About Us ~ Best Angus

Best Angus started in 1987 when Pete Best selected a 4-H heifer out of the replacement pen at McCumber Angus of Rolette, ND. From that time, additional females have been added to the herd, but a majority of the brood cows trace back to that original McCumber heifer.

From 1991 (when Pete left home bound for NDSU) to 2006 the cattle were managed and marketed through share agreements with other North Dakota breeders.

Today, Elkhorn Creek Ranch is the home of Best Angus and Quarter Horses. The ranch inventories approximately 250 head of commercial and registered Angus cattle and a small band of registered Quarter Horses. The ranch is family owned and operated. It is nestled in the badlands of western North Dakota in McKenzie County, 15 miles southeast of the town of Watford City. It is a second generation ranch that was purchased by Vawnita’s father, Kurt Hovet in 1968.

Until 2006, the ranch was stocked solely with commercial Angus-cross cows. At that time Pete and Vawnita moved their registered herd to the ranch and began using the commercial cows as recipient mothers in their embryo transfer program.

Pete, Kyle, & Vawnita Best

Since 2004, Best Angus has been utilizing embryo transfer (ET) to maximize the influence of time-tested, proven cows in the herd. A similar philosophy has been used when selecting AI sires. Best Angus focuses on bulls that have EPD accuracies over .90, are balanced in all traits, and have proven that they produce good daughters and ones that we think will flourish in the unique environment that the badlands have to offer. These daughters are expected to have excellent udder quality, extreme fertility, easy to manage dispositions, flesh easily, and be sound on their feet and legs as well as athletic to travel the rugged, 30-plus acre per/cow summer and fall pastures that they graze. This is expected while still providing as much feedlot performance and carcass quality as possible in their calves.

In 1998, we purchased the first generation of ‘box cross’ Quarter Horses mares. The focus has been to blend the proven mare families at the Pitzer Ranch with the highly athletic Carol Rose Quarter Horses lines. All of the horses are ranch raised with a handful being marketed annually by private treaty or periodically through select consignment sales. Our philosophy with the horses is similar to that of our cattle – balance and functionality. Good dispositions with above average intelligence, athleticism and cow sense are expected. Riders (ages 2 to 6) and prospects are always available.

Thanks for visiting our website and please Contact Us at any time with any questions or concerns you might have.

Sincerely,

Pete, Vawnita & Kyle Best

Kurt & Rita Hovet