Welcome to the Blog & Website!!!

Scroll down to find fun photos & blog posts about our life here at Cross B Cattle Company!

Glad you found us!  Take a minute to browse through the livestock we offer and see if there is something you can’t live without.   We have a great selection of quality cow-bred prospects available, as well as mares, and some not listed yet.  Let us know what you are looking for and we’ll do our best to find it for you.   Check out the cattle page to learn more about our Red Angus breeding program.  Please contact us with any questions, thanks!

Tony, Allison, Lane, Carson & Henley Ballinger

BOGO Weanling Sale!!!!

***UPDATE! ALL BABIES HAVE BEEN SOLD! THANK YOU!!!***

Please keep us in mind for next year’s foal crop, don’t miss out!

BOGO = Buy one, get one FREE!!!!  We need to downsize our herd drastically, which means you get to take advantage of a great deal… Buy one weanling, get one free!  Don’t be fooled thinking these are anything short of the quality we raise every year, there’s lots of color and good substance to go with these proven bloodlines.  Click here to see what is still available!  Email us at taballinger@embarqmail.com for more info!

A few testimonials & offspring of CBCC

Every now and then we get calls or emails from customers who have really done well with their horses we have raised, or are just loving their dispositions and enjoying them.  Just wanted to share a few pics and stories, and of course don’t forget Josh Peek’s pics & thoughts on “Nitro” here!

The same family that originally owned “Nitro” have been return customers over the years.  The Greens have been very successful on the gray gelding shown below by our old stallion Tarplay (Freckles Playboy x dtr. Doc Tari).  There are a few of Tarplay’s good daughters in our mare herd that produce beautiful babies.  The gelding on the right is a prospect they recently bought by Sprat, as well as another Sprat gelding they still have at home. 

The cute palomino gelding below by Sprat is one of several we have swapped over the last few years with Sammy Slover for helping us with colt starting and training of rope horses.  Sammy said “I have been training and using the horses from Cross B Cattle Co. for a while, from doctoring in the pasture to winning in the arena- they have the breeding, minds, and overall toughness to get the job done!”  He can be seen here riding our stud Shiner.

This is a mare below that the Kirbys bought from us a few years ago.  They have raised several good babies out of her.  The gelding on the left is by Sprat being started last spring.

Kary McNeill, below, has trained several of our horses, too.  He has made reiners, cowhorses and rope horses out of them…

These are a few babies raised by the Gryder family- by Shiner and Sprat.  Shiner’s oldest babies are coming 2 and we’re really excited to see how they do under saddle!

Clayton Eggers has bought several horses from us over the years, one of them being this nice calf horse gelding we raised by Tarplay and out of Peppy Fourteen.  He made it to the AQHA Youth World Finals as well as racking up many other AQHA points.  The mare and gelding below are also horses we sold to Clayton… the Sprat gelding made a great reiner/cowhorse, then went on to break an arena record as a barrel racer!

Both the young geldings below are by Sprat and owned by the Justin Williams family.  He bought these horses off of photos we sent and never looked back!  He keeps us updated on their prograss, and seems to have made a trick horse out of the gray!

Wishful thinking…

We’re praying for some much needed rain in this drought-stricken land!

Hogs gone wild!

So, as most of you know, we have a HORRIBLE problem with feral pigs in this area.  They are so destructive to our land and get into feeders intended for the livestock and deer.  They cost farmers and ranchers hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more, per year.  Pigs tore up so much of our coastal field this year that it makes running hay equipment over it difficult and damaging.  They have disease, and are in general, a nuisance.  Yep, we like to raise ‘em in all colors as seen below

Here’s Macy putting the heat on the PIG MAFIA!!! Check out the turkeys in the background watching the pursuit!

***Now, fair warning, the following images are a bit graphic… ***

Tonight Carson and Tony were out deer hunting and as usual, there were plenty of hogs out in the wheat to pluck off a few for fun if the deer aren’t moving.  But this evening, Carson took one of the biggest boars we’ve ever shot…  He was every bit of 300lbs!  And check out those razor-sharp tusks that will cut like a knife.   I think we’ll call him…

HOGZILLA!!!!

On a lighter note…. here’s a more recent pic of Lily.  Long story short, Dad’s bird dogs brought her up out of the pasture at about 10 days old.  And guess who ended up bottle feeding and raising her?  Yep, these suckers   As you can see, three years later, she’s well fed on ADM cattle feed and isn’t lacking in the department of love either!

Shiner & Sprat

Some pics of Sammy and Shiner from last spring….

I told Sammy to keep his tongue in his mouth while we were shooting, but I guess he forgot

And here’s one of Sprat with the kids this fall…

Gentle Reminders of HIS Grace

Today is Good Friday, the day that our Savior died on the cross for our sins, allowing us a home forever in Heaven by His side.  Three days later he rose from the dead, and will soon, one day come back to take us home   In the meantime, we are blessed to be here to witness to those who do not know Jesus as their personal savior.    

We are all guilty of getting caught up in the business of life….  we seem to just go and go, and never slow down.   God DOES want us to rest and slow down sometimes, and in these moments we can be gently reminded of His love for us and presence in our lives.  I just wanted to share a few images of things that I have seen here at the ranch that daily remind me of God’s glory.  Happy Easter, friends!

