FALL 2023

The State of The Country--
Russia and the Ukraine are at a stalemate.The attack on our southern border and energy independence persists. Immigrants are accumulating in sanctuary cities and crime is increasing. Quality of life is declining. What are we thinking? Donald Trump has indictments in four different states. The Hunter Biden's case keeps getting postponed. The country will survive but has many obstacles to overcome. I try not to worry about things I can't control.

The State of the Longhorn Industry---
The industry remains strong at the top end. New breeders now understand it is preferable to enter the business at the higher end than the middle or low end. High quality cattle demand premium prices. Furthermore, the selection committees for sales are insisting on better cattle for their consignments. Educating new breeders is key and the future looks bright.

The State of the Herd--
We have improved the herd with more cow and bull power. We have 6 confirmed embryo transfer pregnancies and 5 AI pregnancies.We are in multiple bull partnerships to advance our 2024 breeding program ---#1 M7 Grate Iron( Bwana Chex X BL Monka Elite) --a winner of multiple futurities and owned with the Mannings and Torkildsens #2 Marlboro Man LM ( KDK Wildfire X LM Danica's Image) owned with the Davis/Manning/Kott /Hicks consortium.Getting the 3S Danica genetics in our herd is a perfect outcross to advance our goal. #3 PCC Cactus Jack (Pace/Gilliland/Manning/ Loomis) continues to outperform and is right at 87'' at 3y. His progeny have been outstanding.

2023 Fall Longhorn Sales
We are looking forward to our fall longhorn sales with consignments to Herdsman Legends on 9/15/23, Fred Bryant on 10/7/23, and the TLBAA Horn Showcase on 10/14/23. Be sure to look at the Gilliland Ranch consignments as they feature many heifer calves with PCC Cactus Jack ( CR Apollo X PCC Dream Catcher) who is 87" TTT @ 3.0 years.

Warmest Regards,
Charlene and Mark Gilliland MD


Herdsman Legends Sale



   

SUMMER 2023


The State of the Country-
The consensus of economists is that interest rates need to stop being raised in order to avoid a late 2023 or early 2024 recession. Hopefully, the Fed will take that into account at their next meeting. We also need to decide if an overzealous US green energy policy in 4% of the 8 billion world population is really worth destroying our energy independence and adding to higher energy prices to the consumer. Maybe common sense will prevail. Maybe not.

The State of the Longhorn Business-
The early 2023 sales have been successful with consistent good prices for good cattle. The quality of the cattle goes up every year and we try to upgrade our program annually. Failure to do so has proven to be punishing at highly competitive futurities and sales. This is what makes the industry challenging and exciting.

The State of the Herd-
We had 20 embryo heifers and 10 AI heifers and 2022. Our next set of embryo calves will be in the spring 2024 while our 2023 calves by BR Cracker Jack, PCC Cactus Jack, HL Higher Ground and MC Hangin' Tuff mature.We will be breeding to Blue Moon GLR and Tuff Jam ( full brother to Drop Box) this summer and PCC Cactus Jack in the fall. We have 2 remaining sales this spring season-- The Midwest Sale and the Hudson Valentine Ft Worth Stockyards sale.

Hope to see you soon,
Charlene and Mark Gilliland MD

Midwest Sale

Hudson/Valentine Fort Worth Stockyards Sale

 


SPRING 2023 NEWS

STATE OF THE COUNTRY—
The country seems to be slowing economically —- the Fed keeps raising interest rates ,inflation is coming down from 9% to 6% (goal of 2%), company layoffs are climbing and a 2023-2024 recession is likely but not guaranteed. Our infrastructure seems to be crumbling with toxic train derailments in Ohio, structurally deficient bridges and roads, persistent airline cancellations, etc. We seem more concerned about the Ukrainian border than our southern border. I remain optimistic about the future of the United States but recognize there will be a need for strong leadership and fiscal responsibility if we are to remain the greatest country in the world.

STATE OF THE LONGHORN INDUSTRY—
We will miss a legend in the longhorn industry— Red McCombs— who has made many contributions to the business and held a first class Fiesta Sale each year. He had a great run to the age of 95.His legacy will not be forgotten.The traditional Fiesta Sale has been cancelled on 5/5/23 and replaced with a dispersal sale It will be the end of an era.

STATE OF OUR HERD—
We have just started the Spring 2023 calving season.Our AI herd sires are BR Cracker Jack, HL Higher Ground, Lightning In A Bottle. We have covered with our partnership bull PCC Cactus Jack ( 82’’ TTT at 27 months) and welcome Bob Loomis to the partnership. The Gilliland Ranch should have 15 colorful calves sired by him this spring. Our next set of embryos will be from BR Cracker Jack and BR Jungle Jim. We obviously like Brian Brett’s program because we share the same breeding philosophy for studying pedigrees and discovering synergistic combinations.

SPRING 2023 SALES
TEXAS LONGHORN LEGACY SALE GRAPEVINE TX 3/17/23
TKR Royal Tuffette
Bayou Gorgeous

TEXOMA SPRING CLASSIC TULSA OK 4/1/23
ATR Seahorse
Jubilees Legacy.
GLR Tsunamis Topline.

MIDWEST SALE AND FUTURITY. SPRINGFIELD MO. 5/12/2023
The Dutchess.
GLR Tsunamis Midnight Gal
GLR Royal Starlight—
GLR Tsunamis Respect
Plum Perfect EOT 307

HUDSON VALENTINE FT WORTH. STOCKYARDS SALE 5/26/23
LVR Serenity Grace
Monacos Sittin Texan

We hope to see you soon,
Charlene and Mark Gilliland MD



WINTER 2023 NEWS

STATE OF THE COUNTRY— The 2022 midterms are over with the Republicans taking control of the House of Representatives and the Democrats winning the Senate. Divided government is good which will limit far left policies harmful to agriculture particular and the country in general. The stock market is acting as though inflation has peaked and is starting to climb again. Dead cat bounce??Interest rates, energy costs and and higher unemployment could lead us into a mild to moderate recession in 2023. My strategy has always been to buy things on sale(recession) but have enough saved to weather the storm. Recessions ,just like droughts, will pass and life will go on as it has for centuries.

STATE OF THE HERD—We had a record 44 heifer calves in 2022—- 13 pasture bred, 12 from artificial insemination and 19 from embryo transfer. We sold a total of 52 cows/calves in public sales and private treaty. We are using Reprologix in Stillwater Ok for our AI/IVF work in combination with Amanda Sears at Paragon for the embryo transfers. We value our partnerships with Scott Pace and Wayne Manning on PCC Cactus Jack and Blue Moon GLR.They are high quality breeders that are a pleasure to work with.

The longhorn sales this winter/spring that we will be participating in are as follows:
2023 LONGHORN SALES (winter/spring)—

EDDIE WOOD COWTOWN CLASSIC FT WORTH TX 1/14/23
GLR Tuff N CachIt.
GLR Miss Tuff 2 Drag.
GLR Golden Riogal

TEXAS LONGHORN LEGACY SALE GRAPEVINE TX 3/17/23
TKR Royal Tuffette.
Bayou Gorgeous

TEXOMA SPRING CLASSIC TULSA OK 4/1/23
ATR Seahorse
Jubilees Legacy.
GLR Tsunamis Topline.

