Wednesday, May 21, 1997

Weldon Edwards dispersal sale grosses $1.5 million in two days

By J.T. SMITH / Abilene Reporter-News

CLYDE - The Weldon Edwards Herefords titanic "Complete Cow Herd Dispersion" ended two days of auctioneering Tuesday with the sale grossing more than $1.5 million.

Ranchers from three countries competed in spirited bidding for two days to get Hereford females from the nation's premier Hereford cattle operation. They came from 20 states, Canada, and Mexico.

Mr. Edwards, who turns 80 in the fall, had slated the total dispersal of his registered females because of his health problems in recent months. He will complete the sell-off of his Herefords by selling all his bulls in an Oct. 22 bull sale.

The buying power never wavered, and the bleachers remained full for two days. When the very last cow of 1,250 lots went through the sale ring at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, mist filled Weldon Edwards' eyes as fellow ranchers shook his hand to congratulate him on a phenomenal sale.

"History was written over these past two days," auctioneer Stanley Stout of Linwood, Kan., said. "You've honored the Edwards family with such a grand sale."

Weldon and Dorothy Jean Edwards, along with sons Weldon Lynn and Murray, worked tirelessly throughout the sale as did the grandchildren.

"There's probably no man in the United States who could have held such a sale for two days," said Jim Boyd of the American Hereford Association.

Almost $1 million of the gross came on the first day, with the balance on Tuesday.

The sale had an international impact - with many Mexican and Canadian cattlemen competing for Herefords.

Pablo Santacruz and his father, Armando Santacruz of Camargo, Chihuahua, Mexico took about 30 Edwards Herefords back to their country.

Pablo said northwest Mexico is only at about 40 percent of its cow capacity after four straight years of drought. The drought has now been broken there, but they must start rebuilding their diminished cattle herds. They felt the dispersal offered an opportunity to rebuild the ranching operation Armando's grandfather, Castulo Baca, began there in 1882.

"Mr. Edwards is respected by ranchers throughout the world," Armando noted.

Here's a summary of the sale:

-- In two days, 1,250-1/4 lots averaged $1,250 per lot to gross $1,562,570.

-- On Monday, 499 females averaged $1,705 per lot, and 12-1/4 bulls averaged $3,705 per bull, to gross $904,350.

-- On Tuesday, 739 lots, mostly young females, averaged $891 to gross $658,220.

-- Buyers were on hand from Texas, Oklahoma, Montana, Kentucky, Ohio, New Mexico, Arizona, Louisiana, Colorado, Wyoming, California, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Kansas, Idaho, Iowa, Georgia, as well as Mexico and Canada.