American Angus Association News

ANGUS NEWS

Angus breeders gather for a legendary weekend. Fort Worth hosts 2021 National Angus Convention and Trade Show. The American Angus Association capped off a successful 2021 National Angus Convention and Trade Show packed with passion, innovation, and achievement. The three day event attracted 1,600 attendees and nearly 100 trade show vendors.

“This year’s Convention was a tremendous success,” said Mark McCully, American Angus Association chief executive officer. “We were so grateful to have our Angus family gathered together in person again to celebrate what we’ve accomplished and where we’re headed. The breed’s current reputation is a testament to the collective efforts of hard-working producers and vast industry advancements.”

Each day was loaded with informational sessions, networking events, and wall to wall trade show vendors. On day one, Angus enthusiasts had a chance to partake in various tours such as an in-depth look at nearby Angus operation, Gabriel Ranch, and a cowboy culture tour of the Fort Worth Stockyards. Cattlemen and women also attended the Beef Blitz tour hosted by the Certified Angus Beef brand. They toured several Fort Worth eateries that partner with the brand to provide top-of-the-line Angus beef to consumers.

Throughout the convention were educational Angus University workshops. Each session was hosted by an industry expert and was geared to inform cattlemen and women about topics ranging from AAA Log In and improving the bottom line to the importance of genetic advancement.

For the American Angus Auxiliary, the convention kicked off their 70th Anniversary celebration. The organization hosted several events, including its Annual Meeting, the 70th Anniversary Kickoff Reception, the Annual Auxiliary Breakfast, and the Miss American Angus competition.

Leadership Panel - A leadership panel with representatives for each entity of the Association reported on the previous fiscal year’s successes and what the future holds. The over-arching theme of the panel’s conversation was the importance of the Association’s membership and how to best provide tools and opportunities for them and their commercial cattlemen customers.

Kelli Retallick-Riley, president of Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI), spoke about the strides in genomic data information that will better the current tools AGI offers members. She also stressed the economic value of genomics from a maternal standpoint. Combining these factors will allow the Association to make improvements to better serve its members.

Brett Spader, president of Angus MediaSM, celebrated producing more new sale catalogs than ever before. He explained a new technology called “extended reality,” allowing cattlemen to use their mobile devices to bring print media alive similar to “virtual reality.” Spader discussed new market research being conducted in January, giving insight to producers on their buyer audience.

John Stika, president of Certified Angus Beef (CAB), discussed the importance of simplifying the complex information consumers must sort through. He shared a new advertising campaign for the holidays, emphasizing, “If it’s not Certified, it’s not the best.”

A report from Thomas Marten, executive director of the Angus Foundation, rounded out the panel. He touched on the growth of the Talon internship program, stressed the importance of mentors for young people, and looked ahead to a year of impacting the lives of Angus youth.

American Angus Association Awards Dinner and Reception - The highly anticipated American Angus Association Awards Dinner and Reception recognized several distinguished people. Honored as Angus Heritage Foundation inductees were Billy Maples of Alabama; Frank Schiefelbein of Minnesota; Bob Funk of Oklahoma; Margaret Dreesmann of Missouri; and Charles A. McPeake of Georgia. Taking home the Roll of Victory Show Heifer of the Year award was Seldon Rest Sandy 9080, owned by Suter Clark of Virginia. The award for Roll of Victory Show Bull of the Year was Silveiras Forbes 8088, owned by Chris and Sharee Sankey of Kansas; Silveira Brothers in California; and Rockin S Ranch Inc. in California. Concluding the Roll of Victory recipients was Breeder of the Year awarded to Express Ranches in Oklahoma.

During the dinner reception, Certified Angus Beef (CAB) recognized three recipients of producer awards. Achieving the Seedstock Commitment to Excellence award was Yon Family Farms in South Carolina. Honored for the Ambassador Award category was Pfeiffer Angus Farms in Oklahoma. Finally, topping the Sustainability Award category was Bradley 3 Ranch in Texas.

Mary Wood of North Carolina was named 2021-2022 Miss American Angus. 138th Annual Convention of Delegates - Highlighting the final day of the convention was the 138th Annual Convention of Delegates. Jim Brinkley of Missouri was re-elected to a second term of the Board of Directors. Paul Bennett of Virginia, John Dickinson of California, Greg McCurry of Kansas, and Loran Wilson of Indiana were elected to serve their first three year term. Serving in chairman positions for the year are President and Chairman of the Board – Jerry Connealy of Nebraska; Vice President and Vice Chair of the Board – Chuck Grove of Virginia; and Treasurer – Barry Pollard of Oklahoma.

Angus breeders inspired to achieve at National Angus Convention and Trade Show. Speaker and former U.S. Navy SEAL CDR Rorke Denver delivers achievement keynote. The American Angus Association members celebrated Angus passion, innovation, and achievement at the 2021 National Angus Convention and Trade Show. In accordance with the Convention theme, the event featured three keynote addresses highlighting each of these concepts for attendees. The Association welcomed Rorke Denver, former U.S. Navy SEAL Commander, to address achievement and the role it plays in the pursuit of progress.

