KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Excitement was in the air as Jason Hoffman, Thedford, Neb., sorted the 72-head Hereford bull show and 186-head Hereford female show at the 2023 Cattlemen’s Congress in Oklahoma City, Okla. A total of 309 Herefords were exhibited throughout the four-day national Hereford show, Jan. 4-7.

“I think it’s so flattering as a breeder to be able to have the balance in this breed that we do,” Hoffman said during the champion polled Hereford bull selection. “You can have these really nice heifers that can go out and compete, and their bull mates in a flush also serve a purpose. There’s no byproduct of the Hereford breed.”

Bull show champions

The champion horned bull went to Rylee Barber, Channing, Texas, with BR E133 Belle Air 1314, sired by BR Belle Air E133 ET. The Sept. 19, 2021, entry was first named champion senior bull calf. Chad Breeding, Miami, Texas, exhibited the reserve champion horned bull; B&C El Sensation 1207J. Sired by B&C El Jefe 7086E, this champion yearling bull was born March 5, 2021.

Dry Creek Farm, Pell City, Ala.; Walker Herefords, Morrison, Tenn.; Landgren Ranch, Bartlett, Neb.; and Dirt Road Farms, Franklin, Tenn., took home polled champion bull honors with Land Slinger 2296 1046. This son of UPS Sensation 2296 ET was born April 16, 2021, and was first named champion yearling bull. Moore Cattle Co., Madill, Okla., received the polled reserve champion bull banner with BK CMCC Kool Profit K001ET. The champion junior bull calf was born Feb. 26, 2022, and was sired by H The Profit 8426 ET.

Female show champions

Ella Weldon, Piedmont, Okla., claimed the polled champion female title with BK CMCC Jungle Cat 149J ET, sired by KLD EB Trump D58. The Feb. 2, 2021, entry was first awarded champion junior yearling female honors. The polled reserve champion female went to Paige Lemenager, Hudson, Ill., with HAWK Myla 39J ET. The KLD RW Marksman D87 ET daughter was born May 21, 2021, and was first named champion intermediate yearling female.

Maddie Jenkins, Athens, Texas, and her champion junior yearling female, BACC 228Z Tara 108 ET, were awarded the horned champion female title. This daughter of KLD RW Marksman D87 ET was born Feb. 19, 2021. Cruz Colyer, Bruneau, Idaho, with C D83 Miles 1266 ET, claimed reserve horned champion female. The Aug. 25, 2021, entry was sired by C Double Your Miles 6077 ET and was first awarded the champion senior heifer calf honors.

Buck Cattle Co., Madill, Okla., was recognized as the horned and polled premier breeder. Polled and horned premier exhibitor honors went to GKB Cattle, Desdemona, Texas.

Full results can be found at Hereford.org/events/national-shows/cattlemens-congress/

The American Hereford Association, with headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., is one of the largest U.S. beef breed associations. The not-for-profit organization along with its subsidiaries — Certified Hereford Beef (CHB) LLC, Hereford Publications Inc. (HPI) and American Beef Records Association (ABRA) — provides programs and services for its members and their customers, while promoting the Hereford breed and supporting education, youth and research. For press releases and photos, visit Hereford.org/media.

–American Hereford Association