Opinion ID: 1613673
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Trucking, Yardage, and Veterinarian Expenses on Herd I.

Text: After Herd I was delivered to the St. Charles, Mash had them trucked to the Aberdeen Livestock Sales Co. for testing and veterinary services. Dean testified the cattle were sent to Aberdeen to be blood tested and mouthed because of the cow with the broken leg, the presence of other sick cows in the herd and because of the disparity in the ages of cattle represented as Herd I. See discussion in Part II.B. Because the stipulation was for the Cutlers to ship the cattle only to the St. Charles, the trial court disallowed these other costs as damages. Mash argues these expenses were a direct consequence of the Cutlers' breach of the stipulation. See SDCL 21-2-1; Nelson v. Kittelson, 72 S.D. 15, 29 N.W.2d 77, 78 (1947); Thermoid Rubber Co. v. Brictson Mfg. Co., 39 S.D. 114, 163 N.W. 567, 568 (1917) (measure of damages in breach of contract action includes damages such as might naturally arise from the breach and were reasonably within the contemplation of parties at the time of making the contract). Mash had the burden of proving damages below, Gross, 361 N.W.2d at 269, and has the burden of showing the trial court was clearly erroneous here, Penner, 462 N.W.2d at 482. While Dean decided to ship the cattle to Aberdeen for testing, no evidence is pointed out to us which indicates these expenses were a natural or direct result of the breach. Mash simply failed to carry the burden of proving this element of damages.