Mistvale Akaushi is a family-owned ranch operated by myself, Aaron Harris, and my wife, Alicia Altemose in Bryan, Texas. Born out of the pandemic, the ranch became a reality when Aaron transitioned to working from home, and Alicia began her role as a chemistry professor at Texas A&M University. Seizing the opportunity, our family decided to embark on a journey into Akaushi cattle ranching. We take pride in having our cattle registered with both the American Akaushi Association and the Australian Wagyu Association.

The Lonestar Invitational was a milestone for us, marking the first beef cattle show we've attended. While Aaron grew up showing Holstein dairy cattle, stepping into the beef show arena was an entirely new experience. At Mistvale Akaushi, our cattle thrive on a grass-fed diet supplemented only with protein tubs. We realized that cattle need a special diet for the show ring and initiated one just 45 days before the event. Circle P Feed Store in Bryan helped us get our cattle to a respectable state. We were also amazed as to how our genetics from Legendary Akaushi gained in that short period of time. This shows why we have rooted our program in Legendary’s genetics. Our aim was to represent the Akaushi breed and support the Texas Wagyu Association, which has been wonderfully inclusive of all breed associations this year.

The camaraderie among fellow ranchers at the Lonestar Invitational was truly inspiring. We extend our gratitude to Red Bull Cattle Company and Desi for their efforts in organizing the show alongside other TWA members. Congratulations to JB Akaushi and Brown Family Akaushi for their well-deserved wins. Special thanks to Payton and Mike for sharing invaluable tips on fitting and training—we're eager to apply their advice in future shows.
We're excited to continue our journey in cattle showing, bolstered by the outstanding genetics from Legendary Akaushi and the support of the wagyu community.