2026 Open Gate Ranch by Julie Murnin

Open Gate Ranch

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

1:00 pm • Fairfield, MT

At Ranch in Fairfield 46th

Simmental. SimAngus. BUILD BETTER BEEF.

Notes on Reading our Sale Book...

Every ranch or genetic program has different strategies to presenting their data. There are no rules, just priorities. We choose to include data and EPDs relevant to the way we make breeding decisions, the way we manage our cattle, and the trends we want to be able to track and observe in each year’s calf crop.

For example, we like to think of our cattle in simple terms, that we can actually keep straight mentally and visualize. Hence we don’t include as many EPDs in the Sale Book as we could. We monitor our trends on all of the traits, understand their merit, and use them in planned mating, but we strive to effect change according to what most of our customers need. So a simpler data set works well for us. We continue to provide actual records of weaning weight, ultrasound, gain, and birth weight, because we like to see whether traits are truly manifesting themselves - if the patterns in a sire group show that genetic markers have actually triggered and are doing what they promise. Large discrepancies or inconsistencies in a sire group are a red flag to us and will influence our decision of whether to use a sire again.

So please don’t hesitate to reach out to one of us if you do not see data you need, or if it is unclear why we include certain things. We would love to help you utilize better the patterns we see when we put it together every year.

DIRECTIONS TO THE RANCH

Highway 408 runs between Fairfield and Hwy 287.

From Fairfield, you will find it on the South edge of town, near the huge grain bins. Head West, 9.5 miles. Our signs will be on the North side of the highway - at the 90 degree corner, turn off onto the gravel and head North, up the big hill. The ranch is on the first road to the Right.

From Augusta, head East, then North on Highway 287. About 7 miles out of town is the junction to Fairfield: right turn, Hwy 408, heading East. 10.5 miles will bring you to the 90 degree corner where you turn off onto the gravel and head up the big hill. Ranch is on the first road to the right.

Open Gate Ranch

SCHEDULE

OF EVENTS

TUESDAY, MARCH 24

All Day Cattle available for viewing Come early for coffee and to see the bulls. 12:00 noon Lunch

1:00 pm OPEN GATE RANCH BULL SALE

SALE LOCATION

Open Gate Ranch is located 9.5 miles west of Fairfield, MT on Highway 408 - 121 8th Lane SW, Fairfield, MT. For map and directions, see opposite page.

AUCTIONEER

Roger Jacobs

LIVESTOCK PRESS REPRESENTATIVES

John Goggins, Western Ag Reporter

Jeff Thomas, Lee Agri Media

Kevin Murnin, Western Livestock Journal

SEMEN INTEREST

Open Gate Ranch reserves the right to collect semen for our personal use on any of the bulls offered in the sale. This will be done outside the breeding season at our expense.

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED

Open Gate Ranch offers a COMPLETE SATISFACTION AND SOUNDNESS GUARANTEE up to the second breeding season on every bull purchased at our sale. This includes bull replacement or full credit minus salvage against a new one. Please notify one of us immediately if any problem develops. We truly want to be the first to know.

Any individual purchasing 3 OR MORE BULLS WILL RECEIVE A 5% VOLUME DISCOUNT off the purchase price.

There is $100 DISCOUNT PER BULL FOR HAULING your own on sale day.

Buyers unable to attend the sale can PURCHASE BULLS SIGHT UNSEEN and know that when we deliver them - if you don’t like them, you don’t own them. Please contact us ahead of time if you would like to bid by proxy or by phone.

Tuesday, March 24, 2026 1:00 pm • Fairfield, MT At the Ranch in Fairfield

SALE DAY PHONE 406-590-4063

FAMILY PHONES:

Mike and Kim 467-2082 • Julie 590-4063 • Micah 590-1609 Dustin 590-6016

WWW.OPENGATERANCH.COM

ABOUT THE BULLS

The bulls are available for viewing at the ranch prior to the sale. They are located in the development pasture near the ranch. From Fairfield, take Hwy 408 west for 9.5 miles, turn north onto the gravel, top the big hill, 3/4 of a mile further the and the bulls are on the right.

