Invoice and Sally Bowman, St. Joseph, Missouri, had been inducted into the Angus Heritage Basis on the 2024 Angus Conference in November. Pictured from left are Lauren Wolter, 2024 Miss American Angus; Sally Bowman; Invoice Bowman; and Mark McCully, American Angus Affiliation CEO. (Courtesy photograph)
FORT WORTH, Texas — For greater than 40 years, the American Angus Affiliation’s Angus Heritage Basis has acknowledged the eagerness, dedication and perseverance of people whose life’s work has made a long-lasting influence on the Angus breed. Right now greater than 80% of the U.S. cow herd is Angus-influenced. The forward-thinking motion of the 2024 Heritage Basis inductees contributed to that market share and helped place The Enterprise Breed as a pacesetter within the business.
The 2024 inductees embrace: Invoice and Sally Bowman, St. Joseph, Missouri; Dave and Yvonne Hinman, Malta, Montana; Bob and Jim Sitz, Harrison, Dillon, Montana; and Harlan Ritchie (posthumously), East Lansing, Michigan.
Invoice and Sally Bowman
Invoice and Sally Bowman traveled separate paths to Angus, however their shared teamwork helped rework genetic instruments and producers’ capability to make use of them. Invoice’s grandfather first taught him about livestock, and his small herd began as a junior excessive FFA venture. He graduated with an animal science diploma from the College of Missouri and labored in varied roles for the American Angus Affiliation®, together with as a regional supervisor, director of economic packages, and assistant director of efficiency packages.
Sally Northcutt-Bowman, a local of Lexington, Kentucky, earned her bachelor’s and grasp’s levels from the College of Kentucky after which accomplished a doctorate in quantitative genetics at Iowa State College. After time at Oklahoma State College, she landed on the Affiliation, bringing the group’s genetic analysis in-house for the primary time.
“We wished to be extra fluid and be environment friendly and alter the atmosphere of the business,” Invoice mentioned.
Throughout their time on the Affiliation, the duo led the introduction of $Worth indexes, genomically-enhanced anticipated progeny variations (EPDs) and helped create Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI®) as a standalone subsidiary of the Affiliation. With Sally engaged on the info to construct instruments, Invoice was “out within the nation” serving to to encourage adoption as AGI’s first president.
“I’m nonetheless immersed in Angus cattle and the Angus breed and will probably be my entire life,” Sally mentioned. In 2014, Sally based Methodology Genetics, and Invoice turned her first worker. The couple was married in 2017 and proceed to advance the Angus breed via data-driven innovation and a robust sense of dedication to the cattlemen they serve.
Study extra about Invoice and Sally’s story on Angus TV.
Dave and Yvonne Hinman
Pioneer breeders of efficiency cattle, Dave and Yvonne Hinman of Hinman Angus, have raised registered Angus cattle since 1973.
“It’s a piece in progress without end and will probably be for the following technology and the following one,” mentioned Dave.
The couple and their daughters, Jill and Heidi, ran Hinman Angus in Willow Creek, Montana for over 25 years. In 1988, they’d their first manufacturing sale, becoming a member of with Invoice and Jennifer Davis and two different {couples} because the Efficiency Breeders, a bunch that labored collectively till 2008 to market registered Angus seedstock.
“The rationale we wished to do it collectively was on the time, we wished extra bulls in a single sale,” Dave mentioned. “It labored.”
In 2000, Dave and Yvonne made the transfer to “good outdated cow nation” close to Malta, Montana, to lease an 8,000-acre ranch and later buy land within the space. In Malta, they’ve labored alongside daughter Heidi, and son-in-law Billy Lulloff for a few years, mentoring them and now their grandson Tyler Lulloff. Collectively, the household continues to provide high-quality, fame cattle as Hinman Angus and distribute their signature, brilliant yellow-covered sale books yearly.
As leaders within the breed, Dave served on the Affiliation Board of Administrators from 2017 to 2023. Yvonne served as president of the American Angus Auxiliary in 1999 to 2000 and was honored because the Distinguished Girl Award in 2007. In 2005, the Efficiency Breeders had been acknowledged with the Licensed Angus Beef (CAB) Seedstock Dedication to Excellence Award.
