CKP Insurance Sponsors the First Annual Great Basin Bull Sale

Our partners CKP Insurance play a huge role in giving back to the communities they serve. This past weekend, CKP sponsored the first annual Great Basin Bull Sale. This sale was hosted by the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association and brought together some of the best consignors of the great basin. With over 170 bulls that sold, this was an opportunity to help diversify genetics and bloodlines for cattle producers of the Great Basin. Keep ready to catch all the details of the first event and where you can find more information for next year’s event. 

As mentioned, this was the first annual Great Basin Bull sale, but it stands as a legacy event that was crafted from the original 21st Century Bull Sale, which marked its last event in 2021. It was then that Charlie Hone, Kris Gudel, and Dave Holden decided to pursue the possibility of continuing the sale and presented their proposal to Lucy, who had been the 21st Century Bull Sale organizer up until that point. She agreed and Snyder Livestock was retained to run the bull test while Charlie, Kris, and Dave would manage the sale. Later on, the idea was presented to potentially combine the sale with the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association Fallon All Breed Bull Sale, at which point, an agreement was established, and the Great Basin Bull Sale was born.

The Great Basin Bull Sale has a single mission to continue the legacy of offering a mix of performance-tested and range bulls for even the most particular of buyers in the area. The goal of the sale was to provide a venue where a diverse selection of genetics can be found to suit any breeding program.

The event took place on February 18th, with a large variety of bulls, at the new Rafter 3C Events Center in Fallon, Nevada. This year’s sale featured 170 bulls in two divisions; performance-tested bulls were offered in the first division, while the second division offered Range bulls. There were awards given for overall champion, best of breed, and calving ease Angus champion. Additionally, a donation bull was sold at the beginning of the sale with proceeds directly benefiting the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association.

Bulls competed in three sub-divisions by age: early fall, late fall, and spring calves. There were five categories that the bulls were assessed on including, fertility, determined by semen tests and dam’s calving records; weaning performance, gauged through herd weaning ratios; EPDs, and weight per day of age; gain on test, a measure of profitability through pounds; feed efficiency, measured via Residual Feed Intake or RFI; and other criteria, such as structure and soundness. 

One of the largest changes that was seen at the first annual event was the addition of a video platform where the bulls were on display for buyer evaluation, additionally, individual videos of the bulls will be used during the auction instead of running the bulls through the ring. This format was easier on the cattle and the sale staff alike. Overall, it was a very successful event with the bulls averaging around  $4,734. 

About the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association

“Since 1935, the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association has worked hard to promote, protect, and serve as the voice of the beef industry. NCA presents a united front on issues that impact cattlemen in our state, region, and nation.  Your participation in past Fallon All-Breeds Bull Sales helped support the work of this Association in keeping our beef industry strong.”

– NCA Website

To learn more about upcoming NCA events, you check them out online at https://www.nevadacattlemen.org/events-meetings/great-basin-bull-sale

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