2020 CONFERECE WORKBOOK · His master’s degree research focused on laminitis and lameness in dairy cattle. In 1996, Dr. Midla and his wife, Joanne, established a veterinary practice

Celebrating Tradition and Progress

2020 CONFERENCE WORKBOOK

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2020 AHA Annual Membership Meeting & Conference Workbook 1

WELCOMEWe know your schedule is full and times are troubled, so we appreciate your

attendance and participation at the 2020 American Hereford Association (AHA) Annual Membership Meeting and Conference.

Your continued support of the AHA and the breed is greatly valued.

Table of Contents: Member Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Partner Appreciation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Annual Meeting Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Educational Sessions Speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 5Board Positions by Region Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82020 Board Candidates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10, 11, 12Hereford Hall of Fame Inductees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14, 15, 16Hereford Hall of Merit Inductee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172020 Awards Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

2020 AHA Annual Membership Meeting & Conference Workbook2

THANK YOU

The organizations participating in

our 2020 Annual Membership Meeting and Conference are

true allied industry partners.

The American Hereford Association appreciates our allied industry partners for

making this event a success!

®


Register for the educational sessions at Hereford.org/events/annual-meeting/ and you will be emailed the link to join the session.

MONDAY, Oct. 19 6:00 p.m. Hereford Homecoming Virtual Kickoff & Utilizing the Tools for Victory Educational Session Speakers: Shane Bedwell, AHA COO and Director of Breed Improvement & a special message from Neogen

TUESDAY, Oct. 20 6:00 p.m. Scouting Consumers & Political Climate Change Virtual Educational Session Speakers: Danette Amstein, Midan Marketing Principal & Daniel Beck, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 21 6:00 p.m. Setting Up for Success Virtual Educational Session Speakers: Nolan Stone, S= Cattle Company & Lowell Midla, VMD, MS, Merck Animal Health

THURSDAY, Oct. 22 7:00 p.m. Hereford Homecoming Virtual Awards and Golden Bull Awards Ceremony

FRIDAY, Oct. 23 3– 5:00 p.m. Registration 5:00 p.m. AHA Board of Directors Homecoming Social

SATURDAY, Oct. 24 6–9:30 a.m. Registration 7:30 a.m. Hereford Homecoming Breakfast — Neptune A – D Ballroom 9:00 a.m. Hereford Honorees Award Presentation 10:00 a.m. AHA Annual Meeting 11:30 a.m. National Hereford Women Annual Meeting 2:00 p.m. Ladies of the Royal Sale 4:00 p.m. American Royal Junior Show SUNDAY, Oct. 25 8:00 a.m. American Royal National Hereford Show *National Show Awards presented throughout the day *National Hereford Queen Coronation will follow the female champions selection MONDAY, Oct. 26 6:00 p.m. Hereford Homecoming Highlights

= Event occurs virtually = Event occurs in Kansas City

(*Schedule is subject to change. Updated as of Oct. 7, 2020.)

4 2020 AHA Annual Membership Meeting & Conference Workbook

Utilizing the Tools for VictoryShane Bedwell Director of Breed Improvement & COO, American Hereford Association

Shane Bedwell is the chief operating officer and director of breed improvement at the American Hereford Association. Through his position with the AHA, Shane oversees the Association’s genetic evaluation and National Reference Sire Program. He also works to promote the breed through a variety of educational events. Prior to joining the AHA, Shane was a professor and livestock judging coach at Colorado State University for eight years. Shane grew up on a cow-calf and stocker ranch near Medicine Lodge, Kan. He is still an active part of the family’s operation today.

Scouting Consumers & Political Climate ChangeDanette Amstein Managing Principal, Midan Marketing

Danette is a managing principal at Midan Marketing, based in Mooresville, N.C., where she develops and carries out the strategic direction and vision for the agency. In addition, she works closely with meat industry clients to outline effective business and marketing communication strategies to ensure business goals are not just met, but surpassed. Danette’s lifelong love for the meat industry started on her family’s farm in Kansas, expanded as she earned a degree in animal science at Kansas State University, deepened during her involvement with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and state beef organizations and continues today with her passionate work for clients. A well-respected thought leader in the meat industry, she speaks at conferences, develops content and is a guest columnist for industry publications. Married to Todd, she is a proud parent of a son and daughter, loves chocolate and still drives a combine when she goes home for the annual wheat harvest.

