San Antonio Stock Show

It's stock show season in Texas and across the Southeastern U.S., and this weekend several Brahman breeders gathered in San Antonio for the San Antonio Livestock Exposition Open Brahman Show. For us Texas breeders, this is always a big show each February because it's a chance for many to get their young calves out before Houston, and check out the competition as we head into the International Show in just a few weeks.

Of all of the interesting conversations I had at the show, my favorite was visiting with our ABBA director Arnold Saunders. He informed me that this was his 52nd consecutive year to attend the San Antonio Stock Show. He started showing at San Antonio as a 4-Her and now half a century later he's still a loyal exhibitor. He also informed me about some history of the old barns at the stock show. If you notice, the ceiling in the barns is black and dingy. I never knew this, but Arnold told me it is because a year after the barns were built in the early 1950s, they burned in a fire! I guess the cement structure remained but the smoke damage is still visible in the ceilings.

While I was driving up to the show, I had this random flashback memory to an old stock show memory from when I was a little girl! This must have been probably 25 years ago or more, but after the open Brahman show my dad and Max and Shirley Watts took me and my longtime Brahman friend Brandy Barns to the carnival. Uncle Max rode the Tilt-A-Whirl with us! I asked Brandy if she remembered that day, and she said yes she did!

So here's the info which I'm sure most of you care about, which is the show results...and not tilt-a-whirl stories. The show was great. WOW! There were so many amazing Brahman cattle there. The quality in the classes ran really deep, and the competition was great. Judge Mitch Thomas did a great job at the show and offered many positive comments about Brahman cattle and breeders.

At this show, unfortunately they don't have an official show program so I didn't catch like the individual winners names or pedigrees. But here is what I know...

Grand Champion Gray Female was J.D. Hudgins with a cloverleaf heifer from the junior division. Reserve Grand Champion Gray Female was Tic Tac Toe's beautiful cow-calf pair.

Grand Champion Red Female was the calf champion exhibited by Kellie Swaner of Swaner Brahmans, and Reserve Champion Red Female was Mary Kate Walter's heifer that is always a consistent winner.

Grand Champion Gray Bull was the 747 bull from J.D. Hudgins, who came out of the Intermediate Division. V8 Ranch's 675/6 bull was the Reserve Grand Champion Gray, and he was the junior champion.

Grand Champion Red Bull was the JDH Astro bull owned by the Locke Family and the Rich Family of Oklahoma. Reserve Red Bull was another entry from Swaner Brahmans.

So, I got a lot of ideas for new blogs while I was at the show, so I'm going to draw them out over the next few days. Check back for more San Antonio pics and info. Here are a few snapshots for today....

Here is the red bull champion drive, pictured here showing is John Locke, Kellie Swaner, Brandy Barnes and Glen Cox. Four very excellent Red Brahman bulls that made for stiff competition!

As the day winded down, these Brahman showman battled it out for the champion gray bull. Showing in the drive were John Locke, Matt Karisch, Portfilio, and Brandy Barnes. Four really great Brahman showman with beefy Brahman bulls that exemplified the ABBA's Standard of Excellence.

Miami International Agriculture and Cattle Show

If you are looking for a reason to travel to beautiful Miami, Florida, then I can't think of a better one than attending the 3rd Annual Miami International Agriculture and Cattle Show. This year's show will be held March 19-21, 2010 at the Tropical Park Ronald Reagan Equestrian Center.

This is one of the newest ABBA approved shows, and is sure to be an exciting event for Brahman breeders in Florida and across the world.

This new event includes a cattle show as well as trade show and educational activities. Miami is one of the hubs of U.S. agriculture and connects the United States with many Latin American countries. It is known for it's world commerce, finance and geographical location that fosters international business.

Moreno Firms, one of our ABBA members and fellow Brahman breeders, is a founding partner in the Miami show. They helped create this event as a way to help promote agriculture and the beef industry to fellow Floridians and the world. Agriculture is Florida’s second largest industry, closely following tourism, but there is a growing lack of agricultural awareness in the urban City of Miami. Hence, the idea for this show was formed.

