Reed Point, Mont. – In a landmark transaction for the state’s cattle industry, a nine‑month‑old Angus bull named Basin Legacy sold for $900,000 Saturday at the Basin Angus Ranch production auction held by the Billings Livestock Commission.
Owner Doug Stevenson, a lifelong cattle breeder, said the price far exceeded his expectations. “It was really hard to just comprehend that we were looking at that kind of a price,” Stevenson told MTN. The sale eclipses his own previous state record of $600,000 set in 2022, raising the benchmark by $300,000.
Auctioneer Roger Jacobs, who has been selling livestock for 43 years, confirmed the significance of the bid. “I never really dreamt we’d get close to a million dollars,” Jacobs said. He noted that most bulls never approach such figures, with average breed‑wise prices hovering between $10,000 and $12,000.
Why Basin Legacy commands a premium
Stevenson attributes the high bid to Basin Legacy’s exceptional genetics. “He has the perfect phenotype – the structure, good feet, good legs, heavy muscle, long‑bodied,” Stevenson explained. The bull is the product of years of selective breeding and advanced genetic sorting technology that the ranch employs to identify superior cattle.
The buyers, a group of ten ranchers, plan to collect semen from Basin Legacy at the ORIgen facility near Billings. The semen will be shipped to farms in Idaho, Ohio, Nebraska, Texas and other states, allowing the bull’s genetics to improve herd quality and beef marbling nationwide.
Impact on Montana’s cattle industry
Stevenson believes the sale will benefit Montana’s ranching community. By spreading Basin Legacy’s genetics, local producers hope to raise cattle with higher marbling and intermuscular fat, traits that command premium prices in the beef market.
He will retain a 50% ownership interest in the bull, while the buyers will eventually receive the animal for natural breeding. “It will probably be a long time before he goes out for natural service use with a group of cows,” Stevenson said.
The record‑breaking sale underscores the growing demand for elite herd bulls and highlights Montana’s role as a hub for high‑quality cattle breeding. It also demonstrates the willingness of ranchers to invest heavily in genetics that can boost profitability and product quality across the nation.
Original reporting: KTVQ Q2 Billings (local) — read the source article.
