For all the travelling and excitement over this past almost three weeks I have embarked on something entirely new tonight. "What could William be doing" I hear you say. "It must be exciting or he wouldnt be writing about it", so I have got you interested. Well here are a few clues, Its warm but not uncomfortable (not bed), theres water but Im not wet, I have internet access and there are bubbles around. Any ideas or should I tell? Im in the hotels laundry getting caught up on the mundane chores of life on the road. I cant go around planning how to revolutionise the beef industry all the time.
Im trying to think where I left off last time. I think Im up to thursday which leaves just a couple of quieter days to update. After a hectic couple of days driving I found myself out of visits for Friday so set off to discover a bit about St Joseph before heading south east via Kansas City Kansas to Ellsworth KS where I spent the night. As I mentioned previously I the Pony Express started in St Joe so naturally enough I went to see the museum dedicated to it. For any western movie buffs out there St Joe is famous for something else and as usual the name has just disappeared from my memory. I will get back to it when it returns or I go get the guide book. 
Anyway set of for Ellsworth as I discovered the Kansas Hereford Association were having their annual field day at the EBY Ranch near there. Having just walked in to a lot of places I thought I would gate crash there too and see what happened and as with everywhere else I was greated warmly and made very welcome. There were cattle there from a few other herds as it was deamed more cost effective to bring the cattle t the people than the other way around. The steak lunch was sponsered and was of course Certified
Angus Beef steaks and very good they were.After lunch there were 3 speakers on different topics, Certified Angus Beef, Marketing and the development of Marker assisted EPD's which will be run this autumn for the first time. The last was the topic that got most debate as you might expect with I pleased to say many of my early thoughts being echoed . It was a very interesting and useful day with around 100 attending and really is the sort of event we need more of a home to share knowledge.
From here I hit the road again south to Oklahoma city a journey of 220 miles. The area of Kansas I left is known as the Flint Hills and Im sure you can guess why. It is almost entirely native grass for I reason, that there is only a couple of inches of top soil. This area was heaved up by a fault in the earths crust millenia ago. Kansas was at one time a sea (not lately) so the soil is of nigh quality and prone to wind erosion. To cut a long story short as the area was disrupted all the soil blew away and left what they have today. It has got to be some of the most beautiful scenery I have seen. A velvet landscape disrupted occasionally by gullies and draws. You can see for absolutely miles from the top, the panoramas much more spectecular than a picture can re-create.
Today I have been to the Cowboy Hall of Fame which includes a museum about Western heritage and culture. If you are ever passing close to Oklahoma City it really is a must see. The artwork is spectacular to say the least which is quite a statement from someone whose favourite colour is John Deere Green. I also visited the Stockyards area of the town and had lunch at the Cattlemans cafe. The place was bunged by visitors, truckers and ranchers who having unloaded there calves stopped in for a steak before heading home. I have never ever had as good a steak as this. They are all aged 6 months, yes 6 months. Absolutely out of this world, you dfinately have to come here if your in town. The sale tomorrow will only put through about 11,000 head as we had a lot of rain last night and will go on for about 12 hours. I plan to go back there tomorrow evening as I was talking to one of the cattle brokers and he invited me to see what he does.
Its quite funny but at the intersection into the stockyards there are several large western clothing and furniture stores, saddlers, vet and farm supply shops. Funny to have all this on the edge of a big city.
Tomorrow is the Express Ranches Bull sale which Im down here to attend. I drove past tonight and it makes the White House look insignificant. It will be quite a contrast to go from the family owned and operated end of the scale to the big money, high profile corporate cattle business. Express transfer more pedigrees than any other breeder in the country, well over 5000 last year.
From here I hit the road again south to Oklahoma city a journey of 220 miles. The area of Kansas I left is known as the Flint Hills and Im sure you can guess why. It is almost entirely native grass for I reason, that there is only a couple of inches of top soil. This area was heaved up by a fault in the earths crust millenia ago. Kansas was at one time a sea (not lately) so the soil is of nigh quality and prone to wind erosion. To cut a long story short as the area was disrupted all the soil blew away and left what they have today. It has got to be some of the most beautiful scenery I have seen. A velvet landscape disrupted occasionally by gullies and draws. You can see for absolutely miles from the top, the panoramas much more spectecular than a picture can re-create.
Today I have been to the Cowboy Hall of Fame which includes a museum about Western heritage and culture. If you are ever passing close to Oklahoma City it really is a must see. The artwork is spectacular to say the least which is quite a statement from someone whose favourite colour is John Deere Green. I also visited the Stockyards area of the town and had lunch at the Cattlemans cafe. The place was bunged by visitors, truckers and ranchers who having unloaded there calves stopped in for a steak before heading home. I have never ever had as good a steak as this. They are all aged 6 months, yes 6 months. Absolutely out of this world, you dfinately have to come here if your in town. The sale tomorrow will only put through about 11,000 head as we had a lot of rain last night and will go on for about 12 hours. I plan to go back there tomorrow evening as I was talking to one of the cattle brokers and he invited me to see what he does.
Its quite funny but at the intersection into the stockyards there are several large western clothing and furniture stores, saddlers, vet and farm supply shops. Funny to have all this on the edge of a big city.
Tomorrow is the Express Ranches Bull sale which Im down here to attend. I drove past tonight and it makes the White House look insignificant. It will be quite a contrast to go from the family owned and operated end of the scale to the big money, high profile corporate cattle business. Express transfer more pedigrees than any other breeder in the country, well over 5000 last year.
Oh yes and it was the James house where legendry outlaw Jesse James was finally tracked down and shot.
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