Page 12 - WCA July Ketch Pen 2020

2020 Grant County Cattleman of the Year
2020 Gr
ra
a
n
nt
tC
Co
ou
u
n
nt
t
y
yC
C
a
a
t
t
t
tl
le
e
m
ma
a
n
no
o
f
f
t
th
h
e
e Year
Brett started life at Tonne Polled Hereford Ranch in Geraldine, Montana where he acquired his
desire to be part of the cattle industry. Brett grew up and attend school in Great
Falls and worked for his Uncle Chuck in Geral-
dine on his commercial cattle ranch and wheat farm.
Probably his biggest accomplish- ment while at WSU was his
ability to woo Jill Prchal into becoming his wife. ThThe story
I got -- he was at a func- tion and when Jill came
in -- Brett says to a buddy “Who’s ThThat Girl?!” and
his buddy says “She’s Miss Rodeo Washington” add- ing sarcastically “Good Luck Cowboy”. Apparently
sheer determination kicked in -- Brett and Jill got married
in June 2004.
He worked for the Department of Natural Resources for a few
years. During this time he contin- ued to build his cattle herd on leased
ground. Aftfter leaving the DNR to ranch full-time, he and Jill purchased the place
where they now live south of Ephrata.
Their ranch, Tonne Cattle Company, has consigned bulls to the pres- tigious Treasure Bull Test in Montana
for several years achieving awards for
High Weight per Day of Age, High
Brett graduated from
Great Falls High School
in 1998 and that next win-
ter he moved to Waitsburg,
WA. In the summer and fall
of 1999 he worked for a cattle
fifitter, Mike Owings, through the
show season. He purchased his
1st registered Angus bred heifer
“Molly”, from Wallace Keller of Ter-
rebonne, OR. She had an outstanding
heifer calf which Brett sold in the fall of 2000 in the Evergreen sale to Corey A Ranch, Barb Korenjak, which began a friendship and work- ing relationship that lasts to this day.
Cora and Owen helping feed
Brett enrolled at Walla Walla Community College for the 1999-2000 then transferred to Washington State University in the fall of 2000, graduating from there in the spring of 2003. While there he worked at the Beef Barn for Dan Coonrad, gaining valuable beef knowledge and experience.
Brett, Jill, Cora and Owen Tonne
Average Daily Gain, and High Gain- ing Sire Group.
Brett has been involved in many shows and sales right here in the Columbia Basin, and is an active member of the Washington Cattle- men’s Association. He has been the treasurer for Grant Co. Cattlemen’s, for a number of years, and for the last three years has been the Washington Cattlemen’s Association Secretary for the Board of Directors and the Exec- utive Committee.
Cora Tonne showing in 2019
12 KETCH PEN - July 2020