Rink Receives Honorary Cattlemen’s Award

Amber Freouf gives her dad, Milton Rink, a hug as she announces Rink as the Bent-Prowers Honorary Life Member award recipient. Freouf, incoming first vice president, had the privilege of announcing the surprise.

LA JUNTA – Milton Rink was honored during the annual Bent-Prowers Cattle & Horse Growers Association banquet April 7th at Inspiration Field in La Junta. Rink, of Bristol, was selected as the association’s prestigious Honorary Life Member Award recipient.

Milton Rink, joined by wife, Carol, and other family members, was the Bent-Prowers Honorary Life Member award recipient, the association’s highest honor.

Rink is a third-generation farmer/rancher. He served as Sand & Sage Fair beef superintendent and on the fair’s livestock committee for more than 10 years. Rink has been an active volunteer on the Bent-Prowers Cattle & Horse Growers board of directors since the 1980s, including service as president in both 1997 and 1998. He also has been a Colorado Cattlemen’s junior advisor for the past 20 years.

Rink’s surprise honor highlighted the evening, which drew about 125 ag supporters from across Southeast Colorado. The night also included cowboy punch bowl, auction, and cowboy poetry and music by Tom and Donna Hatton during the prime rib supper. The auction, which included framed artwork and signs, radio advertising, necklaces and a Priefert squeeze chute, raised more than $4000 for Bent-Prowers Endowment Trust.

Outgoing 2017/18 president Nolan Davis, right, presents incoming president Matt Neuhold with the association’s traveling buckle (a cowboy equivalent of the passing of a gavel). In turn, Davis was presented a buckle set with Davis’ brand that Don Albert of Walsh created to commemorate his year at the association’s helm.

Outgoing President Nolan Davis of Lamar presented the traveling buckle to incoming president Matt Neuhold, also of Lamar. Neuhold takes over the helm of the nearly 300-member association, which was named for the original southern counties of the then-Colorado Territory. Nolan, in turn, was given a custom-made buckle set for his service to the association, which serves the Baca, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Otero and Prowers county agricultural community.

Educational Session Kicks Off Annual Cattlemen Festivities

LA JUNTA – How do you bring profit to the cow-calf producer? Bent-Prowers Cattle & Horse Growers Association hosted an educational session April 7th here. The panel outlined strategies to address that profitability question. Panelists Steve Ptolemy of Best Bet Beeflot, Justin Homm of AGRI Beef, and Rick Robbins of Colorado Mills, each touched on different suggestions to aid the cow-calf segment of the beef industry.

Panelists Steve Ptolemy of Best Bet Beeflot, Justin Homm of AGRI Beef, and Rick Robbins of Colorado Mills, listen to a question seeking further details on cow-calf profitability suggestions. The educational session kicked off the 149th annual festivities for the Bent-Prowers Cattle & Horse Growers Association.

Following the opening session, the historic organization’s members heard industry reports from Greg Bloom, Colorado Beef Council director; Terry Fankhauser, Todd Inglee, Erin Karney and Curtis Russell of Colorado Cattlemen’s Association; JoAnn McEndree of Colorado CattleWomen and Southeast Colorado Junior Cattlemen; Travis Black of Colorado Parks & Wildlife; and Josh Emick and Trec Reed of USDA. Each provided updates and fielded questions. Sen. Larry Crowder and Rep. Judy Reyher also provided brief legislative remarks while joining the ranchers at Inspiration Field.

Rep. Judy Reyher congratulates outgoing Pres. Nolan Davis on successful Bent-Prowers Cattlemen festivities. Reyher and Sen. Larry Crowder both interacted with the ranchers during the April 7th events, held this year in La Junta.

The Bent-Prowers Cattle & Horse Growers is one of Colorado’s oldest livestock organizations that serves members in Baca, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Otero and Prowers counties. Members elected Matt Neuhold of Lamar as president; Amber Freouf of Bristol as first vice president; Bo Karney of Las Animas, second vice president; and re-elected Susan Russell of Sugar City as secretary/treasurer. Directors elected for the multi-county area are: Lori Chase, Cody Crow, Terry DeWitt, Caleb DuVall, Bruce Fickenscher, Bill Gray, Cade Hasser, Pat Karney, Reggy Lusk, Randy McEndree, David Mendenhall, Ron O’Neal, Milton Rink, Curtis Russell, Austin Schroder, Brandon Siefer, and Timy Trosper. Outgoing president Nolan Davis, plus recent past presidents Colby Mick and Pat Ptolemy, round out the board.

(Photos courtesy of Susan Russell)