ACA 50th Anniversary Series

Original Chiangus Classic Breeders1986 Inaugural Show

Show, Fort Worth, Texas,” says Koonce. Dr. Jack Phillips created the ChiAngus Classic Show in 1986 with a futurity style format sponsored by 20 ACA Chiangus breeders. Show entrants were nominated through these breeders. The 20 sponsors each contributed $5,000 toward the $100,000 show purse.

• Big Bull Ranch, Canadian, Texas

• Black Champ, Waxahachie, Texas

• Boone Farms, Ardmore, Alabama

• Chadbourne Ranch, Bronte, Texas

• ChiArrow Cattle, Silesia, Montana

• Circle E Farms, Fort Deposit, Alabama

• Greenwell Chianina, Decatur, Alabama

• Horsley Brothers, Toulon, Illinois

• Jensen Cattle Company, El Reno, Oklahoma

• Keller Ranch, Brewester, Nebraska

• Kennard Land & Cattle, Mt. Calm, Texas

• Kissee Livestock, Springfield, Missouri

• Liberty Lanes Ranch, Dallas, Texas

• McMorries Farms, Hereford, Texas

• P Bar C, Searsboro, Iowa

• Pleasant Valley Ranch, Ogden, Utah

• Rocking J Ranch, Cody, Nebraska

• Stanford Farms, Lebanon, Tennessee

• Talmo Ranch, Talmo, Georgia

• Walco Farms, Stanford, Kentucky

National Western Bull Shows & Sales

Chianina female sales were conducted at the 1973 to 1975 National Western Stock Shows. “During 1975 the ACA Special Activities Director, John Coble, was hearing increasing interest from cattlemen seeking to find percentage Chianina bulls. Coble lobbied for adding bulls to the next Denver female sale. Only 15 three-quarter Chianina bulls of breeding age were cataloged for the January 1976 sale. Though the morning sale order show was sparsely attended, having to compete with the market steer show, by that evening’s sale the Livestock Auction Arena was filled to capacity. Thirteen bulls were sold, averaging $1,123 with a top of $5,000 for a three-quarter Chiangus bull,” Koonce says.

The die had been cast; farmers and ranchers from all across the U.S. wanted to have Chianina bulls presented at Denver. “So, from 1977 through the 1980s the ACA National Western sales were all bulls. From 57 bulls in 1977, and 80 bulls in 1978, the number of sale entrants exploded over the ensuing years to over 250 bulls by 1981. With increased numbers, a greater sifting of bulls occurred, yet over 100 bulls sold annually from 1980 to 1985 with the most at the 1981 sale – 161.92 lots (partial interest bulls). The two highest averaging sales were the 1980 sale (101 bulls at $4,665) and 1982 when 121.5 bulls averaged $4,855. Over the first decade of National Western ACA Bull Sales, over 850 individual halter-broken and fitted Chianina bulls were merchandised.”

Showing is Often a Family Affair

Over the years many families, and multiple generations, have enjoyed showing Chianina cattle.

Ventura Farm – Ken and Deb Geuns have participated in many shows. “I personally have been involved since 1977,” Ken says. “I was in partnership with Dr. Harlan Ritchie, and this was the main reason I ended up in Michigan. I was from Illinois and decided to go to graduate school at Michigan State University because of people like Dr. Harlan Ritchie and Dr. David Hawkins. I started grad school in 1976 and Harlan and I developed a close friendship. He already had some Chianina cattle in partnership with Myron and Kathy Danner. That was the beginning of Ventura Farm. Ventura Farm’s ACA number (486) is the fourth earliest of all active ACA members.”

When Myron and Kathy moved to Nebraska with the mature cows, Harlan retained the 1978 heifer crop at Ventura Farm. “We started a partnership with those young females and a package of Simmental cows Deb and I bought,” Ken says. “We bought Ventura Farm after Dr. Ritchie passed. This farm has always had Chianina cattle — and still has Chianina composites. It gives us great satisfaction to know that we can trace most of our current cow herd to those original bloodlines,” Ken says.

“There were very few years since 1979 that we’ve not taken cattle to the North American in Louisville for the National Chianina Show. We’ve spent most Novembers in Louisville. Now we are getting on in age and this year we just went to watch the shows. We were fortunate to be very successful with our cattle — whether through luck or skill. The farm has been involved with 8 National Champions or Reserve National Champions,” Geuns says.

