It seemed like a normal Monday for sale barn owner Greg Ryken. Monday’s weigh up sale was in the books. Five cattle buyers and personal friends of Greg’s came out to his home above Lewis and Clark Lake in Yankton South Dakota for a game of pool, libations and grilled steak as is their tradition. However, this was anything but a normal Monday… at 1:30 am the fire alarms went off. At first the sleeping cattlemen thought the alarm system was malfunctioning till cattle buyer Matt Bode yelled the dreaded word “FIRE”! It took them a while to get out as the house was filled with smoke and the roof ignited. Much to everyone’s surprise the local Yankton volunteer fire department was on the scene within 10 minutes! If it weren’t for the quick response of the firemen to Greg’s remote rural home, the entire house and all his possessions would have went up in flames. Despite extensive damage they were able to save a good share of the house and valuables including his gun collection and trophy mounts and a lot of irreplaceable sentimental items. Even after the night from hell, Greg was at the barn at first light on Tuesday to oversee the nation’s top fat cattle sale at Stockmen’s. Greg looks back on that morning and says:
“The show must go on… Nothing was lost that can’t be replaced and selling cattle for our customers is more important… after all, it’s just a house” (albeit a nice one)
Greg Ryken auctioneering for a charity event.
Now comes the part worthy of a country song. Greg Ryken is not only owner of Stockmen’s Livestock but he is also a prolific auctioneer working cattle auctions and donating his auction abilities to 25-30 charity events and fundraisers throughout the year. Everything from raising money for cancer victims, floods, droughts, Pheasants Forever and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation fundraisers, to 4h and FFA benefits and even the Prime Time Gala at the Denny Sanford premier center in Sioux Falls which has raised well over 3 million dollars to distribute over one and a half million pounds of beef to South Dakota families in need! My point is Greg does a lot for the community and state… so they decided to pay him back! On a rare day away from Stockmen’s auctioneer/cattleman Dan Koupal organized a rollover benefit auction for Greg that raised over $55,000 to payback Mr. Ryken for all that he has done for his community. he said he “teared up” when he got the call about the rollover but it’s in Greg’s nature to give and not receive. He grew up poor on a cattle operation near Irene South Dakota, worked the back pens sorting at Yankton’s north barn then gradually moved up to auctioneering and traveling the country consigning cattle.
“when you grew up broke, you know every penny means something to producers. That’s how we’ve become the top fat cattle sale barn in America. we care about both the buyers and sellers.”
Greg cares so much that he did a complete 180 and auctioned off 20 prime rib roasts at the Yankton Riverboat Days extreme bullring. He raised a mind blowing $50,000.00 for the local volunteer fire department and another $15,000 for the Crofton (Nebraska) flippers gymnastics team who recently lost their practice facility to a fire! in typical Greg Ryken fashion, he said:
“I didn’t really need the money for my house. I mean, I’m doing alright, and insurance covered most of it, but I was so touched by the kind gesture that my people would do a fundraising rollover for me while I was away that I decided to pay in back and then some. it feels good to give like that”.
Dan Koupal (left) and Greg Ryken (right) at the Prime Time Gala in Sioux Falls SD
Greg also noted that folks are more generous now that cattle prices are up, and he enjoys doing charity auction events. It means way more to help one kid with cancer than to enjoy a calcutta at the golf course. Like we said, he’s always giving back and paying forward. Tip of the hat to Greg Ryken of Stockmen’s Livestock who takes giving to a new level.
Written by: Monte James
Published on: 9/11/2025