The folks at Moreno Ranches have invited all readers of Brahman Blog to attnd the show, which will be judged by Dr. David Husfeld. For more information, you can e-mail show@morenofirms.com. They recommend staying at the Hyatt Hotel which is right by the Miami Airport. For more information on hotels visit: http://www.miamicattleshow.com/pdf/hyatt_flyer.pdf

I just did a quick check into airline flights to attend this show, and the pricing on Continental.com was very affordable....I found nonstop flights for $300. This looks to be another great Brahman event in a location that would be a really fun place to attend!

Rocky the Bull - University of South Florida

Brahman Promoter of the Week
This week's featured Brahman Promoter of the Week goes to University of South Florida, who's mascot now is just the "Bull" but for many years....it was a Brahman bull!

The University of South Florida is located in Tampa and St. Petersburg, Florida.  USF serves more than 39,000 students and offers 228 degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate, specialist and doctoral levels. USF is a member of the Big East Athletic Conference.

Though I could not find an academic department for Animal Science at USF, the school shows the agricultural roots of Florida through it's mascot...Rocky the Bull.

USF writer, Patricia Abdou of the USF Oracle, tells The Story Behind Rocky the Bull. When the school was looking for a mascot in 1961, people suggested Chickens, Roosters, Camels, and more. However, Brahman breeders and USF students Gerald Stack and Jack Boyd came up with the idea to make the school mascot become a Brahman bull.

According to Abdou's article, "Stack said the issue first developed during committee meetings to construct the school's constitution. It was at this time that he and Boyd brought up the idea of the bull. Boyd said it was a natural thing for them to choose the Brahman bull because both of their partners were breeders of the animal."

The article continues....."Although the name was put forth, it was never officially used. Stack left USF after only one semester and the idea was either lost in the shuffle or just temporarily forgotten. The idea re-emerged in the fall of '62 when a representative from the class ring company announced that one side of the class rings would be left blank for the school mascot. Rejecting the representative's idea of a sailfish, the University Center sponsored a contest to name the school mascot."

"Robert Bickle, another member of the charter class and presently a law professor at Stetson, submitted the Golden Brahman as his choice of mascot," says Abdou. "In the election, five finalists were selected: the Buccaneer, the Golden Brahman, the Olympian, the Cougar, and the Golden Eagle."

When the results were tallied, the Buccanner was actually the winer by 3 votes, but rejected because there was another school in the area with that same mascot. So, "The Golden Brahman" became the school mascot.

However, the school then found out that the neighboring school was actually named the Pirates...not the Buccaneers, so they overturned the results and changed to Buccaneers.

This made people mad! The fans of the Golden Brahman started a petition and ultimately got a run-off election between Buccaneers and Golden Brahmans. According to the article, "The Golden Brahman was victorious and was officially unveiled Nov. 17, 1962."

The author of the article states that the rationale for the idea was that they chose this mascot since Florida was a cattle-raising state.

In the early 1980s, the athletic department changed the mascot to just be the "Bulls" for promotional reasons. And though they don't use "Brahman" in their official title, the mascot does resemble a Brahman bull and still pays a tribute to the Brahman breeders who originally created the idea.

Photo Courtesy: USF - http://www.gousfbulls.com/
Source: http://www.gousfbulls.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=319349&SPID=36119&DB_OEM_ID=7700&ATCLID=3696252

Brahman Leader - Tommy Stadler

Our final Brahman leader spotlight is Tommy Stadler. (I just wrote the stories about them in ABC order, that's why Tommy was last.) Tommy is a ABBA director from Area 4 (South Texas) and also is serving on the ABBA Executive Committee. In addition to his ABBA responsibilities, Tommy is currently serving as 2nd Vice President of the Texas Brahman Association.

The ABBA members from south Texas all have a common thread of seeing the importance of affiliate programs. It just shows that when you have something that works, stick with it! Because the South Texas Association definitely is a success and it's no suprise that members from this region love to be so involved. In my opinion, it's the affiliate programs of ABBA like South Texas, TBA, LBA, Carolina breeders, that are the grassroots of our organization. They are the people who put the Brahman message out there on a local and regional level and they do so much good for our organization.

