Mike Armitage, A Bar Ranches, Claremore, Okla., was awarded the prestigious OCA Cattlemen of the Year award last Friday, July 30 at the annual awards banquet during the OCA Convention and Tradeshow.

A love for livestock and the land was instilled in Mike Armitage at a very early age. A Bar Ranches have evolved into a state of the art facility and Armitage is living the ranching dream, along with his wife Martha and their two sons, Merrit and Turner.

Armitage is a Lifetime OCA Member. He has hosted the Cattlemen’s Tours for Mayes County, Okmulgee Co. and 2 years for the OCA Cattlemen’s Tour. He supports local FFA chapters helping with premium auctions. Armitage was recently elected OCA Northeast District Vice President and formerly served as a Director. He is the Beef Business Committee Chairman and serves as the Vice Chair in Marketing.

His present day operation is multi-faceted ranching in 6 Oklahoma counties, with three divisions—commercial cow calf, livestock marketing and performance horses.

The commercial cow calf division was developed from registered Hereford cows mated to Brahman bulls producing F1 Brafords. Most of the F2 Brangus Baldy heifers are retained and make-up the bulk of the producing herd.

The marketing company operates as Armitage Livestock and sells over 14,000 bred females each year-both private treaty and through auction. Their largest event called "The Fall Gathering’" offers 3000 bred cows and heifers and includes their horse production sale. 2010 marks the 20th annual event.

A performance horse program is an integral part at A Bar, maintaining a broodmare band of 100 head focused on strong modern mare families with cow conformation and ability mated to sons of Playgun, Boonlight Dancer, Ima Son of Sugar, Shining Spark and Freckles Playboy.

The Cattleman of the Year Award is presented by the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association annually to one of its members. "We are extremely pleased to present this honor to Mike Armitage" said OCA President Terry Forst. "He is a proven leader in the industry, has been a tremendous asset to our Association, and he is dedicated to Oklahoma ranching and Oklahoma ranch families," added Forst. The OCA exists to support and defend the state and nation's beef cattle industry. For more information about OCA membership or activities call 405-235-4391 or visit www.okcattlemen.org.

A Bar Ranches

Living the ranching dream that formed from a partnership cow in 1959, A Bar Ranches have evolved. Owned by Mike and Martha Armitage, both from cattle and ranching families, the ranch maintains a cow herd of over 4000 head and breed their replacements of over 500 heifers each year. The headquarters ranch, located at Claremore, Oklahoma, was the original Cherokee Indian Allotment of Frank and Dora Rucker, established in the early 1880’s. This eastern Rogers County ranch exceeded 20,000 acres and operated with the historic open A brand.

The present day operation is multi-faceted ranching in 6 Oklahoma counties, with four divisions—commercial cow calf, registered Angus, livestock marketing and performance horses.

The commercial cow calf division was developed from registered Hereford cows mated to Brahman bulls producing F1 Brafords. These F1 females are then mated to Angus sons of BR Midland in recent years. Most of the F2 Brangus Baldy heifers are retained and make up the bulk of the producing herd.

The registered Angus division was developed through embryo transplant and selected for both carcass and maternal traits and utilized in supplying our commercial cow herd genetic improvements.

The marketing company operates as Armitage Livestock and sells over 14,000 bred females each year-both private treaty and through auction. Their largest event called “The Fall Gatherin’” offers 3000 bred cows and heifers and includes their horse production sale. 2007 marks the 17^th annual event.

A performance horse program is an integral part at A Bar, maintaining a broodmare band of 100 head focused on strong modern mare families with cow conformation and ability mated to sons of Playgun, Boonlight Dancer, Ima Son of Sugar, Shining Spark and Freckles Playboy.

Ranching traditions and values are a way of life, from draggin’ calves to dining at the chuckwagon, but most importantly, our families and our employee’s families are blessed to have the freedoms this lifestyle brings. Mike’s family includes his wife, Martha; sons, Merrit, Turner and Kevin; and grandson Cole.