It’s no secret that Montana Angus breeders maintain an incredible focus on producing top-notch cattle and achieve their goal of breeding industry-leading sires time after time. 

Montana breeders continue to emphasize improving their cattle’s genetics by implementing rigorous selective breeding programs that prioritize traits such as maternal ability, fertility, productivity and efficiency, carcass traits, and adaptability to harsh environments. Many breeders utilize advanced technologies like artificial insemination (AI), embryo transfer (ET), and genomic testing to accelerate genetic progress and ensure superior bloodlines. They also participate in breed association programs to make data-driven breeding decisions. By continuously evaluating and improving their herds through performance tracking and industry collaboration, Montana Angus breeders remain at the forefront of the industry, producing high-quality cattle that meet the evolving demands of both commercial and seedstock producers.

Over the years, Montana breeders have bred for and raised some of the industry’s best sires. These sires have not only risen to the top of the industry’s list of great sires, but they have also changed the industry. 

Mytty in Focus

Breeder: Mytty Angus Ranch

With a whopping 48,870 registered progeny, Mytty in Focus is a bull that has stood the test of time. Born in 2001 and bred by Mytty Angus Ranch, Mytty in Focus was out of an outstanding cow. His EPDs and disposition stood out, as well as his phenotype. 

Klint and Lori Swanson of Shipwheel Cattle Co. purchased Mytty in Focus, alongside Black Pine Farm in 2002 from Midland Bull Test. “We're [Shipwheel Cattle Co.] more so focused on great maternal cows, cows that last a long time, and he was out of a great cow, and great cows make great bulls,” Klint explains, expanding on why they were interested in him right off the bat. Mytty in Focus was also leased to ABS Global.

“His first calf crop was pretty impressive,” Klint says. The calves were moderate-framed and consistent with good growth traits. The females out of him were fantastic, as they were fertile with good fleshing ability. Further, his calves were gentle and deep-ribbed. For three years in a row—2008, 2009, and 2010—Mytty in Focus was the top bull for registrations for the Angus breed. Interest in him was worldwide and he was used in Australia and Brazil. ABS Global also helped line up tours for international breeders to come and see him. He gained popularity fast and maintained that popularity for many years. He was also one of the first bulls ABS marketed sexed semen from.

After his retirement and passing, Klint and Lori had him mounted and he hangs in their sale barn. “He was part of the family,” Lori says. Klint further expands, stating that “he really was a huge part of giving us a boost in the business and a big part of where we are today. Truly, it was a gift from God.” Both Klint and Lori believe that they wouldn’t be where they are today without Mytty in Focus’ influence on their herd and their lives. Mytty in Focus was not only an incredible bull because of his maternal qualities, but also because of the lasting impact he had on the breed. 

Sitz Upward 307R

Breeder: Sitz Angus 

With 30,133 registered progeny, Sitz Upward 307R has solidified his place in the Angus breed’s history. He was an outlier, with a phenotypically correct mother. “You wanted a whole pasture full of cows that looked just like her,” Jim Sitz states. 307R came from a great cow and made for a fantastic bull with a great phenotype. Karl and Donna Tyler and Little Creek Ranch were partial owners of 307R with Sitz Angus. 

“One thing we noticed is there was a lot of fertility within the Upward cattle,” Jim states. Sitz Angus aims to raise cattle that are functional, productive, and phenotypically correct. They want to develop a fertile cow with a lot of rib shape, as well as good udders and teats, and 307R’s progeny fit that bill. “As good as the bulls were, the females were even better,” Jim explains. The growth and performance of his progeny was unmatched—they weaned heavy and were structurally sound. 

Interest in 307R grew the old-fashioned way. “Once we proved him and people saw what the progeny were doing within our herd, then they got behind him and the industry got behind him,” Jim says. However, once producers noticed him, 307R saw widespread use across the Angus breed. He was used nationally and even internationally, in countries such as South America and Australia. Sitz Angus used him for years and years themselves. 

