Black Angus sells for $21,000 at Spokane auction

A thick Black Angus bull named Kessler’s Frontman fetched a record $21,000 at Tuesday’s Cowman’s Classic All Breed Bull Sale in Spokane.

A trio of buyers purchased a two-thirds interest in the bull, who is expected to sire hundreds of calves blessed with his admirable girth.

“He is just a phenomenal animal,” said Gary Kendall, who has held the acclaimed show for 22 years.

The previous record price of $20,000 was set a couple of years ago.

Beef prices are high these days and cattlemen are willing to spend a little extra to ensure their cows are impregnated by bulls with good traits, such as musculature and bone structure.

That’s what they find at the Cowman’s Classic, where quality bulls are culled and auctioned. All have been fertility tested and meet rigorous requirements.

Kendall said Kessler’s Frontman was born on New Year’s Day 2005 and weighed 1,420 pounds in just 14 months.

He was sold by Kessler Angus of Freewater, Ore., a family ranch that needed a lift from just such a sale.

On average, the bulls sold for $2,700 to what turned out to be a large crowd of buyers at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center.

Kessler’s Frontman’s buyers included Mytty Angus Ranch near Florence, Mont.; the RB Cattle Co. in Potlatch, Idaho; and Camus Prairie Angus in Grangeville, Idaho.