RAUSCH HEREFORDS: FAMILY TRADITION SINCE 1946
Rausch Herefords is a fourth generation family ranch raising Herefords on the South Dakota prairie. Our ranch is nestled in the Blue Blanket Valley near the Missouri River.
The ranch is owned and operated by Shannon and Sue Rausch and their three sons; Michael and Kaitlyn Rausch, Jacob and Christine Rausch, and Peter and Melinda Rausch. Rausch Herefords began in 1946 when William and Alice Rausch brought the first Herefords to the ranch. The family started to build their cowherd and held their first annual bull sale in 1959. ​
Each year at our bull sale on President's Day in February, we sell 200 polled and horned Hereford bulls and 300 females. Throughout the year we sell private-treaty bulls and females.​​​
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We aim to produce practical, hardworking cattle. Our goal is to produce maternal based, performance-oriented cattle that work for the cattlemen in our region. Faith in God, family, and Herefords are at the center of everything we do. ​
Tradition: Our Hereford Story
Our Hereford story began in 1946 when William and Alice Rausch helped their oldest children purchase Hereford heifers as 4-H projects. With Herefords on the ranch, the family started to build the cowherd. The first annual bull sale was held in 1959 and offered 66 head, 56 bulls and 10 heifers. Each year we've held a bull sale and only had to postpone it one time for a blizzard.
Over the years, Rausches have been all-in on investing in the Hereford breed, from serving on Hereford Association boards at the state and national level, to state Hereford Queens and Hereford Women boards, and more. Most recently, Vern and Jerry Rausch were inducted into the American Hereford Association Hall of Fame in the fall of 2023, following in their father's footsteps.​
Since the beginning, Rausches have experienced major changes in the Hereford and cattle industry. The herd started completely horned and has since transitioned to predominantly polled. Feast or famine, the Rausch family has remained focused on making good cattle that work for the commercial cattlemen.
​Today the fourth generation of Rausches work to expand the legacy of Rausch Herefords, building on the foundation of a powerful cow herd and decades of breeding. We are committed to producing bulls and females that work for the cattlemen in our region.
Notable Events
1946 William and Alice Rausch purchase first Herefords
1959 First Bull Sale
1986 Wm. Rausch inducted into the AHA Hall of Fame
1998 Vern Rausch elected to the AHA Board of Directors
2014 Rausch Herefords awarded AHA Heritage Award
2021 75 years as a Hereford breeder
2023 Vern & Jerry Rausch inducted into AHA Hall of Fame
AHA Hall of Fame
VERN & JERRY RAUSCH
Our family was honored to celebrate the induction of Vern and Jerry into the American Hereford Association Hall of Fame in the fall of 2023.
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Annually, the award recognizes those who have committed their lives to the Hereford breed. These breeders have dynamically influenced the direction and advancement of the Hereford breed.
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Congratulations to Vern and Jerry, dedicated Hereford breeders.