While semen is pretty limited today, Jim tells me that there are still a handful of people using him. For him to still have producers interested in him 20 years later only further proves how influential he’s been for the breed.

AAR Ten X 7008 SA

Breeder: Artnzen Angus Ranch

AAR Ten X 7008 SA was born in 2007 and was the high-selling bull in Artnzen Angus Ranch’s 2008 production sale. He sold to Bodner Angus and Stein Angus. With great maternal ability and excellent carcass traits, Ten X sired great calves and boasts a total of 28,565 registered progeny. 

“For three or four years, he led the whole nation in AI calves,” Kevin states, “he also led the breed in Dollar Beef for several years.” The timing was right for Ten X to rise in popularity, as producers were looking for bulls that could balance maternal and carcass traits. He shot to the top of the breed for Dollar Beef, especially since his calves exploded on feed. He excelled in ultrasound and carcass data, making him stand out from other bulls at the time.

Besides great carcass traits, Ten X had high-performing calves. “My youngest Ten X cows are probably 10 by now,” Kevin says, adding that “they've stuck around and done a good job.” His daughters have been productive, with the ability to raise big calves year after year. Accelerated Genetics leased Ten X and he led their semen sales for several years. 

Ten X was a unique bull that offered a combination of ease of calving, performance, and carcass traits.   

Leachman Right Time

Breeder: Leachman Angus 

Leachman Right Time was a consistent and phenotypically great bull that grew in popularity rapidly. He was a well-proven sire and a son of N Bar Emulation EXT. When asked about what made Right Time so popular, Jess Moody of Leachman Angus told me that “he's just probably one of the all-time best female makers that the Angus breed has ever had in terms of easy flushing females that were good-footed, had the right look, and good udder and teat attachment.” Many of Leachman Angus’ donors are direct daughters of Right Time. They are even planning on using him again in order to breed some more longevity back into their herd. 

Bob Cook of Vermilion Ranch purchased Leachman Right Time in 1993. Leading up to the sale, he was the most talked about bull that year. “His name was very appropriate. He was right for the time,” Bob says. His phenotype drew people in and he fit what producers were looking for at the time. As a more moderate-framed son of EXT, he was a well-balanced sire who carried great maternal traits. “He sired a lot of cattle and he sired a lot of sale toppers for us,” Bob states. 

Over the next 10-12 years, he remained very popular. He became widely used in the breed, and even today, Bob sells semen certificates for him. Right Time was used nationally and internationally in countries such as Canada and Australia. 

“His daughters were big, beautiful, high-volume females with tremendous maternal traits. And people still 30 some years later are using the bull. I think that's a testament to a lot of things [in regard to his ability],” Bob states. And, he’s right. Leachman Right Time has 24,712 registered progeny, indicating that he was certainly an impactful bull for the Angus breed. 

Sitz Alliance 6595

Breeder: Sitz Angus 

Born in 1989, Sitz Alliance 6595 was identified as a yearling. When he was born, Sitz Angus didn’t have their yearling program established yet and was only selling two-year-olds. So, for him to be identified as a yearling signaled that he would be influential in the Angus breed. “We identified him out of the feedlot as being something pretty special,” Jim Sitz says, “we felt that he was a game-changer.” 

Sitz Angus got him collected and used him before they sold him. From there, they saw how great of a bull he’d be. He sold to TC Ranch out of Nebraska in their fall sale. His progeny were consistent and the best part of him was his females. His bull calves sold well, but his daughters were exceptional. “That's one of the things that he'll always be known for is the maternal aspect,” Jim states. His daughters were highly productive and easy-fleshing. Much like Sitz Upward 307R (another top bull from Sitz Angus), many of the Sitz cattle today would trace back to 6595. 

6595 went above and beyond many of the sires being used at the time. He was used nationally and even internationally, in countries such as Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and even Europe. The demand for him went on for a lot of years, with commercial cattlemen continuing to want to get progeny out of him. 

“I always define Alliance as being a commercial man's bull. He was a bull that would keep the commercial guy in business,” Jim states. And, that very sentiment is exactly why 6595 grew so popular and was used for such a long time. He was consistent and proven; he was a true breeder. Over the years, 6595 has sired 23,874 registered progeny. 

