Rippe Gelbvieh started in 1984, and roots are based in the commercial industry. During this time period, data coming out of MARC (Meat Animal Research Center) showed that Gelbvieh was the #1 breed for Pound of calf weaned per cow exposed. Duane understood that this was the most relevant trait for commercial cow/calf profitability. He used this information and started his program when he purchased a set of Gelbvieh based commercial cows and a pair of Gelbvieh bulls from the All American Gelbvieh sale in Kearney, NE. From the start, Duane was impressed with the dual-purpose aspects that Gelbvieh provided, and for the next 10 years his focus was on a commercial cowherd.

      In 1993, Duane realized the value and advantages that artificial insemination provides with respect to improving the genetics of his cowherd. He purchased a set of purebred Angus heifers, and AI’d the heifers and a few of the best commercial cows to Gelbvieh bulls. Through the Angus/Gelbvieh cross, Duane was maximizing his heterosis and producing Balancers before they were popular. Through the 90’s Rippe Gelbvieh concentrated on improving the cowherd through AI, and during this time Dustin became very interested in the operation, and began taking an active role. In 2000 they offered a few bulls for sale, and the offering of bulls has increased ever year since.

      They identified that AI was the best avenue to introduce the top genetics in the cowherd, but at the same time he recognized the need for tools to measure the genetic progress. As a result, in the early 2000’s he started to retain ownership of all the steers and collect carcass data. In the mid 2000’s he started to ultrasound the heifers and bulls. Duane and Dustin realized very early the difference between select and choice and the dollars it can represent. With the data that was collected it enabled them to make better and more accurate breeding decisions.
     
      While maintaining an emphasis on producing cattle that would perform well in the feedyard and on the rail, the importance of efficient and hard working cows was not forgotten. In 2005, Rippe Gelbvieh set out to produce a moderate framed female that would produce and be efficient in a real world environment. They did not want cows that required extra feed and pampering to maintain condition in order to breed back and produce. Rippe Gelbvieh cows are managed in conditions as similar to commercial operations as possible, and every year at weaning the cows are weighed, and percent of body weight weaned is calculated. Through this process the females that don’t perform are identified; if they don’t wean a calf that weighs enough in relation to their own weight, or if they are open, they are culled. The result are bulls that have been born and developed in a commercial setting, backed by generations of cows that have proven themselves to be efficient with the resources provided.