Podcast Summary: EmpowerU — McCurry Angus Bull Sale Preview
Host: Weston Hendrix
Guest: John McCurry, McCurry Angus Ranch
Date: March 6, 2026
Purpose: Preview of the upcoming McCurry Angus Bull Sale (March 12) and an in-depth discussion on genetic highlights, breeding philosophies, and standout lots.
Episode Overview
This episode offers a comprehensive preview of the McCurry Angus Bull Sale, spotlighting 150 top-quality bulls (primarily Angus, with a Hereford selection) from the McCurry Angus Ranch in Hutchinson, Kansas. Host Weston Hendrix welcomes ranch owner John McCurry to discuss the history, philosophy, and standout sire groups represented in the sale.
McCurry Angus Ranch: History & Growth
- Family legacy: McCurry Angus Ranch built by John's parents, influenced by both sides of family Angus programs.
- Personal Journey: John returned 22 years ago after livestock judging at Butler and Kansas State; expanded the bull program from 30-50 sales up to about 200 annually.
- Long-term focus: Switched from selling show heifers to a focus on premium breeding bulls for commercial and purebred clients.
“Figured out that the long standing here was going to be to sell bulls to the clientele we already had and expanded that market...200 annually now.” (John McCurry, 00:36)
Sire Groups and Featured Lots
Catalog order follows sire groups. Each section below notes lots, standout features, and breeding commentary.
1. True Grit (Lots 1–12)
- First offering of True Grit sons; raised by first-calf heifers.
- Noted for uniformity, muscle, and quiet disposition.
- Heifer bull potential: Some bulls are heifer-friendly; others offer more "punch" for cows.
- All genomically tested for data accuracy.
“Phenotypically, he passes all that on… incredible in terms of their demeanor, extremely quiet disposition, lots of muscle and power.” (John McCurry, 01:38)
2. Incentive (Lots 13–15)
- Deep-bodied, high-performance, bold and maternal.
- 3/4 brothers, known for their maternal strength.
- Standout Lot 14 has high calving ease.
“I just got off phone with a guy telling him I wish I had a bunch more of them at this time…” (John McCurry, 03:31)
3. Dynamic (Lots 16–18)
- ABS bull; premier choice for spread between calving ease and growth.
- Highlight: Lot 16 with a 9 CED to 182 yearling EPD, signifying extreme outlier status.
“Extremely unique for us when maybe that's not our sole focus. We're trying to breed cattle with balance and look... That bull does all that with an outlier dataset.” (John McCurry, 05:11)
4. Intuition (Lots 19–36)
- Largest group, highly uniform and consistent.
- Well-suited for tough environments; structural soundness and fleshing ability emphasized.
- Lot 21 noted for standout aesthetics.
“They are as uniform and consistent a sire group as there is... epitome of what would go [west] and hold up in extremely tough environments.” (John McCurry, 06:39)
5. Dignity (Lots 37–42)
- Known for Pap (pulmonary arterial pressure) outlier status—valuable at elevation.
- Significant muscle and correct build.
- Promises strong female-producing potential.
“To my knowledge, Dignity would be a breed leader from a pap standpoint… Just sheer muscle shape...” (John McCurry, 09:15)
6. Wheelhouse (Lots 43–55 & 98–101)
- Genex bull, “herd bull presence,” extremely rugged, masculine, heavy.
- Known for extreme mass and performance.
“They'll weigh like lead. Those bulls have got as much muscle depth and uniformity body. They look like men…” (John McCurry, 10:31, 22:31)
7. Below Zero & Coleman Mahomes (Lots 56–63, 92–93)
- Below Zero = sale highlight, great balance and muscularity.
- Mahomes: moderate, fleshy, easy-doing, square-hipped, and highly functional.
“Proportional and balanced… everything fits... got the right rib shape, muscle pattern, length, and size.” (John McCurry, 11:37)
8. Justification (Lots 64–68)
- Outlier calving ease direct, impressive length and proportionality.
- Large-stature, high calving ease and EPDs.
“They got more size and scale than the Justifieds did. So he did everything we asked him to do…” (John McCurry, 13:27)
9. Stellar (Lots 69–74)
- Highly influential, keeps “in the middle of the road”—dense, stout, right-sized.
- Many sires in sale have Stellar on pedigree.