MIDWEST SALE AND FUTURITY. ELDORADO KS. 5/12/2023
The Dutchess.
GLR Tsunamis Midnight Gal
GLR Royal Starlight—
GLR Tsunamis Respect
Plum Perfect EOT 307

HUDSON VALENTINE FT WORTH. STOCKYARDS SALE 5/26/23
LVR Serenity Grace
Monacos Sittin Texan

Best Regards,
Charlene and Mark Gilliland MD

SUMMER/FALL 2022 NEWS


STATE OF THE COUNTRY—Agricultural inflation is at a 40 year highs- esp diesel, gas and fertilizer. The stock market has plummeted from 36,000 to 30,000 giving back any previous gains in the past 18 months. We are entering a recession . The mid terms are 5 months away (Nov ’22) and sanity will hopefully prevail with the reinstatement of sound economic policies. Energy production/independence should be restored with the favorable policies. We all want to save the planet with cleaner energy over time but the US has only 4% of the world population with China and India holding 37%. Our policies will hardly impact global warming unless they adhere to our standards. Term limits plus a maximum age with limited lobbyist intervention would help promote more objectivity since many politicians enter public service with a modest net worth and emerge as multimillionaires. It is time to do do what is best for the country rather than special interest groups.

STATE OF THE HERD—-We AI’d 25 heifers primarily to BR Cracker Jack and HL Higher Ground in mid May ( also Rowdy , Eagle Texa, Lightning in a Bottle and Dillon). PCC Cactus Jack arrived in June 2022 and was immediately turned out with 17 young cows and then he also will cover any opens in the AI’d group. . We will ultrasound them in late August 2022 to check our results. We have 12 embryo calves arriving in July which should be an exciting time. We will participate in 4 fall 2022 Sales.

FALL 2022 SALES

Gordon Howie —Top Hand Sale— 8/20/22
D/O Iron Girl
GLR Texana Respect
GLR Tuff Sweetheart.
GLR Rim N Whirl
GLR Whirlrim Gal

Justin Rombeck—Herdsman Legends 9/15/22 Duncan Ok
GLR Casanova’s Star Texa
GLR Texana Mermaid
RC Crystal Lite
KDK Valiant’s Jenny

Fred Bryant—9/30/22 Springfield Mo
GLR Sheza 20 Gauge Gal
GLR 20 Midnight Gal
GLR Top Kitty Gal
Top Mermaid

TLBAA - Horn Showcase-10/15/22 -Wichita Falls, Tx
GLR Sheza Mermaid
GLR Texana Tuff
GLR Tsunamis Zoom In
GLR Shez Maxed Out Tuff

Hope to meet you soon,
Charlene and Mark Gilliland MD

 

SPRING 2022

STATE OF THE COUNTRY— The Russians have invaded a fiercely resistant Ukraine. NATO countries seem united but they are conflicted by Russian oil dependence. The Chinese are monitoring the situation. The US is in the early stages of a recession unless it realizes the. key will be energy independence to replace Russia as an energy source to Europe. Despite the fact that our oil/gas production is much cleaner than the Russians,  we import their oil rather than increase production. We have tried to squeeze a  50-100 year goal of clean energy into 5 years. The other major issues are inflation, crime and border security. No policy change is currently in sight. Govs. Abbott and DeSantis are bussing immigrants to Delaware, New York and Washington so they can share the experience of increased crime, drug abuse and poverty..Every state should share the burden.

STATE OF THE HERD—-We are continuing our program of changing herd sire genetics every 2 years to maintain heterogeneity. We have sold TKR Royal T, Texas Tuff GLR and Gold Maxim GLR— bulls with a heavy emphasis on Cowboy Tuff Chex and Cowboy Catchit Chex genetics. We are Ai’ing 25 heifers to BR Cracker Jack and HL Higher Ground in May and have purchased 1/2 interest in PCC Cactus Jack ( Dalgood -97” TTT) from Scott and Tytan Pace. We have 12 embryo heifers due in July/August 2022 so it should be an exciting time. We are looking for a 2nd herd sire in the interim.

SPRING 2022 SALES

MIDWEST—featuring genetic lines from RC Pacific Mermaid and Texana Van Horne
GLR Archer’s Abigail
GLR Gunman’s Mermaid
GLR Texana Rio Tuff Gal
GLR Tsunamis Riogal
GLR Tsunamis Starlight
GLR Tuff Promise
GLR Texana Riogal
GLR Tsunamis Maryjam

HUDSON VALENTINE FT WORTH-selling our first 90” TTT cow plus 2 great producers
Pacific Dillana
PCC Wildest Dream
GLR Casanovas Maxim

Hope to meet you soon,
Charlene and Mark Gilliland MD




SPRING 2022

Longhorn Friends,

STATE OF THE COUNTRY--The fears from Covid 19 have diminished .The Russians are now invading Ukraine, a country highly valued to them because it contains multiple major energy pipelines plus copious natural resources. Putin does not want Ukraine to join NATO and become more European. We seem to be more concerned about global warming and social issues than energy production and defense issues. The United States is no longer energy independent.  We are  funding Russian warfare by importing over 500,000 barrels of oil from them daily. My hope is that both liberals and conservatives can unite to stop this threat.The United States needs to produce its own energy needs, secure the borders and stop this egregious Russian aggression into the the Ukraine ,Baltic states, Eastern/Western Europe and Scandinavia. That will require an alliance with the rest of the free world. Hopefully, China will not take this opportunity to invade Taiwan while we are distracted. Perhaps divine intervention or common sense will prevail. I have this very simplistic view of the world that "GOOD EVENTUALLY WINS OUT OVER EVIL"-- the sooner the better in this case. STATE OF THE HERD--Back to my reality and things I can control.....Charlene and I have many things to look forward to with the Legacy, Red McCombs. Texoma, Midwest and Hudson Valentine Ft Worth Sales coming this spring. Wayne Manning will be entering our partnership bull, Blue Moon GLR, in some spring futurities. Blue Moon is a reverse brindle , grulla bull with a horn pedigree of 2 over 100",5 over 90'' and 24 over 80''. He is named appropriately.Keep your eye out for him. We have also purchased 1/2 interest in PCC Cactus Jack from Scott and Tytan Pace. He is an amazing young herd sire who will cover our open cows after AI. We are expecting 40 calves this spring -- 18 from embryo transfers with the genetics of our 10 best cows--by the bulls Cut'N Dried, MC Hangin' Tuff, BR Cracker Jack and Hubbell's 20 Gauge. Another 12 should come from our AI program;10 from pasture breeding.The results should be interesting. The activities of longhorn sales, futurities and the calving season should keep us busy.

