For information regarding invoicing: Gregory LeCure GregLecure@schwartzlecure.com
Ernie Dominguez
Executive Vice President
ernie@blackhereford.org (512) 567 - 7840
Registration, Membership, DNA & Supplies
Jennifer or Stephanie
service@blackhereford.org
(816) 431 - 6960
Communications Coordinator
Brianna Chavez
brianna@blackhereford.org
For information regarding invoicing:
Gregory LeCure
GregLecure@schwartzlecure.com
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Welcome to the Summer issue of the American Black Hereford!
We just recently celebrated our 9th annual Junior National event in Springfield, MO. The Junior Board and Junior Committee put together a topnotch event. It was a great time for fun, fellowship, and healthy competition. It was exciting to see both old and a lot of new faces. This junior’s group is stronger than ever and I’m confident we are in good hands going into the future. Thank you to all our generous sponsors, who once again rose to the occasion and helped make our event a huge success! You’ll read more about this year’s Junior National event later in the magazine.
The Board continues to look at programs and services we can provide to our members that will make an impact and bring value to our members and the Association. Earlier this summer, the Board unanimously voted to now request DNA markers from the AHA and AAA for any nominated AHA sire, AAA sire and donor females from both respective associations. The nomination fees on AHA or AAA sires are applicable for when an AHA or AAA sire has not already been nominated (nominations are one time only) and applicable when recording F-1 cattle and registering HB cattle. This new policy was effective May 1, 2025. Cattle already in the system will be grandfathered in and not be required to request DNA markers. However, DNA markers may be requested for animals already in Digital Beef for a fee. We are also exploring more avenues for breed promotion and reaching the broader commercial audience. Last fall, the ABHA was featured on an episode of the American Rancher on RFD TV. The American Rancher is seen in 500,000 households weekly, on average, based on metro Neilson ratings. The episode is also posted on YouTube and has had over 45,000 views! A follow up episode is being discussed and we are looking forward to continuing to showcase what the Black Hereford breed has to offer.
We have a lot to look forward to as we move into the second half of the calendar year. Our annual member meeting, A Royal Affair sale, and national shows in October at the American Royal in Kansas City are all right around the corner. I hope you will make plans to join us in Kansas City! It will be a great opportunity for you to meet other ABHA members and learn more about how to take advantage of all the ABHA has to offer. I can’t think of a better time to be part of a breed that can truly make an impact in the cattle industry and as a member, be part of shaping what this breed is all about. That’s the beauty of being part of the ABHA. If you can’t tell, I am excited about what the future holds for our breed!
Please reach out if you have any questions or ideas for how we can continue to make a positive impact for the breed and this industry. We are all in this together, we will continue to work together to keep the ABHA strong, and American Black Hereford proud.
Hope to see you in Kansas City!
ASSOCIATION UPDATES
BLACK HEREFORD FOUNDATION
This entity is a 501c3 non-profit organization formed to allow supporters to make tax-deductible donations to support Junior/youth scholarships, education and research opportunities. For more information please contact ABHA Staff.
BOARD OF DIRECTOR ELECTIONS
ABHA Board elections will take place in September. There are two board sets up for election. A complete listing of candidate profiles will be available in August. Elections will be hosted on the Election Buddy platform again this year. A printable ballot will be available upon request.
INVOICING
All registrations and testing fees are billed through Digital Beef and should be paid on that platform. All other invoices for advertising, sponsorship, etc. should be paid using the invoice sent by email or by check mailed to ABHA, P.O. Box 936 Elgin, TX 78621.
SUBMIT UPCOMING SALES & EVENTS
Do you have an upcoming sale or event that needs to be listed on the ABHA event calendar? Send this info to ernie@blackhereford.org and we will add it to our upcoming events listing as well as on the ABHA website. This is a free service to our members.
ANNUAL MEMBER MEETING & NATIONAL SALE
Join us in Kansas City October 11th for our annual member meeting and national sale. More details can be found in this magazine and on the ABHA website.
GE-EPD DESIGNATION IN DIGITAL BEEF
Any animal that has genomically enhanced EPDs will receive the ABHA GE-EPD logo on their profile in Digital Beef. As a reminder, it could take up to 2 weeks after the test results are banked in Digital Beef for the enhanced EPDs to be reflected and to see the logo on the animal’s profile.
PERFORMANCE DATA
Inputting performance data into Digital Beef is free, can be updated anytime, and helps to keep accurate records. For assistance inputting data, please contact Jennifer at (816) 431 - 6960 or service@blackhereford.org or (816) 431 - 6960.
