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The Yards at the National Western Stock Show

Tony Bruguiere
Ft. Collins, Colo.

The National Western Stock Show is celebrating its 105th anniversary. It began in 1906 on the outskirts of Denver, Colo., which was a growing town with a population of 200,000. There were only 45 states at the time and Colorado was only 30-years-old. The major meat packing centers and stockyards for the country were in Kansas City and Chicago.

There was a small meat packing industry in Denver, but forward-thinking stockmen and businessmen in Denver wanted something in the West where ranchers could gather to show their animals and to buy and sell breeding stock. It was decided to have a stock show on the grounds of the Denver Union Stockyards. It was to be held in January as that was after fall harvesting and before spring calving.

The pens of the Denver Union Stockyard were already in place as were the rail connections and the meat packers in the east began to take notice. The NWSS continued to grow as a primary stock show for western ranchers.



In the 1960s the livestock industry was undergoing a drastic transformation that brought changes to the Stock Show. Denver’s packinghouses moved away and business in the once-bustling yards slowed, and the venerable Denver Union Stockyards Company went bust. The historic pens fell silent for good in 1978. Without facilities to handle the cattle carload show, the National Western would be “just another stock show.” Not wanting all of their hard work to be lost, the Stock Show started buying the vacated yards. It began in 1969 with a 3-acre purchase and within a decade the National Western owned much of the former livestock market property.

Over the years the cattle have changed also. For the first 60 years, Herefords, Shorthorn, and Angus were the dominant breeds sold at the National Western. Then came the Continental breeds like the Charolais, Limousin, and Gelbvieh. Lately, there have been smaller breeds like Lowlines and Miniature Herefords that do well on smaller acreage operations.



Today, you will also find exotics to the cattle industry like Bison, Longhorns, and Yak. And what could be more exotic than the latest trend of composite breeds, which is a mixture of a cattle breed with Angus and the genetic results are copyrighted.

Not only have the cattle changed, but the way that they are sold has evolved with the times. At high-end cattle auctions like those at the National Western, bidders are as likely to be vying for straws of frozen semen or embryo flushes, as they are for the animal pacing the sale ring. And they may also be competing with bidders participating via the Internet or cell phone. In this high tech world, it takes a knowledgeable stockman to decipher the obtuse lingo and measurements in the sale catalog.

The Stock Show has grown and evolved through the years, but the focus has always remained on the business of buying and selling livestock. There are people that have been to the National Western many times but have never been to the Yards. The Yards are still at the National Western Stock Show and they are a part of the history of Denver. The unfortunate thing about physical history is that one day it is there and the next day it is gone forever. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience a part of the history of Denver and Colorado.

A more complete history of the National Western Stock Show can be found on the National Western’s official web site.

The National Western Stock Show is celebrating its 105th anniversary. It began in 1906 on the outskirts of Denver, Colo., which was a growing town with a population of 200,000. There were only 45 states at the time and Colorado was only 30-years-old. The major meat packing centers and stockyards for the country were in Kansas City and Chicago.

There was a small meat packing industry in Denver, but forward-thinking stockmen and businessmen in Denver wanted something in the West where ranchers could gather to show their animals and to buy and sell breeding stock. It was decided to have a stock show on the grounds of the Denver Union Stockyards. It was to be held in January as that was after fall harvesting and before spring calving.

The pens of the Denver Union Stockyard were already in place as were the rail connections and the meat packers in the east began to take notice. The NWSS continued to grow as a primary stock show for western ranchers.

In the 1960s the livestock industry was undergoing a drastic transformation that brought changes to the Stock Show. Denver’s packinghouses moved away and business in the once-bustling yards slowed, and the venerable Denver Union Stockyards Company went bust. The historic pens fell silent for good in 1978. Without facilities to handle the cattle carload show, the National Western would be “just another stock show.” Not wanting all of their hard work to be lost, the Stock Show started buying the vacated yards. It began in 1969 with a 3-acre purchase and within a decade the National Western owned much of the former livestock market property.