“Our heart has always been with Chianina, though we’ve had Simmental, Salers, Maine-Anjou and a variety of breeds. There were many years in Louisville that the Chianina show had the most spectators. People were curious and interested in this very different breed. The grandstands were packed, and we’d have 300 to 400 head of cattle in those shows,” Geuns says.

“Unfortunately, that’s not the case now. There are many reasons, and one is that it’s gotten so costly to go to the shows. We used to go to Louisville and be there for 10 days. That’s harder to do now, with motels costing more than $200 a night, etc. The Chianina open show has become quite small.”

Yet through the 1980’s it was very exciting, regarding what those cattle could do. “We’ve always been committed to them. My wife Deb has been extremely active in the Ladies Auxiliary for many years. I was on the ACA board of directors for 6 years and served as chairman of the board for 2 years. As a family, we were very active. Our daughter Christina was a member of the National Junior Chianina Association board when she was a youth,” Geuns says.

Christina won Champion Chiangus Female at the National Junior Show in 2001 and Champion Bred and Owned Bull in 2004. “She had several Champion and Reserve Bred and Owned Females. When she had an opportunity to show at other breed junior nationals, Christina was determined to stay with the Chi’s. She was selected “Herdsman of the Year” at the National Junior Chianina Heifer Show in 2004,” Geuns says.

The Culp Family – Ken Culp III has been involved with Chianina cattle for many years and these cattle became a family project. “On August 31, 1980 I drove to Kearney, Mo., and purchased a ¾ blood Chiangus bull calf from Blue Sky Farm. They were preparing to disperse their herd. It was a father and son team — Sam and Jack Barr — and Jack was going to be CEO of the ACA. The board of directors determined that he could not own Chianina cattle; it would be a conflict of interest,” Culp explains.

“On September 1, Blue Sky Farms would inventory their herd and catalog them for a dispersal sale, so on August 31, I purchased a bull we named Blue Sky Senator. We showed him at Louisville that fall and he was Calf Champion. Back then, there were two divisions — fullblood and percentage. He won the junior calf division of the percentage show. We kept that

Chiangus bull until he was 8 years old; he started the basis of our Chianina herd.”

In 1994 Ken was asked to judge showmanship at the National Junior Heifer Show in Richmond, Ind.. “I had so much fun with that, and had such a good impression about the junior program that I decided my kids were going to be junior members when they got old enough. In 1995 I went to Iowa and judged showmanship again, along with several other contests,” Culp says.

“In 2000 our oldest daughter was 11 and had a Chiangus heifer. The Junior National was held at Louisville, Ky., at the Exposition Center. I officiated at the livestock judging contest at that show. Our kids participated in many shows; we’ve attended every Junior National heifer show since then. Our three girls (Brittany, Kelsey and Laurel) participated in 19 consecutive National Junior heifer shows, all three were National Queens, and all three served two terms on the junior board,” he says.

“We believe that the best way to repay service is to provide service; we’ve all been active in events that support the ACA. The girls were busy showing cattle and we’ve shown Chianina and Chiangus, but primarily Chiangus. Laurel’s last year as a junior was 2018; she showed a bred and owned Chiangus heifer that was Reserve Grand Champion at the Chiangus Classic, Reserve Grand Champion in both the junior and open show at the North American, Grand Champion Bred and Owned Chiangus Female at both the National Junior Heifer Show and the North American International Livestock Exposition, and was 5th overall at the National Junior Show. Laurel also won showmanship that year. It was a good way for Laurel to go out and a great way for the Culp sisters to end their 19-year run in the National Junior Chianina Heifer Show and junior program. Laurel and her sister Kelsey raised that heifer and showed her mother.”

The Culp Family was recognized at the 2018 Junior Natinoal for attending 19 consecutive NJHS shows. Pictured (l to r): Derek Evans holding Brooks, Laural (Culp) Taylor, Ken Culp III, Brittany Culp & Kelsey (Culp) Evans.

That was the beginning of the next generation involved with the breed. “Laurel’s last year was 2018 and in 2019 the next generation (Kelsey’s daughter Kennedy) entered the show ring.

All proceeds raised go to fund the 2023 Junior National Chianina & Maine-Anjou Show!

by Heather Smith Thomas