February 3, 1929
Dale E. Pound was born February 3, 1929 at the ranch north of Thedford, Nebraska, in Cherry County. His parents were Carroll and Margaret Pound. Dale has one sister, Betty Caulfield, of Springview, Nebraska. Dale married Jennie and they have lived at the ranch their entire married life. They raised three children. They are Bob (Karen) Pound of Qunlin, Oklahoma; Wanda (Terry) Purdum of Mullen, Nebraska; and Jane (Galen) Sherman of Valentine, Nebraska. There are eight grandchildren, fourteen great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild. Dale has been a rancher all his life. For 59 years the ranch has been a year around cow/calf operation along with running yearlings in the summers. He has been a member of the Nebraska Stock Growers Association, Sandhills Cattle Association and the Masons. In 1984 he was selected by the Nebraska Hereford Association as its Commercial Cattleman of the Year.
“Respect” is the word that comes to mind when Dale Pound’s name is mentioned. As a child growing up in the purebred Hereford business, I was always told “When Dale Pound shows up at a bull sale, you know where the top bull is going.” This statement held true for decades. Dale began his ranching career on his parents’ place in 1948 and owned one of the best sets of commercial Hereford cows, in the Sandhills, up to the time of their dispersal on December 30th, 2005.
Dale is well known among Hereford breeders throughout Nebraska. He has always been careful in his selection of bulls. Dale had a good eye for Hereford bulls that traveled well in the pastures. He bought bulls that were structurally sound and easy to handle. He took into consideration the sires performance, so time was spent studying bloodlines that would work with his cows. Ring men and auctioneers came to know Dale through the years. They kept a keen eye on him when the best bulls walked into the ring. Once Dale decided which bull he wanted, he bought him. Price wasn’t the deciding factor, quality of the bull was.
For many years a buyer came to the ranch to purchase the yearlings. The last several years Dale sold them at the Burwell sale barn. The cattle most often topped the market. When the cows were sold, Gene Cone, owner of Burwell Livestock Auction told the crowd, “Only once or twice in the life of a barn does a set of cows with this quality sell. We have had more interest in these Hereford cows than any others we have ever sold.” The cows averaged $1,500 and went into four states.
Dale has been a steward of the land. He’s been careful to rotate his pastures and not over graze. His ranch has a good balance of pasture and meadow ground. Dale is one of the last true Hereford men on Hereford Alley.
Hereford Alley
In the heart of the Sandhills live a man and his wife,
Fifty seven years they’ve shared in this life. Raising hay,
cattle and children, all blessed by the Lord,
Seldom complaining, always thankful, and keeping their word.
Dale and Jennie, an upstanding pair,
Wit and wisdom they sometimes share.
Life for them has changed and is different now,
Now retired, park the tractor and junk the plow.
The sale is over, what a relief,
So why do we fee, a bit of grief?
It’s so hard to forget the day the cattle sold,
Watching without crying, Oh God, how bold.
Well mannered cattle, coming into the ring,
There was not sound, just hooves and the pushers who sing.
Hand raised Herefords sold to this crowd,
The price they brought, Dale was proud.
But “What will they do without the herd?”
Take a vacation, enjoy each other and read the word.
So sit back and be proud of what you’ve done,
You still own the nicest place under the sun.
Always be proud of the red and white cow,
Hereford alley exists, both then and now.
By Roy W. Leibbrandt, 2006