Over the years the cattle have changed also. For the first 60 years, Herefords, Shorthorn, and Angus were the dominant breeds sold at the National Western. Then came the Continental breeds like the Charolais, Limousin, and Gelbvieh. Lately, there have been smaller breeds like Lowlines and Miniature Herefords that do well on smaller acreage operations.

Today, you will also find exotics to the cattle industry like Bison, Longhorns, and Yak. And what could be more exotic than the latest trend of composite breeds, which is a mixture of a cattle breed with Angus and the genetic results are copyrighted.

Not only have the cattle changed, but the way that they are sold has evolved with the times. At high-end cattle auctions like those at the National Western, bidders are as likely to be vying for straws of frozen semen or embryo flushes, as they are for the animal pacing the sale ring. And they may also be competing with bidders participating via the Internet or cell phone. In this high tech world, it takes a knowledgeable stockman to decipher the obtuse lingo and measurements in the sale catalog.

The Stock Show has grown and evolved through the years, but the focus has always remained on the business of buying and selling livestock. There are people that have been to the National Western many times but have never been to the Yards. The Yards are still at the National Western Stock Show and they are a part of the history of Denver. The unfortunate thing about physical history is that one day it is there and the next day it is gone forever. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience a part of the history of Denver and Colorado.

A more complete history of the National Western Stock Show can be found on the National Western’s official web site.

The National Western Stock Show is celebrating its 105th anniversary. It began in 1906 on the outskirts of Denver, Colo., which was a growing town with a population of 200,000. There were only 45 states at the time and Colorado was only 30-years-old. The major meat packing centers and stockyards for the country were in Kansas City and Chicago.

There was a small meat packing industry in Denver, but forward-thinking stockmen and businessmen in Denver wanted something in the West where ranchers could gather to show their animals and to buy and sell breeding stock. It was decided to have a stock show on the grounds of the Denver Union Stockyards. It was to be held in January as that was after fall harvesting and before spring calving.

The pens of the Denver Union Stockyard were already in place as were the rail connections and the meat packers in the east began to take notice. The NWSS continued to grow as a primary stock show for western ranchers.

In the 1960s the livestock industry was undergoing a drastic transformation that brought changes to the Stock Show. Denver’s packinghouses moved away and business in the once-bustling yards slowed, and the venerable Denver Union Stockyards Company went bust. The historic pens fell silent for good in 1978. Without facilities to handle the cattle carload show, the National Western would be “just another stock show.” Not wanting all of their hard work to be lost, the Stock Show started buying the vacated yards. It began in 1969 with a 3-acre purchase and within a decade the National Western owned much of the former livestock market property.

Over the years the cattle have changed also. For the first 60 years, Herefords, Shorthorn, and Angus were the dominant breeds sold at the National Western. Then came the Continental breeds like the Charolais, Limousin, and Gelbvieh. Lately, there have been smaller breeds like Lowlines and Miniature Herefords that do well on smaller acreage operations.

Today, you will also find exotics to the cattle industry like Bison, Longhorns, and Yak. And what could be more exotic than the latest trend of composite breeds, which is a mixture of a cattle breed with Angus and the genetic results are copyrighted.

Not only have the cattle changed, but the way that they are sold has evolved with the times. At high-end cattle auctions like those at the National Western, bidders are as likely to be vying for straws of frozen semen or embryo flushes, as they are for the animal pacing the sale ring. And they may also be competing with bidders participating via the Internet or cell phone. In this high tech world, it takes a knowledgeable stockman to decipher the obtuse lingo and measurements in the sale catalog.

The Stock Show has grown and evolved through the years, but the focus has always remained on the business of buying and selling livestock. There are people that have been to the National Western many times but have never been to the Yards. The Yards are still at the National Western Stock Show and they are a part of the history of Denver. The unfortunate thing about physical history is that one day it is there and the next day it is gone forever. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience a part of the history of Denver and Colorado.