These three trees are in the pasture directly in fron of the house, and when lined up right, remind me of the Trinity…

And this cedar fence in our yard makes the perfect rugged cross…

This is an image of one of the first storms that would bring our burning countryside some relief from the fires at the lake the week prior to Easter…..

Barbed Wire

Here are 2 shots of the same subject, just different perspectives.  The first is backlit by the sun, the second has full sun lighting.  They say not to mix horses and barbed wire- this is just a minor incident of the two mixing, it could be much worse….

More than just pretty…..

Here’s a great commercial about the value of Red Angus cattle in the feedlot industry produced by the Red Angus Association of America…..  watch for their Red Angus episode of the American Rancher next week on RFD-TV!

“Nitro” and Josh Peek {testimonial}

Last week I contacted Josh Peek to see if I could get him to give me a testimonial on a horse we raised that he ended up with through a long-time customer of ours, Marshall Green.  He graciously returned my email quickly.  It’s nice to know that the horses we raise make everyday ranch and family horses as well as competitive performance horses in the rodeo and show industry.   “Nitro” is a half brother to our stallion CCR Colonel Sprat.  We stood their sire Col J Jigger (Colonel Freckles x dtr. Poco Red Ant) for several years.  He was the beginning of our breeding program here- an NCHA money earner and a super stud to be around.  Here is what Josh had to say:

“Hello Allison, How are you doing.  Nitro- He is one of the most unique horses that I have ever owned.  He is very kind and quiet. From that day I bought him he has been a fireball when I am on him always ready and on the muscle. Although if my wife or kids are around or on him he is as quiet as can be. One time at a friends house there little boy was in the pasture with us and there were several horses out there, the boy was 2 and was feeding him a snickers bar, at the same time Nitro would not let any of the other horses within 50 feet of the boy!! It was amazing!!  Nitro aided me in making my first NFR in the tie down roping in 2007.   I rode him all year and won several rodeos one of them was San Antonio.  I have also in the past ridden him at the Timed event Championship in Guthrie, OK doing everything but steer wrestling.  I have tripped, hazed, headed, heeled, and roped calves.   He is awesome.  I hope all of this helps you guys out.  I really love him and I will one day be able to see my kids ride him.   Thank you, Josh”

Great way to start a new year…

Our first show of the season is the Erath County Junior Livestock Show. All of our Morgan Mill 4H kids did great- we had some with projects in the youth fair, some showing goats, cattle, and pigs. Carson had a second place image in the photography contest. His goat placed fourth and made it to the sale. It was our first year fitting a steer- he looked great but didn’t place high enough in his class to make the sale, he was a little young and immature.

The definite highlight of the weekend was the breeding heifer show. Carson had two heifers entered, but they put them in the same class because they are so close in age. So initially we had decided to have him show the more quiet heifer (Miley) so he could have a good experience, and let the other one (Mulberry) just have good exposure by being hauled up there. Mulberry was not eating/drinking well, and really nervous, so she wasn’t full and looking her best. The Renfro’s talked us out of scratching the heifer and insisted we have one of their boys show Mulberry just to get her in the pen and ready to show at Fort Worth. Carson understood there was a chance Mulberry may beat Miley because she’s a better heifer…. and sure enough, Kade won the class with her. Carson was really excited to take her back in for the grand/reserve class. She took reserve, which made her eligible to go in for the overall grand/reserve female of the show. He did a great job getting her shown, and ended up with overall reserve grand female of the show!  You couldn’t have pulled this kid out of the clouds if you wanted to, and that’s what it’s all about at the end of the day.  The future of our children and improvement of the breed…..

We have so many friends and family who are a great support for this young show family of ours. We still have so much to learn, but are so thankful for the people who surround us that are so knowledgeable. Sammy Slover does a great job fitting the show calves and keeping up with their feet, as well as great moral support/coach for Carson. Stephanie Renfro has also been a huge help with his showmanship. She and Justin put on a great showmanship series for the kids last fall that we really enjoyed and learned so much, and would highly recommend. Our county extension agent Meagan is always there when we need her as well. There are so many show families that we have become really good friends with, too many to list, but you know who you are, are we thank you for your support and friendships. The Red Angus Association has also been a really great group to get involved with.

So, we’re off to Ft. Worth the next two weekends- Carson will show Mulberry in the Jr. Heifer Show this Sunday, and the Red Angus Open Show the following Sunday. Then San Antonio, San Angelo, and Houston. Stay tuned for updates throughout the show season.  I’ll leave you with some fun pics that tell the story of the county show weekend.

Here is Sammy with Carson after one of the classes, Carson and his goat, and Henley lovin’ on a pig…  It’s just a matter of time before she’s out there giving her brother some real competition!

Carson and Miley in the first class….

While Kade Renfro is sneaking up behind him about to win the class with Carson’s heifer Mulberry!

Tony watching over, with friend Marvin Curry, and Justin Renfro…..

Getting the official hand shake and awarded Reserve Grand Champion….

Official “win photo” by proudmoments.com (yuck!)

So, we had Mulberry back at Sammy’s to get fit one last time before the FW show this weekend on Monday, so I made Carson take her out to the pasture for a prettier portrait with her and his new buckle he’s so proud of