Basketball - The Durango Herald

David Adelman promoted to full-time Nuggets coach after leading team to conference semifinals

DENVER (AP) — Josh Kroenke didn't need to look far to find the next head coach of the Denver Nuggets. All he had to do was take a short stroll from his office. The team's president and gover...

DATE: May 22, 2025 | CATEGORY: Sports

Jokic makes history with 5th consecutive top-2 finish in MVP voting

There was Bill Russell. There was Larry Bird. And now, there’s Nikola Jokic. By finishing second in this year’s MVP balloting behind only Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic — the...

DATE: May 21, 2025 | CATEGORY: Sports

Gilgeous-Alexander voted as the NBA's MVP, continuing run of international players winning the award

The case for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was simple. He's the best player on an Oklahoma City Thunder team that had the best record this season and set a league mark for margin of victory. If th...

DATE: May 21, 2025 | CATEGORY: Sports

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Thunder roll into West finals with 125-93 rout of Nuggets in Game 7

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma City Thunder grew up on Sunday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points, Jalen Williams added 24 and the Thunder rolled into the Western Conference finals,...

DATE: May 20, 2025 | CATEGORY: Sports

Kelly: College basketball’s transfer portal is double-edged sword; look at FLC last season

Skyhawks men’s basketball had strong season while women struggled

DATE: May 18, 2025 | CATEGORY: Sports

Former Skyhawks men’s basketball coach finds new home

Bob Pietrack was announced as men’s basketball coach at Ferris State

DATE: May 16, 2025 | CATEGORY: Sports

A sick Jamal Murray scores 25 points, Nuggets beat Thunder 119-107 to force Game 7

DENVER (AP) — A sick Jamal Murray may have been questionable for Game 6, but in his mind there was nothing ambiguous about his playing status. “Absolutely not,” Murray said when asked if the...

DATE: May 16, 2025 | CATEGORY: Sports

Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder look to clinch series against Denver

Oklahoma City Thunder (68-14, first in the Western Conference) vs. Denver Nuggets (50-32, fourth in the Western Conference) Denver; Thursday, 8:30 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Thunde...

DATE: May 15, 2025 | CATEGORY: Sports

Gilgeous-Alexander scores 31 as Thunder beat Nuggets 112-105 and take 3-2 lead in West semifinals

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets 112-105 on Tuesday night to go up 3-2 in their Western Conference semifin...

DATE: May 14, 2025 | CATEGORY: Sports

Jokic's 44 points, 15 rebounds not enough as Thunder top Nuggets to go up 3-2 in West semis

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Nikola Jokic was nearly unstoppable against Oklahoma City’s gritty, aggressive defense. The Thunder made a valiant effort to disrupt him, as they have all series. Denver...

DATE: May 14, 2025 | CATEGORY: Sports

Dallas Mavericks win the NBA draft lottery and the chance to pick Cooper Flagg No. 1 overall

CHICAGO (AP) — The ping-pong balls have spoken: Cooper Flagg might be headed to Dallas to start his NBA career. And a fan base that lost Luka Doncic this season might have a new star to chee...

DATE: May 13, 2025 | CATEGORY: Sports

Top-seeded Thunder and Cavaliers host critical Game 5s in conference semifinals

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers, the top seeds in the playoffs and owners of the best regular-season records in the NBA, find themselves in dire need o...

DATE: May 13, 2025 | CATEGORY: Sports

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High Country Cattle Auction brings top-notch stock and country charm to Southwest ColoradoFamily run, generational business dates back to 1940s

BREEN – The family-owned and operated High Country Cattle Auction is “in the bones” of the Cugnini family, said third-generation owner Chris Cugnini. The business was founded by Chris’ grandfather, Pat Cugnini, in the 1940s. Pat then passed the business down to his son, Duane Cugnini, who then turned the business over to daughters, Becky Hawkins and Chris Cugnini, whose daughters plan to take over the family business one day. The auction, which takes place once or twice a month from April to January at 13062 La Plata Highway (Colorado Highway 140) near Breen, attracts ranchers, farmers and those in the cattle industry from far and wide.

Former Durango resident Steve Greenburg has been attending the High Country Cattle auction for more than 40 years, and continues to travel to Breen all the way from Arizona, where he now lives. He attended the September auction last week, where around 1,200 animals were up for sale. Greenburg said effective bidding takes concentration and a practiced hand. “You want to make sure you don’t pay too much,” he said. “And if you do, you want to buy the business.” Amber Belvin, employee of 15 years and Chris’ operations “sidekick,” said bidders are most often looking for signs of good health in an animal, like a plump, filled-out body. If bidding on a herd, a look of uniformity among the animals is key to a good purchase, she said.