DHD Traveler 6807

Breeder: Dale Davis

Bred by Dale Davis, DHD Traveler 6807 was an incredibly unique sire who has solidified his place in the Angus breed’s history. He was moderate and thick, with a low birth weight and great maternal aspects. 

Bob Sitz. Sr purchased DHD Traveler 6807 alongside the Gartner-Denowh ranch. He was sold at Midland and was the top-gaining and top-weight per-day-of-age bull of the 1987 Midland Bull Test. “Our goal when we purchased this bull was to add more performance to our herd since he was such a good gainer,” Mick Denowh states. Jim Sitz tells me that Sitz Angus bred their cattle to him for a lot of years, stating that “he was kind of an outlier for the time.” His dad liked cattle that had a bit more shape and 6807 fit that bill for him well. He added shape to the herd for Bob Sr., and even worked well on larger-framed cattle, helping to downsize them. After all, that was part of Bob Sr.’s goals when purchasing 6807. 

6807 was leased to Accelerated Genetics, which helped his popularity grow. After a time, Sitz Angus sold some interest in the bull to Tim Oldhe of Oldhe Cattle Company. He became the #1 semen sales bull in the history of the Accelerated Genetics AI Stud and one of the most influential sires due to his ability to sire moderate birth weight cattle with performance, volume, fleshing ability, and thickness. “This bull really shined because of his daughters,” Mick says, adding that those girls “turned out to be some of our best cows.” 

6807 had solid, good uddered daughters and his uniqueness for the time was what allowed him to stand out from other bulls at the time and rise to the top of the Angus breed. He marked a turning point in the Angus breed. Today, 6807 has 21,454 registered progeny.  

VDAR Lucys Boy

Breeder: Van Dyke Angus Ranch

VDAR Lucys Boy was an industry-leading bull, with fantastic carcass traits and maternal ability. He was a bull that came from an outstanding Van Dyke Angus Ranch cow, Pine Drive Lucy 5. His dam passed on her genetics, lending to his ability to produce great daughters. Clarence Van Dyke wanted to breed for bulls that would benefit the commercial cattleman, combining both practical and marketable traits.

“Lucy Boy was one of the premier carcass bulls of the breed in his time. He saw wide use across the industry,” Tim Crabtree of Van Dyke Angus Ranch states. At a time when producers were starting to get interested in chasing carcass traits, Lucys Boy was there to allow them to incorporate those traits into their herds. Demand for him was high. 

Mick Denowh of Gartner-Denowh Angus Ranch is one of Lucys Boy’s owners, along with Kimm Angus and Gary Geim. Mick tells me that “we bought him because of his maternal traits,” adding that, “the daughters made really good cows and the bull calves were very marketable.” He was also leased to Genex, which helped the interest in him grow. He has 16,694 registered progeny. 

Basin Payweight 1682

Breeder: Basin Angus Ranch

“I picked him out as a yearling bull, thinking that he was something the industry needed at the time,” Doug Stevenson of Basin Angus Ranch states. Basin Payweight 1682 was a bull that had incredible depth of body and fleshing ability, as well as a sound, moderate frame. Further, 1682 had the necessary rib shape and capacity for cattle out on the range. He sold in their bull sale that spring to Ellis Cattle Co., but Basin Angus kept an interest in the bull. This allowed for him to be tested on both a purebred and a commercial herd. From that, there was enough information collected on him for 1682 to begin gaining some traction in the Angus breed. 

“He was a changer for breed type,” Doug says, adding that “he added those functional phenotype things that the breed needed at that point.” At a time when many producers had been chasing carcass traits and other qualities, 1682 was a bull that would allow producers to get back on track for targeting correct conformation in their cattle. It was his structural soundness that helped him have such a huge impact on the breed, siring 15,995 registered progeny. 

Basin Angus Ranch aims to develop cattle that perform well in diverse environments while meeting the needs of both commercial and seedstock producers. They don’t give up on the numbers and don’t give up on the phenotype, which allows them to strive for the best of both. 

