Our Ranch | Beckton Red Angus

The Beckton Story: A Legacy of Performance and Purpose

Rooted in History - Focused on the Future

Beckton is one of the oldest ranches in the Sheridan, Wyoming area. Founded in 1898 and still family-run today, the ranch sits in the scenic foothills of the Bighorn Mountains.

The original site included a post oﬃce and flour mill established by George Beck, from whom the name “Beckton” originates. His 1880s house still serves as our ranch oﬃce.

Throughout the early 1900s, Beckton became known for Clydesdales, Rambouillet sheep, and Hereford cattle. But it was in the mid-20th century that Beckton would make a lasting mark on American beef genetics.

Left Back - old Forbes Family house Center left - shops and barns Left front - Bunkhous

Beckton headquarters as pictured in 1940

Waldo Forbes dragging roping at a Beckton branding, June 1940

Waldo Forbes and the Birth of Red Angus

In 1935, after college, Waldo Emerson Forbes returned to Sheridan to build a commercial Hereford herd. He and his wife, Sally, were married in 1939 and shared a vision of improving the beef industry through science.

By 1945, inspired by performance testing and selection based on economically important traits, Waldo began a new mission: to build a breed from the best- performing red-calved Black Angus genetics in the U.S.

He sourced red-gene cattle from 18 of the top herds across the country—laying the foundation for what would become the Red Angus breed.

In 1954, the Red Angus Association of America was founded, with Waldo as its first President and Sally as its first Executive Secretary. Their work pioneered modern beef selection methods.

Built to Thrive in the Real World

Today, Beckton maintains one of the largest straight Red Angus herds in the U.S.:

1,050 mother cows
350 replacement heifers
100+ bulls
15,000 acres (private and state lease)

Each summer, 75% of our cowherd is moved to high-elevation pastures—some as high as 9,000 feet—utilizing Forest Service leases to meet our 18,000 AUM grazing needs.

We grow all our own hay—mostly grass/alfalfa blends—and manage the land with long-term sustainability in mind.

Early 1940 cows on Beckton pastures

Information-Driven Ranching

Waldo Forbes horseback in Big Horn mountains - 1940's

Waldo Forbes horseback getting ready to move cows on mountain pasture

At Beckton, data comes first. We manage cattle to improve herd characteristic, not for short-term numbers.

We breed 90% of our herd natural service in pasture groups of 45-50 cows per bull.
The remaining 10% are bred AI to test new lines and maintain accurate EPD tracking.
Yearling bulls are proven on heifers for calving ease and progeny testing before broader use.

We also run higher stocking rates than most, increasing selection pressure and real-world adaptability.

Our cows are often trailed over 100 miles by age five - this is rugged, mountain-tested genetics.

Focused on the Commercial Cow

We track every cost and trait relative to the cow as a unit of production. Cow size, growth rate, fertility and longevity are evaluated in terms of:

Input needs (mostly feed)
Output per acre
Genetic gain across generations

The result? Our cow size has stayed stable while post-calving growth rates have steadily increased. CSU data showed Beckton cattle gaining an average of 5% more from birth to slaughter compared to average.

Our Mission: Genetic Solutions for the Beef Industry

Accuracy and repeatability of genetic data

Health and lifetime productivity of animals

Sustainable resource use

Efficient, cost-effective ranching

Ultimately, our success is measured by the success of the ranchers who use our genetics.