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Oklahoma Cattleman Selected as Beefmaster Breeder of the Year

by Joe Mask | Published November 8, 2017

 

BOERNE, Texas – Tom and Deidra Hood, Hidden Hollow Beefmasters of Tahlequah, Okla., were announced as the 2017 Beefmaster Breeders United (BBU) Breeder of the Year during the 57th Annual BBU Convention “Beefmasters on the Bay” in Galveston, Texas.

Tom and Deidra have been BBU members since 1984 and are active members of the Central States Beefmaster Breeders Association (CSBBA), Arkansas Beefmaster Breeders Association, Central Texas Beefmaster Breeders Association, Louisiana Beefmaster Breeders Association and the Ozark and Heart of America Beefmaster Marketing Group (OHOA). The Hoods played an important role in the success of both OHOA and CSBBA for more than a decade, serving as sale manager for their annual sales and serving in multiple leadership roles, including on the board of directors. Tom also served on the BBU board of directors from 2014 to 2016 and this dynamic duo has worked for over three decades marketing Beefmaster cattle throughout the United States.

The Hoods take pride in being whole herd reporting members and recording one-hundred percent of their calf crop with BBU for the past 20 years. They understand the importance of BBU classification and ranch visits, through both of these programs they have been able to improve their cattle herd and gain Typesetter status on several animals. The Hoods have implemented artificial insemination and embryo transfer into their breeding program. About eighty percent of their heifers are artificially inseminated for their first calf, while forty percent of their breeding females are inseminated with top performance bulls. They have collected ultrasound data on their entire calf crop since 2012 and have used this data for heifer and bull selection. All herd sires are selected for minimum intramuscular fat (IMF) and ribeye area (REA) values, ratios and expected progeny differences (EPDs). EPDs are front and center for their program, as well as DNA verification. All of these practices have ultimately led to extremely quick genetic progress for Hidden Hollow Beefmasters.

“Their main goal is to produce functional, quality bulls for the commercial cattleman,” said Wesley Hood, the son of Tom and Deidra. “They have used their position as sale managers to market thousands of Beefmasters to a vast array of commercial producers, advancing the breed in various areas. But more importantly, they have utmost integrity.”

The Hood Beefmaster operation is a complete family enterprise. Their son and daughter-in-law are active partners in the cattle and sales management business, while also operating their own veterinary clinic and Beefmaster herd. Tom and Deidra also have two granddaughters that are active in showing cattle through the Junior Beefmaster Breeders Association. Overall, the goal of the Hood family is to continue Beefmaster genetic advancement and family ownership for many more years to come.

The BBU Breeder of the Year award was created to recognize the efforts and contributions made by members to promote BBU and Beefmaster cattle, while also evaluating the type, size and management practices of the member’s breeding program. The award requires that the breeder is an active BBU member in good standing, and has not received this award in the previous seven years.

For more information about Beefmaster Breeders United please contact the BBU office at 210-732-3132 or visit www.beefmasters.org. Stay connected to BBU through Facebook, view our videos on YouTube, follow us on Twitter and receive our news updates through joining our mailing list.

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Beefmaster Breeders United (www.beefmasters.org), located in Boerne, Texas, is a not-for-profit breed registration organization that provides programs and services for its members. Beefmaster, Beefmaster Advancer and E6 cattle are selected on the “Six Essentials” of disposition, fertility, weight, conformation, milk production and hardiness.

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