Sunday, May 18, 1997

Weldon Edwards Herefords cow herd dispersion is Monday and Tuesday

The world's largest Hereford dispersion is Monday and Tuesday and promises to be an incredible event in the cattle industry.

Weldon Edwards Herefords Complete Cow Herd Dispersion will start at 10 a.m. each day at the ranch headquarters 7-1/2 miles south of Clyde on FM 604.

Clyde is just 15 miles east of Abilene on Interstate 20. Or, if traveling along Texas Highway 36, turn north on FM 604 at Denton Valley (old Denton Valley store) and go four miles to the ranch entrance.

Never before has a Hereford dispersion been attempted on such a grand scale.

Weldon Edwards will be selling a whopping 1,312 registered Hereford cows in this spectacular two-day event.

The dispersion of Hereford females this spring precedes the fall bull sale slated for Oct. 22 when the sale of all of Mr. Edwards' renowned Hereford bulls will complete his total herd dispersion.

Weldon and Dorothy Jean Edwards, who celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary last month, built a Hereford empire that became the envy of the world's British cattle breeds.

"The cattle business has been our love and livelihood all of our lives," Weldon said. "We have been engaged in the livestock business all of our lives - first on the commercial level - and the last 37 years in a registered Hereford operation."

Mr. Edwards will turn 80 this fall. Earlier this year, he made the tough decision to retire from the registered Hereford business.

"Health problems are the only reason for the Complete Cow Herd Dispersion," he said.

Weldon Edwards has always said that the cow herd is the backbone of any cattle operation.

"We have maintained this philosophy throughout as we selected replacement females and culled the cow herd each year," he said. "We have selected females - as individuals - on their performance and bloodlines, but we always required each cow to stand on her own in that she had to produce a top calf each year."

Any cow that failed to meet Weldon Edwards' highly rigid "stay-in-the-herd" requirement simply had to make room for a more productive replacement.

Cow herds are built and maintained with good females bred to only herd- and breed-improving bulls, Edwards believes.

The greatest collection of herd bulls to be found anywhere in the world complemented the foundation cow herd.

The Edwards invite people to come out early and inspect the cattle any time prior to the sale.

Mr. Edwards tells me that he realizes it would be nice for everyone if this could be a one-day auction like his usual Hereford sales have been the past 37 years. But in order to offer more than 1,300 Hereford females, such a titanic dispersal effort is simply going to require two days.

In fact, it will take the services of both famed auctioneer Stanley Stout of Linwood, Kan., and Jim M. Birdwell of Fletcher, Okla., to sell all of these cattle.

In order to make your visit to the ranch as enjoyable as possible, Weldon and Dorothy Jean are hosting an expanded lunch from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. each day to accommodate everyone attending.

Other than the Weldon Edwards bull dispersal sale that will write the final chapter this fall, you may never again in your lifetime have the rare opportunity to take part in a sale of anywhere near this magnitude.