American Shorthorn Association Announces Release of “Shorthorn and the American Cattle Industry”

“Shorthorn and the American Cattle Industry” will be released Saturday, October 23rd as the American Shorthorn Association kicks off their Sesquicentennial year as America’s First beef breed association. Written by Dr. Bob Hough and Dr. Bert Moore, this coffee table style book is unique without a doubt. 

“Writing this book was a labor of love for Dr. Bert Moore and me.” Said Dr. Bob Hough, “We had the time, curiosity and backing of the Association to dig deep into all aspects of the breed and our industry to reveal the important, but often forgotten events and people that have made the cattle business what it is today.” 

Comprised of 26 chapters, 270 pages and over 800 photos, the commissioned book exemplifies the American Shorthorn Association’s prestigious position in the history of the animal breeding industry. 

Andy Frazier, author, livestock historian and host of the Podcast, “Top Lines and Tales” of the United Kingdom was “amazed at the depth of research the authors have gone to in order to underpin the origins of the Shorthorn Breed.” He adds, “the opening chapters of this book are as equally fascinating to the non-agriculturist as they are to the cattle enthusiast in general.” 

“This book depicts not only Shorthorn, but the American cattle industry as a whole.” states Executive Secretary/CEO of the American Shorthorn Association, Montie D. Soules. Soules goes onto say “This becomes a must read for anyone who has ever had an interest in the purebred cattle industry. I doubt there will ever be another book written with as much detail as Dr. Hough and Dr. Moore have done. The authors did a great job.” 

Limited-edition books are available now at shorthorn.org for ordering, with multiple pickup or shipping options to meet your needs.

American Shorthorn Association Participates in Missouri Cattlemen’s Leadership College

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (May 26, 2021) – The American Shorthorn Association’s Executive Secretary/CEO, Montie D. Soules presented on a panel of industry leaders at the 2021 Missouri Cattlemen’s Leadership College’s Second Session last week in Kansas City. 

The Missouri Cattlemen’s Leadership College (MCLC) identifies the next great leaders of the beef industry and cultivates their knowledge during the year. In their second session, attendees gathered in Northwest Missouri to hear from program sponsor, Merck Animal Health, meet with beef breed associations, including the American Shorthorn Association and visit member operations of the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association. 

“It is a pleasure to invest in the future of the beef industry.” Said Montie Soules, Executive Secretary/CEO of ASA. “Our breed has a strong history in the United States. We strive as an association to assist our members in providing a profitable beef product.” 

On the panel, Soules shared with attendees the role he serves at the ASA, the impact the association has on the industry and the progress of the Shorthorn breed. As America’s first beef breed association, the American Shorthorn Association celebrates 150 years beginning this fall. 

Attendees to the MCLC will convene again this fall and graduate at the 53rd Annual Missouri Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show. 

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National Junior Shorthorn Show & Youth Conference Reports Record Breaking Entries

The American Junior Shorthorn Association (AJSA) will host the “Shorthorn Safari” National Junior Shorthorn Show & Youth Conference June 20-26, 2021, at the Kentucky Expo Center in Louisville, Ky. 

This year, a record breaking 932 entries will be exhibited in Louisville. Over 450 Junior Members from 28 states have entered Junior Nationals. In totality, these numbers are a significant increase over previous years. 

“The NJSS is such an important event for the youth and future of the agricultural industry, so it is exciting to see how our show grows each year”, says Shelby Diehm, Director of Marketing, Communications and Youth Activities. “In the last five years we have more than 100 additional youth participating, and cattle numbers have risen even more. I can’t wait to see where it continues to go.” 

The AJSA strives to engage its members in opportunities that develop character, promote valuable skills and build life-long friendships. The National Junior Shorthorn Show & Youth Conference promotes these goals by bringing members together to participate in shows and educational contests. 

This year, junior members will participate in the following contests in addition to the Shorthorn Show: Art & etc., beef cook-off, career development, cattleman’s written test, digital photography, graphic design, herdsman quiz bowl, junior herdsman, livestock judging, photography, promotional poster, showmanship, speech, state basket, state cook-off/tailgate party, team fitting and team salesmanship contests. High Point Awards will be presented based on participation and placing in these contests. 

In addition, $18,500 in scholarships will be presented to AJSA members through the Shorthorn Foundation. 

Election of four new AJSA Directors will occur during the Junior National Youth Conference. Three of the elected directors will serve a three-year term and one will serve a one-year term to make up the nine-person board. The election process is based on application, interview, and delegation vote.

US Beef Breeds Council Elects ASA Executive Secretary/CEO as President

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (May 17, 2021) – The US Beef Breeds Council (USBBC) met in late May electing new officers to preside over the organization and discuss upcoming goals. The American Shorthorn Association’s Executive Secretary/CEO, Montie D. Soules was elected President and will serve a two-year term. 