SPRING 2022 CONSIGNMENTS— SEE 2022 CONSIGNMENTS UNDER SALE PEN


(1)LEGACY SALE CONSIGNING 2 FUTURE 90'' TTT ELITE COWS----
SITTIN PEARL.  TKR ROYAL TUFFETTE

(2)MIDWEST SALE—CONSIGNING COWS FROM 2 PREMIER PRODUCTION LINES— PACIFIC MERMAID AND TEXANA VAN HORNE

PACIFIC MERMAID LINE
TUFF PROMISE. TSUNAMIS STARLIGHT. TSUNAMIS MARYJAM.
TSUNAMIS RIOGAL. GUNMANS MERMAID.
TEXANA VAN HORNE LINE
TEXANA RIO TUFF. TEXANA RIOGAL. ARCHERS ABIGAIL.

(3) HUDSON VALENTINE FT WORTH. CONSIGNING OUR FIRST 90’’ TTT COW
PACIFIC DILLANA. PCC WILDEST DREAMS. GLR CASANOVAS MAXIM

Best regards,
Charlene and Mark Gilliland MD

 

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WINTER  2021

STATE OF THE COUNTRY. Covid -19 persists despite vaccinations. Many breeders got infected at the TLBAA Horn Showcase. Inflation remains unprecedented. The $5 trillion Build Back Better got tabled. Gov. Abbott has taken border security seriously and now Texas taxpayers are building a wall. 

STATE OF THE HERD— We had 33 heifers(40% from AI’ing) for our 2021 calf crop—sired by a variety of bulls to mix and match to correct insufficiencies.For our spring 2022 calves, we have AI’d to BR Cracker Jack, Hubble’s 20 Gauge and Eagle Texa. The open cows were covered by our two junior herd sires Texas Tuff GLR and Gold Maxim GLR. We also have had 18 successful embryo transfer pregnancies due July/August 2022. We have more embryos to place in January 2022 so the fall calf crop should be exciting. Stay tuned.

WINTER 2022 SALES

EDDIE WOOD 1/15/2022 FT WORTH
GLR CASANOVAS HAVEN. .
GLRCASANOVA DREAMER.
CONCEALED IN A HAYSTACK
7 BAR PEACHES LILLY

LONGHORN LEGACY SALE.
SITTIN PEARL.
TKR ROYAL TUFFETTE

See you down the road,
Mark Gilliland MD 

FALL  2021

Welcome to the new Gilliland Ranch homepage revised by Hired Hand. We feature photos of 3 home grown, world class heifers shown above which project to the high 90's TTT---GLR Top 20 Gal, GLR Tsunamis Tuff Pearl and GLR 20 Whip Er Wil Gal. The system is working.


POLITICS ---It's hard to discuss politics this time. The open southern border policy has lead to unvetted immigration, increased crime, fentanyl trafficking and rampant Covid-19 cases in Texas. Combine that with the anti police sentiment, lenient prosecution, military blunders in Afghanistan, a $3.5 trillion "infrastructure" bill, increased inflation and this country is headed for unprecedented problems. It leaves me speechless. Dr. Red Duke used to say... "I have been to a lot of county fairs, but I have never seen anything quite like this!" I'm sure he is rolling over in his grave.

FALL BREEDING--The fall 2021 breeding season will be busy doing embryo transfers. We chose our top 10 cows and got embryos from them. The process is expensive with highly variable success rates (0-80%) but we are optimistic-- you have to be in this business.

SALES--We plan to attend Lynn and Josie Struthoff's "Deep in the Heart of Texas " sale in San Antonio 9/11/21,Justin Rombeck's Longhorn Legends Sale 9/17/21,The Fred Bryant Memorial Longhorn Sale in Springfield,Mo 10/2/21 and the TLBAA HSC in Ft Worth 11/12/21. Bear Davidson's East Coast Classic looks great but it conflicts with a more geographically desirable Texas sale. I plan to consign 3 cows to the HSC that have been great producers for us (see 2021 Consignments; ad forthcoming).

SD CORNELIA MARI--85'' TTT; 3:1
MINT JULEP 323/0 -- 82'' TTT; 3:1
GLR TSUNAMIS DIXIE GAL-- 70'' TTT calf at side

Finally, we have some young herd sires with 1/2 interest for sale---TKR Royal T, Texas Tuff GLR and Gold Maxim GLR ( see Sr. & Jr. herd sire category). We had an exciting bull calf prospect with the most unique color I have seen in the industry. Color that only comes along rarely-- BLUE MOON GLR ( TKR Royal T X Archer's 20Gauge Gal)-- photo below.The color is grulla with a reverse brindle(white streaks). We will check his DNA for color but he is probably carrying both the wild gene and dilution gene. Add a pedigree with 9 over 90'' TTT and 24 over 80" TTT and you have a rare animal.We are excited to be partners on Blue Moon GLR with Wayne Manning of the M7 Ranch in Aledo, TX. Thanks Wayne! It will be interesting to see how he develops.

See you down the road,
Mark Gilliland MD

SUMMER  2021

PANDEMIC SIMILARITIES TO THE LONGHORN BUSINESS—— This Covid-19 pandemic is temporarily at bay. The Chinese scientists were allegedly studying “ viral gain of function” by intentionally mutating the Coronavirus to better understand viral/human interactions. Escape from the Wuhan Chinese laboratory, by accident or design, is the most probable cause for this pandemic. Breeders in the longhorn industry also experiment to manipulate DNA and influence certain characteristics in longhorns. We do it to better the breed— not hurt it. Our experimentation results in good and bad DNA combinations (eg line breeding vs inbreeding) all the time .Thoughtful longhorn breeders analyze each year’s calf crop and look for improvements in conformation, fertility, disposition and yes, horn.. This process is painfully slow (9.5 months to reproduce) for longhorns but we improve each generation by culling our mistakes. Bacteriologists and virologists in the experimental laboratory move thousands of times faster in their petri dishes (8 hours to replicate vs 9.5 months). Their mistakes can have devastating consequences which they can’t cull. In my opinion, this type of research should stop and most certainly not be funded by the US in a foreign country.

ECONOMICS/POLITICS——
MACROECONOMICS—The Chinese and US Government are at odds politically. The global US FAANG corporations ( Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google, etc) see a 7.6B world market vs 0.33B US market (25X) and give China/India/Indonesia the benefit of the doubt for the sake of profit. I have always been for less government and more individual responsibility. However, what government there is should represent the interests of the 330,000,000 US citizens first and interests of 7,600,000,000 world citizens second. Corporate lobbyists see far more profit in the latter. Profit wise, they are correct. Patriotically, they are not. Politicians were elected to represent US citizens.

MICROECONOMICS—The Longhorn industry has done well with growth from new breeders entering the market. More harmony has helped. There is a moderate population resurgence back to rural America where there is less crime, lower taxes ,a simpler life, less stress, friendlier neighbors, etc. Many urbanites see the benefits of moving from a city with defunded police and a radical political agenda. Raising longhorns in a rural setting is a welcome lifestyle change for some of these people. Plus, they have discovered that one can still work at home, maintain their income and live in a safer, more scenic environment. Smart business plans can add a second income through beef or auction sales. Elite longhorns have recently brought near record prices-$105,000-$280,000. Good animals with potential can bring a fair price of $5000—$10,000. Average to below average animals can still bring profitable beef prices.