Despite Greenburg already having a handful of filled out bidding cards marking the cattle he had won within an hour of the Sept. 23 auction, he said the day was young. One sale day last year culminated in Greenburg taking home 22 semi-trucks worth of cattle, he said. Chris said Greenburg is one of the auction’s longest-term and most generous supporters. “(Greenburg) pays top-dollar,” Chris said. “And (that) makes me feel good, because we’re giving back to (the sellers). I know these people around here, and they’re the hardest working people on the planet. If I can get them 10 or 20 cents more per pound, then that makes us happy.”

Cattle auction prices have gone up in recent years, both at High Country and nationally, Chris said. This year, animals are going for $2,500 to $3,000 a head – double and triple the average prices from last year. The increase, Chris said, is in part because of a screw worm making the rounds in cattle in Mexico, which has lowered the number of cattle coming in from the south, along with people subdividing and selling cattle branches, and local cattle herd numbers diminishing, which has increased demand.

Chris called the price increase “good and bad.” “It’s great if you’re a seller, because there’s prices that you’ve never seen before,” she said. “Older men come in, (and they) can’t believe the prices. Some of them do this for a living, and they count on that, so they’re so happy.” Belvin said some smaller farmers opt to buy less cattle during price surges like this, but echoed Chris’ sentiment about sellers being ecstatic about the unprecedented profit.

Local cattle farmer Lawrence Martinez entered 59 steers and 95 heifers in the auction Tuesday. Martinez has been involved in the High Country Cattle Auction “pretty much forever,” but recent years have been especially fruitful for sales, he said. “These last few years, we’ve been coming here to sell, because this is the place to go,” he said. “I wouldn’t sell anywhere else. (The market here has) been so good.”The auction’s community roots and generational touch doesn’t stop at the Cugnini family: Shane Hatch, the auctioneer, took over the job after his father’s death, Belvin said.

The auction serves as an opportunity for community members to get together and bond, Belvin said. “When we do have an auction, it’s a great place where local farmers and ranchers can get together and talk,” she said. “They come to the cafe, and they talk about the hay, and the drought situation, and I think it’s a good connecting point.” Chris and Belvin both expressed feeling glad the auction can supply so much generational value to the local farming and ranching community. “I mean, what other business can you think of around here that’s the same, right?” Belvin said. “We’re fair, and we’re very meticulous at our jobs. We take it very seriously, because this is (some peoples’) livelihood.”

For the Cugninis – and long-term employees like Belvin, who have become an honorary part of the close-knit High Country Cattle Auction family – the heart of the business aligns with the heart of the local farming and ranching community. “We’re just good, hard working people – Americans – that want to make a good living, and live off this great land,” Belvin said. epond@durangoherald.com

Family run, generational business dates back to 1940s

Photos: Ride with the Champions bike parade

Photos: Changing colors

Photos: Fort Lewis College Volleyball sweeps Black Hills StateSkyhawks off to best start since 2006

Skyhawks off to best start since 2006

Photos: Durango High School football takes on Piedra Vista High SchoolDemons’ defense dominates in 17-0 victory on Friday night

Demons’ defense dominates in 17-0 victory on Friday night

Skyhawks beat Lubbock Christian 2-1 in season opener on Thursday

Photos: Four Corners Motorcycle RallyLots of motorcycles and tattoos were on display on Saturday

Lots of motorcycles and tattoos were on display on Saturday

Photos: Four Corners Motorcycle Rally Rodeo

Photos: Durango High School football opens its seasonDemons lost 35-14 to Montrose at home on Friday night

Demons lost 35-14 to Montrose at home on Friday night

Photos: La Plata County Fair on Friday

David Adelman promoted to full-time Nuggets coach after leading team to conference semifinals

Jokic makes history with 5th consecutive top-2 finish in MVP voting

Gilgeous-Alexander voted as the NBA's MVP, continuing run of international players winning the award

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Thunder roll into West finals with 125-93 rout of Nuggets in Game 7

Kelly: College basketball’s transfer portal is double-edged sword; look at FLC last season

Former Skyhawks men’s basketball coach finds new home

A sick Jamal Murray scores 25 points, Nuggets beat Thunder 119-107 to force Game 7

Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder look to clinch series against Denver

Gilgeous-Alexander scores 31 as Thunder beat Nuggets 112-105 and take 3-2 lead in West semifinals

Jokic's 44 points, 15 rebounds not enough as Thunder top Nuggets to go up 3-2 in West semis

Dallas Mavericks win the NBA draft lottery and the chance to pick Cooper Flagg No. 1 overall

Top-seeded Thunder and Cavaliers host critical Game 5s in conference semifinals

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