Tommy and his family raise registered American Brahmans and F-1 in Floresville, Texas. He also operates a business in Houston. Tommy is a very established businessman (he formerly was a director of airline security prior to opening his own business) who donates his time to help direct and guide the business efforts of ABBA. He volunteers to help advise the ABBA on lots of business-related activities like finances, real estate, and more. This man knows his stuff, and he is happy to help guide ABBA in matters where he is so experienced. Like many ABBA members, we just volunteer our time for ABBA because we're so happy to help this organization we believe in. I really think Tommy should get an official title of "ABBA Consultant" because he really is the business consultant of ABBA and is happy to help.

Tommy's most recent big contribution to the ABBA is serving as the chairman of the ABBA Strategic Planning Committee. Now that's a BIG task! And a big task that impacts every single member of ABBA in a positive manner. He helped organize this monumental survey and task force of the ABBA along with Chris Shivers, Armelinda Ibarra and Dr. Tom Field of NCBA. In this position, he organized the group, ran the meetings, and facilitated the overall direction of the strategic plan. This plan was a huge success for the ABBA to help guide our programs and activities over the next several years.

Thank you Tommy for all of your dedication to ABBA!

Forgason Cattle Herd Reduction Sale

Forgason Cattle Company would like to invite all Brahman friends to attend their Herd Reduction Sale on Saturday, February 27, 2010.

The sale will be held at the Wharton Civic Center in Wharton. Since this is a video sale, the civic center provides a very nice, clean, warm location for the sale. The cattle will be available for live viewing at the Wharton Livestock Auction, which is about 1/2 mile away from the Civic Center.

The sale begins at 10:00 a.m..

The Forgason's have also invited everyone to attend a sale viewing and social on Friday afternoon (February 26) from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.

The videos for the sale should be posted on http://www.cattleinmotion.com/ in a day or so.

The sale catalog is online at: http://ranchhousedesigns.com/PDFs/Forgason-2010.pdf.

All ABBA members will be getting their catalog in the mail early next week. Below are some photos of animals that will be in the sale....

Great Deal from Sexing Technologies

The fine people at Sexing Technologies have announced a really great deal for ABBA members! From now until May 31st, 2010, ABBA members can take 10% off all services at Sexing Technologies.

These services include:
•Sexed Semen Production (bull collection or shipped ejaculate)
•Conventional Semen Production
•In Vitro Fertilization Embryo Production
•In Vivo Embryo Collection
•Reverse Sorting for Embryo Production

And, in addition to the 10% discount for ABBA members, Sexing Technologies is going to donate $1 per straw of each sexed sorted unit produced on Brahman bulls back to the ABBA.
 
Though I have personally never collected a bull at Sexing Tech, the folks there are always big supporters of ABBA and Brahman programs. Fellow Brahman breeders Juan Moreno or Gustavo Toro are always happy to help out and answer questions. And their new employee, Dustin Dean, is a great friend of ABBA who loves talking about the cattle business.
 
I think this is such a great incentive to take advantage of the many services offered at Sexing Technologies. For more information, just call the ST office at 936-870-3960 and speak with Dustin Dean or Gustavo Toro. You can also e-mail ddean@sexingtechnologies.com or gtoro@sexingtechnologies.com.

Brahman Promoter of the Week - Heitmiller Steakhouse

I had a new idea to feature a special "Brahman Promoter of the Week" new on the Brahman Blog. These are going to be special tributes to businesses, people, or other Brahman breeders who do little things to help promote Brahman cattle.

My first choice for Brahman Promoter of the Week might suprise you, but it's the Heitmiller Steakhouse of Waco, Texas. I chose this business to be my first spotlight because even though they aren't ABBA members, they promote our Brahman cattle to millions of people each year who pass by their billboard along I-35 in Waco.

If you've ever passed along I-35 just north of Waco, surely you have noticed the giant billboard for the steakhouse that features a big beautiful Brahman bull. I'm not exactly sure how they got the story of having the Brahman bull on their billboard....maybe someone can post a comment and share if you know the story. Were they Brahman breeders at one time?

