After studying at Yale, serving as a Marine in the Korean Conflict and working as a civil engineer, Sayre purchased Waffle Hill Farm in 1960, expanding the operation to include 150 registered-Angus cows on 300 acres.

Sayre, an early adopter of performance testing, enrolled in Angus Herd Improvement Records (AHIR®) when the program was newly released. He has been a leader in pasture management, recognized at local and national levels.

Sayre served as director and president of the Maryland Angus Association. In 1991, he was elected to the American Angus Association Board of Directors and as president in 1998.