The Grand Experiment

Allow me to take a break from the long-running series of “Our Pioneers” for this February column. This article is a coordinated effort with the Register’s editorial staff. Their coverage of the results from the 2022 North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) Simmental shows in Louisville, Kentucky, is presented nearby. Due to the nature of this article, it was important that the ASA’s NAILE coverage and this piece appear in the same edition.

I began the article for the Fleckvieh Forum for the December 2009 Register with the following: “The first Simmental show ever held in North America solely for Fullblood Simmentals, the ‘Pinnacle,’ took place on November 18, 2009, at the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Kentucky.”

If you have access to the Register archives I encourage you to read that edition. I reported that 118 US and Canadian breeders exhibited 52 Fullblood Simmentals. This was an incredible start for an inaugural event and surpassed all expectations.

Now, fast-forward to the February 2017 Register and the Fleckvieh Forum article entitled “Milestones.” I noted that the 2017 NAILE would be a “Milestone” for our program because it would represent ten years since we reintroduced Fullblood Simmental to that prestigious venue. (Note: In 2008, before we had received approvals for a separate show for our Fullbloods, we exhibited 18 head of cattle entered by both US and Canadian breeders. Prior to that, it had been over ten years since the Fullblood Simmentals were represented in Louisville.) Little did I anticipate the favorable response that followed and the interest from our breeders to pursue a separate show. The wheels were set in motion and with the support of many, we made that dream a reality in 2009.

So, here we are in 2023 having completed a hugely successful set of shows this past November. Our 96 entries for our three shows was by far the largest gathering of cattle and people ever. From my observations, as well as feedback from the NAILE beef cattle superintendent and others, perhaps it was a similar result for the entire NAILE event. All the barns were full from wall to wall and then some. Excitement and enthusiasm were a welcomed reprieve from the constraints of the past three years.

It was my hope from the beginning that if we could demonstrate success with the novel concept of a separate show for our Fullblood Simmental cattle in Louisville, others would follow. Many will recall my continued suggestions and requests for others to take up that challenge. It didn’t happen overnight, but it happened! Thanks to Jason and Nikki Gress from Little Creek Farm, there is a show at the Dixie National in Jackson, Mississippi. Lance Smith, Roland, Oklahoma, successfully organized a show at the Cattlemen’s Congress in Oklahoma City. And, thanks to the ASA, three AJSA Regional Classic shows and the National Classic now have separate Fullblood shows.

Randall Townley from TNT Simmental Farm, Cleveland, Georgia, is truly an inspiration for his untiring commitment to supporting our juniors and his efforts to establish these shows in his area. He has successfully established the following shows: Gwinnett County Fair, Lawrenceville, Georgia; Madison County Fair, Comer, Georgia; Heifers in the Hills, Dahlonega, Georgia;

Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina; Governor’s Agricultural School, McCormick, South Carolina; Bartow County Classic, Cartersville, Georgia; Coosa Valley Fair, Rome, Georgia; and the Georgia State Heifer Sh ows, Perry, Georgia (starting in 2023). Beyond those achievements (and far more important) has been his unselfish and dedicated support of our juniors, mentoring and financially assisting 16 juniors in the process.

In our junior program, thanks to efforts by many within the Fullblood Simmental Fleckvieh Federation (FSFF), we now have over 40 enrolled, active participants. The FSFF has a scholarship program available and has announced financial incentives to encourage participation in various shows and other activities. The FSFF junior initiative is working and was created following our NAILE successes. In addition, thanks to Anne-Marie Rasch for establishing the Fleckvieh Foundation, which now serves as the financial conduit for our NAILE initiative. She and Brian Valentine have been invaluable partners over the years allowing us to get to this point. Simple thanks are not enough but are extended to them, our US and Canadian exhibitors, and many others. To list them would require pages but their contributions are forever appreciated.

In conclusion, the future of our Fullblood Simmental shows is brighter than ever. I am still encouraging others to take up the challenge and continue this expansion throughout the US and Canada. The “Grand Experiment” is alive and well! n

Is there a Simmental pioneer who you would like to see profiled? Reach out to Larry Maxey or the editor to submit your suggestions: larryhmaxey@gmail.com • editor@simmgene.com

ASA # 3877088

CMP Class of 2023

To learm more about the CMP visit www.simmental.org, then click Carcass Merit Program under the Commercial tab.

Questions, contact cmp@simmgene.com for more information regarding this program.

The American Simmental Association Carcass Merit Program (CMP) is the beef industry’s most demanding and informative young sire test. The program is a hallmark of ASA breed improvement for economically relevant carcass traits. Commercial producers play an integral part in this project.

u $65 for each AI-sired calf with carcass information u Free semen on top young herd sires u Free ASA Genetic Evaluation on your cow herd u Free genotyping on terminal progeny u Keep any or all replacement females

*The CMP is a structured young sire progeny test. Participating cooperator herds will random sample their cow herd with CMP semen, and the resulting male (or female) progeny will be harvested with individual carcass data gathered. ASA Staff will work with cooperator herds to provide bulls that fit the general criteria of your management program; however, only bulls nominated into the CMP program may be used. Producers are encouraged to be somewhat proficient in Microsoft Excel for accurate and consistent record keeping.