FALL 2021 BREEDING PLAN—.
We are expecting 40 calves in fall 2021— 40% from AI and 60% from natural breeding.The AI herd sires are Cut’N Dried,BR Cracker Jack, MC Hangin’ Tuff and Eagle Texa . The cover bulls are TKR Royal T, Gold Maxim GLR, Texas Tuff GLR and Dunn Lucky Sign. All have elite pedigrees which should produce quality animals.That said, we are utilizing oocyte aspiration and in vitro fertilization to increase the number of offspring from our top 10 cows/heifers.We have 65 confirmed heifer sexed embryos from the best in our herd and plan on placing 25 of these embryos into our home grown, Johne's negative longhorn cows that have the disposition, maternal instincts and milking ability to be great recipient cows.  For the other 40, we will use 20 Angus and 20 Corriente recips (all Johnes negative) to see what works best. We are adding science to the art of longhorn breeding and hope to add quality longhorns for future generations.

I'll see you in the fall ( if I see you at all).....
Mark Gilliland,MD



WINTER 2021

PERSONAL—— The Covid-19 pandemic is peaking in the DFW area with ICU hospital beds at capacity. Charlene and I isolated ourselves during Thanksgiving and Christmas. We finally got the Moderna Covid- 19 vaccine on January 7 and will get the booster in one month. Hallelujah! Freedom!! I evaluated the risk: benefit ratio and concluded that the vaccine has minimal risk and people over 65 statistically will live much longer vaccinated. We lost our dear friend Fred Bryant (Elah Valley Longhorns) to this disease. Our heart goes out to Cheryl as she enters a new life chapter. We will help in whatever way we can— that is what the longhorn community does.

ECONOMICS/POLITICS——The Longhorn industry is holding up well economically. New breeders are discovering the enjoyment in the breed. Quality animals bring a premium price. Good animals with potential bring a fair price. The lower 1/3 of our herd go to the sale barn to reduce inventory. Joe Biden, a 47 year DC insider, will be president and Congress will controlled by the Democrats . There will be no check and balance.There will be tax increases and more regulation. The mainstream/social media,Silicone Valley and Wall Street all seem to be supporting him. Perhaps it is increased spending and printing of money. Maybe they all make more money despite tax increases. Thankfully, the US dollar is the world's reserve currency for the time being. Plus, there is now censoring of conservative ideas through social media-- previously unheard of in this country. Trump was no saint but he did a lot to improve the quality of life for the middle class and do what he could to drain the swamp. I am all for progress but not at the expense of devastating American jobs, agriculture and the oil industry. At age 68, I can’t really worry about things I can’t control. I am just trying to stay healthy, embrace family,enjoy my longhorns and not stress over the little things. They are all little things in the final analysis.

2021 BREEDING PLAN—. We are expecting 80 calves in 2021— 40% from AI and 60% from natural breeding. We AI to mix and match to outcross and maximize for the total package .The AI herd sires are Cut’N Dried, Gold Mine 1,BR Cracker Jack, Rebel HR, MC Hangin’ Tuff, Saddlehorn and Hubbell’s Roman 7. The natural breeding bulls are TKR Royal T, Texas Tuff GLR and Dunn Lucky Sign.We will also introduce Magnificent 8 GLR (named for his 8 over 90'' TTT in pedigree) to a few heifers this fall. He is double bred CTC/Houdini with every female on his registration paper over 80'' TTT. The final math reveals 4 over 100'' TTT, 4 over 90'' TTT and 24 over 80'' TTT. We will breed him to large framed Coronado, Cut'N Dried and Gold Mine 1 heifers.The planning for and anticipation of the next calf crop is always the most enjoyable aspect of this business for me.

2021 SPRING LONGHORN SALES

Legacy sale
The Legacy Group will be hosting The 2021 Legacy sale 3/19/21 in Grapevine ,Tx . We will be consigning the following:

GLR Casanovas Whirlwind (CV Casanova's Magnum X RM Touch N Whirl PAT).
DOB 7/22/2018.
AI'd to Hubbell's Roman 7 and covered by TKR Royal T.
Ultrasound confirmed heifer. due 4/5/21

GLR Monaco's Feisty Top (Monaco Chex X Mint Julep).
DOB- 3/8/2017.
Bull calf at side by TKR Royal T
AI'd to Rebel HR and covered by TKR Royal T.

The Texoma Spring Classic
Bob Loomis and Dale Hunt are hosting The Texoma Spring Classic 3/27/21 in Overbrook, Ok. We will be consigning the following:

RJF Sheza Sittin In Rain ( RJF Rainman X RJF Sheza Sittin Pretty)
DOB 3/25/15
77.0’’ TTT
Ai’d to MC Hangin’ Tuff; Covered by TKR Royal T

DSCC Drag Dancer ( Drag Iron X BLR Sun Dancer)
DOB- 6/17/2013
74.0’’ TTT
AI’d to Gold Mine 1; Covered by Texas Tuff GLR

Helm Cream Puff (CV Cowboy Casanova X SL Selena’s Ace)
DOB-3/23/2013
73.0’’ TTT
Exposed to Texas Tuff GLR

Have a great 2021! Change is inevitable. The most successful businessmen adapt to change and prosper.

See you down the road,
Mark Gilliland


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SUMMER/FALL 2020

2020 LONGHORN SALES

The Covid-19 pandemic has temporarily altered my favorite aspect in the longhorn industry —- going to a futurity/sale to share ideas , buy and sell cattle and compare programs. Some sale hosts pushed through the adversity and had successful sales with the benefit of Hired Hand online bidding—- John Marshall at Blue Ridge; Bob Loomis and Dale Hunt at the Texoma Spring Classic;Alan Sparger and Mike Davis at the Red McCombs Fiesta and Ann Gravett and Bear Davidson at the Cherry Blossom.They provided enough stimulation to get us into the Fall 2020 season.The Gilliland Ranch will be consigning to Gordon Howie’s Top Hand Invitational (8/22/20), Justin Rombeck’s Legends (9/4/20), Lynn and Josie Struthoff’s Deep In The Heart of Texas (9/11/20) and The Legacy Group (10/9/20) Sales .We like to keep our herd around 100 cows and sell each year accordingly. Go to the Sale Pen heading on our website and scroll down to 2020 Consignments for more information.

