Nevada cattle rancher wins truck

Early this morning, representatives of Purina Mills met Kathy and Kent Abele, Nevada, at Midwest Feed and Farm in Nevada, to turn over the keys to the new Dodge pickup the Abeles won in the Purina Mills Heifer and Bull Bonanza Sweepstakes. From left are Rod Nulik, Purina Mills; Scott and Belinda Kennedy of Midwest Feed and Farm in Nevada, Kathy and Kent Abele, Green Springs Bull Test Station, and Bud Mareth, Purina Mills.

Special to the Daily Mail

Kent Abele, owner of Greensprings Bull Test in Nevada, has won a Dodge 2500, Quad Cab pick-up truck in the 2004 Purina Mills Heifer and Bull Bonanza Sweepstakes.

Abele's grand prize-winning entry was drawn from more than 5,900 entries submitted by cattle producers nationwide.

To qualify for the sweepstakes, Abele, and hundreds of other cattle producers across the country, conducted a feeding demonstration using Purina's Intake Modifying Technology™ program. Each feed demonstration was registered with the cattle producer's participating Purina Mills dealer; Abele conducted his demonstration through Midwest Feed and Farm, of Nevada.

For several months, Abele fed Purina's Accuration, an IM Technology™ product that controls consumption and increases foraging, to a select group of his bulls and heifers and noted how the product improved the animals' muscle tone and breeding aggressiveness.

"Winning the truck was a pleasant surprise. I have been sold on the value of Purina products and programs for a number of years, and the feed demonstration was a testimony to the quality of Purina's Intake Modifying Technology," Abele said. "We have had companies in the past that wanted us to be their research farm, and in the bull development business that is a risk that we could not afford to take."

The Heifer and Bull Bonanza sweepstakes also rewarded Purina Mills feed dealers for encouraging their customers to hold a demonstration.

For every demonstration conducted by their feed customers, dealers were entered into a separate drawing for a chance to win a second Dodge pick-up truck. Carl Halla, of Eagle Lake General Store in Eagle Lake, Texas, was the grand-prize winner among participating Purina Mills dealers.

"2004 was the second year that Purina has sponsored this sweepstakes," said Rod Nulik. "Our goal is to help our dealers and our loyal customers show the effectiveness of Purina's exclusive IM Technology. Every participating cattle producer is a winner in this sweepstakes."

The 2005 Purina Mills Heifer and Bull Bonanza Sweepstakes officially kicked-off on Jan. 1, 2005. Once again, cattle producers who conduct feeding demonstrations as well as their local Purina Mills dealers are eligible to enter the sweepstakes for two Dodge pick-up trucks. One vehicle will be awarded to a cattle producer and one vehicle will be awarded to a dealer.

Purina Mills, LLC, www.purinamills.com, based in St. Louis, manufactures and distributes nutritional products for commercial and companion animals nationwide. Purina Mills is permitted, under a license agreement from Nestle Purina Petcare Company, to use the trademarks "Purina" and the nine-squared Checkerboard logo. Purina Mills is not affiliated with Nestle Purina Petcare Company, which distributes Purina Dog Chow and Purina Cat Chow brand pet foods.