Creating a Legend:
Bud Sloan by Brittni Drennan
Clifford “Bud” Sloan speaks, everyone listens. W hen He commands attention but never demands. His
reputation is unmatched, yet he is humble. His work ethic is second to none, and his impact on youth is immeasurable. Bud’s retirement marks the end of an extensive, respectable career in the livestock industry, coming to the end of a regime of his tenure with the American Royal Livestock Show that spanned more than 40 years. Bud quickly established his reputation in the livestock industry and gained the re-spect of cattlemen at a relatively early age. By the time he was appointed beef cattle superintendent of the American Royal in the early 1970s, Bud was a reputable herdsman, consultant and superior cattle marketer. His dedication, extensive experience and management techniques yielded him a promotion to livestock superintendent in 1991. “What has made him an icon is the longevity of his career in merchandising of purebred livestock. Being in business since 1971 points out the fact that he’s been a trustworthy, honest and respected person,” said Neil Orth, Executive Vice President of the American-International Charolais Association. Bud didn’t become an instant success. Most would say he paid more than his fair share of dues. He was resilient and simply worked hard for what he wanted to achieve. Born in Kingston, Missouri, in 1939, Bud grew up on a livestock and grain farm in Hamilton, Missouri. Bud’s father died when Bud was just 11 years old, leaving he and his older brother to tend the farm and teaching their mother how to drive. Bud established a work ethic very early. Back before electric shears, Bud would clip a friend’s sheep for extra money. He also milked guernsey cows to sell milk and performed other odd jobs like working in a clothing store and providing janitorial services. Bud was never afraid to work. Actively involved in 4-H and FFA, Bud’s FFA chapter always ranked in the top two or three in the state. He had a successful show career showing pigs and cattle, and like many youth today, those experiences laid the foundation for cattle evaluation and handling. After high school Bud married his childhood sweetheart, Doris Blackburn Sloan, in 1957. The two would grow old together, sharing a storybook of
adventures which included four daughters, two grandchildren, one great-grandson and countless heads of livestock along the way. Bud’s livestock career began after high school when he started working for Ruben Edwards as a herdsman in Middletown, Missouri. At HampAn Farms Bud worked diligently with Hampshire hogs and Angus cattle, and learned about marketing and sale management. After two years at HampAn Farms, Bud moved to Lima, Illinois, to begin a 10-year tenure with Dor Mac Angus Farms working for J.C. McLean, Angus Heritage Foundation inductee. “Bud made his early mark and really made a name for himself as a herdsman while he was with Dor Mac Angus in Illinois where he raised and fitted numerous champions,” Neil said. “He was looked up to by his peers even at a young age.” Bud attributes J.C. for much of his knowledge and experience, having raised four consecutive International bull champions among numerous other achievements. Starting the show circuit in July with county fairs, Bud travelled the country fitting and showing cattle, ending the circuit in February at the Houston Livestock Show. Bud was present when the Dor Macs Bardoliermere 150th Angus show bull entered the ring, representing one of the last Dor Mac bull champions in 1959. “J.C. didn’t have a big herd, but he had a great herd,” Bud said. “He was quite the master breeder who I learned a lot from and was very fair to me. He just knew how to breed livestock.” Although they raised exceptional heifers, Bud said J.C. would not sell any and would retain them for replacement heifers. After some convincing, Bud finally got the chance to start showing heifers. “Two heifers were just about unbeatable,” Bud recalled. “We would start at the Angus Futurity when it was in Lexington, Kentucky, at the Keeneland Racetrack. It was the
A legend can only be imitated, never duplicated.
28
MAY
2016
CHAROLAIS JOURNAL