Videos of the bulls available online www.opengateranch.com

EPDS on both sale bulls and Reference Sires are printed as calculated by American Simmental Association and follow the Simmental definition for each trait.

ULTRASOUND SCAN DATA was taken on 1/31/2026 by Sonya Gregory and interpreted at a Central Ultrasound Processing Lab. It is an actual calculation of each bull’s carcass information that has been adjusted to a 365 day measurement, which will facilitate accurate comparison between bulls. American Simmental Association provided updated Carcass EPDs based on the scan data. IMF is marbling as a percent of mass, BF is back fat in percent of inch, and REA is rib eye in square inches. Ultrasound data available sale day.

SCROTAL EVALUATION AND FERTILITY TESTING is done by Dr. Cale Bjornstad and will be available on sale day. Breeding soundness exams on 2/24/2026.

BID LIVE ONLINE

Sale will be live online northernlivestockvideo.com

WELCOME TO THE SALE

Ranching is a very simple business.

The hard part is keeping it simple.

Warm Greetings, friends far and wide! Writing this mid-February, we have enjoyed a mild and open calving season like none of us can remember, delivering a very well developed calf crop that is off and running. Anxiety looms in regard to moisture conditions, but we are trying to just enjoy this production phase, and face that reality when it gets here.

Been thinking about an interesting conversation we had last December when we were weighing out our feeder heifers: our Rep was talking about Beef packing facilities and how efficient they are. In trying to visualize the amount of cattle processed every day, we realized that for us at Open Gate, our entire year’s Beef production only amounts to an hour or two of one day’s supply in only one of the smaller processing facilities in the country. That stunned us.

We joked about it for a bit, but the implications of it have lingered. We all put our hearts and souls into being cattlemen. An entire year’s work, and passion, and sacrifice culminates in those calves loading on trucks in the fall…. How do we fuel that level of commitment and high standards when in reality, it’s barely a drop in the bucket of national Beef Production? How do we retain our integrity? How do we continue to believe that it matters? It seems the only satisfying answer to those questions lies in the realm of collaboration. Of teamwork. Of being part of something much bigger than ourselves. Tricky concepts for the notoriously independent ranching community.

“Gettin’ good players is easy. Gettin’ ‘em to play together is the hard part.” – Casey Stengel, American baseball manager

The current quality of the Beef industry in this country is astonishing. Genetic progress, efficiency, standards of management and care, the persistent demand for our product, the sheer magnitude of it… who gets credit for that?

I say, every cattleman who chooses to raise the standard, make improvements, educate themselves, remain relevant, remain progressive. We all get the credit for that.

When we choose to align ourselves with a persistently higher set of goals, we contribute to the raising of the bar that has brought the Beef Industry to its current, staggering level of success. Not to suggest that is a simple or easy commitment: it is expensive, it is time consuming, it can be frustrating. But just look at where it has brought us.

So here’s a nod to all of you who are remaining passionate about the future of our business. We are so much more relevant TOGETHER, and by doing our best to collaborate, watch out for each other, offer support to our neighbors, stay committed to improving - we will continue to enjoy being part of an extraordinary success story.

•••

Some of you may notice that our Average Daily Gains on test were significantly higher this year. 3.99 # per day compared to our usual rate of 3.33 #. We just wish to reassure you that we did not push the Bulls harder, or change their ration in any way. We just happened to have a consistently open, mild feeding period from the very first week we weaned. No wet weather or mud, and very few cold snaps. The result is persistent, mid range gain, like driving 55 mph for 24 hours a day. It gets you there. We hope you will find them as soundly and excitingly developed as we do.

Looking forward to welcoming you all to the Ranch, for our first Sale at home . . . been a long, long time coming and we are excited.

Stay safe. Keep at it.

