On today’s Beef Buzz, Oklahoma Farm Report’s Ron Hays features comments from a recent conversation that Farm Director KC Sheperd had with Luke Bowman, Director of SimGenetic Development with the American Simmental Association to talk SimGenetics at Cattlemen’s Congress.
Eight hundred fifteen cattle are entered at Cattlemen’s Congress in Oklahoma City with either purebred or percentage Simmental genetics. The American Simmental Association has been represented at every event since it began.
When asked what keeps them coming back, Bowman said, “It is the quality of the show and the ease of working with people. The show staff is extremely flexible to allow us to run our point shows how we like to do it, and let other breeds run their shows how they want to. Oklahoma City is very affordable; it is great for families to make that winter vacation there because they can afford to do it. It is just the overall camaraderie.”
The American Simmental Foundation will auction a donated heifer during the show to raise money for the American Simmental-Simbrah Foundation which raises money for research, junior projects, and scholarships.
The Bricktown National Regional Simmental Sale will also take place during the Cattlemen’s Congress on Sunday, January 12, in the Superbarn Sale Arena in Oklahoma State Fair Park.
The Junior and Open Simmental Breed Shows will be held on Monday, January 13 and Tuesday, January 14 in the Jim Norick Arena.
Also, big news for the American Simmental Association is the naming of Dr. Jon DeClerck as the new Executive Vice President.
From College Station, Texas, Dr. DeClerck will assume his role on July 1, 2025, when Dr. Wade Shafer retires. Bowman is looking forward to the renewed focus on the beauty of SimGenetics that Dr. DeClerck will bring to the table.
“He’s a great animal evaluator,” Bowman shared. “He used to be a livestock judging coach at Texas Tech University and Iowa State. He is a key man to understand cattle and relate that back to the membership. We have a great science team, so the diversity that Dr. DeClerck is going to bring is going to offer us a suite of services that we have never been able to offer before.”
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