TOP HAND INVITATIONAL— 8/22/20— RJF Bar Maid(heifer @ side), GLR Archer’s Angel(heifer @ side), GLR Casanova’s Dixie Gal (bred), GLR Rurally Topped Out(bred), Della(bred), TS Cadillac Kelly(bull @ side) GLR Tuff Texan(18 month old bull— CTC-103’’ X RM Touch N Whirl PAT— 92’’)

LEGENDS LONGHORN SALE— 9/4/2020— CR Lady Archer ( heifer @ side), GLR Monaco’s Sunrise (bull calf @side)

DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS —9/11/20—GLR Casanova’s Temptation(heifer @ side), GLR Archer’s Aria(heifer @ side), RJF Little Miss Sunshine ( bull @ side)

LEGACY SALE—10/9/2020— CR Grand Aim (heifer @ side) , Helm Tuff & Gorgeous( bull calf @ side)

2020 BREEDING PLAN

Our philosophy combines phenotype and genotype breeding.Genotype breeding refers to the underlying DNA responsible for physical characteristics. This requires studying a pedigree for the repeated occurrence of desirable traits found among ancestors, siblings and progeny. There is greater predictability if the animal’s dam and grandam pass on the desired trait. Phenotype breeding emphasizes appearance—- breeding your idea of the best bull to the best cow regardless of pedigree. A combination of both philosophies means going through your herd with a critical eye for deficiencies in individual cows/heifers and correcting them with a well pedigreed bull or bull semen to offset the defect. We breed for the total package and stack pedigrees of 80-90-100'' TTT animals.We now have many animals with 8 over 90'' and more than 30 ancestors over 80’’ in their pedigree.Single trait breeding for horn is not the answer but combining as many desirable and heritable traits is really the art of this business. Finally, no single bull is perfect and each has some flaws.The goal is to advance the genetics of your herd each year and improve the quality of the breed. Our 2020 fall/2021 spring calf crop has the herd sires listed below.

TKR Royal T —48
Cut N Dried —10
Gold Mine 1–—-10
Hubbell’s Roman 7—6
GLR 20 Gauge Tuff —3

We are currently looking for another bull to cover the open cows from our AI program. The criteria for that bull are the following: gentle disposition, large frame with depth and length, large hip and buttock, straight topline, great horn pedigree with dam and granddam over 80 “ TTT, hornset down and back and reasonable color (not white). Our herd is heavily invested in Cowboy Tuff Chex, CV Cowboy Casanova, Hubbell’s 20 Gauge and RC Tsunami 2 on the paternal side and Eternal Diamond, RC Pacific Mermaid, Texan Van Horne, Sheza Whip Er Wil and Lady Monika on the maternal side. We are looking for an outcross with the above listed characteristics. Contact us if you have a good candidate.

See you down the road,
Dr.Mark and Charlene Gilliland


Fall 2019

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ECONOMICS—-The first half of 2019 continued to show some industry consolidation. Lower quality cattle sold at bargain prices in the Longhorn sales with barely enough cash to cover consignment, transportation and housing costs. Most of these animals should probably be taken to the local sale barn to get them off the balance sheet and reduce overhead. Highly pedigreed, total package animals with promising tip to tip measurements continue to do the best at the Longhorn sales. There is somewhat of a shift towards buying young , colorful ,twisty horned heifers to keep that characteristic in the breed and try to reduce the emphasis on TTT. That is a reasonable strategy but twist slows TTT numbers and it takes years to mature. Each longhorn breeder must develop his own vision and stick to his personal strategy. Changing strategy is like stopping a slow moving freight train because it takes 3 years to evaluate your results. OUR BREEDING STRATEGY—Our herd management practices include the continuation of artificially inseminating nearly half of our cows and heifers to what we consider to be the best bulls in the business ( Hubbell’s 20 Gauge , Goldmine 1, Cut N Dried, The Beast, HR Rebel and a few others). We now ultrasound and/or blood test all our cattle that have been AI’d at 30-40 days to delineate between an AI vs natural pasture breeding. We also confirm with DNA markers for parental verification. We have been surprised at the variation of the standard 283 days of gestation after artificial insemination. It has varied as much as 7 days before and 14 days after the projected date. This time span will probably lengthen as we test more animals. We are continuing our IVF program after some initial disappointments— not in oocyte retrieval but in fertilization with heifer sexed semen. We have scheduled 4 to 5 of our premiere cows ( Sittin’ Pearl, Royal Tuffette, Pacific Dilanna ) for oocyte pick up (OPU) with a different protocol to see what works best for our animals. We base our donor cows based on pedigree , genetic value, phenotypic superiority and previous production. One change will be to use conventional semen over heifer sexed semen to improve embryo conception. We prefer heifers over bulls but feel these cows are elite enough to sell high quality bulls.

HERD HEALTH—We are also continuing our commitment to having a Johne’s free herd. We have checked each animal over the age of 2 for the last 3 years and continue to check each new purchase so as not to introduce the bacteria into the herd. We prefer buying only from Johne’s free herds and hesitate to buy quality animals that have not be proven disease-free. We have published two articles in Trails magazine in an effort to promote a Johne’s free longhorn industry (see articles on web page).

BULL UPDATES ( see rotating images) In addition to using AI bulls, we have three excellent bulls that are extremely promising– TCC Shootin’ In The Dark, GLR 20 Gauge Tuff and TKR Royal T. TCC Shootin In The Dark is a Sharpshooter son who already has more TTT than his famous sire— 84’’ TTT at 40.0 months. We love this bull and have sold 1/2 interest to Jason Roznofsky in Shiner Texas to get him out of the cold Kansas winters.Our most colorful total package bull is GLR 20G Tuff— a Hubbell’s 20 Gauge son out of a Cowboy Tuff Chex daughter. Brett Krause has leased him for the 2020 winter. Finally, TKR Royal T , a Houdini son out of a Cowboy Tuff daughter , measured 39.5 “ TTT at 12.0 months and is growing at a rate of 1’’ every 10 days. We have entered him into the TLBAA Horn Showcase Futurity and expect great things from this young prospect.

FALL 2019 SALES We love going to Gary Lake’s and Stan Searle’s Colorado Sale in August. They always put on a first class sale. We sold 4 and were fortunate to have the high selling cow for the second year in a row. Next, we have the Hudson Valentine Ft Worth Sale 9/20/19 and the TLBAA Horn Showcase 10/5/19 with 6 consignment listed below. Go to the 2019 Consignments for more information.

Hudson Valentine Ft Worth 9/20/2019
GLR Casanovas Cyclone —- 2018 Casanova Magnum heifer—Out of 90’’ TTT Sire and Dam
GLR Casanova Pacifica— 2016 Cowboy Casanova cow with heifer at side; 3;1; bred back

TLBAA Horn Showcase Lawton,OK 10/3--10/5/2019
GLR Tuff Jamamax —- 2018 heifer with stacked pedigree (4-90’ TTT; 8 -80” TTT )
GLR Coronado Haystack— 2018 heifer with stacked pedigree (2-90”; 8-80”)
GLR Monaco's Haystack— 2017 heifer confirmed bred to The Beast
GLR Casanovas Classy Girl —-2016 Cowboy Casanova cow. —7m bred by Shooter

Thanks.

Regards,
Dr. Mark and Charlene Gilliland



 
   


Winter 2019

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2018 finally ended after multiple dispersal sales. It was a buyers market for mid-market and lower value cattle. The high end elite cattle still brought top dollar. The air is very thin at this level and bar keeps moving higher every year. We took the opportunity to build cow power in our herd. Our philosophy will be to build on 4 prominent cow power pedigrees: (1) continue our Pacific Mermaid line stacking more line breeding to Pacific Cowboy (2) add to our Lady Monika BL and Poco Lady line with Rural Safari Son and (3) add to our Texana Van Horne line by Ai’ing back to Coronado Texa (4) add to our WS Sunrise line through TKR Royal T.