Whether it’s securing higher premiums, maximizing performance in the pasture, or succeeding in the show ring, Angus breeders have made achievement a priority since the beginning. Denver, who has run every phase of training for U.S. Navy SEALs prior to starring in the film “Act of Valor,” is also no stranger to the desire for constant improvement.

“Every great team will find a way to constantly improve in an elite environment,” Denver said. “They’re always trying to figure out a way to get a little bit better.”

Denver encouraged attendees to consider ways to position themselves optimally for what they hope to achieve, relating it to his experiences training for the battlefield.

“If you can make a big leap that’s great, but it’s often small measures of improvement that make teams better,” Denver said. “It’s the idea of asking ourselves, ‘is there anything more I can do? Is there a better place I can fight from or think from?’”

Throughout its history, the Angus breed has proven its dedication to achieving new feats, even in times of adversity. Denver acknowledged that those in the beef industry have what it takes to continue seeking out opportunities for progress. He shared his appreciation for the values of those in agriculture, which resonate closely with his own experiences.

“It’s not hard talking to folks that have the grit and toughness of this organization,” Denver said. “People in agriculture tend to be my favorite audiences, because it’s just folks that care about all the things we care about, so it makes for a special event when I can be at something like this.”

Angus breeders learn the power of embracing innovation. Jeff DeGraff discusses accepting change in the beef industry. Profound Angus passion, embracing innovative objectives,

celebrating milestone achievements – all themes displayed at the 2021 National Angus Convention and Trade Show through legendary keynote speakers. Jeff DeGraff, advisor to Fortune 500 companies and a professor at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, delivered the innovation keynote address, driving the message of welcoming and accepting unfamiliar concepts.

“I want people to understand that innovation is more than technology,” DeGraff said. “It really has to do with understanding your blind spots, the opportunities that you’re not seeing, surrounding yourself with people who don’t think the same way you do to exploit some of these interesting opportunities that are often overlooked.”

In the beef industry, the idea of adapting current practices to improve future operations serves as a debated topic. DeGraff explained that for a business to be successful long term, it must innovate, and to innovate, change must occur.

“In order to grow, you have to do something new or different, right,” DeGraff said. “So the notion is, it’s not a question of if you’re going to innovate, the question is how and when you’re going to innovate.”

DeGraff challenged Angus breeders and all agriculturalists to be leaders of industry progress. He stated if people in the industry avoid innovation, someone else will take the reins.

“The real question is this, will the incumbents in this industry be the ones who lead us,” DeGraff said. “Or will the nascent, or startups, in this industry be the one who lead the incumbents? Either way, you’re going to innovate. It’s inevitable.”

Angus Breeders Discuss Balance as a Tool for Longevity. How can breeders balance operational goals with long term goals in mind? Geography creates different challenges for operations across the country. Even with those obstacles, breeders achieve success year after year. During the 2021 Angus Convention Genetics Symposium sponsored by NEOGEN, Kelli Retallick-Riley, president of Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI), moderated a panel of Angus breeders that represented diversity but were consistent in maintaining the longevity of their operation. Gordon Stucky of Stucky Ranch, Adam Sawyer of A&B Angus, and Scott Pohlman of Pohlman Cattle Company shared perspectives, resources, and ideas on how they create a plan and stick to it.

As panelists shared their own breeding objectives, all mentioned they focus on meeting the needs of their customers. Sawyer shared how ninety percent of their bull buyers derive their income from the cattle business, so they look at many traits to suit multiple needs.

Sawyer said, “The female is very important to us, but we also have a set of criteria for carcass traits that we don’t go below to stay on track with industry standards.”

Hailing from the panhandle of Texas, Pohlman shared his perspective of raising cattle on drought prone land with minimal grass. He mentioned how important it is to not get caught up with the “latest and greatest top selling herd sire.” He knows some of his customers won’t be able to capture the full genetic potential of that sire in the environment they live in. Pohlman believes in focusing on the foundational traits long term.

Aside from balanced breeding objectives and balanced traits, some may argue about the definition of balance. Sawyer defines balance as an all encompassing term, where cattlemen can find everything they need to have breeding cattle that will work in a particular environment. Stucky believes a balanced cow herd has no holes.

Panelists also highlighted the importance of data collection, especially since the American Angus Association recently surpassed the one million genotype mark. Coupling genomics and EPDs has allowed Sawyer and his operation to have more confidence in the data. For Stucky, submitting data through Angus Herd Improvement Records (AHIR) and MaternalPlus allows them to evaluate their whole herd every year. The data assists them in sorting their herd to help them determine the direction they want to go.

“The future of data collection will surely be better. We just have to be patient,” Stucky said.

Finding balance will continue to improve as Retallick-Riley shared the research being developed at AGI. However, she reminded the membership that the work is never done. There is always more to learn.

To learn more about finding balance in your operation, visit Angus University at www.angus.org/university to access beef industry tools and resources that will point you in the right direction.

The 2022 National Angus Convention and Trade Show will be held on November 5 -7 in Salt Lake City, Utah. For news and further information about this year’s Convention, visit www. AngusConvention.com.

American Angus Association completes a successful fiscal year. Association achieves milestones in 2021. The American Angus Association concluded a successful fiscal year, packed with member wide achievements and industry leading advances. The year marked the seventh consecutive year of more than 300,000 registrations, with an

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