Scouting Consumers & Political Climate Change Danielle Beck Executive Director of Government Affairs, NCBA

Danielle Beck joined the NCBA in June of 2016. As executive director of government affairs, she oversees the D.C. team responsible for business-facing policies such as trade and cattle markets. Additionally, Danielle is the lead lobbyist on all issues pertaining to tax, credit, appropriations, nutrition and alternative proteins. Prior to joining NCBA, Danielle represented clients across the food and agriculture sector as a lobbyist for The Russell Group. Before that, she spent five years on Capitol Hill working for Congressman Tom Rooney (R-FL), where she managed his work on the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee and House Agriculture Livestock Subcommittee Chairmanship.


Setting Up for Success Nolan Stone S= Cattle Company

Nolan has spent his career in the cattle feeding business. For 18 years, Nolan was general manager of a 100,000-head feedyard. Responsibilities included procurement of traditional and program cattle as well as commodities. In 2017, he left the cattle feeding industry and started his own cattle procurement business, S= Cattle Company. Nolan is a fifth generation Coloradoan who grew up on his family’s ranch in Karval, Colo. He received a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Colorado State University in 1998 and has been immersed in the cattle business ever since. He is the immediate past president of the Colorado Livestock Association, chairman of the Colorado Beef Council and board member for NCBA. Nolan and his wife, Jodi, and their two children, Shae and Dylan, live near Eaton, Colo., where they enjoy operating their own diversified cattle operation as well as spending many hours playing basketball and showing cattle.

Setting Up for Success Lowell T. Midla Cattle Veterinary Technical Services Manager, Merck Animal Health

Dr. Midla was born and raised on a farm in southwestern Pennsylvania where his family raised registered polled Hereford beef cattle. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1988 and his VMD (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine), also from University of Pennsylvania, in 1992.Following graduation, Dr. Midla joined a mixed animal practice in Lancaster County, Pa. In 1994, he moved on to The Ohio State University where he completed a food animal medicine and surgery residency and simultaneously earned a master’s degree. His master’s degree research focused on laminitis and lameness in dairy cattle. In 1996, Dr. Midla and his wife, Joanne, established a veterinary practice near Marianna, Pa. In the fall of 2001, he joined the faculty of The Ohio State University, practicing and teaching at the large animal ambulatory service in Marysville, Ohio. In 2016, he joined the cattle technical services team at Merck Animal Health.Dr. Midla was appointed by the American Association of Bovine Practitioners to serve on the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) Board of Representatives from which he was elected to serve as CAST president in 2013.

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2020 CANDIDATES by Regions

SW Candidates:Jimmy Atlas — TX

Barry Morrell — CARichie Oakes — OK

SE Candidates:Bob Schaffer — VA

NW Candidates:Wyatt Agar — WY

Jerome Ollerich — SD

NE Candidates:N/A

SW Region

Mark St. Pierre, CABecky King-Spindle, NM

(2 spots open)

NE Region

Bruce Everhart, INBill Goehring, IA(2 spots open)

SE Region

Andrew Matheny, KYJoe Waggoner, MS

Whitey Hunt, GA(1 spot open)

Retiring Directors

Joel Birdwell, OKBruce Thomas, MTTommy Mead, GA

NWRegionCraig Beran, KS

Nate Frederickson, SD(2 spots open)


Raised on a multigenerational operation based in eastern Oregon, Wyatt Agar is a manager and a partner in Durbin Creek Ranch, Thermopolis, Wyo., and Washakie Feeders, Worland, Wyo. The seedstock division runs 500 head of females, where artificial insemination (AI) and embryo transfer (ET) technologies are used to produce three-fourths and full siblings. At weaning half of the heifers are retained for the cow herd while the other half are marketed as bred females. Bulls are sold as 2-year-olds in a February production sale, which also includes baldy replacement females and ranch geldings. Calves that do not make the bull pen are fed and used to collect data on the sire groups.

