Rimrock Cattle Call

December 31, 2011 was a memorable day here at the ranch.  An 80 degrees day in December is quite remarkable albeit in West Texas.  The usually fierce winds were replaced by a nice warm friendly breeze that recalled the early days of spring.  All the crew was here, so we saddled up for a day of pure equine enjoyment.  Sporting a new pair of stovepipe boots, three year old Brody was ready to jump on Cheyenne, a very pregnant palomino mare, to ride through the heifers.  With ‘Buelo walking alongside, Brody eased through the girls, doing what he had done hundreds of times in front of Daddy or ‘Buelo, however, this time it was “only me,” Brody’s term for doing something by himself.  To complete the transition, Brody gave 18 month old brother Blane a ride on Cheyenne in front of him.

Another “first” brought the 2 year old colts into the round pen.  They had spent most of the year learning their purpose, being stalled, being turned out, being saddled, being tied out, just doing horse stuff.  Slow and easy, letting them think each step of the way was their own idea.  Graduation into the remuda pen was met with horse joy – an opportunity to run, buck, kick up, and just generally showing out to anyone who cared to watch, while getting used to the routine of the ranch.  Wearing saddles and staying tied up had become “old hat,” so the next step was to learn to work under saddle.  Kyle brought them in, one at a time, snubbed to “Bill” a palomino gelding we raised who has proven himself a worthy mount in the roping pen, in the pasture, breaking colts, and just an all around good ranch horse.  This third generation raising proved to be just what we anticipated in the genetic selection and more than thirty years of breeding and raising horses.  We were very pleased with their performance, and the colts were plenty proud of themselves.

Contemplating another year gone by, we give thanks to God for our past trials, look to the future with hope, and as always, live in the grace of the moment.

A Christmas Poem

by:  Dunn Clement

As the year draws to a close,

And water troughs begin to be froze.

There is a special joy and anticipation,

By everyone preparing for Christmas celebration.

These are the very shortest of days,

Houses are lit by Christmas displays.

I wonder if the animals sense our lifted spirit,

Maybe through the hymn-singing they can hear it.

Here at the ranch I’m easily reminded of the nativity,

Farm animals were blessed to be first to see the Lord’s identity.

We feed the cows and horses and goats alfalfa hay,

Breaking ice, trying to “get ahead” for Christmas day

Christmas time has an element of mystery,

For children and adults alike, all throughout history.

It’s not “magic” or “luck,” no, that is not an accurate explanation,

Jesus’ birth represents God’s free flow of grace and love through His perfect creation.

This supernatural blessing is celebrated each and every year,

And the Holy Spirit fills us all with Charity, love and cheer.

Sometimes we get caught up with going through the holiday motions,

And we forget to celebrate Jesus Christ’s birthday with true spiritual devotion.

I love this special season that seems to go by so fast,

So I’ll savor every moment as we begin with worship at Midnight Mass.

Christmas is the time of year for family, friends, presents, praise and toys,

I am most anxious to see how the wonders of salvation will be reflected by my boys.

This week, my parents and I met with Sous Chefs Alan, David, and Tanner with the Bon Appetit Management Company on the campus of St. Edwards in Austin, TX  http://www.bamco.com/.  We were excited to get to share our Rimrock Forage Finished Beef with these gentlemen and visit with them about possibly becoming a beef vendor for Bon Appetit.  One of the reasons we sought out Bon Appetit can best be summed up in Tanner’s answer when I asked him about what they expect from a beef producer and beef they receive; their number one priority is that the product is wholesome.  That the ranchers practice a sustainable all natural protocol from birth to harvest, that producers not only follow but are certified through a humane handling agency, and all animals can be traced from birth to harvest.  Not only is it great to find folks that think the same way we do, but folks who are willing to put those restrictions on the food that they purchase.  Stay tuned as we anxiously await the outcome for this wonderful opportunity!

                                                          My Dad giving a presentation on low stress handling at the 2007 Beef Cattle Shortcourse at A&M

Hi All.  We are excited to be posting our first blog.  We plan to dedicate this site to ranch happenings, industry tidbits, recipes, information on ranching, and information on beef.   Let’s start by introducing ourselves….We are the Clement Family.  Headquartered in View, TX (outside of Abilene) in a valley bordered by giant wind energy turbines, we have been quietly selecting for cattle that would meet an All Natural (no added hormones, growth promotants, or antibiotics) and Certified Angus Beef standard.

Everybody is a part of this operation and we are proud to say it is now three generations involved.  Brody (3) and Blane (1) are the newest additions and, boy, are they fun!

My parents, Kyle and Valerie run the ranch.  They have three children (all of which are named after the color of horses):  Sorrel Ann (me), Dunn, and Roan.  They couldn’t do it without the help of my brother Dunn who is the father of Brody and Blane.  He and his wife, Marissa help with day to day chores and also produce eggs from 100 free range chickens.  Post soon to come!   I graduated with a PhD in beef production from Texas A&M University  in 2009 and participate in every way that I can living 300 miles away.

Today we produce a product that we trademarked as “forage finished”.  This is NOT grassfed.  It’s simply not grain finished.  We use high quality forages and depend on our genetics that we have so heavily selected for to product a premium product that is no less than Artisan Beef.  Our label is shown below.  Visit us at rimrockcattle.com to learn more and stay tuned to our blog for a glimpse into our lives and the cattle that produce forage finished beef!