Our Story
The Thomas Angus Ranch program offers a history lesson in breeding and developing superior Angus cattle backed by integrity, honesty and a focus on their customers’ needs.
Few could have guessed that Bob Thomas’s first cow/calf purchase for $475 and his first herd bull selection for $300, in 1950, could ever have evolved into something as large as the Thomas Angus Ranch cow herd that currently exists. The Thomas Angus Ranch started with Bob purchasing that first cow/calf pair and herd bull from the estate of Kenneth McGregor in Ada, Minnesota, and today the Thomas Angus Ranch cow herd currently numbers in excess of 1,000 producing females. In developing a program of such magnitude, one only needs to study the path that Bob and Gloria Thomas began in the mid-'50s.
At a time when Angus enthusiasm, excitement and breed leaders were being bred and developed in the state of New York, Bob and Gloria Thomas moved from their Iowa home ground to join forces with Myron Fuerst in the Empire State. Next, Bob and Gloria would find themselves moving to Long Island, New York, where they worked on the C. V. Whitney Estate. Working with these two legendary Angus scholars proved to be one of the most valuable working experiences that Bob could have ever happened upon. The time spent with these two great programs enabled Bob to develop an eye for quality, a passion for breeding superior performance genetics, and the dedication to breed cattle that fit with his customers’ needs.
In the early 1960s, the pioneer cattleman in Bob Thomas became apparent when the decision to move from the east coast to Baker City, Oregon was made. With the support and love of his wife, Gloria, Bob moved into uncharted waters and began establishing a cattleman’s dream. On November 6, 1973, the first Thomas Angus Ranch Sale was held in Baker City, Oregon, and from that day forward the dedication to breeding Angus cattle that fit with the needs of commercial cattlemen grew deeper and deeper. The first sale at Thomas Angus Ranch was a record-breaker for all west coast sales and was one of the most successful sales on the entire North American continent. Today, 47 years later, the original Thomas Angus Ranch Sale has grown into a five sales held each year, in four different states. The original sale still exists, however, and occurs in the third week of October each year. Cattlemen from throughout the country gather to watch more than 250 bull calves and females sell on that Wednesday. Due to the expanding numbers, we now host an annual Spring Bull Sale on the first Tuesday of March each year. In addition to the two Bull Sales each fall and spring, we also market a large volume of animals in our sales that hare held in Cheyenne, WY, Twin Falls, ID, Galt, CA, as well as many through private treaty each year.
Thomas Angus Ranch has been awarded several prestigious awards through the years, including Bob and Gloria being inducted into the Angus Heritage Foundation and the ranch being named a past Seedstock Producer of the Year by the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF). Currently, Thomas Angus Ranch ranks among the top 25 largest seedstock producers on the North American continent. All of us at Thomas Angus Ranch continue to strive each and every day to breed sound, functional, Angus cattle that will meet with the needs of our customers
Here at Thomas Angus Ranch, we continue to carry the torch that Bob and Gloria Thomas set out with when they left the Empire State in the early 1960s. We are proud of the history and the endurance this program has shown over the past 50 years, and we are dedicated to expanding to even greater heights in the next 50 years.