The USBBC is comprised of United States beef breed executives and oversees the appointment of the Ultrasound Guidelines Council (UGC) executive director and board of directors. Past-President, Wade Shafer, PhD., of the American Simmental Association oversaw the meeting and election of new officers. 

“Using the strength of all beef breeds in a united way allows us to show our elected officials wrongful claims in our industry can hurt the income and longevity of our members of all US Beef breeds.” said Montie Soules, Executive Secretary/CEO of ASA and President of the USBBC. 

Robert Williams, PhD. of the American Wagyu Association was elected Vice President of the USBBC. “This is a great organization bringing together strong breed executives representing the purebred cattle industry that will have the abilities to carry forward our goals.” 

During the May meeting, the USBBC discussed goals moving forward and plans to unite all US beef breeds as a strong front against those opposing the animal agriculture and meat industry by attempting to advertise non-beef products as beef products. 

Soules adds, “All of our members are affected in the same way. If we unite, we will be able to use all of our strengths in multiple ways.”

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2021 Meet the Interns

Michelle Noggle is from Casey, Ill., where she grew up showing both cattle and pigs. She is a senior at Oklahoma State University (OSU) where she is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Communications.  Throughout her time at OSU, Michelle has been an active member of Oklahoma Collegiate Cattlewomen’s and the Swine Club. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and painting. Michelle looks forward to serving as the ASA communications intern this summer. Her classes at OSU have prepared her to assist in social media planning, website updates, and design projects. She is excited to learn more about the cattle industry and agricultural communications.

Bella Chaffin is currently a Junior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, studying agricultural and environmental science communications. In her three years at the university she has been involved in several organizations such as Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow and her sorority, Kappa Delta. She developed a passion for agriculture at a young age on her family’s acreage in Waverly, Nebraska. She grew up raising and showing sheep and was heavily involved in 4-H and FFA. Post-graduation she hopes to use her passion to advocate for agriculture through outreach and education. Bella is excited to start her internship as the registrations intern with the ASA. She looks forward to work with the junior members this summer and learning more about the Shorthorn breed and association. 

Amelia Schatz is a second-year student at Kansas State University, studying Agricultural Communications & Journalism. She is originally from Le Center, Minnesota, where she grew up on a small Limousin operation showing Limousin and Shorthorn cattle. Amelia is currently part of K-State’s Meat Judging team and is very active within our Block & Bridle club. As an active member in the club, she hs developed skills in communications, relationship development and team management that will be a benefit to her in this position. Amelia is very excited to be working within such a great association, surrounded by such talented individuals. She looks forward to serving as the youth activities intern working closely on the contests for the National Junior Shorthorn Show and Youth Conference. 

American Shorthorn Association Announces 2022 Cattlemen’s Congress as Super National Shorthorn Show

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (April 8, 2021) – The American Shorthorn Association Board of Directors met to discuss the Shorthorn breed participation at the 2022 Cattlemen’s Congress and 2022 National Western Livestock Show.

The Board of Directors unanimously approved the 2021-2022 ASA Point Show System recognizing the 2022 Cattlemen’s Congress as a super national and the 2022 National Western Livestock Show as a regional show. The National Shorthorn Summit Sale will be held at Cattlemen’s Congress.

The approved show system will recognize five regions, each having two regional shows, one super regional show and one national show. Regional Awards for the five regions will use the four shows in each region for point calculations. The American Shorthorn Association will recognize one national show within each region and two super national shows for a total of seven shows used for National Award calculations.

“We are excited to announce Cattlemen’s Congress as a super national show for our membership,” said Montie Soules, Executive Secretary/CEO of ASA. “Our new show system expands the available point shows to allow more breeders to exhibit across the country. We look forward to seeing our show participation grow for the 2021-2022 show season.”

The complete ASA Point Show System will be announced to our membership in the May/June issue of Shorthorn Country and will be available at shorthorn.org. The announcement will include participating shows for the 2021-2022 show season and point distribution for each show level.

About ASA

The American Shorthorn Association’s mission is to serve all members and enhance the value of the Shorthorn breed by managing data, maintaining the integrity of the herdbook, educating members and communicating the value of Shorthorn cattle resulting in the expanded use of Shorthorn genetics in the U.S. beef industry. Visit www.shorthorn.org to learn more.

American Shorthorn Association : 7607 NW Prairie View Road, Kansas City, MO 64151: Phone 816.599.7777

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2019 ASA National Sire Test Performance Review

The National Sire Test (NST) program has been a valuable tool for testing the ability of Shorthorn genetics to perform in a real-world setting. The third and final year of the NST and our partnership with the University of Illinois provided us with more data on a genetically diverse bunch of Shorthorn sires. Once again, we were able to collect a full set of data on Shorthorn-influenced cattle from birth to rail. The NST provides breeders the opportunity to test the genetics in their breeding program in a real-world setting while gaining more progeny data on their sires. From a big picture standpoint, the NST gives ASA more information on the breed to show to the industry that our cattle have the capability to be used as a profitable piece of their breeding program.

