Hayhook Limousin A Love that Lasts

For Judy Bugher and Edna Manning, the squeak of chalk on a board or shoes on the basketball court doesn’t have the same soothing effect as the gentle moo of a mama cow out on pasture. 

It might be that simple truth that allows the women to rank their achievements in the cattle industry right alongside their accomplishments in the professional field. Both grew up with a love for the outdoors and livestock as a natural personality trait, but it wasn’t until their 40s that the pair decided to start running cattle together. 

Hayhook Limousin Ranch was born in 1986 with the purchase of their first Limousin bull. In those early years, the Hayhook operation relied on help from Judy’s mother, Goldie, during the weekdays, as both women balanced their ranching with their careers. 

Bugher coached at both Oklahoma State University and various high schools — both boasting many titles and wins — and Manning took up a superintendency spot in Oklahoma, just 40 miles from the ranch. 

“We were both in a business of trying to help young people grow and develop, and that’s transferable,” Manning explains. “We both had careers we were happy with; the ranching was a nice respite from coaching. We look back, and we’re just really grateful we’ve taken the road we have.”  

Consider it a part of that competitive spirit that came from years on the court, but through it all, Bugher said failure was never an option.   

“I never had a thought since we started in this that we couldn’t financially make it or didn’t want to personally keep going with it through the years,” she explains. 

Meeting At A Crossroads 

Sports were the backbone of a young Bugher’s life, but school and competitions still revolved around a single season: summer months spent back on home on the farm. 

“I grew up with cattle, and the farming was a big part of my family,” she said, noting her great grandparents were a part of the Oklahoma land rush. 

Bugher received a basketball scholarship from Wayland Baptist College after graduating high school, where she was a member of teams that built a 131-game winning streak — teams she’s happy to say were recently inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. 

After graduation, she began to pass wisdom on as a volleyball and basketball coach at multiple schools. Roles and titles changed, but those summer months never wavered. 

“As soon as they turned me loose, I headed back to help my mom and dad,” she said.

It was a Texas school district that brought two employees together through a shared loved for livestock. When she was introduced to Bugher, Manning was the principal with responsibility for the women’s athletic program. 

“My grandmother had a small farm in Texas, which is where I grew up,” she explains. “I just always loved animals and being outdoors, so I just looked for opportunities to be outdoors with animals.” 

A friendship was formed quickly, built on mutual respect and admiration. Manning describes Bugher as a pioneer for not just her collegiate career but also her dedication to coaching. 

Bugher shares a similar sentiment in return, noting Manning was one of the first three women to hold the title of Assistant Superintendent of Schools in the state of Oklahoma, one of the first six female superintendents in Texas and one of the first female superintendents in Oklahoma. She was also the founding president of the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics, a role she considers a highlight of her career. 

Through it all, however, the love for agriculture remained. Together, Manning and Bugher bought 160 acres across the road from Bugher’s family farm. 

“I guess neither one of us looked at anything we shouldn’t do or couldn’t do,” Manning says of the decision.

When Manning accepted a position within the state of Oklahoma, the two began to seriously focus on developing the Hayhook name.  

“You’ve got a basketball coach and a doctor of mathematics who decided there was more to do than just work for someone else all the time,” Manning says of their choice to retire together to run cattle. 

Their herd was built on the Charolais herd Bugher’s parents had developed, but the purchase of their first Limousin bull in the ’80s had them rethinking their breeding strategy. 

“We really liked the Limousin cross with our Charolais cattle,” Bugher recalls. “We just kept going that way.” 

She went to a sale with the intention of buying another Limousin bull for the operation, but when the young sires were going for the same price as proven cows, her objective changed. 

“I got in trouble when I came home with those cows,” Bugher admits, laughing alongside Manning at the memory. 

The crossbred calves quickly proved themselves, and Manning soon admitted that the business decision was a good one. In fact, she said the calves were so good, she disliked the fact that their calves ultimate destination was the meat counter. 

“I got tired of taking those good-looking animals to the stockyards,” Manning said. 

The cattlewomen knew transitioning into a seedstock operation would allow their herd’s genetics to leave a lasting mark on the beef industry. 

As they incorporated more and more purebred genetics into their breeding program, Bugher said they nearly perfected their ideal Lim-Flex animal. 

Herd numbers grew quickly, and the women established a solid group of local commercial customers who appreciated the big, stout Hayhook calves available private treaty. As demand grew, so did the ranch; Hayhook was up to 350 females grazing 2,000 acres. 

As the years ticked by however, both Bugher and Manning thought retirement might be on the horizon. Hayhook Limousin hosted a dispersal sale, and all but a handful of females were sold. Manning said the original thought was that keeping a few cows wouldn’t be bad. 

Those 20 cows eventually became the 120 cows the women run today — clearly, retirement wasn’t in the cards. Their black-hided, Lim-Flex bulls are still in high demand. 

Hayhook calves are still known for being stout, thick and wide. 

“When we got started, people were concerned with too much fat in the meat,” Manning said. “Now that we have gone to Lim-Flex, I think we have hit the right balance.” 

The cows have proved to be maternal—weaning big calves—without losing body condition, and in the four decades since they got started with the Limousin breed, both women said the disposition of the cattle has proven to be the perfect fit. 

In the early years, Bugher labels the cattle as “saucy,” but today calm dispositions are the norm.

“We’re old,” Manning says with a big laugh. “We like our cattle so we can go out and work them.”

While Bugher’s quick to correct her (“We’ve gotten old; we didn’t start out this way”), she admits there’s a great comfort in trusting their cattle. The pair takes great pride in confirming that they can go out and walk the pasture alone.

“I don’t find, frankly, anything about the Limousin breed I don’t like,” Manning confirms. “I know partly that’s prejudice, but overall, I just think it was the right breed for us, and obviously, a lot of people agree with us.” 

Manning, at 81 herself, and Bugher at 87, says they’ve had to hire additional help at the ranch to keep going, but there’s no plans of slowing down. 

“We’re still upright, and we’ll probably do this as long as we’re upright,” she said. 

For the foreseeable future, Bugher promises she and Manning will continue to put the best interest of the herd first. 

Their “why” is straight forward. 

“They want me to get up and be with them,” Bugher said of the cattle. “They want me to as much as I need to.” 

The statement makes Manning laugh. 

“I don’t know that they take that kindly to me,” she admits, “but I enjoy being out with them and I enjoy seeing the cows with their babies.” 

As Manning’s nieces and nephews continue to bring their own children to Hayhook, the duo hopes for just one thing. 

“The Hayhook may out live us,” Manning explains, “and we hope it will.”