A more complete history of the National Western Stock Show can be found on the National Western’s official web site.

The National Western Stock Show is celebrating its 105th anniversary. It began in 1906 on the outskirts of Denver, Colo., which was a growing town with a population of 200,000. There were only 45 states at the time and Colorado was only 30-years-old. The major meat packing centers and stockyards for the country were in Kansas City and Chicago.

There was a small meat packing industry in Denver, but forward-thinking stockmen and businessmen in Denver wanted something in the West where ranchers could gather to show their animals and to buy and sell breeding stock. It was decided to have a stock show on the grounds of the Denver Union Stockyards. It was to be held in January as that was after fall harvesting and before spring calving.

The pens of the Denver Union Stockyard were already in place as were the rail connections and the meat packers in the east began to take notice. The NWSS continued to grow as a primary stock show for western ranchers.

In the 1960s the livestock industry was undergoing a drastic transformation that brought changes to the Stock Show. Denver’s packinghouses moved away and business in the once-bustling yards slowed, and the venerable Denver Union Stockyards Company went bust. The historic pens fell silent for good in 1978. Without facilities to handle the cattle carload show, the National Western would be “just another stock show.” Not wanting all of their hard work to be lost, the Stock Show started buying the vacated yards. It began in 1969 with a 3-acre purchase and within a decade the National Western owned much of the former livestock market property.

Over the years the cattle have changed also. For the first 60 years, Herefords, Shorthorn, and Angus were the dominant breeds sold at the National Western. Then came the Continental breeds like the Charolais, Limousin, and Gelbvieh. Lately, there have been smaller breeds like Lowlines and Miniature Herefords that do well on smaller acreage operations.

Today, you will also find exotics to the cattle industry like Bison, Longhorns, and Yak. And what could be more exotic than the latest trend of composite breeds, which is a mixture of a cattle breed with Angus and the genetic results are copyrighted.

Not only have the cattle changed, but the way that they are sold has evolved with the times. At high-end cattle auctions like those at the National Western, bidders are as likely to be vying for straws of frozen semen or embryo flushes, as they are for the animal pacing the sale ring. And they may also be competing with bidders participating via the Internet or cell phone. In this high tech world, it takes a knowledgeable stockman to decipher the obtuse lingo and measurements in the sale catalog.

The Stock Show has grown and evolved through the years, but the focus has always remained on the business of buying and selling livestock. There are people that have been to the National Western many times but have never been to the Yards. The Yards are still at the National Western Stock Show and they are a part of the history of Denver. The unfortunate thing about physical history is that one day it is there and the next day it is gone forever. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience a part of the history of Denver and Colorado.

A more complete history of the National Western Stock Show can be found on the National Western’s official web site.

The National Western Stock Show is celebrating its 105th anniversary. It began in 1906 on the outskirts of Denver, Colo., which was a growing town with a population of 200,000. There were only 45 states at the time and Colorado was only 30-years-old. The major meat packing centers and stockyards for the country were in Kansas City and Chicago.

There was a small meat packing industry in Denver, but forward-thinking stockmen and businessmen in Denver wanted something in the West where ranchers could gather to show their animals and to buy and sell breeding stock. It was decided to have a stock show on the grounds of the Denver Union Stockyards. It was to be held in January as that was after fall harvesting and before spring calving.

The pens of the Denver Union Stockyard were already in place as were the rail connections and the meat packers in the east began to take notice. The NWSS continued to grow as a primary stock show for western ranchers.

In the 1960s the livestock industry was undergoing a drastic transformation that brought changes to the Stock Show. Denver’s packinghouses moved away and business in the once-bustling yards slowed, and the venerable Denver Union Stockyards Company went bust. The historic pens fell silent for good in 1978. Without facilities to handle the cattle carload show, the National Western would be “just another stock show.” Not wanting all of their hard work to be lost, the Stock Show started buying the vacated yards. It began in 1969 with a 3-acre purchase and within a decade the National Western owned much of the former livestock market property.