“Stellar's gonna be one of those mainstay bulls keep you in the middle of the road…” (John McCurry, 14:29)
10. Cavalier (Lots 75–80)
- Massive, muscular, high-performing, and highly regarded by industry insiders.
- High maternal and sale highlights in past years.
“Massive in terms of muscle, turn to their top, turn to their hip… our high selling bull a couple years back was a Cavalier.” (John McCurry, 15:54)
11. Iconic (Lots 81–84)
- Consistency in EPDs, solid fundamentals, strong look.
“From a data perspective, those cattle are gonna be as an outlier as anything in the offering.” (John McCurry, 17:12)
12. Point & Turn (Lots 85–91)
- Masculine, easy-doing, ideal for heifers; “never misses” in producing highlights.
“They've got more muscle than you would ever expect them to.” (John McCurry, 18:09)
13. Hometown, Conversation, Craftsman, Resilient, Provost, Legacy (Various Lots)
- Hometown: Big, soft-bodied, high performance.
- Conversation: Moderate, easy-fleshing, strong udders, “still using the bull today.”
- Craftsman: High $C, softer than usual, top three in sale for value.
- Provost: Older-line, moderate, extremely maternal, “beautiful udders.”
- Legacy: High calving ease, complete, balanced, muscle mass.
- Checkmate, Patriarch: Sale highlights, durable, functional, new progeny in sale this year.
14. Foundation Sires: Bismarck, Traveler, Sagahatchi (Lots 128–140)
- All from aged embryos, focus on preserving old, proven maternal lines.
- Bismarck & Traveler: Brothers to past champions, daughters to carry torch.
- Sagahatchi: “Legend” bull with deep influence on the breed.
“Again a time tested pedigree, awesome cow behind him... To carry the torch forward on some of these old just getting eggs out of the tank.” (John McCurry, 33:03)
Hereford Bulls
- All Hereford bulls originate from the Work family genetics, managed by long-time friend Shane Work.
- Focus on F1 baldy production for customers seeking crossbreeding options.
- Noted Reference: Land Grant bull from Kansas State University.
Notable Quotes & Moments
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On the challenge of catalog preparation:
“That's probably the hardest thing we have to do about laying out our catalog sale prep is, you know, where do we need to start and why?” — John McCurry (01:38)
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On True Grit’s mark on visitors:
“If they haven't did no True Grit when they got here, it's imprinted in them when they leave.” — John McCurry (02:59)
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On Dignity’s uniqueness:
“To my knowledge, Dignity would be a breed leader from a pap standpoint...” — John McCurry (09:15)
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On bull durability and customer expectation:
“He looks like that 365 days a year and he gets used twice a year and not pampered at all. He is kind of what we want our customers bulls to look like after… they get used and abused and still stay in the right rig.” — John McCurry on Checkmate (28:11)
Standout Timestamps
- [00:36] — John McCurry's background and ranch history
- [01:38] — Introducing True Grit, first major sire group discussion
- [03:31] — Discussion on Incentive and his maternal influence
- [06:39] — Intuition group; suitability for tough environments
- [09:15] — Dignity and the importance of Pap for elevation
- [10:31] — Wheelhouse, masculinity, and herd bull traits
- [13:27] — Justification: balancing calving ease and size
- [14:29] — The foundational influence of Stellar
- [22:31] — Recap of Wheelhouse’s spring bulls and performance
- [25:00] — Provost: older genetic lines with modern utility
- [29:10] — Patriarch and the importance of pedigree legacy
- [33:03] — Sagahatchi and use of storied aged embryos
- [34:08] — Transition to Hereford offering and partnership with the Work family
Closing & Contact
- Catalog and videos available on CCI’s website; bulls located in Hutchinson, KS.
- Visitors encouraged to view bulls in person or request catalog info.
- Contact: McCurry Angus Ranch, sale March 12.
Key Takeaways
- McCurry sale features heavily curated genetics, practical and functional bulls, and deep maternal focus.
- Multiple outlier bulls for calving ease, growth, and phenotype.
- Historic and current genetics blended for balanced progress and reliability.
- Sale includes both Angus and Hereford lots, tailored to customer needs in commercial and registered sectors.
For detailed information on specific lots or to request videos and catalogs, visit the CCI Auctions website or reach out directly to John McCurry.