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ly works for Vytelle as a regional head of purebred Shorthorn and The Midwest Cattleman · October 22, 2020 · P17
sales manager. Shorthorn influenced cattle.
“This is a position I really enjoy, Ryan ranches full time. He is
as I get to work with cattle pro- the one behind the scenes mak-
ducers every day and be involved ing the day-to-day necessities
in industry events,” Nancy says. with the operation happen. In his
Although they did not know it ‘free time’ (as we all know there
at the time, Nancy and her hus- isn’t much of that), he helps a few
band, Ryan, met at the age of 14 breeders get their bulls ready for
when they were at a cattle show. sales as well as doing some video
Years down the road, they recon- work.
nected at a cattle sale in 2005 and Nancy and Ryan focus on rais-
three short years later were mar- ing functional, eye appealing cat-
ried in 2008. They now have two tle that are very balanced for all
children, Josie (10) and Ryder (8), traits.
who share the same passion and “We operate in a low input envi-
drive to show Shorthorn cattle ronment where there are not a lot
across the country. of additional feed resources avail-
Nancy started DTR Cattle able. We also manage our opera-
Company in 2003. She decided on tion more like a commercial herd. on her life of raising and showing
the name DTR Cattle Company to Because of this, we try to balance Shorthorn cattle and her involve-
have a connection back to her fam- growth and fleshing ability to ment with the Junior Association
ily’s operation that means so much find cattle that thrive in this en- and all that it has taught her and
to her. After Ryan and Nancy’s en- vironment. Phenotype will always has helped her accomplish this
gagement in 2007, she moved her be important to us as we love to life-long dream.
cattle to Raymond, Kansas where show cattle, but we are also trying “I’m very thankful and feel
they started to operate DTR Cat- to raise cattle that will meet the very blessed to be able to raise
tle Company together. Ryan, her demands of the large commercial my children in the same environ-
husband, is the fifth generation to operations that surround us in ment and participate in the same
ranch on his family’s land where Kansas,” they say. experiences that I had as a child.
he and Nancy reside to this day. This past December at the I hope they value that although
His family came to the area from American Shorthorn Association’s they haven’t got to meet my dad
Kentucky in the late 1860’s on the Annual Meeting, Nancy made or my uncle, they can remember
railway and planted their home- Shorthorn history by becoming their roots and why this is so im-
stead where the tracks ended. the first female to serve as the portant to us,” Nancy says.
After years of building up their president of the American Short-
herd, they now run around 150 horn Association. She looks back