Tennessee Cattleman Selected as Beefmaster Performance Breeder of the Year

BOERNE, Texas – Clark Jones, Jones Beefmasters of Savannah, Tenn., was announced as the 2017 Beefmaster Breeders United (BBU) Performance Breeder of the Year during the 57^th Annual BBU Convention “Beefmasters on the Bay” in Galveston, Texas. The award was presented to ranch owner Clark Jones and ranch manager Justin Williams during the awards luncheon.

Performance, phenotype and functionality are the main goals of Jones’ breeding program. Jones has submitted over 4,000 records to BBU since 1992 and evaluates his cattle for birth weight, weaning weight, yearling weight, carcass merit, scrotal and cow productivity. Over the past 30 years Jones has striven to produce the best Beefmaster cattle he can, by utilizing new technology and proven methods. Jones and Williams record performance data on all heifers and use that information to select replacements from the group. Females with poor performance in growth, as well as carcass data, will be culled from the herd.

“Quality is a powerful thing. For a female to achieve embryo donor status she must be in the top of the breed for EPD traits, have good actual data and have a phenotype that is as close to perfect as possible,” said Jones.

Jones is also very strict on his evaluation of herd sires, AI sires and commercial bulls. Jones culls the bulls that do not meet certain criteria, without question. All bulls must have at least one inch ribeye per hundred pounds of body weight and a minimum of 2.0 IMF, as well as pass a breeding soundness exam by 14 months of age.

Jones actively and progressively collects DNA on every calf born on the ranch and submits the DNA to BBU, this helps increase the accuracy of their EPDs and is beneficial to the BBU database. In the future, Jones plans to implement more DNA technology into the operation and continue to use ultrasound technology to measure carcass quality in their cattle.

Jones is an active member of the Southeastern Beefmaster Breeders Association (SEBBA) and consigns to the SEBBA, Live Oak Beefmaster Breeders Association and Texoma performance bull tests. He has also served in multiple capacities within BBU leadership, including president and serving on the board of directors.

The BBU Performance Breeder of the Year award was created to recognize members who are whole herd reporting breeders, collect performance and ultrasound data, as well as have superb management practices within their breeding program.

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.