We think 2019 will be a better year in the longhorn business if oil prices rally a little, unemployment remains low and the US economy continues to grow at a 3% rate. The Fed needs to slow down some on raising interest rates so small businesses can continue to flourish. The longhorn business does better when consumer confidence is high and the people have more disposable income. Let’s hope the politicians in Washington can pass some bills which aid the small businessman, improve the quality of life for most Americans and not pile on needless investigations which add to further gridlock and pads the income of the Washington DC legal profession. Finally, this reappearance of democratic socialism for everyone within our borders ( free education, health care, etc) is unrealistic and will ultimately thin the middle class further. We shall see.

Back to longhorns….We are excited about our 2019 calf crop. We have utilized Artificial Insemination and Embryo transfer to our best advantage in 2018 have 37 confirmed pregnancies (30 heifer sexed) out of 49 attempts…

16 Hubbell’s 20 Gauge
8 The Beast
7 Embryo Transfer pregnancies out of 91.5” TTT RM Touch N Whirl PAT
2 Goldmine 1
2 Rowdy HR
1 Rebel HR
1 Saddlehorn

Our 3 covering herd sires feature our most colorful male lineup yet. We are going for the gold and trying to get away from red and white color without sacrificing horn and total package.
(1) TCC Shootin In The Dark( RHF Sharpshooter X Hubbell’s Shadow Kay— - over 80” TTT @ 33.0 months. He is one of only a few 2016 bulls to hit that 80” mark prior to 36 months.
(2) GLR 20 Gauge Tuff— (Hubbell’s 20 Gauge X Helm Tuff N Gorgeous— 62” TTT at 23 months and 12 over 80” TTT in pedigree
(3) TKR Royal “T” ( TCC Houdini X TKR Royal Tuffette- 16 animals over 80 in pedigree— only 7 months old as of this writing). The bull power is strong and the cow power is getting stronger flushing TKR Royal Tuffette and Sittin Pearl with the 4 heifers  sexed  embryos to be implanted May 2019.We also purchased these 2018 heifers with strong maternal pedigrees— Houdini’s Temptress and
LLL Emerald Cut.

We will participate in the Midwest Sale, the Rocky Mountain Sale, Hudson Valentine Ft Worth Sale and 1-2 others depending on how calving season goes. Charlene and look forward to continually meeting new friends and staying close to the old ones!!

Warmest Regards,
Mark Gilliland,MD

Fall 2018

The spring and summer of 2018 was a buyer’s market. Unfortunately, we sold 31 head.  Timing is everything in life. Three prominent breeders had dispersal sales – Frank and Michelle Hevrdejs, Rick and Tracy Friedrich, and Debbie Bowman. All will succeed in  their future endeavors .This flooded the market and pushed prices down for the average longhorn. The top of the market stayed relatively stable with prices holding their own. Still, the industry standard continues to evolve. 80 – 90’’ TTT cows do not bring the prices they did a few years ago unless they reach that landmark by 4-6 years or there is the total package with outstanding pedigrees, color and conformation. Thankfully, smart breeders see a buying opportunity and new breeders are still coming into the business.
SITTIN PEARL
The Gilliland Ranch 2018 calf crop thus far has been 16 heifers and 12 bulls with 8 heifer sexed calves scheduled to arrive in August2018— 5 from AI’ing Casanova heifers to Hubbell’s 20 Gauge and 3 from heifer sexed embryos with 90” TTT genetics from Casanova Magnum X RM Touch N Whirl PAT. The biggest anticipated arrival will be the Fifty-Fifty BCB X Sittin Pearl heifer calf  to be born November 2018.
(in partnership with Linda Harman) (SEE PHOTO). This heifer crop is a major reversal from our first 3 years in the longhorn business where 70-80% of our calf crop were bulls. We are fortunate to have the infrastructure and surrounding expertise to stay the course.

GLR 20 GAUGE TUFF
Our 2019 calf crop will benefit from the ongoing aggressive AI/ET program at Reproductive Enterprises Inc, an Oklahoma State University affiliate in Stillwater OK. We use sexed semen from what we consider to be some of the best bulls in the industry—-Cowboy Tuff Chex, CV Casanova Magnum, Hubbell’s 20 Gauge, The Beast and Rowdy HR. So far this year we have AI’d or put embryos in 20 cows to further build upon what RC Tsunami 2(85” TTT; Concealed Weapon x Pacific Mermaid) has done for us. He gave us 2 great calf crops by lowering the hornsets and throwing bright colors on our new calves . We sold him to Texas breeders Dave Pace and Derick Schaefer. Tsunami will do a great job for them. We are covering our open cows with GLR Coronado. (Archer Texa X Mint Julep) and GLR 20 Gauge Tuff (Hubbell’s 20 Gauge X Helm Tuff & Gorgeous) {SEE PHOTOS} Both have outstanding pedigrees with low lateral hornsets , great size and outstanding color. We will continue to try to consistently identify genetically superior bulls with the help of Bear Davidson and Joe Sedlacek. We are watching potential herd sires in our own herd for 2019-2020 breeding season—Hustler GLR (9 over 80” TTT;1 over 90” TTT) and Dark Knight GLR (13 over 80”; 3 over 90” TTT). We also value the partnership with Linda Harman on TKR Royal “T”,a 2018 Houdini/Tuffette bull with 15 ancestors over 80” in the pedigree( 3 over 90” TTT). We believe in the total package but push the horn TTT because that is what the market wants.
GLR CORONADO



Here are our fall 2018 consignments ....

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SELECT SALE
7 BAR SUPER HAVEN
RJF SKYLINE
GLR CASANOVA'S DIAMOND
GLR CASANOVA'S MARGARITA

GLR DIXIE JAMBOREE

  
STRUTHOFF "DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS" SALE
PACIFIC LAURA 235
GLR MONACO'S MAGIC
     
HUDSON VALENTINE FT WORTH STOCKYARDS SALE
RRR MISS GLADYS 032
HL TARI'S ETERNAL BUZZ
  FINAL FOUR HEIFER FUTURITY
GLR MONACO'S TEMPTATION
GLR COCO TUFF

That is our update for the fall of 2018. Charlene and I now live in Weatherford ,TX so we can be closer to family but are keeping the ranch in the Kansas Flint Hills where the environment for cattle is unrivaled. We hope to see you down the road.

As my great Uncle Brady Meldrum (1888-1960) used to say.... “ If I see you at all, I’ll see you in the fall”— 2018 that is.

Thanks for visiting our website,
Mark and Charlene Gilliland

 


Spring/Summer 2018

2017 was a good year for us and 2018 looks even more promising. We had 38 bull calves and 32 heifers in 2017 — mostly out of RC Tsunami 2 , Monaco Chex and JBR Eclipse. We believe in stacking pedigrees so we are going to keep a vast majority of them for replacement. Unfortunately that mandates selling some of our best cattle to keep the herd numbers neutral. We are adamant against abusing the grass with overgrazing.

