I spent much of my youth going to livestock auctions with my Grandfather’s, mostly my Grandpa Leonard.  

He hauled cattle for people in what was then called a short truck, a two ton truck with a 16 to 20 foot stockrack. He would also buy cattle for people at the sale and deliver them to their place.  He would help brand and vaccinate them if needed and usually hauled them back to the sale when they were ready to sell.  It was a good service and he would go to the Bozeman sale most Monday’s,  Butte on Tuesdays, and Great Falls sometimes and that was a Wednesday sale.  He also bought canner horses and we would haul them to Great Falls to Jacobs Livestock or to Shelby to goon to Canada and Boveree Pack.

I started going with him when I got off the diaper and the bottle and when I got old enough I started driving, and when I got my license I would haul by my self sometimes.

I always enjoyed a good auctioneer, and I listened to some great ones, Craig Britton, Ken Peters and Jack McGuiness, could all really sell and new cattle and they are the ones I listened to most.

My grandpa was real friendly with the people he dealt with and they all enjoyed him.  He never had trouble with brand inspectors or employees as they all liked him.  He new how to get things done, and he always made people feel good about a deal, and he had lots of business.

There used to be people in every community that provided the service he did.  When gooseneck stock trailers came along it pretty much did away with the need for cattle being hauled as everyone hauls there own.

It was a great thing in my life and I learned so much about livestock , people and business going to cow sales and horse sales with my Grandfathers.  

Even now, if I am somewhere and have time to spare, I’ll see if there is a livestock auction selling and go look, learn, and listen and enjoy the true price discovery and backbone of the livestock industry.  I love it.

Today was real special as I got to start over again.  Daughter Mesa, Grandson Haize and I went to the cow sale at Billings Livestock today.  We only got four Heifers bought, as the didn’t have many feeder cattle, but it was a fun day and hopefully it is starting the cycle over again. He was great and seemed to enjoy it.  I hope it was the first of many!