History: "The White Heifer that Travelled"

In August we posted this famous Shorthorn photo to our facebook page where our friends take part in our "History Lessons" where we post old photos and then everyone shares what they know. This photo features "The White Heifer That Travelled", an old Shorthorn photo.

Here are some great tidbits about this significant animal.

• J.E. Ranch first identified her as "The White Heifer That Travelled", and later Jeannine Doughty identified that she lived in the early 1800s and was a freemartin heifer.
• Charles Anderson helped us learn that she was bred by Robert Colling and that the freemartin weighed over 2,300 pounds at maturity! He also said that she was so fat that the groove down her topline was so deep that locals would drink their favorite "beverages" out of her back with straws!! John Mason corroborated this story, adding that the drink of choice was whiskey!
• Grant Alexander (a Canadian Shorthorn breeder) helped us learn that she got her name because she was displayed all across England as "the model beef animal" of that time.

And finally, WB Show Cattle intrigued us with the question of: "Wonder what would happen if we bred her to Heat Wave!"

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Sullivan Farms :: Dunlap, Iowa

I remember very clearly the first time I had spoken with John Sullivan about a website for his Shorthorn farm. It was back in the summer of 2003 and I was driving from College Station to Huntsville, Texas to watch my little cousin in a rodeo. This was at the time when I still operated RHD alone, out of my dining room in College Station. When I talked to John about his website, this was one of the largest breeder sites we would be doing at the time. I was ecstatic.

That's been nearly 10 years ago! And wow have things changed since then! It really seems hard to believe that we have been working with the Sullivan account, and many others, for 10 years!

Here at RHD we keep a list of each site, along with the date it was designed, and last updated. Then we try to periodically check with clients who have an older design and recommend we give it a little fresh look about every two years or so. We also have the "Top Ten Oldest Design" list in which we identify the oldest 10 designs currently in use. Then we really try to encourage those people to get a new look.

Well, to cut to the chase, the Sullivan Farms site was #2 on our "Oldest Design" list. We began asking John about a year or two ago if we could work on a new look. But, we got so busy working on projects for the exciting Stock Show U last year, that it seemed that the new website for the farm got put on the back burner. After a year of friendly reminding (lol) we started putting John's print designer, Arin Strasburg, in the mix of this pleading. Me, Arin, John, and Dede set a goal to have a new site up and running before August 15th of the year so that it would be up just before they began posting sale photos from their fall sale.

I have to say, this is one of my all time favorite sites. I just love it. I love the awesome photos, the colors, the logo, the style, and the great family history behind this business. Oh and it doesn't hurt that the pictures are great Shorthorns too by the way!

So, I really hope everyone will take a moment to visit www.maternallegends.com (named after their sale) and see our latest creation! We love it and hope you do too!

Moore Land & Cattle :: Jerseyville, Illinois

We love working with family businesses in the cattle business and our newest website is a great example of families working together and having a great time!

We made contact with Moore Land and Cattle through an old Shorthorn / MSU connection with our good friend Robbie Duis, who is now working at Moore Land & Cattle.

And, just check out this picture! Isn't it awesome! It's not every day that you can find four purple banners from the Denver stock show! WOW!

The Moore operation is located in Jerseyville, Illinois, and includes mostly Simi and Maine cattle, but they also have Angus, Shorthorn, Charolais, and some club calves. The Moore's will be hosting their fall production sale on October 6th. They are about an hour and a half from Illinois State Fair and they are inviting anyone to come out and look at the calves while you are at the fair.

This is an awesome family, and we are honored to do their website. Check out all of their winners at http://moorelandandcattle.com/winners.html...you will quickly recognize some of the recent greats in the Shorthorn and Maine and Simi breeds.

Thanks to the Moore family for choosing RHD!!!

Cyclone Trace Cattle Company : Clarion, Iowa

At RHD, one of the things we always say is that we have the honor of working with the best breeders in the business. And though it sounds cliche, it really is true. Cyclone Trace Cattle Company is one of these breeders that is known as "the best of the best."  Within the past 5 years, they have totally emerged as one of the most competitive and consistent Shorthorn show cattle firms in the nation. Based out of Clarion, Iowa, the CYT team knows what it takes to reach the top by raising outstanding Shorthorn cattle matched by a great team of customer service!

Cyclone Trace has been an RHD customer since 2007, making that 5 years of putting their confidence in our team. Earlier in the year, we began working with Sarah Hunter on a new look for the CYT website. It was a great project from day one. Sarah is a marketing professional in her own right and gave us great material and photos to work with. Stacey led the design team on this project and the design she created was fantastic. It really brought a whole new level tot he CYT marketing program, and especially gave an updated look to their website that was designed in 2007. 

For this site, we went with the best of the best. Lots of flash slide shows, great photos, and great content. We are so excited to publish this one for everyone to look at! Check out the new look at www.cyclonetrace.com. 

PROJECT TEAM: Sarah Hunter of CYT, Stacey Shanks, Jessica Hobbs

Ippensen Family Shorthorns :: Bowen, Illinois

When you visit the Ippensen Family Shorthorns website, the first thing you see says "Showing Cattle Is A Family Affair...And That's No Bull!"