We plan on using a much more extensive AI/ ET program during the year and covering the open cows with our two main herd sires— RC Tsunami 2 and GLR Coronado. We have purchased heifer sexed semen on Hubbell’s 20 Gauge, The Beast and CV Cowboy Casanova. We also have eight heifer sexed embryos
from RM Touch N Whirl PAT and Cowboy Tuff Chex, CV Casanova Magnum and RRR Rimount Edge 110.

We have consigned the following animals to 2018 spring/summer sales. See below or go to 2018 consignments for details.

Selling 25 cows this spring sounds like a dispersal sale but it is really just updating our genetics and keeping our herd numbers down to a manageable status. We are dedicated to having a healthy herd and test for Johnes twice a year. Any animal going to a sale will be Johne’s tested to assure the buyer he is getting a healthy cow/heifer.

SPRING 2018 SALE SEASON—

LEGACY XIV
(1) GLR Tuff Whirlwind
(2) GLR Rio Jamamax
  
RED McCOMBS FIESTA
(1) GLR Archers Alexandra
(2) M Arrow Wow’s Dandelion
(3) Helm Dixie Gal
     
MIDWEST
(1) Dixie Rose
(2) GLR Topstar
(3) TS Cadillac Kelly
(4) GLR Eternal Temptation
(5) Jazzy 931
(6) LAR Maxine 9/09
(7) Miss Queen of Clubs
(8) RJF Perfectly Posh
(9) ZD Jamidan’s Super Mary
(10) ZD Janine’s Starlight
  RED RIVER
(1) RJF Tempting Lady
(2) RHF Ruby
(3) RJF Chill In Out 
(4) GLR Concealed Respect
(5) Pacific Laura 235 
(6) M Arrow Coco Loco
(7) Archer Dove 416
(8) CV Casanovas Lucky Lady
(9) OF Its Sunny Out
(10) Hubbell’s Houston Gal

Thank you for visiting our website. We have cattle for sale at all times. Please feel free to call or visit us at any time.


Fall 2017

The spring 2017 longhorn sale season is over with some record breaking prices—$380,000 for 3S Danica at the 2017 Legacy Sale.The market remains strong for great cattle. It is amazing to me how rapidly the quality of longhorns improves each year. We are sticking with our plan of breeding for the total package and stacking pedigrees with multiple animals over 80” or 90” TTT. Our 2017-2018 breeding plan will incorporate the use of 4 young bulls with incredible pedigrees in addition to RC Tsunami 2 ( Concealed Weapon X Pacific Mermaid) and JBR Eclipse ( Cowboy Tuff Chex X Eternal Diamond). We plan on having 35 calves from Tsunami, 20 from Eclipse, 10 from Patton ,7 from Coronado, 7 from Domino and 5 from Big Tipper. The new bulls give us a chance to experiment with the latest stacked pedigrees to see how they compare to known producers.We also have some recips with heifer sexed embryos out of the 90” TTT Touch N Whirl PAT with CV Casanova’s Magnum and RRR Rimount Edge. 2018 should be very exciting!

FOUR NEW BULLS
GLR Coronado—( Archer Texas X Mint Julep) This young bull is colorful, tall and muscular with a low lateral hornset . He is out of Archer Texa (83” TTT) and Mint Julep( a 77” TTT Top Caliber daughter). Since Jamakizm and Archer Texa are gone, we think this bull has a bright future supplementing those genetics. He has 6 animals in his pedigree over 80” TTT. He will be entered in the LWC Futurity 1/2 interest is available for $7500

GLR Patton— ( Archer Texa X Casanova Sheza Whip)
These genetics stack CV Cowboy Casanova, CC Sheza Whip Er Wil, WS Jamakizm and Texana Van Horne. The pedigree includes 10 animals over 80” TTT; . He has a gentle disposition, large body, low hornset and he will be used to outcross the 2017 Tsunami heifers. We also plan to breed him to GLR Rio Jamamax and RJF Cowgirl Sassie to get calves with 20 animals in the pedigree over 80” TTT.1/2 interest is available for $10,000.

Big Tipper- (Bubba Tuff Chex X RJF Casanova’s Cowgirl)
This young bull is a genetic goldmine combining not only Cowboy Tuff with Cowboy Casanova but he is also double bred JP Rio Grande and Hunts Command  Respect ( 2 ancestors over 90" TTT ;9 over 80" TTT) . He is owned by James and Lynette Haltom of Haltom Hollar in London Ky and we will be leasing him for 2 years. He will be used to outcross Tsunami and Archer Texa offspring PLUS used for some highly selective linebreeding on Casanova heifers.

BR Domino- (Cowboy Tuff Chex X Helm Laura’s Light Mocha)
Brian Brett bred this bull and we have 1/2 interest in him.He is something special. Three of his 6 parents/grandparents are over 90” TTT; 5/6 are over 80” TTT—-(Cowboy Tuff Chex -100” TTT, WS Jamakizm -81” TTT, Helm Laura’s Light Mocha-91” TTT, BL Rio Catchit-95” TTT and Wiregrass Laura-84.5” TTT . He also represents the total package with conformation , hornset and disposition.

GLR CORONADO
DOB: 3/20/2016
Archer Texa x MINT JULEP 323/0

GLR PATTON
DOB: 4/1/2016
Archer Texa x RJF CASANOVA SHEZA WHIP

BIG TIPPER
DOB: 5/11/2016
BUBBA TUFF CHEX x RJF CASANOVA'S COWGIRL

BR Domino
DOB: 3/18/2016
COWBOY TUFF CHEX x HELM LAURAS LIGHT MOCHA



FALL 2017 SALE SEASON—

Rocky Mountain Select Sale
Monument, Colorado 8/11-8/12/2017
(1)Wyoming Feisty Leigh
(2) GLR Rio Diamond
(3) Monaco’s Lucky Lady
  
Hudson-Valentine
Ft Worth,TX 9/22-9/23/2017
(1) WS Zoom
(2) GLR Rio Zoom
     
Horn Showcase
Lawton,Ok October 4-7,2017
(1) Auzzie Suzzie EOT 944
(2) Sittin Glory
(3) GLR Midnight Temptation
(4) HL Hot Respect
  Longhorn World Championships
Oklahoma City,Ok 10/21-10/22/2017
(1) T Bar W Top Whiz
(2) Sittin Cowgirl
(3) GLR Tumbling Star
(4) Trophy Top


 

FELLOW LONGHORN BREEDERS,

The 2017 spring sales season is off and running and we are excited to be participants in the Cattle Baron's Sale in Navasota,Tx (2/25), Legacy XIII in Grapevine, Tx (3/17–3/18), the Hudson–Valentine Sale in Bowling Green, Ky. (3/31–4/1), the Blue Ridge Sale in Llano, Tx (4/7–4/8) , the Midwest Sale in Winfield, Ks (4/22) and the Red River Sale in Ardmore, Ok (5/27). We have consigned 14 of our best females bred to some industry leading bulls. We have also consigned two bulls including my partnership bulls with Richard Filip -- Monaco Chex. We hate to see him go but he has served us well and I believe in stacking different genes to get the total package.  It is time for another breeder to reap the benefits of his production.  Our lineup this spring goes is listed below. Go to the 2017 Consignment section under Sale Pen for details.