BLACK HEREFORD CATTLE FOR SALE
Looking for cattle to purchase or consign? Do not forget to check out our consignment sale list located at the top of the Digital Beef Cattle search screen Active breeders may use this tool at any time to consign or post cattle for sale as long as you have a login for Digital Beef.
Rod Garman
ABHA Board President
ABHA OFFICERS
Vice President
Matt Marsh (912) 425 - 0365
Treasurer
Todd Hampton (523) 302 - 4293
Secretary Dirck Hoagland (816) 225 - 1246
ABHA BOARD
Mike Hamilton (618) 410 - 4293
Mark Ipsen (208) 681 - 4794
Chad Jones (913) 731 - 3428
Jeremiah Malone (931) 302 - 6805
Jacob Moreno (417) 763 - 4233
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Well, I don’t know about where you are, but summer has definitely arrived here in the South. We’ve had some rain, the grass is green, and cattle prices are still holding strong at record levels.
We’ve successfully wrapped up another Junior Nationals in Springfield, MO — and what an event it was. I couldn’t be prouder of our Juniors. They brought out an outstanding set of cattle and put on an incredible display. In fact, this might be the best set of cattle we’ve seen at a Junior National show to date. Beyond that, our Juniors continue to represent the ABHA with integrity, respect, and professionalism. It’s a real testament to the future of our breed.
Congratulations to all the Juniors who received scholarships this year! And a big thank you to everyone who contributed to the scholarship fund. We’re especially grateful to an ABHA member who has committed $2,500 annually for the next 20 years to support the ABHA Foundation and future scholarships. That kind of generosity helps ensure our young people continue to thrive.
I’d also like to thank Missouri State University for their warm hospitality and the use of their facilities, as well as our incredible sponsors—your support makes events like this possible. And of course, a huge thank you to all the parents who take time off and travel to bring their kids to these events. Your dedication doesn’t go unnoticed.
Looking ahead, don’t forget that the deadline to enter cattle in the National Sale this October is approaching. I hope to see all of you in Kansas City for our Annual Member Meeting, Show, and Sale on October 11th and 12th.
There’s a lot of exciting momentum right now. The Black Hereford breed is one of the fastest-growing cattle breeds in the country. Our registrations and memberships are up by double digits, and the cattle just keep getting better and better. That’s all thanks to each of you who are committed to improving the quality and future of this breed.
Hope to see you in Kansas City!
May God bless you and the ABHA.
Rod Garman
2025 AMERICAN ROYAL SCHEDULE OF
EVENTS
OCTOBER 11, 2025
Black Hereford National Sale
American Royal Wagstaff Sale Center Kansas City, MO
OCTOBER 11, 2025
Annual Member Meeting & Dinner
American Royal Wagstaff Sale Center Kansas City, MO
OCTOBER 12, 2025
Black Hereford National Junior & Open Show Kansas City, MO
The 9th annual ABHA Junior National event was held June 11-14 at the Darr Agriculture Center at Missouri State University in Springfield, MO. where 50 exhibitors from 14 different states exhibited 80 cattle entries. The Junior National event offered eight contests to equip junior members with tools they can use in the show ring as well as future career success. In addition to the contests, there were interviews for Scholarships, Queen, Princess, and Board of Directors candidates.
The event kicked off on Thursday morning with opening ceremonies led by AHBA Executive Vice President Ernie Dominguez, followed by an AJBHA Junior annual meeting, and an afternoon full of showmanship and fitting clinics and contests. Friday was packed with contests including Individual Sales, Cattle Judging, Cattlemen’s Quiz, Showmanship, and the Bred & Owned Show. The day was capped off with an awards banquet that recognized the winners from the contests, along with the announcement of our scholarship winners and the crowning of the ABHA Queen and Princess. During the banquet, an auction was held containing items donated by ABHA members, and all of the proceeds went to support the association’s junior program.
At the Junior Annual Meeting, they elected new officers and new members to serve on the junior board of directors. On Saturday, the Junior National event culminated with the Owned Cow/Calf, Heifer, Bull, and Steer shows.
The Junior Committee did a fantastic job planning the event this year. The ABHA and AJBHA would like to thank all of the breeders, members, parents, sponsors, and supporters that made this event possible. With your continued support, the ABHA will host this wonderful event each year and provide valuable opportunities for ABHA youth to connect with each other and secure the future of this amazing breed.
The AJBHA leadership team has hit the ground running to plan new opportunities for our youth and breeders. They are beyond grateful for all of the support that we have received, and they are excited to serve our members on a new level this year.