“If I had recommendation for younger breeders? I’d do that, make some friendships with older breeders which were within the enterprise and take heed to them,” Dave mentioned. “I used to be very, very lucky to have a whole lot of them. . . These friendships, that’s what made it so particular.”
Study extra about Dave and Yvonne’s story on Angus TV.
Bob and Jim Sitz
Bob (Jr.) and Jim Sitz of Harrison and Dillon, Montana, lead Sitz Angus as its third technology. They labored alongside their mother and father Bob (Sr.) and Donna as younger males, rising a ardour for Angus cattle and the cattle enterprise. Of their 20s, they selected to handle the ranch alongside their mom after the premature dying of their father in 1989.
“My dad at all times mentioned, we needed to be a jack-of-all-trades. That might match Sitz Angus ranch to a T,” mentioned Jim.
Collectively, the brothers and their mom guided the ranch via some lean years that included a mature cow dispersal and subsequent herd rebuilding. Within the many years since, they’ve expanded the ranch from a single location in Harrison to 3 properties, and so they have prioritized buyer relationships, adopted new applied sciences like embryo switch and genomics, and improved the standard of their cattle.
“What’s helped us survive for over 100 years? I’d say adaptability,” mentioned Jim. “The consistency of realizing that the one factor fixed on this world is change. When there may be new expertise that’s introduced ahead, you possibly can’t be afraid to embrace it.”
Sitz Angus sires constantly declare spots in annual lists of the highest 25 sires for breed registration, and their fame for being a high-quality supply of maternal genetics persists. As leaders, Bob serves the Montana Stockgrowers Affiliation along with being an energetic member of the American Angus Affiliation®. Jim adopted in his father’s footsteps, serving on the Affiliation Board of Administrators from 2009 to 2016 and as president in 2016.
Right now, Jim and Bob, together with Jim’s spouse Tammi (Huntsman), run Sitz Angus with their households. Jim additionally markets prospects’ cattle as a consultant with Northern Livestock Video Public sale. The brothers proceed to be long-term supporters and collectors of efficiency information, particularly with the pulmonary arterial strain (PAP) EPD and as a MaternalPlus® herd.
Study extra about Bob and Jim’s story on Angus TV.
Dr. Harlan Ritchie (posthumously)
Dr. Harlan Ritchie’s profound legacy and affect on the cattle business is unmatched. All through the Sixties, ‘70s and ‘80s, the Michigan State College (MSU) professor championed change, driving cattle tendencies along with his daring alternatives within the present ring, groundbreaking analysis and printed works.
“Dr. Ritchie had the innate capability to foresee the longer term wants of the meat cattle business,” mentioned Ken Geuns, Ritchie’s enterprise accomplice in Ventura Farms.
Up till his passing in 2016, Ritchie was firstly a scholar, a seeker of data. It was his fixed curiosity and fervour for studying that laid the inspiration for him to develop into one of many world’s main consultants on cattle. The Iowa native traveled the world talking about his work, searching for out the worth in all sorts of cattle and judging premier cattle exhibits. Within the ring, Ritchie made alternatives that pushed the business to suppose in another way.
“Having the braveness to stroll out in entrance of 1000’s and 1000’s and 1000’s of individuals and slap an animal that you simply deem champion, that no person else deems champion, requires great braveness,” mentioned Jason Rowntree, who knew Ritchie and now serves as MSU College Coordinator on the Lake Metropolis Analysis Middle the place Ritchie did a lot of his analysis.
What stands out most to those that had the chance to cross paths with Ritchie is his generosity along with his time and knowledge; at all times prepared to have a dialog, reply questions and provide his insights.
“My dad was a really laborious working, passionate individual concerning the beef cattle business,” mentioned Ritchie’s oldest son, Invoice. “He was very humble; very variety and beneficiant.”
Ritchie is remembered as a person who devoted his life to the betterment of the cattle business, pushing towards the grain to drive significant and impactful change that continues to play a task within the success of at present’s market.
Study extra about Dr. Ritchie’s legacy on Angus TV.
–Jessica Hartman, Communications Specialist
Molly Biggs, Communications Specialist
Sarah Kocher, Communications Specialist
American Angus Affiliation