The commercial division runs approximately 1,200 Angus and Red Angus mother cows that are exposed to Hereford bulls to produce first generation (F1) calves. The program collects data from birth to harvest on sires used in the seedstock division. At weaning females are sold in the February production sale. Light steers go to the operation’s stocker program in Oregon, and heavy steers are backgrounded at Washakie Feeders along with 5,000 to 6,000 of the ranch’s bull customers’ calves. These steers are fed to 900 pounds and are finished in Colorado.

Wyatt and his brother grew up on the family’s cow-calf and stocker operation in Oregon, which they later expanded to include the Wyoming divisions. Wyatt and his wife, Joey, strive to raise their children, Rylee, Taylor and Cooper, in the same manner — working side-by-side with family to produce high-quality beef cattle off the land and backed by the cowboy ethic.

As a junior, Wyatt was the vice president of the Oregon Junior Hereford Association. Now, he is a senator in Wyoming’s Senate District 20 and is the first freshman senator in the state’s history to serve on the Appropriation Committee and the Select Capital Finance Committee. Prior to, he served a term as the vice chairman and a term as secretary of the Hot Springs County Republican Party. Wyatt is a former vice chairman of the Transportation Committee, a board member of the Hot Springs County Weed and Pest and a deacon at the First Baptist Church of Thermopolis.

Wyatt Agar

Durbin Creek RanchThermopolis, Wyo.

[email protected]

Jimmy Atlas

Atlas FarmsGrandview, Texas

[email protected]

Introducing the six Hereford Breeders contending for a position on the American Hereford Association Board of Directors.

Jimmy and his wife and teammate, Claudia, own and operate Atlas Farms, a 46-year-old operation in North Central Texas and southwestern Oklahoma. Their diversified program includes over 100 head of registered horned and polled Hereford cow-calf pairs and a grain and cotton farm. The ground was historically used for cotton, and the Atlases have reduced production costs by running cattle on harvested crop residue and have doubled cropland through no-till drilling. The family strives to breed and to market functional cattle that compete in the showring and fit the wants and needs of commercial breeders. To achieve these goals, they prioritize heat resistance while maintaining performance in their breeding and culling programs.

Jimmy grew up on a sharecropper cotton, corn and small-grain farm with commercial Hereford and Angus cattle in Grandview, Texas. He later added to the farm by purchasing property his grandfather lived on when he arrived in Texas from Ellis Island as an orphan immigrant. After graduating college, Jimmy was the herdsman for the registered Hereford operation Chisholm Trail Ranch in Rhome, Texas, before he and Claudia started their own operation. Additionally, he spent 35 years in the steel production industry, working in the melt shops and rolling mills.

A lifetime member of the American Hereford Association (AHA), Jimmy was involved in Hereford programs as a junior and showed horned and polled heifers and steers. His daughter, Precious, exhibited in every junior national show from 1989-2004. During that time, the family was active in hosting the junior nationals in Abilene and Fort Worth and both Jimmy and Claudia have been advisors for the Texas Junior Polled Hereford Association. Precious and her husband, Sam, recently purchased land near the Atlas family farm, bringing their tow kids home to be actively involved in the farm’s daily operation as the fourth generation. Jimmy is a past president of the Texas Polled Hereford Association and is currently a director and the vice president of the Texas Hereford Association. He is also a past committee chairman of the Johnson County Farm Service Agency.


Richie Oakes of Taloga, Okla., was raised on a 600-head registered and commercial cattle operation that included wheat and hay production. Now the fourth generation to work his family’s land, he is co-owner and manager of his family’s same ranching operation, OK Angus Ranch, which is nationally recognized for raising and feeding high-grading cattle as proven through feedlot data.