The ABHA would also like to thank all the members that attended and worked so hard while at the event to help make everything successful. A very special thank you goes out to Rancho Moreno who provided meals for the juniors and their families during the entire event! The success of this event is a great testimony of ABHA members working together for one common purpose. These juniors are the future of our breed and as adult members, we should be very proud of the accomplishments that they have made.
MARKETING MATERNAL PROFIT IN A SHORT-TERM FOCUSED UNIVERSE
Marty Ropp, Allied Genetic Resources
Significant economic information, data, and research consistently suggest that maternal traits are two to three times more impactful to profitability than are growth and carcass traits. Despite this, many producers historically select almost solely for terminal traits when choosing their genetics, while continuing to claim that their focus is on the long term.
There is no doubt that advancing terminal and meat quality traits are crucial for the success of the beef industry as a whole, but this need not come totally at the expense of ranch profitability. Even poorly thought-out decisions, like not utilizing planned crossbreeding and hybrid vigor in the cow herd, are terminal choices that erode profitability far out into the future.
WHEN TO SELECT FOR TERMINAL TRAITS
Certainly, there are circumstances where producers should select largely or even solely for terminal traits. Producers who do not retain any replacement females from their herds should absolutely prioritize terminal value. Also, those who plan to exit the business in the next three years can focus solely on terminal traits. Beef-ondairy and niche breed scenario enterprises also fall onto this list where terminal traits are king. For those exiting the industry without new generation succession on the ranch, he or she might be best off to just harvest those calf crops off the land with as much weight and gross income as possible.
WHY MATERNAL TRAIT SELECTION MATTERS
For the majority, however, who keep their own replacement females and value enterprise success for the long term, maternal, value-generating genetics are crucial in the majority of genetic decisions. For the increasing number of producers purchasing their replacements, it is critical to ensure whomever you purchase from is prioritizing maternal traits, and not simply marketing weight and terminal value.
Fortunately for the beef industry, marbling is the overwhelming influencer of carcass value today, and it is not strongly correlated to fertility or longevity traits either positively or negatively. The only scenario where there may be a relationship between marbling and maternal traits is when a genetic line may have been selected highly for a specific trait like marbling with little or no selection for fertility and longevity traits.
In that specific case, if a line is limited to a small number of highly influential sires, the artificially high genetic influence of these selected sires could create issues in the maternal trait complex. This is not because the traits are highly correlated, but instead because their negative maternal genetic effects were so highly concentrated due to single trait selection bias on that population with no available tools for co-evaluation of high-value maternal profit genetics.
The focus of genetic selection is leaning toward terminal traits, without a solid plan to maintain profit in the long run. While there is appeal to this plan, it doesn’t consider future implications.
As stated, it is clear that today the focus of genetic selection is leaning toward terminal traits, without a solid plan to maintain profit in the long run. Purchasing big, stout bulls with the most growth genetics, at a high price, is becoming the norm. While there is appeal to this plan, it doesn’t consider future implications. Most of these sires are genetically terminal. Traits like actual weaning weight are easy to promote and have been pushed, and it’s sim ply easier to sell the short-term hope of bigger calves 18 months from now.
The benefit of maternal traits, which aren’t fully realized for many years and several generations in the cow herd (five to 15 years), can be much more difficult to market. Saying, “Buy these bulls and in eight to ten years you will be very happy and more profitable,” is a tough, but important sell. Most producers envy those trouble-free and profitable cow herds, generated by many years of commitment to cow profit traits. In fact, we often try to buy females from herds where maternal traits have been prioritized long term. Still, the promise of heavy calves in the near term distracts producers from longer-term goals.
These shortsighted decisions will likely cause operations to suffer through cows that are too expensive to maintain and leave the herd much too quickly in the future. When these females become too expensive to maintain, producers might blame anything from the breed of bulls used, to management systems like health or mineral programs. The bottom line is that your genetic decisions will absolutely affect your enterprise profitability for years and years to come, which is why selection for genetics that promote cow longevity, reduced cost, and ultimately profit is so important. It’s imperative that the industry doesn’t repeat the mistakes of the 70s, 80s, and 90s, which ultimately forced producers to make drastic genetic changes.
COMMON CHALLENGES
There is historical marketing and selection bias shared by many promoters for pounds and “power.” The old adage “we sell cattle by the pound” is true, but can be misleading, as it may have little or nothing to do with actual, long-term enterprise profitability. While it is true that many commercial producers sell calves by the pound each year, there are much better measures of total gross sales than just individual calf weight. Total weight produced by the same cows can also be greatly affected by maternal traits that are not related to and can even be antagonistic to growth.
