Event Highlights

CSA tours NWSS facilities, presents honors

Tours, honors, and networking were part of Colorado Simmental's 55 th annual meeting Nov. 9, 2025. Members toured the refurbished historic Livestock Exchange Building, courtesy of Colorado Cattlemen's Association, and the nearly completed Legacy building plus peered down into the huge livestock show arena, both courtesy of National Western Stock Show staff.

Following the early glimpse of the National Western campus changes, CSA members heard reports, including Chad Cook of Walsh giving an American Simmental update, and the group planning for upcoming events, including the 2026 National Western Stock Show

President Paul Hill of Nunn presented awards. Hill noted the long-term efforts of outgoing director Willie Altenburg of Fort Collins. Altenburg, who was term limited in his most recent stint on the board, has served on CSA board leadership for 26 years. Hill stated: "Willie continues to dream up ideas to make strides for CSA and our part of National Western. He pushes the rest of us to be better and think harder. To thank him for his service, we present this award, noting his exceptional role as Simmental's Leader, Promoter and Innovator."

CSA also recognized two outstanding youth with $500 scholarships to pursue their ag studies. Jason Dias, a Colorado State University student from Fort Morgan and Jayme Gittlein of Wauneta, NE who will be heading to Murray State, both received CSA Youth Education Grants. Gittlein, who is current Colorado Junior Simmental president, also was named Youth of the Year.

Leah Clark of Monte Vista was elected to her initial three-year term as director, with Jolynn Midcap of Wray and Susan Russell of Sugar City re-elected to third terms on the seven-member board. Officers were all retained. They are Hill, president; Cody Pitt of Hotchkiss, vice-president; and Russell, secretary/treasurer.

CSA's Erroll & the late Gayle Cook honored

Erroll Cook received the World Simmental-Fleckvieh Federation's Golden Book Award on behalf of he and his late wife Gayle, during ASA's Fall Focus held in Columbia, MO.

Erroll and Gayle were one of the early breeders of Simmental cattle in Colorado with ASA number 4086, issued in 1974. Erroll was manager of Achilles Cattle Company, an artificial insemination company based at Colorado State University's bull stud. He collected some of the very early Simmental bulls such as Parisien, Galant, and LaCombe Achilles.

He and Gayle were instrumental in CSA's formative years, with Gayle serving as the association's secretary/treasurer for nine years. Erroll was on the CSA board and served several terms as president. They were instrumental in getting the Simmental breed into the National Western Stock Show as a breed show and sale, no small task in the early 1970s. In thanks for their dedication, they were offered an exclusive CSA Honorary Lifetime Membership.

Erroll and Gayle raised three sons, Brent, Chad, and Brad. In 1986, the Cooks moved from Fort Collins back to Walsh, Erroll's hometown. Both the family and their cowherd moved south so Erroll could take over the family fuel business, Cook Oil.

In addition to that enterprise, they established a herd of registered Simmentals marked with a single bit-shaped brand, hence the ranch name. Their cattle were shown nationally, including their sons exhibiting in AJSA shows, and they won Colorado State Fair's Premier Breeder and Exhibitor five times in the 1980s. Bridle Bit Simmentals was among the core group of breeders offering females at the Wild, Wild West Sale, held for 20 years in concert with the National Western Stock Show breed events.

They also were among the breeders to display cattle and help CSA host the 2023 Fall Focus. CSA has recognized Bridle Bit Simmentals four times, most recently in 2024, as CSA Breeder of the Year. Erroll & Gayle also were recognized as CSA's Pioneer Award recipients. Erroll accepted the award for he and his late wife, who died of cancer in March 2011. Erroll has since remarried.

Erroll himself was recognized in 2006 as Colorado Cattlemen's Association Seedstock Producer of the Year, with the ranch receiving the same honor in 2021.

Bridle Bit is an ASA Performance Advocate herd and focuses on complete data and records to help improve their herd and the Simmental breed. They use embryo transfer to preserve genetics from their top producing females and utilize the ASA's planned mating in their AI program.

Their sale bulls are being developed using a C-Lock intake system to gain additional feed efficiency data.

They have sold bulls through their annual All-Terrain Sale into AI studs and other seedstock producers, and to improve genetics in the herds of their commercial cattlemen customers. They added females to their auction offering in 2020 after constructing a new sale barn and covered working facility on the ranch just west of Walsh.

They use AI sires, as well as cooperator herds through embryo transfer to multiply those genetics. The second and third generations are the driving forces in their ranch operations, and they have ramped up their breeding program to focus on economically relative traits, but Erroll remains at the helm. He serves as host at the family's annual cattle sale, the tagger of new calves, and he is a fixture in their fuel business and at community events.

In addition to ranching, they also own and operate Cook Oil, which provides fuel products to producers in the very southeast corner of Colorado, as well as into neighboring Kansas.