Top Herdsires 2026

     Swanson   Cattle Company's Howard Bull is truly a standout in the breeding industry.   His dam, 489B, is exceptional, showcasing an impressive udder, a refined   front end, substantial rib capacity, and rear quarter. Howard exhibits   remarkable agility, moving with the grace of a cat, and boasts a broad top,   deep body, and heavy muscle. His progeny are equally impressive, and he   undoubtedly ranks among the finest bulls ever produced on the ranch. Notably,   Howard sired the champion balancer heifer at the Nile event in Billings,   Montana, in the fall of 2023.    

     KAW   LIGA is a high-performance Gelbvieh sire ranking in the top 1% for WW (96)   and top 4% for YW (137), while maintaining solid calving ease (CED 10) and   strong maternal strength (22 Milk, 70 TM). He backs it up with real-world   performance, posting a 107 weaning ratio and 106 yearling ratio, along with   added muscle and carcass merit. Kaw Liga offers a powerful combination of   growth, efficiency, and functionality for progressive cow herds.    

     NEWS   FLASH is an elite calving-ease Balancer sire posting an outstanding CED 20   and BW -4.3, making him an excellent choice for heifers without sacrificing   performance. He adds balanced growth (70 WW, 107 YW), solid maternal strength   (20 Milk, 56 TM), and strong carcass merit highlighted by 0.52 REA and 0.53   Marbling. With real-world data backing his numbers and increasing progeny   counts, News Flash offers a rare blend of calving ease, maternal value, and   end-product quality.    

     Dynamic   is an elite calving-ease sire that combines an overpowering physical presence   with exceptional base width, thickness, and internal dimension. A true   genomic standout, he ranks at the very top of the breed for CED (23), BW  (-5.0), WW (110), and YW (182), offering an unmatched combination of calving   ease, performance, and accuracy. With elite maternal strength (25 Milk, 80   TM) and strong carcass merit highlighted by 1.09 Marbling, Dynamic stands   alone as a highly proven sire whose balanced excellence is unmatched in the   Angus breed today.    

     ICE   MAN is a balanced Balancer sire offering calving ease (CED 11, BW 0.5) with   solid growth (72 WW, 104 YW) and functional maternal value (11 Milk, 47 TM).   His performance is validated in the marketplace, having sired the top-selling   open heifer at the Elite #3 sale in Kearney, Nebraska, in November 2024, commanding $7,700 and noted for her exceptional phenotype and maternal   promise. Ice Man adds muscle and carcass merit (0.56 REA EPD) while producing   cattle suited to both quality replacement females and efficient feeder   cattle.    

     Fortunate   combines a powerful bull phenotype with a legendary donor dam, an outcross   sire, and breed-leading EPDs, making him a logical addition to any sire   battery for 2025. Extra long-sided, deep-ribbed, and possessing a truly long,   powerful hip, he left a lasting impression on everyone who evaluated him on   sale day. Early calf reports have been very encouraging, with above-average   calving ease and thick, attractive progeny. With 13 traits ranking in the top   15% of the breed and an additional five in the top 30%, Fortunate stands out   as one of the most complete and balanced sires available.    

      Justified is a proven Angus sire known for   delivering a rare balance of calving ease, growth, and maternal strength. He   consistently sires easy-born calves that grow efficiently and develop into   productive, easy-fleshing cows, while still maintaining solid carcass merit.   Justified’s long track record and balanced EPD profile have made him a   dependable choice for breeders focused on fertility, longevity, and   real-world profitability in both seedstock and commercial herds.    

     True   Grit is a consistent favorite at ORIgen and a high-volume semen producer   widely used in heifer-breeding programs. A top-selling bull from the   record-setting 2022 Basin offering, he provides an outcross calving-ease   option backed by strong maternal strength. His progeny continues to validate   his EPDs with excellent birth ratios, elite Milk, and above-average carcass   merit, making him suitable for diverse environments, including high altitude.   Market demand has been exceptional, with sons from his first calf crop   leading the 2024 Basin bull sale and daughters commanding top prices in Basin   female offerings.    

     Stockyard   was the leadoff bull of both a powerful flush and an elite set of bulls at   the 2023 Lemke Cattle sale and has quickly emerged as one of the hottest   young sires on the market. He offers an uncommon combination of calving ease, performance, marbling, and eye-appealing phenotype, ranking in the top 10% of   the breed for eight traits and indexes including CED, YW, MARB, and REA. A   true stockman’s kind, Stockyard is dense-made, thick-ended, and deep-bodied,   with exceptional rib, flank, and fleshing ability, all backed by a young   donor dam known for producing cattle with quality, performance, and   outstanding udders.    

     High   Road has been described as “a no-question calving ease sire whose progeny   wean off with the same performance as any other power bull,” and his early   results continue to support that statement. He traces to the iconic donor HA   Rito Lady 3839 from the Hinman and Hoffman programs, also the dam of Hoffman   Thedford. High Road stands square on good feet with added rib shape, body,   and true Angus character, offering extra mass without sacrificing function.   We believe he is a superior young sire with a bright future and the ability   to make meaningful contributions across a wide range of operations.    

     Yellowstone   is a powerful, growth-oriented Balancer sire that combines performance,   maternal strength, and structural integrity. He posts a balanced EPD profile   with 75 WW and 137 YW, while maintaining a usable 11 CED and 0.5 BW, making   him flexible across cow types. Yellowstone excels maternally with 27 Milk and   62 Total Maternal, and his performance is backed up on paper and on the hoof   with a 108 weaning ratio and 118 yearling ratio. Ultrasound data further   supports his value, recording a 112 REA ratio with solid carcass balance.   Structurally sound, deep-bodied, and stout made, Yellowstone represents the   kind of practical, real-world Balancer bull that can add growth, maternal   productivity, and long-term value to progressive herds.    

     STEP   UP is a true beef sire who enters the lineup as a semi-proven bull already   making his mark in Angus production sales nationwide. His first crop of   heifer calves were top sellers across the country in fall 2022, with strong   expectations for leading sons in upcoming sales. He offers a rare and highly   sought-after combination of elite foot quality with extra heel depth while   ranking in the top 2% of the breed for Marbling. Good structured, wide based,   and deep bodied, Step up stands on a big, solid foot with added width of top,   muscle expression, and a masculine herd-sire presence. He consistently sires   stout, high-performing, eye-appealing cattle while improving foot   quality.