While attending the fifth annual Cattlemen’s Congress, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays got to talk with Matt Sims, owner of MCS Auctions, about the inaugural Cattlemen’s Congress Commercial Female Sale which will be held at the Super Barn Sales Arena at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds on Thursday, January 9, at 1 p.m. Check out this article for more details about the sale.
The sale began with the intent of getting the commercial side of the industry more involved with the show that already draws the attendance of enthusiasts from 44 states and roughly 15 foreign countries.
“It’s an event that brings millions of dollars into the state of Oklahoma each year,” Sims said. “I’m always proud of the state because we are resilient in how we figure out a way to do things. This is a perfect example of that because when most of the major shows during the COVID years were canceled, these guys picked up the torch and ran with it. It has blossomed into the largest event of its kind at this point in time.”
With expansion in mind, the committee came up with the Commercial Female Sale and has gotten a good response with a great set of consignments numbering more than 850 head including calves.
The diverse offering is composed of some of the top genetics in the commercial realm of the state of Oklahoma. “We’ve got Angus, Red Angus, Sim-Angus, Red Angus/Hereford composites, and Maine Angus, across fall and spring pairs, spring calving bred heifers, and a nice set of open replacement heifers from a few outfits as well,” Sims detailed.
The sale will be broadcast via two different avenues: LiveAg and LiveAuctions.tv. “We are going to try to give people who aren’t able to attend in person every opportunity since it is during the week, and we have some weather issues during calving season going on. We try to make it easier for everyone, but one of the main goals of the sale was to get boots on the ground here at Congress because everything that happens here is something that is going to trickle down to the genetics that will be offered at this sale.
“It’s much more than just a stock show. You’ll see some of the greatest herd sires in the industry on display; we have pen and carload shows from every breed represented here that I think are very unique. If you want to see cutting-edge genetics and how they transfer into the animals on the hoof, I think this is the best place to do that,” Sims encouraged.
Other reasons to attend in person are the free Cattlemen’s Luncheon which will be served prior to the sale. Those who spend the night can watch the Hereford Pen and Carload Show on Thursday, then on Friday, Angus Pen Show and the National Angus Bull Sale will be held on Friday among many other things each day of the event.
Since the Denim & Diamonds Sale, now in its 23rd year, has been moved to the Cattlemen’s Congress from the National Western Stock Show, it has drawn a greater attendance, participation has increased, and the live cattle offering has reached a record high this year, which Sims expects to result in the highest grossing sale in the event’s history.
During the twelve days of the Cattlemen’s Congress, Sims is busy with several sales including the Bases Loaded Sale on Tuesday (today) at Heritage Place, the Denim & Diamonds Sale on Wednesday in the Super Barn Sale Arena, the Commercial Female Sale on Thursday also in the Super Barn Sale Arena.
“On Friday, I’m not associated with the National Angus Bull Sale, but I have several customers who have bulls in it,” he shared. “It is a very busy week, but I think we will see over ten million dollars’ worth of cattle traded this week during the Cattlemen’s Congress.”
Sims attributed the staff of the Cattlemen’s Congress for its remarkable growth since its first event five years ago. “It is a testament to the staff here at Cattlemen’s Congress; they are second to none. Bray [Haven], Kass [Newell], JD [Rosman], and all the crew here that handle things from the stalling assignments to everything else, it is a very user-friendly crew from an exhibitor’s perspective. It is ‘How can we help?’ not “This is what you can’t do.’ They try to accommodate in every way and entries are as high as they have ever been.”
The show, currently the largest cattle-only event in the world, consistently maintains entry numbers in the 7,500 to 8,000 range each year. The Super Barn Auction Arena provides an excellent platform for cattle sales: a carousel provides an excellent display of live cattle and large screens effectively display non-live lots. The sale arena, seating, and refreshments all come together to present a classy venue for the elite sales taking place at the Cattlemen’s Congress. Click here for the full Show and Sale Schedule.
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