by Briley Richard for Certified Angus Beef LLC

At Zybach Angus, no ounce of cattle care is up for question. Their motivation for this level of dedication to their Angus cattle is simply love.

“It’s not always an easy lifestyle, but it’s one of the best there is because I love being with the cattle and working, and just the rural atmosphere,” says Steve’s wife and top hand, Joy. “There’s just nothing like it.”

An equal driving force is the fulfilment of moving ahead and lifting others along the way.

“It’s just another way to expand the avenues of the commercial guy to make more money.” — Steve Zybach

“There’s always room for improvement,” Steve says. “And there’s always room to help people.”

That dedication to wider progress earned the couple recognition as the 2025 Certified Angus Beef (CAB) Progressive Partner.

A shared passion

Steve and Joy complement each other’s efforts at Zybach Angus. Joy, practically a jack of all trades, takes feeding, daily rounds and administrative duties.

“I don’t really doctor calves,” she says, knowing when to call reinforcements. “If something needs to be doctored, that’s where Steve comes in.”

The resident cowman makes all the mating decisions and uses the Zoetis HD50K^® test to support his selections with expected progeny differences (EPDs) backed by genomic profile information. The science confirms much of what he knows by instinct. He can pick out his favorites in a sea of black hides.

The operation conducts one female sale and two bull sales annually, together with a few local ranchers. But the preparation is continuous.

Creating opportunity

Not only does Steve have a knack for cattle, but for helping others, too. When he saw an opportunity to serve the Texas Angus Association (TAA), he jumped in to play a role in moving the needle forward.

“The first year I was on [the board], I didn’t say much,” he recalls. “After that, I decided, if you’re going to be on this board, you better make a difference.”

He dove in headfirst, identifying the need for more ways to make commercial cattlemen money. And he acted on it, implementing feeder-calf sales in conjunction with special sales at various auction barns across the state.

“It’s just another way to expand the avenues of the commercial guy to make more money,” Steve says, though the effects are felt at both ends of the market. “It’s also for the breeders to be able to merchandise their bulls and help their customers come back and return the favor.”

The TAA encourages use of AngusLink^® paired with other value-added programs to garner more profit. So far, TAA Angus feeder-calf sales beat all other sale opportunities.

“I’ll be the first one to say, ‘I don’t think we can beat this price in Oklahoma or Dalhart or wherever’ and so far, I haven’t had to eat those words!”

Steve’s efforts aren’t about building a name for himself, but building something others can count on, especially those often overlooked.