Over the years the cattle have changed also. For the first 60 years, Herefords, Shorthorn, and Angus were the dominant breeds sold at the National Western. Then came the Continental breeds like the Charolais, Limousin, and Gelbvieh. Lately, there have been smaller breeds like Lowlines and Miniature Herefords that do well on smaller acreage operations.

Today, you will also find exotics to the cattle industry like Bison, Longhorns, and Yak. And what could be more exotic than the latest trend of composite breeds, which is a mixture of a cattle breed with Angus and the genetic results are copyrighted.

Not only have the cattle changed, but the way that they are sold has evolved with the times. At high-end cattle auctions like those at the National Western, bidders are as likely to be vying for straws of frozen semen or embryo flushes, as they are for the animal pacing the sale ring. And they may also be competing with bidders participating via the Internet or cell phone. In this high tech world, it takes a knowledgeable stockman to decipher the obtuse lingo and measurements in the sale catalog.

The Stock Show has grown and evolved through the years, but the focus has always remained on the business of buying and selling livestock. There are people that have been to the National Western many times but have never been to the Yards. The Yards are still at the National Western Stock Show and they are a part of the history of Denver. The unfortunate thing about physical history is that one day it is there and the next day it is gone forever. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience a part of the history of Denver and Colorado.

A more complete history of the National Western Stock Show can be found on the National Western’s official web site.

The National Western Stock Show is celebrating its 105th anniversary. It began in 1906 on the outskirts of Denver, Colo., which was a growing town with a population of 200,000. There were only 45 states at the time and Colorado was only 30-years-old. The major meat packing centers and stockyards for the country were in Kansas City and Chicago.

There was a small meat packing industry in Denver, but forward-thinking stockmen and businessmen in Denver wanted something in the West where ranchers could gather to show their animals and to buy and sell breeding stock. It was decided to have a stock show on the grounds of the Denver Union Stockyards. It was to be held in January as that was after fall harvesting and before spring calving.

The pens of the Denver Union Stockyard were already in place as were the rail connections and the meat packers in the east began to take notice. The NWSS continued to grow as a primary stock show for western ranchers.

In the 1960s the livestock industry was undergoing a drastic transformation that brought changes to the Stock Show. Denver’s packinghouses moved away and business in the once-bustling yards slowed, and the venerable Denver Union Stockyards Company went bust. The historic pens fell silent for good in 1978. Without facilities to handle the cattle carload show, the National Western would be “just another stock show.” Not wanting all of their hard work to be lost, the Stock Show started buying the vacated yards. It began in 1969 with a 3-acre purchase and within a decade the National Western owned much of the former livestock market property.

Over the years the cattle have changed also. For the first 60 years, Herefords, Shorthorn, and Angus were the dominant breeds sold at the National Western. Then came the Continental breeds like the Charolais, Limousin, and Gelbvieh. Lately, there have been smaller breeds like Lowlines and Miniature Herefords that do well on smaller acreage operations.

Today, you will also find exotics to the cattle industry like Bison, Longhorns, and Yak. And what could be more exotic than the latest trend of composite breeds, which is a mixture of a cattle breed with Angus and the genetic results are copyrighted.

Not only have the cattle changed, but the way that they are sold has evolved with the times. At high-end cattle auctions like those at the National Western, bidders are as likely to be vying for straws of frozen semen or embryo flushes, as they are for the animal pacing the sale ring. And they may also be competing with bidders participating via the Internet or cell phone. In this high tech world, it takes a knowledgeable stockman to decipher the obtuse lingo and measurements in the sale catalog.

The Stock Show has grown and evolved through the years, but the focus has always remained on the business of buying and selling livestock. There are people that have been to the National Western many times but have never been to the Yards. The Yards are still at the National Western Stock Show and they are a part of the history of Denver. The unfortunate thing about physical history is that one day it is there and the next day it is gone forever. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience a part of the history of Denver and Colorado.

A more complete history of the National Western Stock Show can be found on the National Western’s official web site.

