Linda Sidwell

My name is Linda Sidwell, along with my husband, Bryan, we are co-owners/operators of Sidwell Herefords, a 115 year old Hereford operation. Our home place of Carr is located along the Front Range of Northern Colorado; our second location, Hawk Springs, WY, is in the area known as Goshen Hole in Southeast Wyoming. I joined the Sidwells in 2009, when Bryan and I were married. At that time, he and his parents owned and operated the ranch. In 2013, his parents retired and we became full owners. We run 120 head of registered females and 100 Angus and Hereford commercial cows. Each spring, we purchase replacement quality Angus females that we develop and AI in the spring. We then use our own raised Hereford bulls for clean up on the heifers. We market the bred females in the fall, generally November. We run the commercial cows and the AI’ed heifers in eastern Wyoming during the summer and fall. We generally offer 25 bulls for private treaty sale annually. We market the commercial calves and any calves we do not keep in the registered herd in late October/early November at Torrington Livestock Market, in Torrington, WY. In 2022, we offered an elite set of heifers in our online sale, Regal Ladies of the Rockies. Our second annual sale will be October 15, 2023. We have also consigned to the National Hereford Sale.

Our goal is to continually advance our herd’s genetics and elevate commercial breeders’ selections. Over the course of the last five years, we have outcrossed our Line 1 cowherd with bulls that we felt would add the style and performance we had been looking for within our horned and polled cattle.

We exhibit cattle at regional and national shows. For Sidwell Herefords, this is a great way to advertise our livestock and continue to find genetics that fit our program. The cowherd is our only means of revenue, with a large focus on bulls for the commercial cowman and some elite herd bulls.

I grew up in Western Nebraska on a registered and commercial Hereford operation. The commercial herd was and still is today, straight Hereford. This is when and where my dad would preach to me on a daily basis, “if it ain’t Hereford, it ain’t worth having.” One could say, I live by the words of my dad. While growing up, I was very active in 4-H, FFA, Nebraska Junior Hereford Association, and at the time American Junior Hereford Association (AJHA). I served as the Nebraska Hereford Queen and served in various officer positions. I participated in many of the national contests and served as a voting delegate. As I grew up and moved away for college, I remained active in the family operation as much as I could.

I graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a teaching degree which led to a teaching position right out of college north of Alliance, Nebraska. I taught grades 2-8, all subjects for 14 years. The country school consolidated with the town school system, which placed me in town teaching 7th grade Language Arts. For this cattle raising country loving gal, dealing with 7th graders all day everyday was a scary thought. But it was a challenge I embraced and loved every minute of my job.

Upon the sudden death of my father in the fall of 2006, I jumped back into ranch work with both feet and head first, even while teaching school full time. I joined forces with my brother and mom back on the ranch where I grew up; which has remained a 700+ commercial Hereford cow/calf ranch. I dealt with 7th graders all week long and cattle all weekend. I continued the two jobs until I married Bryan. My second job then was at my new home in Colorado, but doing the same thing as I did at my Nebraska home. People often ask me if I miss teaching. Yes, I miss the students and those daily challenges. Yet, being co-owner of Sidwell Herefords with Bryan brings new daily challenges, joys, and pleasures that I would NEVER give up for a classroom.

For years I was a single mom raising two girls. Shaylea and Brooke grew up showing Herefords just as the entire family had done. They were active in 4-H and both Nebraska and National Junior Hereford Associations. Shaylea served as the Nebraska Hereford Queen. Brooke served as the Colorado Hereford Queen and was on the NJHA board of directors.

I have served on the 4-H council, and multiple education committees including the creation of Nebraska State Standards in Teaching. I was also part of the 2019 JNHE planning/hosting committee for Denver’s big event. There are three pillars that I incorporate into my life: BELIEF – PASSION- DEDICATION. I BELIEVE in the Hereford breed. I am PASSIONATE about Hereford cattle. I am DEDICATED to the breed my dad told me, “If it ain’t Hereford, it ain’t worth having.”

In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with the four grandkids, working in the yard, traveling to see new places, and meeting people!