PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

Milestones

by Allen Goode, International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) president

Milestones are to be celebrated. Milestones represent significant spans of time and achievements. Milestones then prompt us to look forward to the future after these celebrations. This month we recognize and celebrate several milestones. The long tenure of our member associations is significant for the contributions they have made to the development of our breed. This year, and in this issue, we celebrate the 30th anniversary milestone of the International Red Brangus Breeders Association (IRBBA). As a proud member of the IRBBA, I am grateful for the forethought of the ten charter members who established a registry for Red Brangus that was in line with the breed standards of the International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA). This shared belief in the standards of Brangus as a breed lead to our union with the IBBA 15 years ago. The leadership of the IRBBA has been steadfast and progressive in the promotion of our Red Brangus cattle all around the world. The breeders of the IRBBA have served as ambassadors for all of Brangus around the world. For the founding breeders, 30 years must seem like the blink of an eye. As a Red Brangus breeder, I can attest to the dedication of Red Brangus breeders to the genetic advancement of our next generations and to continuing to grow the Red Brangus presence in the U.S. and international markets.

Another milestone to celebrate belongs to one of our most accomplished breeders and promoters. He is Myron Saathoff from Texas who received the Jake White Lifetime Achievement Award for the Exhibition of Brangus Cattle. Throughout his career as a breeder of registered seedstock he has made an indelible imprint on many of our breeds most renowned herds. Myron is a master herdsman and showman with a staunch belief in Brangus cattle for their form and function. Myron has always been a stalwart supporter of Brangus juniors, working to provide them opportunities with cattle and education of the beef industry. We thank Myron for his contributions as breeder and mentor, and congratulate him on this honor.

This year’s spring sale season is another important annual milestone. What a banner one it has been! This is a direct result of the years of disciplined breeding and innovative marketing by IBBA members. After the challenges of the year 2020, 2021 is proving the resiliency of our industry and the demand for high-quality seedstock backed by data and science. As Dr. Wilkes has shared from the sales block the season, the CattleFax outlook for the next few years is extremely positive. This will bode well for Brangus, Red Brangus, and Ultra cattle as we continue to focus on the performance traits and data that every aspect of the beef industry needs.

The final milestone I’d like us to celebrate is really one of looking forward and the return of our summer activities. It will be an event packed calendar filled with great Brangus cattle, education, and entertainment. May kicks off the summer calendar with the 30th Anniversary Meeting of the IRBBA. June will offer the final elite sales of the spring season, the Beef Improvement Federation Conference, followed by the kick off of the new Standard of Excellence show season with the Texas Invitational and the Texas State Junior Show. July will feature the 50th anniversary of the Brangus Futurity and the National Junior Brangus Show in Belton, Texas. Then in August the IBBA will gather in Nashville, Tennessee, for the Brangus Summit in conjunction with the Cattle Industry Convention & National Cattleman’s Beef Association (NCBA) Trade Show. The Brangus Summit will include important committee and member meetings, and will feature events that reinvigorate the Brangus Foundation. I encourage you to join us in Nashville to represent Brangus to the beef industry

So, with appreciation for the contributions and achievements that milestones mark, let’s also use them to look forward and come together to elevate our breed and the IBBA.

IRBBA President Marcos Borges •(979) 532-8129 • marcos@mbjranch.com

Registration Tracee Price •(281) 748-2399 • traceebprice@gmail.com Stephen Lee • stephenlee12@hotmail.com

Junior Red Brangus Futurity Kim Robb •(832) 608-0736 • kimberly@rwkrelocations.com

Breeder’s Choice Open Futurity John & Megan Greenwood (281) 740-0572 • greenwood.meganp@gmail.com

“Divas in Red” Sale Allen Goode •(214) 683-1600 allen@triocattle.com Don Cox • cxcattle@brangusworld.com