In 2006 he and his wife, Marylu, achieved their lifelong dream of re-establishing the Vanderwork Herefords brand. With the help of Scotty and Cindy Vanderwork, the family returned to their roots of raising registered Herefords that are functional and eye appealing — a tradition established by Richie’s father-in-law in the 1930s. With a focus on producing competitive show cattle which still meet the demands of beef consumers, the operation maintains a registered herd of 75 cows, six donor cows and approximately 30 recipients. Vanderwork Herefords has received an AHA Hereford Bull of the Year award and has twice been named Oklahoma Hereford Breeder of the Year.

An Oklahoma State University graduate, Richie was on the livestock judging team and received a degree in agriculture. Before returning home, he taught vocational agriculture for four years. Today, he enjoys judging cattle shows from the local to the national level. The Oakeses raised their son, Matt, and daughter, Ashley, in the farming and ranching industry and are now the proud grandparents of six grandchildren with whom they share their Christian values and love for Hereford cattle.

A past president of the Oklahoma Hereford Association (OHA), Richie is serving a re-elected third term and is the first vice president of the OHA board. He has also been a voting delegate for Oklahoma to the AHA Annual Meeting. Beyond serving the red-and-white breed, Richie was the beef superintendent for the Oklahoma Youth Expo for 19 years and the general livestock superintendent of the Oklahoma State Fair for 17 years. He is now the beef superintendent for the California Youth Ag Exposition. In addition to his agricultural pursuits, Richie has been the pastor of the Mega Church in Camargo, Okla., for 18 years.

Barry Morrell is the co-owner of Morrell Ranches, a seedstock Hereford and commercial cattle operation based in Willows, Calif. Barry, his wife, Carrie, and daughter, Bailey, founded Morrell Ranches in 2004 to grow the family’s operation into the third generation of Hereford cattle producers. Barry’s and Carrie’s families both raised Hereford cattle, and the couple met through the breed. After marriage, the two combined their herds to form A&M Cattle and later adopted the ranch name, Morrell Ranches. The Morrell herd includes 120 head of Hereford cattle, 80 commercial recipients, approximately 40 bulls sold private treaty and in annual consignment sales, and 20 heifers sold private treaty each year.

Barry is a strong supporter of the working cattleman and ensures Morrell Ranches offers bulls that exceed standards in terms of structure, carcass merit and phenotype. The operation utilizes AI, ET and in vitro fertilization (IVF) to ensure their herd is comprised of leading genetic influences throughout the breed. After graduating from Chico State University with a degree in animal science, Barry realized his career interests were more suited as an agronomist, leaving Carrie to work the day-to-day operations of the ranch. Barry has worked for Colusa County Farm Supply for 26 years and is the vice president of the company, which is recognized as the largest fertilizer and chemical supplier in Northern California. In recent years, Barry brought his work home, and the family now grows conventional oat hay for use on the ranch. They have also planted 60 acres of walnut trees and 320 acres of almond trees.

Morrell Ranches was awarded the California-Nevada Hereford Association Breeder of the Year Award in 2011 and the California Beef Cattle Improvement Association Seedstock Producer of the Year Award in 2013. Barry has served on the California-Nevada Hereford Association board for two decades and the Western States Hereford board for 18 years. His commitment to serving Hereford breeders has been passed down to Bailey, who is a director for the National Junior Hereford Association. Beyond the breed, Barry is an active member of the Glenn-Colusa Cattlemen Association, local FFA advisory committees and the Glenn-Colusa Farm Credit advisory board.

Richie Oakes

Vanderwork Herefords

Taloga, [email protected]

580-572-8395

Barry Morrell

Morrell RanchesWillows, Calif.

[email protected]


Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Maryland, Bob Schaffer owns Deer Track Farm in Spotsylvania, Va. The farm produces high-quality female seedstock and performance-tested bulls. After high school, Bob served in the Navy from 1968-72. Leveraging the skills he learned from his naval training, Bob spent 38 years in the computer-services industry, retiring in 2012 as a director for corporate program management. Although he had little exposure to agriculture growing up, Bob learned about his family’s agricultural roots from his grandfather, who had moved to Washington, D.C., during the Great Depression. Inspired by his grandfather’s stories, Bob established Deer Track Farm in 1979 with his wife, Shirley, and their children.

