‘Rita’ Joins the College of Ag to Launch Registered Angus Herd

A new four-legged member of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) has arrived at the East Texas A&M University Farm.

CASNR recently purchased Gabriel Rita 0108, a four-year-old registered Angus cow, at auction from the Gabriel Ranch. “Rita” will be the foundation of the university's new registered Angus program.

Gabriel Ranch, located in Grand Saline, Texas, is among the nation's top Angus breeders and has a history of raising beef cattle since the 1950s. The ranch's spring auction, where Rita was purchased, grossed more than $1 million from the sale of 84 lots.

Meet Rita

Rita is a direct daughter of GB Surefire 657, a donor cow valued at $300,000, co-owned by Express Ranches and Spruce Mountain Ranch. Her expected progeny difference (EPD) values are outstanding. EPD values are predictions of the genetic transmitting ability of a parent to its offspring.

Rita is rated in the top one percentile for weaning weight (weight of a calf around six months old that has been separated from its mother) and yearling weight (weight of a bovine at one year). These percentages indicate that Rita is poised to produce offspring that gain weight quickly and efficiently, a desirable trait in the beef industry. She also has tremendous carcass merit—the quality of meat an animal produces based on factors like weight, yield and leanness quality—with EPDs in the top 10% of the Angus breed for both marbling and ribeye area.

Rita will contribute her superior genetics to the university's herd as East Texas A&M's first-ever embryo donor cow. Other cows on the university farm will serve as recipients, or surrogate mothers, to Rita's offspring, utilizing embryo transfer.

Why Angus, Why Now?

Dr. Bryan Rank, dean of CASNR, believes the time is right for East Texas A&M to launch a registered Angus breeding program. The program will initially focus on developing elite breeding stock, eventually leading to a Certified Angus Beef retail program for East Texas A&M.

“Angus is the gold standard in beef right now,” said Rank, who worked for major Angus producers before entering academia. “This purchase is a big step forward for the college.”

Rank posits that students across multiple degree programs in the College of Agriculture will benefit from the university's Angus program. Students will be involved in many facets of the operation, including genetics, herd management, record keeping, and animal health, as well as marketing and communications.

“Whether they're majoring in animal science, pre-vet, agribusiness or any of our other majors, our students stand to benefit greatly from this new program,” Rank said.

An Educational Hub for Beef Production

CASNR's developing Angus program will provide opportunities for students to receive hands-on learning and open the door to various university partnerships.

Dr. Byron Housewright, associate dean, said CASNR will be involved with the American Angus Association (AAA), an education-focused organization and one of the nation's largest beef cattle registry associations.

“Our role in CASNR is to educate students so they can succeed as leaders in the beef industry,” Housewright said. “This new program will allow students to receive exposure to a broad and varied industry.” Housewright believes that associating with organizations such as the AAA will benefit students professionally as well.

According to Rank, CASNR is also exploring partnerships with other players in the cattle industry, with the goal of becoming an educational hub for beef production in the region.

“Beyond providing ETAMU students with experiential learning opportunities and exposure to the beef industry, we also plan to contribute to cattle producer education across East Texas,” Rank said. “We are excited about our new association with Gabriel Ranch and look forward to expanding our educational opportunities.”

Learn more about the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at East Texas A&M.

Featured photo by Jason Connel, East Texas A&M Marketing and Communications