Form, Function, Foundation
The blueprint behind Wilks Rita 4728, 2026 Angus Foundation Heifer.
November 5, 2025
Every ranch logo started out as a sketch on a napkin. Every working facility and alleyway system began as a well-planned thought. Every barn once began as a blueprint.
At Wilks Ranches, the blueprint for breeding cattle isn’t all that different from the one used in bricklaying. It begins with sound structure and eye appeal, and it ends with functionality.
As Kevin Reed, asset manager for Wilks Ranches says, “If a building is not built right and it’s not aesthetically pleasing, you can’t sell it. If it’s [cattle] not going to perform for the customer, there’s no use trying to sell it.”
Like Reed’s philosophy, the ranch didn’t start with cattle; it started with construction. When he met the Wilks brothers in 1977, Reed was working as an apprentice bricklayer in Midland, Texas. An encounter with Dan Wilks led to a lifelong friendship and eventually, a career shift from construction to cattle.
“I told them one day, ‘You need help on the ranching side,’” Reed recalled. “I’d been in construction for 35 years, but I was ready to make a change. I already had Angus cattle at my place, and I believed in what they were building.”
That belief laid the foundation for a team that now spans registered cattle, commercial cattle, hay production and winter wheat. Wilks Ranch sells more than 100,000 square bales annually across Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, and hosts two sales each year — a female sale in October and a bull sale in November.
Aaron Kiser joined the team 13 years ago as seedstock manager, bringing with him an understanding of Angus genetics and a passion for youth. Raised in West Texas, he showed Angus steers as a kid and converted his family’s commercial herd to Angus in junior high. Today, he’s raising his own children in agriculture.
“Agriculture teaches you how to work hard and how to be responsible,” Kiser says. “Agriculture is the way of life ... I love the way I was raised, and I wanted my kids to have the same experience as I did.”
As part of that commitment, they’ve hosted interns, mentored students and supported scholarships, all with the goal of shaping the next generation. This year, however, they’re taking things to the next level as they are donating the Angus Foundation heifer package.
“The donation of Wilks Rita 4728 is an influential reflection of the Angus Foundation’s mission to advance education, youth and research within the Angus breed,” says Jaclyn Boester, executive director of the Angus Foundation. “This female represents more than genetic excellence; she is a commitment to investing in the next generation. Proceeds from the purchase of this package directly fund our mission-specific programs and help sustain the Angus breed’s legacy.”
Wilks Ranches have previously purchased the Angus Foundation Heifer Package, and by donating this year’s female, their support comes full circle.
As a long-time supporter of the Angus Foundation, Wilks Ranch recognizes the value of contributing to initiatives that promote education, youth and research within the breed. Their donation highlights a continued commitment to supporting programs that strengthen the Angus Foundation’s mission.
“It is both meaningful and inspiring to have Wilks Ranches as the donor of the 2026 Heifer Package,” Boester adds. “The Wilks family is known for their dedication to quality and innovation. Their involvement in investing in our youth and the future of the Angus breed is truly inspirational, and we are very grateful for their donation.”
The donation of Wilks Rita 4728 is an influential reflection of the Angus Foundation’s mission to advance education, youth and research within the Angus breed. ” — Jaclyn Boester
A proven foundation
Three simple words — form, function and balance — now guide the Wilks breeding program.
Those words also describe Wilks Rita 4728, the elite female Wilks Ranches is donating as the 2026 Angus Foundation Heifer Package. She represents the kind of progressive, phenotypically correct genetics that define the Wilks program. The heifer is a standout offering from a maternal line that has stood the test of time.
Her maternal sister, Wilks Rita 4067, commanded $100,000 as Lot 6 in the 2024 Wilks Ranch sale. Her dam was a headliner in this year’s fall production sale, and a maternal brother is slated to be a highlight in the 2025 Wilks Ranch Bull Sale. The consistency of this cow family is a testament to the quality of female Wilks Ranch is offering as this year’s Foundation female.
“She’s cow-y. That’s what her mom is, she’s just a good female,” Kiser says. “I think this heifer’s going to be the same way, but she does it in a really neat number package and a neat pedigree.”
Wilks Rita 4728 ranks in the top 1% for both $Beef and $Combined indexes, offering a powerful growth spread, elite structural correctness and eye-catching phenotype. She’s the kind of female that blends performance with presence, built and bred right, and backed by a story of success.
Beyond being correct in her conformation, she’s got the numbers to back it up. The Wilks team believes she has the versatility to be a donor, a show heifer or a female to produce bulls for a commercial guy, Kiser says.
That versatility is no accident. At Wilks Ranch, breeding decisions are guided by that three-word saying coined by Reed: form, function and balance, and it influences matings, selections and sales.
“We want cattle that look good, perform well and work in the real world,” Kiser says. “We’re not chasing single traits. We’re building cattle that are structurally sound, phenotypically correct and genetically elite.”
That philosophy is tested across Wilks-owned ranches in Montana, Oregon, Idaho and Texas, where cattle must work in diverse climates and terrain. This asset allows Kiser and the rest of his team the ability to evaluate genetics in real-world conditions.
“There is a lot of different terrain and different weather, and it really gave me an opportunity to see how these genetics perform,” Kiser says. “What’s been amazing, and it’s kind of what our vision is, we are always working to get better to breed balanced cattle that will work in the real world is the biggest thing for me.”
The sale
For those interested in joining the Wilks in supporting the Angus Foundation and gaining access to the elite genetics that come with Wilks Rita 4728, the 2026 Angus Foundation Heifer Package will sell Jan. 9, 2026, during the 87th National Angus Bull Sale at Cattlemen’s Congress in Oklahoma City, Okla. The sale will start at 2 p.m. at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds.
Proceeds from the sale benefit the Angus Foundation and its vision to provide limitless opportunities to enhance excellence and innovation within the Angus breed. The heifer package sale goes towards supporting the Angus Fund, which provides unrestricted funding for a variety of programs supported by the Angus Foundation including Beef Leaders Institute, the Leaders Engaged in Angus Development (LEAD) conference and Angus University.
“It’s quite an honor,” Reed says. “What [the Angus Foundation] does for the youth [gives] them opportunities, tools and the finances to grow, to do what they love to do and a foundation to build their future. We’re proud to contribute.”
Find out more information about the Angus Foundation.
Topics: Association News , Events , Industry News , Member Center Featured News , Ranch profile
Publication: Angus Journal
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