CATTLE BARON'S-- (1) M Arrow Conundrum

LEGACY XIII --   (1) Mi Tierra Vaca 93  (2) GLR Hailstorm Mary  (3) GLR Concealed Light

HUDSON VALENTINE--  (1) GLR Creole Dixie Max   (2) Monaco's Princess Grace

BLUE RIDGE --  (1) Fine Print BCB (2) EOT Cactus Rita 899

MIDWEST (1) CC Sheza  Whip Er Wil  (2) GLR Casanova's Peach (3) GLR Monaco's Garnet  (4) GLR Just Do It 

RED RIVER  (1) Allen's 290/9 (2) M Arrow Bewitched (3) M Arrow Red Sunrise (4) Monaco Chex

Thank you for visiting our website. I look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones this spring.

Warmest regards,
Mark Gilliland MD



2017
February
Trails

Legacy Sale Consignments
Dallas, TX

Midwest Sale Consignments
Winfield, KS

Hudson/Valentine Sale Consignments
Bowling Green, KY

Blue Ridge Sale Consignments

Llano, TX

FEBRUARY 2017

The following summarizes my photographic philosophy at the Gilliland Ranch.

1st- I use a Nikon D 3400 with 2 lenses-- 18-55mm and 70-300mm. It is a relatively cheap and sturdy camera that gives me a lot of versatility in the automatic mode. While manual settings can produce a better photograph (if you have the patience and time), rapid fire photos in the automatic mode with subsequent editing work better for me.

2nd- I always take my camera with me and use it almost every time I am with the cattle. I typically take 20-50 photographs, cull 90% of them and then download the good ones on my computer. I think potential buyers want as much information as possible before the purchase. Looking at one photograph in a sale catalog is not as good as viewing the stages of development from birth to present time. I always refer them to my Hired Hand website to see multiple photos. The more the better. As a breeder, studying serial photographs educates me in changing colors, conformations and horn sets overtime. It seems like every time I forget my camera, something interesting happens that I missed.

3rd- If I am photographing animals for an ad, eblast or, website, I do it on a sunny day to enhance color and muscle definition. I try to put the sun at my back to minimize shadowing. I also photograph them in a natural pasture setting by themselves or at least with minimal surrounding cattle so that I can crop distractions with editing.

4th- The camera and body positions are important. I get out of the truck and typically squat so the photograph is as close to the center of the body as possible. This angle accurately demonstrates leg and body length, depth, topline and underline. Photographs taken above from the truck make the animal look shorter.

For leg position, I try to get the front legs somewhat straddled to avoid the “post” appearance. The hind leg closer to the camera should extend backward to expose the genitalia and enhance the hip.

The head should be UP and turned 90 degrees looking into the camera to demonstrate head and ear shape and horn set. Cattle photographed with their heads down are seemingly depressed and do not sell well. Getting the head up can be challenging. I never feed them before a photography session otherwise their heads are glued to the ground. Sometimes, I have them chase the feed truck for a distance just to get them excited. Their heads are then high with anticipation and I quickly take photographs of the ones that need updating. Other head raising techniques include jumping, shouting, pushing on them or waving a flag.

5th- I always leave my dog behind on a serious photographic session. Otherwise, the cattle spend all their time looking at him and never at the camera.

Finally, good photography plays an integral role in portraying longhorns. It requires patience and a little luck. That said, too much perfection is time consuming and frustrating as eventually the animal must stand on his own merit in person. Each breeder should compare his photos with those found on other websites to insure they are competitive with industry standards.”

Warmest regards,
Mark Gilliland M.D.

 

I always leave my dog behind on a serious photographic session. Otherwise, the cattle spend all their time looking at him and never at the camera.



Sunset on the Gilliland Longhorn Ranch
January 2017




Shamrock Betty Van Horne

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

Fellow longhorn Breeders,

The Texas Longhorn industry has just finished 5 major sales in the last 7 weeks (1) Hudson–Valentine Fort Worth Sale (2) TLMA- Longhorn Extravaganza  in Oklahoma City (3) TLBAA Horn Showcase in Lawton, Oklahoma (4) Bowman Herd Reduction Sale–Winfield Kansas (5) Allen Herd Reduction Sale–West, Texas. I was a buyer/seller at 4/5 of these sales and I watched the other one online. I'm happy to report that the Longhorn industry prices are very stable despite the temporary market glut. The high-end cattle sold as expected; the average cattle only slightly below expected. That said, I am continuing to invest in the industry and have purchased or leased 3 young bulls with 90'' TTT  genetics for use in 2017. These bulls will complement  RC Tsunami 2, JBR Eclipse and JBR Net Worth. Monaco Chex  has given us 3 excellent  calf crops and Richard Filip and I are putting him up for sale.  Contact me, Richard Filip or Bear Davidson for any additional information. Monaco is the full brother to JH Rurally Screwed  and will be an excellent purchase for whoever  wants to add JP Rio Grande and Lady Monika BL genetics to their herd. 

Our herd continues to evolve to meet the market demands  in the longhorn industry. We welcome these 90" TTT genetics. We are committed to the scientific principle of increasing horn production heritability by stacking as many 80'' and 90'' in our pedigrees. We strive for the total package but prefer to emphasize horn because that is what the current market demands.
Thank you for visiting our website. We strive to constantly update our photos and content are to make it interesting for our viewers.

Warmest regards,
Mark Gilliland M.D.


Gilliland Ranch News- June 2016

Fellow longhorn Breeders,

Our herd continues to evolve to meet the market demands  in the longhorn industry. We welcome these 90" TTT genetics to our herd.
(1)Our Chisholm Trail Cartel cow Cherry Jubilee 78 reached the 90" TTT milestone in June 2016. She is bred to CV Cowboy Casanova and will be offered in the fall Hudson Valentine Sale in Ft Worth. Don't miss her. She is spectacular! (2)We purchased 1/2 interest in BR Domino from the Brett Ranch.This herd sire prospect adds Cowboy Tuff and Helm Lauras Light Mocha (will reach 90" TTT this year) genetics to our herd next year. Thank you Brian and Suzanne!(3) We hated to see Tom and Linda Harman
 cut back on their business( TK Ranch Longhorns) but they were gracious enough to sell us 3 recip cows with confirmed heifer pregnancies out of Cowboy Tuff and RM Touch N Whirl Pat( 88.625" TTT). The air is pretty thin with these high powered 90" pedigrees but we selectively purchase them when we can. We are committed to the  scientific principle of increasing  horn production heritability by stacking as many 80" and 90" animals in our pedigrees. We are constantly seeking outcrosses to  add to our core herd from the proven bloodlines of Cowboy Chex, Hunts Command Respect, JP Rio Grande, WS Jamakizm and Concealed Weapon.
Thanks for visiting our website. This Home Page changes monthly and website updates are made 4-5 times per week so keep coming back!
Warmest Regards,
Mark Gilliland MD

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