From the word go, the farm has incorporated leading industry tools and technology to assure superior standards. Registered Herefords were introduced in 1996, and to grow the herd, Bob flushed high-end cows and transferred the embryos into his commercial cow herd. Five Deer Track Farm bulls have been accepted into the AHA’s National Reference Sire Program. Bob is one of the original 40 Gold Whole Herd Total Performance Record (TPRTM) breeders and has been recognized as a Gold TPR breeder every year since the program’s inception. Naturally, he achieved Platinum TPR breeder status in the fall of 2020.Bob joined the Virginia Hereford Association (VHA) in 1997 and served on the board for 18 years, seven of which he held the role of president or vice president. He spearheaded and managed the VHA’s Bull Development Program, which has tested over 800 bulls since 2001 and has increased the marketability of Hereford bulls in Virginia. He also produced a historical video featuring original charter members of the 1968 Virginia Polled Hereford Association.

In 2017 Deer Track Farm hosted both a VHA Field Day and a Certified Hereford Beef® Field Day, where the Sysco® sales team learned about beef production firsthand. With conservation a priority, the farm is part of the United States Department of Agriculture Conservation Easement Program to ensure land will not be subdivided and developed. Deer Track Farm was recognized with the Clean Water Farm Award in both 1994 and 2013 by the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Department of Conservation and Recreation and was honored as the 1994 Conservation Farmer of the Year for Spotsylvania County.

In Winner, S.D., Jerome Ollerich operates Ollerich Bros. Herefords along with his brother, James. With their father’s help, the brothers got their start in the Hereford business with a 4-H project, sparking a lifelong passion for the breed. More than 50 years later, the Olleriches have grown their project into an operation consisting of approximately 100 Hereford cows and 30 bulls, which are marketed through annual private treaty sales. Ollerich cattle have been sold to producers in 13 states and three foreign countries.

With an extensive background in the cattle industry, Jerome is knowledgeable on many aspects of the business. Before relocating to Winner, he grew up on a diversified farm in Sioux Falls, S.D., which included corn, soybeans, oats and a commercial cow herd. Additionally, his father owned a livestock auction barn and co-owned a grain elevator and a 10,000-head commercial feedlot. Jerome’s brother is involved in the trucking business and primarily hauls cattle.

Jerome is very active with the South Dakota Hereford Association (SDHA). A past president, he has served two terms on its board of directors. In 2019 the SDHA recognized Ollerich Bros. Herefords with the Seedstock Producer of the Year award, the same year in which the brothers received the Golden Breeder award from the AHA. They have also hosted the South Dakota Junior Hereford Association Field Day back-to-back years and look forward to hosting the event in the future.

In his community, Jerome served two terms on the township board and has served on the local church board. He was also a director of the South Dakota Rodeo Association for seven years.

Bob Schaffer

Deer Track FarmSpotsylvania, Va.

[email protected]

Jerome Ollerich

Ollerich Bros. Herefords

Winner, [email protected]

605-557-3246


Billy Ashe

Selmer, Tenn.

Introducing the three American Hereford Association Hall of Fame Inductees.

In the spring of 1956, a first-year student at the University of Tennessee with an FFA state farmer degree hitched a ride to Stillwater, Oklahoma. After leaving Selmer, Tennessee, at 9 p.m., Billy Ashe arrived at Oklahoma State University at 10 the next morning and was enrolled in fall classes and back on the road to Tennessee by 3 that afternoon. Bound and determined to be a cattleman, Billy spent his youth learning the ins and outs of the beef industry working for many established ranches and competing on OSU’s livestock judging team coached by Dr. Robert Totusek. Billy’s love of learning has never faltered, and his wisdom extends to those young and old and coast to coast.