And if you know the Ippensen Family, nothing could be more true. This family has been loving the Shorthorn breed and the cattle business since 1958.

As you can see from the name, the business is a family operation, owned by Darrell Ippensen and his wife Luann, along with their children Kyle & Christina.  Throughout the years they have travelled thousands of miles across the country with their Shorthorn cattle. The family's love for Shorthorns, and youth programs in general, earned them the Hancock County 4-H Family of the Year Award in 2005. They raised the 1978 National Champion Shorthorn Heifer, and were also inducted into the Shorthorn Breeders Hall of Fame in 1988. Daughter Christina is a former National Shorthorn Lassie Queen, and the family has served as a national voting delegate on many occassions.

A quick look at the site and you can see that family and Shorthorns rule the roost at Ippensen Family Shorthorns. We are excited to publish their new site!  On a side note, Christina will be representing RHD at several state fairs this summer as one of our photographers. She will be capturing candid moments at lots of different events in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. Look for her work on the RHD facebook page!

PROJECT TEAM: Darrell Ippensen and Christina Miller of Ippensen Family Shorthorns, Liz Tovar, Stacey Shanks, Jessica Hobbs

Schrag Shorthorns :: Marion, SD

This ad was so good we just had to share! Look for this upcoming ad of Schrag Shorthorns in the July Shorthorn Country and August show publications. Back in Louisville, Joelynn took this photo of Sammi Schrag "SERIOUSLY" showing her heifer in the junior show. The Schrag's loved the photo so much it inspired the name of their upcoming sale -- "SERIOUSLY SHORTHORNS!"

We love this family, we love this girl, and we love Shorthorns! Enjoy!

PROJECT TEAM: Tricia, Rachel, and photo by Joelynn Donough

WHR & V8 Ads for the July Shorthorn Country

This time of year we are always busy working with our many Shorthorn clients, either for the Texas Shorthorn Association directory or the July Shorthorn Country issue. Besides Brahman customers, Shorthorn is our biggest breed that we serve here at RHD. We have designed quite a few ads already for the July Shorthorn Country, including these recent ones for WHR Shorthorns and V8 Shorthorns.

Here is a sneak peak at the WHR ad...

This ad shows off Mr. Rasor's gorgeous cow herd as well as his mad photography skills. Mr. Rasor is one of the top cattle photographers and we always love seeing the photos he sends in for his ads. This ad features two of his herd bulls, DF Waco and WHR Ft. Worth.

Another sneak preview at the V8 Shorthorn ad. This ad was whipped up in a matter of hours. Joelynn rushed out to the ranch to take some scenic pasture pics (while trying to avoid copperhead snakes) and Rachel designed this one just in time to meet the early bird deadline. 

Look for these ads plus others coming out in the July Shorthorn Country.

Redesign Alert! Fischer Cattle Company

Redesign Alert! Check out the new and improved site for our friends, Fischer Cattle Company!

Located in Great Bend, Kansas, the Fischer family has been a well-known competitor in the Shorthorn arena for quite some time. For more than sixty years, Shorthorn cattle have been the focal point of the family’s agricultural endeavors. Through constant genetics improvement, and being just plain picky, the Fischer’s do their best to build a better beef animal.

Aside from the show ring, the family also strives to provide their customers with common sense cattle that excel with traits of function, performance, and eye appeal. By going through their site, it is easy to see that that goal has easily been met.

Great cattle are the Fischer’s passion and they love to share that passion with anyone who can make the trip to the plains of central Kansas. Give them a call or stop by to see what they can offer you. 

Maples Shorthorns

We love getting to work with Shorthorn breeders, just like our new web site client, Maples Shorthorns in Copperas Cove, Texas. The herd was established in 1989 by WB and Lori Maples. They began with seven head of registered Shorthorn cows and bulls. Over the year, their herd has produced many class winners and breed champions at each of the Texas major shows.

Maples Shorthorns is currently working in conjunction with Open Top M Cattle Company, owned by Thad and Heather Maples. This is in efforts to bring customers quality cattle for the show ring in addition to production herds.

On their site, you catch a glimpse of the quality cow herd the Maples crew has as well as some of the great sale prospects they are currently promoting. They invite you to contact them at any time and come take a look at the cattle. They accept scramble certificates and look forward to helping junior exhibitors throughout the show year.

Schrag Family Event Sale

Join Schrag Shorthorns this Saturday in Marion, SD for the Family Event Sale. Offering Shorthorn show heifer prospects, herd sire prospects, bred females, embryos, flushes, and pregnancies. The sale features pedigrees stacked with proven cow families including Revival, Dream Lady, Augusta Pride, and Riders Rose.

And I can't resist posting this photo that Joelynn took at Louisville. Fits the "Family Event" sale name perfect! Here is Stock Show Momma Melissa Schrag, Cory Schrag, Sammi and Jaxson heading to the backdrop at Louisville. We can all see who's in charge here, and trust me....Melissa is a true cattle lady who knows her stuff! 

We love this family!