More calves weaned per cow exposed, less dystocia, faster return to estrus, more calves born in the first 21 days of the breeding season, and a higher percentage of calves born to mature cows than heifers because of greater cow longevity — these are all non-growth-related factors that deliver added income with little or no added cost of production. The bottom line is that when it comes to selecting for growth traits, none of the extra pounds of calf generated come for free.
Individual cow costs are not equal. Therefore, evaluating a cow based on how large the calf she weaned doesn’t paint the full picture, especially if she produced a calf that put enough stress on her system that she bred back late or came in dry. Cows that produce these high-weaning weight calves are often larger, require more feed and resources, and as a result may often stay in the herd for a shorter period of time. As a rough example, a 1,600-pound cow will consume approximately one ton more delivered winter feed than one that weighs 1,200 pounds (based on 150-day feeding period). Certainly, summer and long season stocking rates are reduced as well based on forage consumption, and that difference results in the potential to graze fewer cows on the same land base. A heavier cull cow does return more salvage value, but after ten years of added maintenance it certainly isn’t enough more.
Also, heavier calves bring less per pound, so the value of each additional 100 pounds of weaned calf is much less than the last 100 pounds. If those resources were used to make more calves instead of just heavier ones, the value of each pound of calf produced for the operation would be significantly higher.
500 pounds @ $3.50/pound = $1,750 (Every pound produced is worth $3.40)
600 pounds @ $3.20/pound = $1,920 (+$170 or per $1.70/additional pound)
700 pounds @ $2.90/pound = $2,030 (+$110 or per $1.10/additional pound)
We well know that the number of live calves a female produces and the earlier she calves in the calving season have profound effects on lifetime production and therefore reduce the costs associated with developing her replacement. Most of us attribute added longevity to fertility, but other genetically influenced traits like milk yield, efficiency, mature cow maintenance requirement, environmental adaptation, physical structure, and even disposition can and do affect cow longevity and profit. Crossbred commercial cows, on average, last at least one year longer in production than their purebred counterparts.
MOVING FORWARD
Having emphasized the importance of maternal, long term trait selection, it’s important to note that terminal traits are still significant. Improving genetics for efficient growth, carcass yield, and marbling are crucial for the success of the larger beef industry. Down-chain, other segments face cost increases too, but they only live with the genetics that are delivered to them for a relatively short period of time, compared to a cow-calf operation (six months vs. ten-plus years). With that in mind, segmenting production seems like a pragmatic solution to general improvement for all segments. Perhaps some of these arguments and skyrocketing costs of production might finally drive the commercial beef business into a future with maternal herds and terminal herds, even on the same ranch. The idea being to generate maternal genetics to help produce the lowest-cost and longest-lived females possible, then cordon off a large segment of the nation’s cow herd to be mated to terminal options to create the most profit those cows can generate. It works in other industries, but these structures have just been a harder sell for many in the beef business, partly because of the relatively low reproductive rate in cattle and the unique management challenges of the beef industry. Despite those traditional hurdles, we will likely see more maternal vs. terminal production herds as we move into a more efficient and precisely managed future.
Down-chain, other segments face cost increases too, but they only live with the genetics that are delivered to them for a relatively short period of time, compared to a cow-calf operation.
We are learning more every day about which genetics make the most profitable commercial females for the beef industry, and the results will be sobering to many who have always been fixated on a specific phenotype. Sure, there are crucial phenotypes related to cow longevity. Udder longevity, feet longevity, appropriate (but not extreme) body condition, and other factors have merit to evaluate. Those traits matter for maximum longevity and profit.
The myths about the big, stout, square-hipped, over fleshed, stout-boned, feminine-headed, massive-bodied cow being the longest-lived and most profitable commercial cow, however, just aren’t panning out. Expect some surprises when the dollars are really counted. Cows that produce the most profit over their lifetime in the commercial sector are apt to be below average for size, average muscled at best, more refined appearing, definitely crossbred, and maybe even a little “plain,” at least based on today’s definition. We are discovering it is far better to find the more profitable cows and select for their genetics and physical attributes than it is to decide the physical attributes we prefer up front and hope they are the same as the ones that generate the most profit to the ranch and the larger beef business.
