Pathfinder Perceptions and the Power of Sale Catalogs

Changing Trends: The Past and Present of Showing Cattle

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2436706/fan_mail/new] The hosts discuss busy seasonal ranch work, shipping and weaning cattle, and using haying as a pasture-management tool while debating the high cost and labor of hay equipment, small-square vs round bales, irrigation issues, and rain-damaged hay. They share personal stories about cutting and tedding hay, mower conditioners, and vacation downtime. They then introduce their first non-board-guest, Kyle Gillooly of Wadley, Georgia, an Indiana native who manages CES Herefords and Angus, co-owns Predestined Cattle, and sells females through the Partners in Progress sale. Kyle and the hosts compare today’s show industry to earlier eras, noting shifts from open-show marketing and production focus toward junior “project” cattle, IVF-driven donor use, and more extreme, fitted “beauty contest” types. They emphasize balance, longevity traits, judging integrity, clear accurate reasons, and discuss pressures from social media, judge variability, and the value of judging programs and youth shows.

Evaluating The Generations

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2436706/fan_mail/new] The main discussion, in this episode, covers evaluating cattle across stages: calves can change dramatically, with Vince focusing evaluation around weaning and later, while others also like pre-weaning and 12–15 months for bulls; hair shedding is noted as useful. Success is framed functionally as fertility, calving on time, breeding back, and weaning a big calf, with integrity-driven culling for feet, udders, and open cows, and decisions influenced by resources and herd management.

Three Guys, One Location: Finally Together

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2436706/fan_mail/new] Three podcast hosts recap a Tennessee trip centered on Vince’s Shady Brook sale, mixing travel stories with ranch and cattle discussions. They describe friends and listeners helping at the farm, tour stops including Ingram Angus, Josh King’s place, Buck Snort (with virtual fencing dog collars), and later visits to Yakley, Windbush, and ZWT. Highlights include getting trucks stuck and damaging a bumper while sorting cows, encountering coon hunters, a late-night Waffle House debate, Dollar General mishaps, BBQ and brisket, and a bull fight at Buck Snort that tore up a fence. They reflect on the sale’s heat, community atmosphere, and Vince’s integrity in honestly describing cattle, thank buyers and supporters, and preview a future episode about creating opportunities for young producers.

Value-Driven Decisions in Ranching

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2436706/fan_mail/new] The hosts discuss a listener question about what drives value in a seedstock operation versus what customers value, using AI sire selection and customer demands as examples. They emphasize prioritizing phenotype (especially feet), maternal function, usable pedigrees, and avoiding EPD “train wrecks,” while arguing value should come from matching cows to environment and market, especially under widespread U.S. drought and input shortages. They critique how online discourse and association tools like EPDs and genomics can create value swings, accelerate churn, and penalize alternative programs, and they stress longevity and fertility as core value drivers even though they slow “genetic progress.” They also touch on strategic, limited flushing of younger and older proven cows, and briefly promote Vince’s upcoming Shady Brook Angus sale in Tennessee.

The Quest for Consistency

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2436706/fan_mail/new] The hosts recap Joe’s trip to producer sales and visits with listeners, plus Korbin’s bull sale where “Stonewall” went viral with millions of views. They discuss what consistency means in cattle, arguing it comes from disciplined culling, tighter calving windows, fewer sires, and focusing on long-term cow performance, while marketing and high-dollar donors can discourage needed culling. They also answer a listener question on becoming proficient at artificial insemination by breeding more cows, practicing on commercial females first, involving additional trained help, and learning from preg-check results.