'Auctions still need auctioneers'
Bert Reyes has utilized his good ideas to create a successful career

By MONETTE TAYLOR | South Central Texas Edition

Bert Reyes continues to keep office, and momentos of his legendary career, at the Union Stock Exchange Building. -- Staff photo by Taylor

June 5, 2003 -- The animal pens are gone; the Union Stock Yards is no more; but, there is still one, "never say die" auctioneer housed in the Union Stock Exchange Building on San Marcos Street in San Antonio.

"Bert" Reyes is his name, and he refuses to leave the building and profession he has loved for over 40 years. And with good reason ... Reyes made it big when cattle was king and producers were wealthy.

The seventh of 14 children born to Carlos and Maria Villarreal Reyes, he, like all the other 13, were reared on a livestock farm where his dad worked as the accountant. There were two, very significant things the parents taught the children: first, there was a very sound work ethic, and secondly, education was very important.

Obviously, both lessons stuck, as all eight boys graduated from Texas A&M University (TAMU), and all of the girls graduated from college in education. Yet growing up, Reyes tells, breakfast wasn't served until all early morning milking and the animal feeding chores were done.

"I always tell everybody I was weaned on the milk of a Hereford cow," laughed Reyes.

A member of the 4-H Club in Goliad High School, Reyes excelled in everything he chose to do, including raising animals, as well as serving as quarterback and captain of the local football team.

"After I got out of high school, I was selected as one of the 10 outstanding 4-H members in the state of Texas and received the Jesse Jones Agricultural scholarship to A&M. I was one of the original 12 (students) opportunity awards given to A&M," said Reyes.

During college, Reyes continued his studies in agriculture and continued to receive honors for his work.

"While I was at A&M, I was a member of the livestock judging team and the meats judging team. My senior year, I was selected as the Outstanding Senior in the Animal Science Department," he remembered.

Upon receiving his bachelor of science degree in animal science in 1950, Reyes entered the military and spent 18 months in the Korean War. Once discharged, he returned to TAMU for a masters degree in beef cattle production. It was at that time that Reyes' life really got exciting.

Reyes was asked by TAMU officials to represent them in Mexico, due to his training and bilingual language skills, in a program which was established to offer technical help to Mexican producers.

"My job was to go through all those big ranches and visit with the ranchers ... and see if we could help them. At that time, I met and worked with some of the very great cattlemen in Mexico. It was a great experience," Reyes related.

Once that assignment was completed, TAMU had planned to send him to Peru, but he decided to try something different.

"The Texas Hereford Association needed a fieldman that could possibly open up a market in Mexico for Hereford cattle," Reyes said.

Due to the droughts in the '50s, producers were having a hard time selling their bulls, and Mexico was eager to purchase them. Reyes helped set up a program that enabled Mexican producers to purchase Hereford bulls from Texas, so it was a win-win situation for all.

"In May of 1958, I decided to go on my own and establish my own export business," Reyes noted.

After signing up to attend a two-week auctioneer school in College Station, he left after just one week, when he had the opportunity to sell 150 bulls to a group in El Paso. That didn't keep him from becoming an auctioneer, though.

"I practiced by myself in my car or wherever I was for about a year or two more, and I decided I'd have my own auctions. Fortunately, my very first sale was a very, very successful Hereford sale, because there were some Mexican buyers there. I was able to sell in English and Spanish," said Reyes.

After word got out that he could sell animals in two languages, cattle owners beat a path to his door.

After setting up his office 41 years ago in the Union Stock Yards, Reyes' business grew and expanded into various fields, including cattle management for auctions.

"I was doing it differently than most auctioneers. The auctioneers would just come in and sell the cattle. Well, I started managing the sales and auctioneering," he said.

Reyes said many people told him it would never work, but he proved all of them wrong, establishing one of the top teams and introducing the Saturday/Sunday auctions. According to Reyes, about 80 percent of ranchers worked in professional positions, during the week, and were unable to attend auctions. Between the weekend auctions and being bilingual, life was good.

Early on, there were three main breeds of cattle he worked with, and he made himself an expert on all: Hereford, Angus and the old Shorthorn breed from England. He said that many years ago, crossbred cows were frowned upon.

While operating his businesses "25/8," he is credited for introducing the first Simmental cattle to the United States, purchasing a bull named Amor, which he brought into the States in 1970. He said he, also, arranged, managed, and auctioneered the first Beefmaster, Brangus, Brahman and Hereford sales.

Being bilingual, Reyes has held cattle auctions in Mexico and all over South America, along with all over the United States. One of his favorite memories was when he received a call from Lady Bird Johnson, after LBJ died. She asked him to come to the ranch and conduct a dispersal sale.

He still works out of the same office, but it is much quieter, now. Lined with photographs from years past, Reyes' office has multiple file cabinets which contain copies of every auction he ever conducted. Stacks of paperwork and cattle magazines line every table top.

Reyes will not retire, and continues to do private treaty auctions and a number of charity auctions every year.

The growth of San Antonio may have ruined the cattle industry for the Union Stock Yards, and many, older producers decided ... years ago ... that driving in city traffic with a stock trailer was not something they wanted to do, but there is still one auctioneer who won't give up.

"There will still be auctions, and auctions still need auctioneers," he said smiling.