What Exactly Is a SmartBull? Breaking Down JLC's Most-Asked Question
Jorgensen Land & Cattle ·
If you've called Jorgensen Land & Cattle in the last decade or so, chances are you've talked to Andy Tegethoff. And if you've talked to Andy, chances are you've asked him some version of the same question: what in the world is a SmartBull?
It's a fair question. Jorgensen Land & Cattle markets Angus genetics in a lot of different ways, and SmartBulls are one of the more unique products in the lineup. So we sat Andy down on a recent episode of Field Notes to get the real answer, straight from the man who fields that question more than anyone.
A Refined Product, Not a Leftover
"A SmartBull is what I like to call a refined product," Andy explained. And that refinement doesn't happen by accident — it happens through JLC's bull leasing program. Without the leasing program, there's no such thing as a SmartBull.
Here's how it works: a bull gets leased out once as a yearling, then comes back to JLC. He's semen tested and checked for Trichomoniasis every single time he leaves and every time he returns. He's evaluated for soundness — feet, structure, all of it. Then he goes back out again as a two-year-old and goes through the entire process a second time.
By the time a bull has been leased twice, passed every semen test and Trich test along the way, and checked out sound on top of it all, he's proven himself. He's not a question mark. He's a known quantity — and that's exactly what goes into the SmartBull program.
How Old Are We Talking?
SmartBulls aren't yearlings, and they're not simple two-year-olds either. When JLC starts marketing them in the fall, after they've come back off their second lease in midsummer, they're right around 30 months old. By the time some of the later sales roll around, they're pushing close to 36 months — true, mature three-year-old bulls.
That age is the whole point. These are bulls that have already been through the wringer, in every kind of terrain and every kind of environment, and come out the other side as a darn good, proven herd bull.
Why It Matters to You
When you buy a SmartBull, you're not gambling on potential. You're buying a bull that has already demonstrated soundness, fertility, and durability under real working conditions — twice over. That's the confidence JLC has in these bulls, and it's why they're sold all over the country.