1682 was a bull that stood out from others, and his progeny have been exceedingly productive. “We have daughters now that are 12 years old and Ellis Cattle Company that owned the bull with us has commercial cows that age. And those cattle have just stayed around. They continue to be functional, solid, good cows with longevity and productivity for a lot of years,” Doug explains. Basin Angus’ customers want reliability and cattle that will perform, time and time again. 1682 set the standard for Angus cattle, with highly marketable progeny but more importantly, with high satisfaction progeny that can be kept in the herd. 

Hyline Right Time 338

Breeder: Hyline Angus Ranch

Hyline Right Time 338 was an exemplary bull, complete with great growth traits and top-notch maternal traits. Used nationally, he became a top bull in the industry pretty quickly, not only for his traits but also because the cow family on both sides of his pedigree was exceptional. “He came from one of my dad's best cows,” Ron Van Dyke, Raymond’s son, states. His mother was Hyline Pride 265 and he was sired by Leachman Right Time. Raymond Van Dyke believed that he would be carrying on high-quality genetics through this breeding. And, he was right. 

Hyline Angus Ranch focuses on breeding and raising cattle that excel in traits such as maternal ability and growth efficiency, the biggest goal being raising cattle that grow and can raise good females. 338 was the perfect example of an ideal bull for their operation, as he excelled in all of these areas. Ron tells me that “for our own cattle and my customers that are selling calves by the pound, they're [338’s progeny] just really hard to beat for growth.” Further, he was a great female producer. His daughters are easy fleshing with good capacity and all offspring have lots of length. His offspring are high-performing in the field. 

For Hyline Angus Ranch, Hyline Right Time 338 was well-known as one of the best, if not the best sons, out of Right Time. “That bloodline was popular and he probably carried on Right Time’s lineage as well as anyone,” Ron says. The more influence Hyline Angus had from 338, the better they saw their cattle getting. Hyline Angus uses line breeding in their operation, even still using 338’s line. Ron expands on this, stating that “by line breeding, we're trying to preserve those traits.” For 27 years, 338 has stood the test of time.  

Over the decades, he’s sired 14,765 registered progeny. And, even better, 338’s line is still alive and well in Hyline Angus Ranch’s herd. The fact that many of their cattle still carry on his line is a testament to how impactful of a bull he was.

Rito 2100 GDAR

Breeder: Gartner Denowh Angus Ranch

Rito 2100 GDAR was a standout calf out of Rito Ever 865 GDAR and Blackcap Lady 999 GDAR, one of Gartner Denowh Angus Ranch’s best cows. They maintained ownership of 2100, using him extensively in their own herd. The ranch also leased 2100 to ABS Global, who helped sell semen and increase his popularity. 

“We kept this bull because of his mother and his outstanding phenotype,” Mick Denowh says, adding that “his bull calves were some of our best sellers.” Furthermore, his daughters were outstanding for the ranch, providing exceptional functionality and productivity. Given this, many of his daughters remained in their herd. He sired many herd sires for the ranch, including another top bull for them, Transformer 100 EAR. Several of 2100’s daughters raised other exceptional herd sires, such as GDAR Executive 727. 

Gartner Denowh Angus Ranch has two locations in Eastern Montana. They expect their cows to run under the same conditions that the local commercial man endures. 2100 exemplified this and provided Angus producers with a reliable and well-gaining bull. He has 14,570 registered progeny, making his lasting impact on the Angus breed apparent. 

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Each one of these sires is a testament to the efforts of every breeder in the Angus industry. Montana Angus breeders have consistently demonstrated their leadership in the industry by producing sires that have not only shaped their own herds but have also left a lasting impact on the Angus breed as a whole. The influence of Montana-bred sires can be seen across the country and beyond, proving that the state's breeders are among the most respected and influential in the industry. Montana breeders’ ongoing commitment to genetic excellence ensures that Montana will remain a powerhouse in the Angus breed for generations to come.