The National Western Stock Show is celebrating its 105th anniversary. It began in 1906 on the outskirts of Denver, Colo., which was a growing town with a population of 200,000. There were only 45 states at the time and Colorado was only 30-years-old. The major meat packing centers and stockyards for the country were in Kansas City and Chicago.

There was a small meat packing industry in Denver, but forward-thinking stockmen and businessmen in Denver wanted something in the West where ranchers could gather to show their animals and to buy and sell breeding stock. It was decided to have a stock show on the grounds of the Denver Union Stockyards. It was to be held in January as that was after fall harvesting and before spring calving.

The pens of the Denver Union Stockyard were already in place as were the rail connections and the meat packers in the east began to take notice. The NWSS continued to grow as a primary stock show for western ranchers.

In the 1960s the livestock industry was undergoing a drastic transformation that brought changes to the Stock Show. Denver’s packinghouses moved away and business in the once-bustling yards slowed, and the venerable Denver Union Stockyards Company went bust. The historic pens fell silent for good in 1978. Without facilities to handle the cattle carload show, the National Western would be “just another stock show.” Not wanting all of their hard work to be lost, the Stock Show started buying the vacated yards. It began in 1969 with a 3-acre purchase and within a decade the National Western owned much of the former livestock market property.

Over the years the cattle have changed also. For the first 60 years, Herefords, Shorthorn, and Angus were the dominant breeds sold at the National Western. Then came the Continental breeds like the Charolais, Limousin, and Gelbvieh. Lately, there have been smaller breeds like Lowlines and Miniature Herefords that do well on smaller acreage operations.

Today, you will also find exotics to the cattle industry like Bison, Longhorns, and Yak. And what could be more exotic than the latest trend of composite breeds, which is a mixture of a cattle breed with Angus and the genetic results are copyrighted.

Not only have the cattle changed, but the way that they are sold has evolved with the times. At high-end cattle auctions like those at the National Western, bidders are as likely to be vying for straws of frozen semen or embryo flushes, as they are for the animal pacing the sale ring. And they may also be competing with bidders participating via the Internet or cell phone. In this high tech world, it takes a knowledgeable stockman to decipher the obtuse lingo and measurements in the sale catalog.

The Stock Show has grown and evolved through the years, but the focus has always remained on the business of buying and selling livestock. There are people that have been to the National Western many times but have never been to the Yards. The Yards are still at the National Western Stock Show and they are a part of the history of Denver. The unfortunate thing about physical history is that one day it is there and the next day it is gone forever. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience a part of the history of Denver and Colorado.

A more complete history of the National Western Stock Show can be found on the National Western’s official web site.

The National Western Stock Show is celebrating its 105th anniversary. It began in 1906 on the outskirts of Denver, Colo., which was a growing town with a population of 200,000. There were only 45 states at the time and Colorado was only 30-years-old. The major meat packing centers and stockyards for the country were in Kansas City and Chicago.

There was a small meat packing industry in Denver, but forward-thinking stockmen and businessmen in Denver wanted something in the West where ranchers could gather to show their animals and to buy and sell breeding stock. It was decided to have a stock show on the grounds of the Denver Union Stockyards. It was to be held in January as that was after fall harvesting and before spring calving.

The pens of the Denver Union Stockyard were already in place as were the rail connections and the meat packers in the east began to take notice. The NWSS continued to grow as a primary stock show for western ranchers.

In the 1960s the livestock industry was undergoing a drastic transformation that brought changes to the Stock Show. Denver’s packinghouses moved away and business in the once-bustling yards slowed, and the venerable Denver Union Stockyards Company went bust. The historic pens fell silent for good in 1978. Without facilities to handle the cattle carload show, the National Western would be “just another stock show.” Not wanting all of their hard work to be lost, the Stock Show started buying the vacated yards. It began in 1969 with a 3-acre purchase and within a decade the National Western owned much of the former livestock market property.