My dad always likes this place, and it seems to be a popular steakhouse in Waco. I found these comments about the restaurant on Yahoo Local!:

GREATNESS! We go to Heitmiller's every chance we get during football season. Nicest people and good solid menu. BEST ICE & ICED TEA too!

Absolutely LOVE this place. The first time I ate here, I could not wait to come back. I even went to work the next day and recommended all my co-workers eat there if they haven't already. In fact, I think I'll head there today :)

We can't wait to go back....Fo Real. :): We recently took a trip to Dallas and had heard about this spot. It was so good we were goiing to stop on our way back and it was closed. :( I will definitely go back. My sis-in-law and I had the 1/2 order of chicken fried steak...it was AWESOME! It was so much food. The fries are de'lish...and even the grilled cheese sandwich for the kids was good. It had them asking for more. My brother had a steak...what can we say... You have to go find out for yourself. We went on a Friday---but of course it was right before the evening rush.

Anyway, I'm hoping to get a picture of the billboard to post. And I would love to know the story if anyone knows why the Heitmiller's picked a Brahman bull for their advertising!

Who says Brahmans can't take the cold?

In early December, we had a freak winter snow storm at the ranch, and Wharton County got around 4 inches of snow in one day! Can you imagine all the poor Brahmans in this area at V8, Hudgins, and Heritage that were freezing to death!

Of course, everyone knows that Brahmans are the heat tolerant breed of choice. That's why Brahmans are loved the world-over, because they can perform, and actually thrive, in those hot tropical conditions where other breeds basically roll over and die. Literally.

Well this time the shoe was on the other foot, especially at our ranch. We also raise Shorthorn cattle, who are more favored in the cooler climates. As the snow started to fall that day, my sister Catherine called me and said that her Shorthorns were running around in the pasture kicking up their heels. Which is a real rare occassion since her Shorthorns get to live in a special trap next to her house and they still get special feed every day. Running and playing is not really an option for them.

On the other hand, our Brahmans were all huddled up together under the barns and in big groups to try to keep warm. All except our favorite bull on the ranch, Mr. V8 380/6. 380 has recently been moved to the V8 showbarn, where he is naturally breeding the heifers there. My bull, 51, was the former head honcho at the showbarn, but his services were needed in another pasture on the ranch, so 380 got moved up. Well, anyone who uses Brahman bulls know these guys take their jobs seriously and they get the job done. Unfortunately for 380, even though all the ladies in his pasture are settled, there was a young heifer in the pen NEXT to his who was in heat. So instead of being able to cuddle up with his friends in the barn, he was out in the pasture walking the fenceline, trying to do his job. Ahhh, the determination of Brahman breeding bulls. As I walked up to him to take this photo, I was amazed at the snow that had accumulated across his back. This bull has one of the biggest tops I've ever seen in an animal, and it was covered in snow. He probably had at least 2 inches of snow covering his topline.

This situation made me think of Brahmans adaptability to cold. Obviously they do better in warmer climates, but it's not unheard of to have Brahmans in cooler places. Amber and Tom Odle are Brahman breeders in Colorado, and we have also sold a Brahman calf to a Shorthorn friend of ours in Iowa, Tim & Karen Loudin. It's been found that if you give a Brahman the opportunity to start out the colder climates like in the fall, and adapt to the cooler weather, they'll be okay. A Brahman can actually grow a thicker hair coat in the winter if you give them the chance. We have also sent Brahmans to Canada as well. And, if you're a breeder in the north who can give your Brahmans a little TLC (like a heated barn if they are going to calve in the winter), they'll do just fine.

Luckily for us, the snow melted off in a few days, but it was pretty cold that day. Matt Karish and I definitely agreed that we much rather prefer the hot days in the summer over a snow day anytime. On that day, when I couldn't even feel my toes, I would have given anything to go back to sweating myself to death at the All American this summer. Maybe I'm like the Brahmans....I like the warmer weather!