This lifetime resident of Selmer started his registered Hereford herd from scratch in 1963 after earning a degree in animal science and serving two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He quickly became a key influencer in the commercial adoption of Hereford genetics in the Southeast and was a driving force in establishing the Tennessee Hereford Marketing Program feeder calf sale, which set the standard for similar sales marketing Hereford genetics. He helped merge the horned and polled Tennessee state associations and under his presidency the membership of the Tennessee Hereford Association doubled. Jeremiah Malone, president of the Tennessee Hereford Association, describes Billy as a “great champion of the breed” and a man who “gives 110% to anyone who will reach out.”

Billy is eager to credit his wife of 44 years, Joyce; son, Wesley; and daughter, Patti, and their families for their endless support of his achievements and for carrying on the Ashewood Farm legacy. His other role models include his father, William C., as well as Neil Trask, Earl Purdy and the Circle M Polled Hereford Ranch operation. A firm believer in education, Billy is dedicated to tracking statistics and was an early adopter of performance testing and artificial insemination. He works tirelessly to help others in their quest for education, and has established the W.C. and Addillia Ashe Agriculture Education Memorial Scholarship to support emerging agriculturalists.

Fellow Hereford breeders Fred McMurry, Eric Walker and Marty Lueck commend Billy as an innovative, astute cattleman who is an ambassador and lifelong learner of the breed, and Tim Dennis of Glade Haven Herefords in New York has dubbed Billy a “bubbling fountain of Hereford knowledge.”

Mark Cooper of Cooper Hereford Ranch in Montana, says, “Billy truly exemplifies everything that is positive and good about the Hereford breed. His work ethic, integrity and commitment to his family’s operation serves as an example to all those wishing to make their mark in an industry full of great cattlemen and cattlewomen.”


The late Warren Brown and his wife, Isabel, 98, of Hartland, Wisconsin, are widely respected for their mentorship and leadership within the Hereford breed. The couple married in 1941, bringing together two established families from southeastern Wisconsin. Soon after their union Warren served in WWII aboard a destroyer escort, and upon homecoming he and Isabel purchased a nursery farm in Waukesha County where they established a herd of polled Hereford cattle.

Warren and Isabel each bought a polled heifer at the 1953 Illinois State Sale and began showing cattle under the herd letters W-I-B, a prefix now found throughout the U.S. and even Costa Rica. Their three children became active in showing Herefords, and the couple naturally became leaders in Hereford youth programs. They were integral in establishing the Wisconsin Junior Hereford Association and have counseled countless youth in and out of the show ring.

The Browns helped establish the formerly named Wisconsin Polled Hereford Association and were known as the face of the association for many years. Each served as president and Isabel led the organization as the executive secretary. She was also the first president of the Wisconsin Poll-ettes.

They also worked tirelessly in their community. Among the many organizations and boards they served, the pair were dedicated to the Waukesha Country Fair and its livestock show. Isabel was an active 4-H leader and organized the county’s first livestock auction to fundraise for a county beef barn, and was named Honorary Fair Marshall of the Waukesha Country Fair.

Jerry Huth of Huth Polled Herefords in Oakfield, Wisconsin, says, “There are few people who can match the passion of Warren and Isabel Brown for the promotion and advancement of the beef business and the Hereford breed. Warren and Isabel are a model of the people that have made this breed great — untiring and continuous support of the beef industry, promotion of national and state Hereford organizations, and their love and support of the Hereford breed and the people who call themselves Hereford breeders.”

Jim Birdwell of Fletcher, Oklahoma, who auctioneered the Browns’ production sales for several years, adds, “They were truly icons in their own way and the Hereford breed is stronger today and in the future because of their contributions given unselfishly to a breed of cattle they truly believed in.”

In celebration of their successes, the pair has been awarded Livestock Producer of the Year by the Wisconsin Livestock Breeders Association as well as Cattle Producer of the Year by the Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association. In 1995, Warren and Isabel were inducted to the Wisconsin Hereford Association Hall of Fame for their efforts as “breeders who have given unselfishly to the benefit of the Hereford breed.” It is our pleasure to honor them on a national level for their commitment to keeping the Hereford breed at the forefront of the industry.