As was the theme with just about every walk of life in 2020, the National Sire Test experienced some unexpected hiccups and changes to plans. With the Tyson plant in Joslin, IL having capacity cut due to Covid-19 restrictions, the cattle had to stay on feed longer than anticipated before they were able to be harvested. Like previous installments of this program, the ten enrolled sires were bred to 200 U of I cows at their Dixon Spring research farm in December 2018 for these fall-born 2019 calves. After weaning, the calves were moved to the beef farm on campus for the feeding trial and finishing phase. The cattle were on feed for a slightly longer time period than in the past. You will see this longer feeding period reflected in weights on these animals. Below are data compilations of all the sires from the 2019 calf crop. Data is broken down into steers and heifers by sire.

I want to thank all the breeders that participated in this program over the past three years. It has been very rewarding to see Shorthorn-sired cattle perform to industry standards and validate that this breed deserves a chance to play a role in the commercial cattle industry in the United States. Without the help and cooperation of Dr. Dan Shike at the University of Illinois, we wouldn’t have been able to make this project happen. Special thanks to him and his team for all their work, data collection, and being a gracious host and partner over the years of the NST.

New Staff at ASA

March brings spring and a time for new beginnings, including some changes at the American Shorthorn Association!

Emily Velisek, the ASA Director of Events, Show and Membership activities left her job at the ASA at the end of February. Emily joined the ASA staff in July of 2017 and we watched her grow in her position during her time here. We enjoyed working with her and wish her all the best for her future in Iowa! She will be missed but we know we will see her down the road.

Matt Woolfolk, the ASA Director of Performance Programs, Performance Data and Commercial Acceptance recently got engaged and will be leaving us in April. He will still continue to work in his current position. We look forward to our continued work with Matt, even if it isn’t full-time. We are so excited for him and his future with his soon-to-be bride. Congratulations Matt!

Cassie Reid has joined us as Customer Service Specialist and Co-Director of Shows, Event and Membership Services. In this position she will provide customer support and assist with press releases and eblasts. She will also coordinate shows, events and communicate with membership.  

Reid comes to the American Shorthorn Association from the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds & Event Center(OEF) in Springfield, Mo. where she served most recently as the Livestock Director. During her 6-year tenure at OEF, she was active with the International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE), graduating from the Institute of Fair Management in December of 2018. Most recently, Reid served on the IAFE’s Young Professionals Initiative Steering Committee. Reid began her career in 2014 as the Assistant Ag Director at OEF. She is a 2015 alumna of Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo. with a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Communications. Reid originally hails from Bosworth, Mo. on her family’s diversified row crop and cattle farm. As a 4-H & FFA member, Reid primarily exhibited Shorthorn & Charolais cattle & Boer Goats throughout her youth.

“I look forward to engaging with the members of the American Shorthorn Association and seeing success throughout all aspects of the breed,” Reid said. “My experience in the fair industry provides the confidence needed to see association goals flourish, from start to finish.”

Wade Minihan has joined us as Customer Service Specialist and Co-Director of Shows, Event and Membership Services. In this position he will provide customer support, assist with DNA and weights and measurements management for performance data. He will also coordinate shows, events and communicate with membership.  

 Minihan grew up in Blaine, Kansas on a Commercial Cow/Calf and Registered Hereford cattle operation. While growing up, his family showed cattle at the state and national level. He was an active member of the American Junior Hereford association, as well as, the Kansas Junior Hereford association where he served on the junior board. Minihan graduated from Fort Hays State University, with a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness, with a minor in marketing. While at FHSU, he was involved in many clubs/organizations on campus. Minihan was an intern in 2019 at the American Shorthorn Association.

“I think my internship gave me good knowledge and helped prepare me for this position,” Minihan said. “My internship gave me knowledge of the Shorthorn breed and many connections with people involved in the association. I am excited for this new opportunity and look forward to working with the breeders.”

The ASA is excited to welcome two new members to our team. We may go through a small transition period at ASA during training of our new staff members, but we still will be available to assist our membership! After the two new staff members are trained, you can call in and receive assistance from anyone in the office. All staff will be trained to assist you in the registry.

Virtual Annual Meeting in February

The ASA Annual Meeting will be held virtually on February 6th at 10 a.m. central time zone.

Delegates, you have received an email with information about the annual meeting. You will receive more emails as we have more information! 
ASA members, we will send out an eblast as we get closer to the date of annual meeting with information on how to join the Zoom meeting!