, they’d find each minute able to be filled easily, even if it was simply shopping.
The main attractions for Red Bluff are the livestock entered up for sale.
The week’s sale starts with the annual Western Video Market feeder and replacement female sale. Cattle consigned from around the western U.S. are sold at auction via the video. This year, the feeder cattle market has been on the rise and the offering was met with very strong demand. Moving the sale into the replacement females, optimism shone through. With green grass growing and replacement females available, cattlemen bid aggressively to get their herd numbers to match their program’s needs.
The stock dogs at Red Bluff carry a national reputation of leading trainers, genetics and skill. Dogs that are entered in Red Bluff often go right to work for their new owners. Many dog programs across the West are centered around Red Bluff and rightly so. To be named a champion at Red Bluff is no easy feat. These dogs are judged in three trials and qualified judges evaluate these dogs’ every move. The way they handle themselves, obey their handlers, maneuver the cattle through the courses, and do so under a time constraint can really separate the best dogs. This year, we felt the dogs were as even as they’ve ever been. To say there wasn’t a highlight in the field is inaccurate, but to say the field was extremely even is an understatement. The dogs were so talented that the slightest bobbles meant steep deductions. The overall average of the sale reflected this. There was a record-breaking dog that we’ve seen in the past, but a much more consistent field.
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The gelding sale is one of the most exciting sales WLJ gets to be a part of each year. An enormous crowd, pushing 4,000 people, is regularly in attendance. It’s an event that people mark on their calendars each year. This year, between online bidders and buyers’ numbers given out at the sale, there were nearly five buyer numbers for each horse consigned. This isn’t something new in the ranch horse market. It’s a supply-and-demand situation. The American Quarter Horse has seen growth over the last several years, but the demand for good-quality horses has nullified any growth to subside purchase prices. This year’s sale reflected this. The offering of horses saw a definite top end, and these horses saw prices north of $30,000 all the way to $50,000.
The bull sale was extremely successful. Cattle are consigned from states as far away as Montana and Utah. Nearly every state in the western U.S. is represented by astute cattlemen and women. Several different breeds are represented, and quality is very consistent from one year to the next. Buyers from around the West show up and bid throughout the day and bull batteries are assembled. This year, the champion bull was a horned Hereford bull consigned by Kudlac Herefords of Grants Pass, OR. Each time a horned Hereford bull wins Red Bluff, it shows history repeating itself. If someone were to walk the halls of the hospitality suite, trade shows, exhibit halls or any other display, they would see pictures of past champion Hereford bulls. This year, this champion bull sold for $25,000 and was the high-selling bull. Again, with history repeating itself.
We encourage everyone to go to www.RedBluffBullSale.com if they want to learn more about the week’s events. Live feeds of each show and trial are available for viewing, and navigation to where animals can be bid on during the live auctions is easy to find. You can also find information on their social media platforms, namely Facebook, for the latest information. There you’ll find coverage and pictures by the incredibly talented Crystal Amen of Crystal Amen Photography. Her photos are used in this issue, and WLJ is grateful for her sharing her work with us. Next year’s events will take place Jan. 23-27, 2024, and we encourage everyone that can attend to do so. — Logan Ipsen, WLJ president