Thankfully, there are now solid genetic and genomic evaluation tools. The STAY EPD, maternal indexes, profit indexes ($API and $TI), and precision genomic sorting (please reference specific tools available through Allied Genetic Resources) can help us move cow longevity in a positive direction, faster, and more consistently. The old adage that “maternal traits are lowly heritable, so we can’t make much progress,” has led to plenty of misunderstanding. Genetics actually play an enormous role in maternal profitability, it was just our challenges with measuring those traits accurately and consistently that made the “E” (Environment) such a large part of the equation and the “G” (Genetic) component seem so small, resulting in low heritability estimates. Now that we can better evaluate fertility, longevity, and the other factors involved in the maternal trait complex, the realized heritability is improving each and every year.
These tools should be used when making bull buying decisions more often, rather than fixating on marginally useful, often-unrepeatable, and highly variable data like actual weaning weights. If more maternal trait tool use and emphasis is employed, our cow-calf operations will definitely have a longer and more profitable future, guaranteed.
SALES DIGEST
Blountville, TN Apr. 5, 2025
Auctioneer: Dale Stith
Bulls
Bred Cows
Cow/Calf Pairs
3-in-1’s
Bred Heifers
$4,039
$3,488
$3,934
$4,967
$3,625 Open Heifers
$3,196 Commercial Heifers $1,828.57
TOTAL $240,850
High Selling Bull - $4,750
Williams Farms - Boaz, AL
High Selling Bred Cow - $4,800
Gaestel Family Farms - Sherpardstown, WV
High Selling Cow/Calf Pair - $4,600
Williams Farms - Boaz, AL
High Selling 3-in-1 - $7,200
Windy Hills Black Herefords - Boaz, AL
High Selling Bred Heifer - $4,600
Bear Creek Ranch - Boaz, AL
High Selling Open Heifer - $5,750
Triple C Black Herefords - Killen, AL
High Selling Commercial Heifer - $2,100
E&E Cattle - Nicholsville, VA
2nd Annual Production Sale - Back to the Basics
Killen, AL May. 10, 2025
Auctioneer: Dustin Layton TOTAL $358,250 Donation $5,250 TOTAL + DONATION $363,500
BREEDER DIRECTORY ALABAMA
TENNESSEE
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
NEW MEMBERS
ALABAMA
Brylee Goode
Florence, AL
Rowan Langley
Camphill, AL
WOLF HOLLOW FARMS
Steve Liverett Boaz, AL
STRICKLAND FARM
Jimmy Srickland Brindidge, AL
TARPLEY HILL FARM
Anthony Tarpley Lester, AL
ARKANSAS
BROWN FARMS LLC
Craig Brown Pocahontas, AR
CALIFORNIA
ROCKING 45 BLACK HEREFORDS
Nicholas Bastian Springville, CA
FLORIDA
DOUBLE H RANCH
William Hertensen Bascom, FL
INDIANA
Cosbee Baum
Norman, IN
Gabe Norton
West Terre Haute, IN
Gavin Norton
West Terre Haute, IN
INDIANA
Ivy Phillips Shoals, IN
ROBIN & ANN ROBERTS FARM
Ann Roberts
West Terre Haute, IN
Oliver Smith
Terre Haute, IN
KANSAS
H&F RANCH
Jason Butler Independence, KS
Riley England Osawatomie, KS
KENTUCKY
TIGHT KNIT RIDGE FARM
Lee Carlton Springfield, KY
LARA CATTLE COMPANY
Gustavo Lara
Pleasureville, KY
RAKES PARADISE
Ashley Rakes Springfield, KY
SPALDING FARM
Paul Spalding Mt. Washington, KY
LOUISIANA
LAZY 2D FARMS LLC
Darren Dannehl
Grayson, LA
MISSOURI
BARKER FAMILY FARM
Bruce Barker
Licking, MO
THILKING BLACK HEREFORDS
Caleb Thilking
Odessa, MO
MISSISSIPPI
Adalyn Lewis
Wiggins, MS
SR OPERATIONS, LLC
John & Krista St Romain
Poplarville, MS
OHIO
Raylan Cramblett
Cadiz, OH
OKLAHOMA
ROCKING G RANCH
Orvil Griffith Indianola, OK
CRAZY CREEK RANCH
Sterling & Brenna Griffith Hanna, OK
Jaylee Kelso
Quinton, OK
MURPHY CATTLE
Weston Murphy Haworth, OK
NEW MEMBERS
TENNESSEE
COX FARMS
Dusty Cox Lexington, TN
CREEKRUN FARMS
David Longworth Fairview, TN
Mary Carter Shirley Sparta, TN
TEXAS
Elijah Andrade Forney, TX
DENNISTON CATTLE COMPANY
Audra Denniston West, TX
WISCONSIN
Tristyn Holzhueter Oconomowoc, WI
Hannah Tremaine Oconomowoc, WI
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WEST VIRGINIA
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