Over the years the cattle have changed also. For the first 60 years, Herefords, Shorthorn, and Angus were the dominant breeds sold at the National Western. Then came the Continental breeds like the Charolais, Limousin, and Gelbvieh. Lately, there have been smaller breeds like Lowlines and Miniature Herefords that do well on smaller acreage operations.

Today, you will also find exotics to the cattle industry like Bison, Longhorns, and Yak. And what could be more exotic than the latest trend of composite breeds, which is a mixture of a cattle breed with Angus and the genetic results are copyrighted.

Not only have the cattle changed, but the way that they are sold has evolved with the times. At high-end cattle auctions like those at the National Western, bidders are as likely to be vying for straws of frozen semen or embryo flushes, as they are for the animal pacing the sale ring. And they may also be competing with bidders participating via the Internet or cell phone. In this high tech world, it takes a knowledgeable stockman to decipher the obtuse lingo and measurements in the sale catalog.

The Stock Show has grown and evolved through the years, but the focus has always remained on the business of buying and selling livestock. There are people that have been to the National Western many times but have never been to the Yards. The Yards are still at the National Western Stock Show and they are a part of the history of Denver. The unfortunate thing about physical history is that one day it is there and the next day it is gone forever. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience a part of the history of Denver and Colorado.

A more complete history of the National Western Stock Show can be found on the National Western’s official web site.

The National Western Stock Show is celebrating its 105th anniversary. It began in 1906 on the outskirts of Denver, Colo., which was a growing town with a population of 200,000. There were only 45 states at the time and Colorado was only 30-years-old. The major meat packing centers and stockyards for the country were in Kansas City and Chicago.

There was a small meat packing industry in Denver, but forward-thinking stockmen and businessmen in Denver wanted something in the West where ranchers could gather to show their animals and to buy and sell breeding stock. It was decided to have a stock show on the grounds of the Denver Union Stockyards. It was to be held in January as that was after fall harvesting and before spring calving.

The pens of the Denver Union Stockyard were already in place as were the rail connections and the meat packers in the east began to take notice. The NWSS continued to grow as a primary stock show for western ranchers.

In the 1960s the livestock industry was undergoing a drastic transformation that brought changes to the Stock Show. Denver’s packinghouses moved away and business in the once-bustling yards slowed, and the venerable Denver Union Stockyards Company went bust. The historic pens fell silent for good in 1978. Without facilities to handle the cattle carload show, the National Western would be “just another stock show.” Not wanting all of their hard work to be lost, the Stock Show started buying the vacated yards. It began in 1969 with a 3-acre purchase and within a decade the National Western owned much of the former livestock market property.

Over the years the cattle have changed also. For the first 60 years, Herefords, Shorthorn, and Angus were the dominant breeds sold at the National Western. Then came the Continental breeds like the Charolais, Limousin, and Gelbvieh. Lately, there have been smaller breeds like Lowlines and Miniature Herefords that do well on smaller acreage operations.

Today, you will also find exotics to the cattle industry like Bison, Longhorns, and Yak. And what could be more exotic than the latest trend of composite breeds, which is a mixture of a cattle breed with Angus and the genetic results are copyrighted.

Not only have the cattle changed, but the way that they are sold has evolved with the times. At high-end cattle auctions like those at the National Western, bidders are as likely to be vying for straws of frozen semen or embryo flushes, as they are for the animal pacing the sale ring. And they may also be competing with bidders participating via the Internet or cell phone. In this high tech world, it takes a knowledgeable stockman to decipher the obtuse lingo and measurements in the sale catalog.

The Stock Show has grown and evolved through the years, but the focus has always remained on the business of buying and selling livestock. There are people that have been to the National Western many times but have never been to the Yards. The Yards are still at the National Western Stock Show and they are a part of the history of Denver. The unfortunate thing about physical history is that one day it is there and the next day it is gone forever. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience a part of the history of Denver and Colorado.

A more complete history of the National Western Stock Show can be found on the National Western’s official web site.


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