May your hay yards stay full.

The Open Gate Crew

CONNEALY COMMERCE

An impressive combination of awesome phenotype and impeccable structure, with inherent maternal excellence, and carcass building merit. We have been excited to use him on our most traditional Simmental foundation dams to make elite F1 matings. Last year’s Sale offering of Sons was well received, with consistently impressive carcass, balance and eye appeal.

CONNEALY COMMERCE

NL172 Sells as Lot 1.

CONNEALY COMMERCE Reference Sire.

OPEN GATE RANCH

NL218 1/8 SM

4 NL162 1/4 SM

NL236 1/2

NL239 3/8 SM

NL223 3/8 SM

NL174 3/8 SM

11 NL179 5/16 SM

1/4 SM

ND213 7/8 SM

NL169 3/8

OPEN GATE RANCH

15 NC979 3/4 SM

NC979 Sells as Lot 15.

Beautiful muscle expression and movement, with surprisingly consistent calving ease. Solid Simmental structure in a moderate frame.

CLEMSON ELITE 41J

SIRE:

16 NH390 5/8 SM

17 NG340 7/8 SM

18

NJ539 7/8 SM

CLEMSON ELITE 41J Reference Sire.

OPEN GATE RANCH

19 NE481 3/4 SM

21 NE556 3/4

NH454 7/8 SM

23 NZ437 5/8 SM

Black

DEER VALLEY WALL STREET

A classic Angus profile boasting easy fleshing, beautifully uddered daughters with good feet and moderate mature size. Fancy! With all the carcass the industry needs. AKA a “cow maker.”

DEER VALLEY WALL STREET

24 NF723 7/16

DEER VALLEY WALL STREET

OPEN GATE RANCH

27 NJ613 7/16 SM

NH412 7/16

32 NJ117 1/4

A return to a classic for us: a Bull who sires an impeccable genetic profile that adds value to every segment, this attractive combination of performance and carcass quality is proving consistent, measurable, and versatile.

HOOK`S EAGLE 6E

SIRE:

NJ630 3/4

35 NJ609 1/2 SM

OPEN GATE RANCH

37 NK973 7/8 SM

NL180 5/8 SM

43 NK881 7/8 SM

Black

44 NH474 1/2 SM

Black

NJ536 PB SM

49 NH334 3/8

45 NJ631 7/8 SM

NK895 7/8 SM

NJ566 1/2 SM

50 NH487 1/4 SM

DEER VALLEY GROWTH FUND

A Bull we have used for years, springing from the legendary Basin Payweight and a line of maternal cows that are considered Angus royalty. Capturing attention on paper and in the pasture, he is moderately framed with a powerful hip and rear leg, extra neck extension, a smooth shoulder, wide top and wide base. Capacity for gain readily apparent.

DEER VALLEY GROWTH FUND

DEER VALLEY GROWTH FUND Reference Sire.

54 NG127 1/2 SM

55 NG110 1/2 SM

57 NA526 1/4 SM

56

58 NE622 3/8

NE505 3/8

59 NE99 3/8 SM

OPEN GATE RANCH

Extra length, capacity and frame, exceptional docility, and a long running reputation for consistency.

These calves smoke down the middle of the road all day long.

CCR POUNDER 2045F

SIRE:

61 NJ799 3/4 SM

CCR POUNDER 2045F Reference Sire.

OPEN GATE RANCH

64 ND500

3/4 SM

Black Polled

NB436 5/8 SM

Black Homozygous Polled

66

ND522 1/2 SM

NK866 1/2 SM

TJ COWBOY UP 529B

Cowboy Up is a powerfully constructed son of Cowboy Cut with incredible growth, performance, and docility. Genetics that make the Grade - ranking at the top of the breed for MARB, CW, REA, and TI. He is an ideal mating to enhance growth and carcass value without sacrificing muscle and phenotype, and he rang the bell on performance with a weaning WW of 853 and a YW of 1369.