Growth continues for Great Basin Bull Sale

The annual bull sale in Fallon, which has attracted consignors and buyers from Nevada and surrounding states for decades, reaped additional success with last year’s merger of two well-known sales.

This year’s second annual Great Basin Bull Sale during the third weekend of February, however, built upon last year’s success and attracted more sellers and buyers than last year, said Douglas County rancher Charlie Hone, one of the principals of the February event. With two major bulls sales merging, consignors also had the opportunity to sell their bulls.

“We sold 44 more bulls than the year before,” Hone said, who’s now looking ahead to next year’s sale. “We’re hoping to draw more and more people in our trade area of Northern California and Nevada and to get more consignors from Oregon and Idaho.”

Hone said he likes the partnership with the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association and Churchill County, which opened the Rafter 3C Arena in 2022. He said the success of the Great Basin Bull Sale will allow the event to serve better the members, buyers and consignors.

The selling price of 165 bulls grossed $881,450 with an average of $5,342. He said cattle prices have been extremely good this year.

Connelly Craftsman of Dixie Valley Angus near Los Molinos, California, sold a bull for $25,000 to Fortune Triangle S Ranch located near Interior, South Dakota. Westwind Angus sold a bull to Currant Creek Angus located in Roundup, Montana. Hone Ranch sold a bull for $12,000 to Christmas Tree Cattle of Smith, Nevada.

Hone thanked the sale committee, sponsors, consignors, buyers and bidders.

“It was a great Western weekend for the whole family and was a tremendous success all the way around,” he said.

Martin Paris, executive director of the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association in Elko, said this year’s sale was another home run by all accounts.

“Prices were strong and the quality of bulls at the sale were outstanding.” He said. “Putting on a successful sale is no small feat. The team at the Great Basin Bull Sale and Rafter 3C deserve a lot of credit for bringing such a great event to Fallon.”

Parris said the NCA greatly values its partnership with the Great Basin Bull Sale and the avenue it provides for its members to find high quality genetics.

“I think the sale and associated events will only get bigger and better and we’re looking forward to 2024,” he added.

The criteria that’s used for bulls to compete in three divisions according to age. Hone said on the event’s web page bulls were evaluated in five categories, and each top bull in the separate categories earned maximum points.

The categories include fertility, weaning, gain on test, feed efficiency and ultrasound.

Hone said the range bull division provided the same high quality age advantaged bulls cattle producers first expected from the Fallon All Breeds Bull Sale. He pointed out the bulls undergo a thorough sifting and rating process that ensures quality and soundness.

Two three-person committees evaluated the bulls that were entered in the five categories, and Hone said quality grading used the same California Beef Cattle Improvement Association guidelines as in the past Fallon sales.

This was the second year buyers watched the auction on digital media. They had the opportunity to walk around the pens evaluating the bulls. Prior to the auction portion of the bull sale Saturday afternoon, however, each bull was recorded on DVD, and buyers did their bidding inside the Rafter 3C. Jake Parnell was the auctioneer, and M3 Marketing managed the sale.

Churchill County Manager Jim Barbee said the other activities associated also drew interest.

“We had a grand event. The dog trials and branding were well received,” he said.

Barbee added participants were also impressed with the debut of branding exhibit and another exhibit in the Buckland Room. The exhibits highlight different aspects of ranching heritage. The Churchill County Museum curated items in the Buckland Room from horsehair ropes to stirrups in the wooden cases lining the far wall.

Another aspect of this year’s bull sale was the increase of vendors.

“We have doubled our vendors under one roof,” Barbee said.

Barbee is already thinking about the third bull sale, which is traditionally held during the third week of February.

“The quick take is we want to increase the public engagement with the ranching, working dogs and branding communities,” Barbee added. “We’ll be having a meeting with Gary (Hone) to review the bull sale and see what we want to do next year.”

In only two years, Barbee said the bull sale has become a social event where people who haven’t seen each other in years are reconnecting at one of the evening activities. Barbee said he and his wife saw some college friends they haven’t seen in years.

J.P. Tanner, instructor of the beef program at Feather River College in Quincy, California, brought several students to the bull sale. He said this is a good event to bring students so they can learn more about the cattle industry.

This is the first bull sale Rhynie and Bonnie Hollitz of Sierraville, California, have attended in three years. The Hollitz Ranch’s headquarters, though, is located in Lincoln, California, about 30 miles west of Auburn.

“We come here off and on,” Rhynie Hollitz said. “We came to our first one here 25 years ago. We come to Fallon every third or fourth year, especially when we need a bull.”

Hollitz said the venue for the bull sale is fantastic.

“It’s great for cattlemen,” he said. It’s a real draw here.”