Warren & Isabel Brown

Hartland, Wis.


John & Ginger Dudley

Comache, Texas

Distinguished leaders John and Ginger Dudley have left their mark on the Hereford breed in the state of Texas and across the country. In partnership with multiple family members, the pair operates Dudley Bros. in Comanche, Texas, and carry on a legacy of producing commercially focused registered Herefords.

Dudley Bros. began as a three-way partnership in 1927 between John’s father and two uncles. The registered herd was added in 1938 and the operation’s first of now 59 annual production sales was hosted in 1962. John, who was born and raised on the ranch, met Ginger at Trinity University in San Antonio. He later attended Thunderbird School in Arizona and then served in the U.S. Navy for four years. Two years later, John and Ginger married and settled down in Comanche. John and Ginger enjoy spending time with their son, Gardner, and his wife, Elizabeth, along with their three grandsons Will, Thomas and Hudson.

Today, Dudley Bros. operates as a family-owned limited partnership with a limited liability company serving as the managing general partner. Currently, 14 family members are shareholders — John and Ginger Dudley, Jim and Margaret Dudley, T. J. and Kerry Dudley, Tom and Melissa Dudley, Ray and Monica Dudley, Harry and Rhonda Dudley and Julia Dudley Allison. John is the president of the Dudley Bros. LLC.

Phillip Burns of Burns Farms Herefords in Tennessee praises John and Ginger for their outstanding teamwork. He says, “John and Ginger have been the glue that has helped make the family partnership work, and the vision and strategic direction of the successful business has largely derived from their effort. Their mutual support and affection for each other is contagious.”

John and Ginger have devoted countless hours serving organizations within the Hereford breed the cattle industry. John is a past president of the Texas Hereford Association and Ginger is a past president of the Texas Hereford Women. While on the American Hereford Association Board, John was part of the merger committee and he considers making that initiative a reality the most significant activity he was involved with as a director. His extensive leadership positions outside of the breed include serving as president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. John previously held a seat on the executive committee for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and was chairman of the advertising committee. He was also a chairman of the Texas Beef Council.

Arthur Uhl of Powell Herefords in San Angelo, Texas, recognizes John and Ginger as “tireless advocates of not only the Hereford breed, but agriculture, conservation, culture and community as well.” The couple established the Jackson Albert Dudley Scholarship fund and were leaders in forming Friends of Historic Comanche Inc. John was also appointed to the board of regents of the Texas State University System and was an outspoken advocate for agriculture programs in the system’s seven universities. Additionally, he served as director for the Texas Agricultural Land Trust.

Longtime friend and peer Jack Chastain, executive secretary for the Texas Hereford Association (THA), says John serves with purpose and sincerity in every role he holds. “John’s passion for the ranch and for the Hereford breed has contributed not only to his personal ranching success but to the success of our Texas Hereford Association,” Chastain says. “His business and political science degrees were most helpful in shaping programs and policies of THA.”


Burke Healey

Davis, Okla.

The late Burke Healey, or “Mr. Hereford” as he is fondly remembered, is recognized as a visionary of the Hereford breed and the beef industry at large.

Burke’s journey in the Hereford breed began in 1950 at the age of 18 when he and his younger brother Skip purchased the Flying L Ranch located in Davis, Okla. The partnership continued through 1988 at which time they decided to bring their children into the operations. It was then Burke renamed his portion to the Southern Cross Ranch. Burke’s children continue the operation today.

A respected cattleman, Burke was ahead of his time in recording quantitative measurements and using cutting-edge data to evaluate and to improve his herd’s genetics. One of his most notable achievements is developing the frame score chart, a tool widely adopted by the beef industry.

This past president of the American Hereford Association lead the way in forming the Whole Herd Total Performance Records (TPRTM) program during his tenure on the Board. Peers and fellow directors Guy Colyer, Jack Holden, Vern Rausch and Dale Venhuizen credit Burke as a pioneer in performance testing and as an instrumental leader in the merger of the national horned and polled associations. Burke’s other influential ideas included performance pedigrees and making data available online.

