Who We Are - Swinging B Ranch1
Our History
The story of Swinging B Ranch began in 1997, when Mackie and Norma Jean Bounds packed up their family and traded city life for the country, moving with their son, Kent, and daughter, Crystal, to the small community of Axtell, Texas. The family settled on 215 acres with a modest herd of tiger-striped cattle and white-faced baldies, never imagining just how much their new way of life would shape the years ahead.
When Kent and Crystal enrolled in Axtell ISD, they became involved in FFA. It was there that their new ag teacher, Bill Radde, convinced Kent that if he was going to show cattle, there was only one breed to consider: Beefmaster. That advice would change the course of the Bounds family forever. One Beefmaster show heifer soon became two, then three, and before long the family had dispersed their other cattle and committed themselves fully to the Beefmaster business.
From those humble beginnings, Swinging B Ranch has grown into one of the premier Beefmaster operations in the breed. What began with a single show heifer has developed into a program recognized for producing quality, performance-driven Beefmaster genetics. Through careful selection, a commitment to continual improvement, and years of dedication to the breed, Swinging B has assembled an outstanding lineup of proven herd sires and elite donor females that have helped build the program and influence Beefmaster herds across the country.
Performance has always been an important part of the Swinging B program. As a Whole Herd Reporting operation, Swinging B is committed to collecting and reporting performance information across the entire herd. That commitment to data, combined with visual appraisal and practical cattle evaluation, allows the ranch to make informed breeding decisions and provide customers with meaningful information when selecting genetics. The goal has remained straightforward: produce functional, productive Beefmaster cattle that perform in the pasture while continually moving the program and the breed forward.
That dedication has been recognized throughout the Beefmaster community. Over the years, Mackie, Norma Jean, and Swinging B Ranch have received numerous honors, including BBU Breeder of the Year, BBU Performance Breeder of the Year, and the BBU Environmental Award. Swinging B has also received recognition through the South Texas Beefmaster Breeders Association, including Performance Breeder, Environmental, Member, and Breeder of the Year honors. While the awards are appreciated, they represent something even more important to the Bounds family—a longstanding commitment to the Beefmaster breed, its breeders, and the land and cattle entrusted to their care.
Today, Swinging B continues to build on that foundation with a strong battery of proven herd sires and elite donor females, using proven genetics, performance information, and progressive breeding strategies to produce the next generation. The ranch showcases those genetics each spring through its annual May production sale, offering fellow cattlemen the opportunity to invest in females, herd-sire prospects, and genetics developed through the Swinging B program.
The next chapter of the Swinging B story includes becoming a partner in the Genetic Investment program, joining with like-minded breeders committed to identifying, developing, and offering elite Beefmaster genetics. This partnership represents another step forward while staying true to the principles that have guided Swinging B from the beginning—performance, quality, integrity, and a commitment to making the next generation better than the last.
Through all the growth, accomplishments, awards, and changes over the years, the foundation of Swinging B Ranch remains the same: family, hard work, good cattle, good friends, responsible stewardship of the land, and a genuine passion for the Beefmaster breed.
From city folks with a few cattle on 215 acres to one of the breed's premier Beefmaster programs, the Swinging B story has been an incredible journey—and the family continues to look forward to what the next generation will bring.
