ASU opens new show cattle barns with dedication ceremony
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — After a year of work, Angelo State University finally opened the doors of two new cattle barns at the ASU Ranch with a dedication ceremony on May 21.
The barns are housed at the Management, Instruction and Research Center, commonly called the ASU Ranch, off U.S. Highway 87 just north of San Angelo. They came after a year-long project to remodel the existing Calving Barn and construct a new Show Cattle Barn was completed.
The project was funded with $500,000 given to the university by longtime ASU supporters Alvin and Shelley New. The News also donated a truck and trailer to transport show cattle to competitions. In honor of their gift, the ASU Agriculture Department’s show cattle program has been officially named the Shelley New Show Cattle Program.
“We are excited to advance a program at Angelo State,” Alvin New said. “Having been a show steer mom, Shelley has a passion for young people and show cattle. Naming the program for Shelley is special for me. We look forward to continuing this effort.”
Downtown San Angelo gives biannual report
Alvin New has previously purchased and donated cattle for the ASU herd as a base for superior show cattle genetics, as well as provided funding for student scholarships and travel.
“We are extremely grateful to Alvin and Shelley New for their generosity in supporting this program,” ASU President Ronnie Hawkins Jr. said. “These new facilities will give our student competitors many more opportunities for success and personal growth, and they will also help us recruit new students into the program.”
The upgrades to the 1,955-square-foot Calving Barn included replacing the roof and siding, complete indoor renovation and the addition of 1,440 square feet of space that contains seven new stock pens and a wash bay. The barn now houses a large covered chute area, nine stock pens, two wash bays and two storage rooms.
The new 2,592-square-foot Show Cattle Barn houses 11 stock pens, a wash bay and an open show area. Both barns are finished with blue siding and white metal roofs to match the other buildings at the MIR Center. The project also included extension of the caliche roadway that leads to the barns.
“The Shelley New Show Cattle Program facilities will provide our students the ability to showcase their hard work with a physical space to prepare ASU cattle for exhibition,” Dr. Chase Runyan, chair of the Agriculture Department, said. “This program has grown to a point that having a dedicated space was critical to continue growing and improving it.”
Students in the Shelley New Show Cattle Program exhibit cattle from ASU’s registered Angus herd, and Colbin Briley was recently hired as the program coordinator and the assistant ranch manager for the MIR Center. Only 6-8 students have been able to participate each year because the limited physical space and resources restricted the growth of the program. The new facilities will allow for a much greater number of participants.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ConchoValleyHomepage.com.
