Oden Cattle Company

This is Mike Oden of Oden Cattle Company. You can probably tell, Mike is quite a character. Here he offered to \”pose\” for me.

Oden cattle company is a unique operation in that it is one of the remaining ranches that still relies heavily on horses to get the work done each day. With ranches in Northern Arizona and North Eastern New Mexico, Oden Cattle Company has the capacity to run 1,400 to 1,500 mama cows: therefore, the proper term in the industry for what Oden Cattle Co. does is \”Cow Calf Operator.\”

In order to graze this many cows, Mike needs a lot of land. At Oden Cattle Co. there are about 100,000 acres or 156 square miles of land. They gather cows two-three times per year for branding, weaning, and shipping, or just to move them from one pasture to another. That\’s why they have such a big need for horses.

Mike, along with his wife and head book keeper, Jamie, are crucial elements to the operation. They also have two children –  Abigail is now 6 and Sam is 12. Sam won 10th place in the 2009 AQHYA in Oklahoma City in heading, aboard Topless Valentine.

Last year was Sam\’s first world show and he continues to do well with his horses. Sam loves to play all sports but roping is his passion and he has even started to win some money doing it!

The other cool aspect about Oden Cattle Co. is their chuckwagon –  they honestly have an ol\’ time wagon that can be rented for parties, weddings or reunions. However, you will have to do the cooking and hosting yourself! <smile>

The Odens are neat people. They have an impressive herd of horses and place a big emphasis on their mares. For that matter, they place a lot of emphasis on their heifers as well.

\”In order to raise good calves you need a good bull, but most important is the cow. Same goes for horses,\” Mike says.

If you want to check out more about this notable operation check out www.odencattlecompany.com