As an industry leader, Burke was very active in the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Beef Improvement Federation and was one of the 15 people who wrote the original Long Range Plan for the beef industry. His efforts earned him numerous awards, including the BIF Continuing Service and Pioneer awards, BEEF Magazine’s Trailblazer of the Year and recognition in Bob deBaca’s book Courageous Cattlemen, which described the key influencers of the U.S. beef performance movement. Burton Eller of Virginia, a former executive vice president of the National Cattlemen’s Association, says, “Burke was never afraid to stand up to advocate for a promising new idea or to defend a tried and true principle. He always had both feet planted firmly on solid ground and was a true thinker for Herefords and for the beef industry.”

At home, Burke was very active in community organizations and was often the name behind an anonymous donation supporting the emerging leaders of local 4-H and FFA programs. Roger Stuber of North Dakota describes Burke as “a man who gave more than he got” who was “honest, willing, dedicated to purpose and a true Hereford leader.”

Bob Drake, past president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, remembers Burke as a mentor, teacher and an individual who could relate to every part of the cattle industry. He says, “When we lost Burke Healey, we lost a giant who represented the Hereford industry, all of the cattle industry and all of agriculture.”

Although Burke has been posthumously inducted into the Hereford Hall of Fame, his firm belief in Hereford cattle and their contribution to the genetic pool of the nation’s beef herd is a legacy that will continue to live on.

Introducing the American Hereford Association Hall of Merit Inductee.


Thursday, OCT. 22 | 7:00 p.m.

Certified Hereford Beef® AwardsPacker of the Year • Retailer of the Year • Foodservice of the Year

Vanier Family Scholarships — $10,000 Each

NJHA Fed Steer Shootout Overall Grand Champion SteerChampion Purebred Pen of ThreeReserve Champion Purebred Pen of ThreeChampion Purebred IndividualReserve Champion Purebred IndividualChampion Commercial Pen of ThreeReserve Champion Commercial Pen of ThreeChampion Commercial IndividualReserve Champion Commercial IndividualPerformance Portfolio Top FiveFed Steer Shootout Junior of the Year

HYFA ScholarshipsMGM Memorial Scholarship . . . . . . . . . $2,500Gary Bishop Memorial Scholarship . . . $2,500HYFA Scholarship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,500Ken & Carolyn Larson/ HYFA Scholarship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,500Blin Family Scholarship/HYFA . . . . . . $2,500Tennessee River Music Inc. Scholarship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,500Whitehead Ranches Scholarship . . . . . $2,500Bob and Lucy Kube Scholarship . . . . . . $2,500

Ball/Cottonwood Springs Scholarship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000Bob and Dolores Call Scholarship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000EE Ranches Scholarships . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000Perks Ranch Scholarship. . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000Bar One Ranch/George & Karen Sprague Scholarship . . . . . . . . $5,000

Century Breeders Cottage Hill Farm, WV • Sidwell Herefords, CO

Golden Breeders Bancroft Herefords, MI • Lenth Herefords, IA

Saturday, OCT. 24 | 9:00 a.m.

Hereford Hall of Merit Inductee Burke Healey, OK

Hereford Hall of Fame Inductees Billy Ashe, TN • Warren & Isabel Brown, WI • John & Ginger Dudley, TX

Sunday, OCT. 25 | National Show Awards presented throughout the Hereford show

Southeast Region Awards • Northeast Region Awards Northwest Region Awards • Southwest Region Awards

Event occurs virtually

Event occurs in Kansas City

*All times occur in

Central time zone.

*Schedule is subject to change.

Updated as of Oct. 7, 2020.

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2020 CONFERENCE WORKBOOK

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Documents

2020 CONFERECE WORKBOOK · His master’s degree research focused on laminitis and lameness in dairy cattle. In 1996, Dr. Midla and his wife, Joanne, established a veterinary practice