The Pacesetter program is designed to recognize Beefmaster cattle that excel in performance as part of the Weights and Measures Program. When you see one star beside the name of a sire or dam in a pedigree, this is the designation of a Pacesetter sire or dam. You may have seen these stars in the past and been unsure of what they meant. By the end of this article, you'll be able to understand and appreciate the production goals that a sire or dam had to accomplish to receive this honored designation.
In order for a female to be recognized as a Pacesetter, she must meet all of the following requirements:
The cow herself is not required to have individual weights and measures data for her performance of weaning weight. The cow's calves must be enrolled in the Weights and Measures program and all of her progeny data must be entered into the program before the third calf is born.
For a sire to be recognized as a Pacesetter sire, he must sire five (5) females who have been recognized as Pacesetter dams.
As you can see, the qualifications of the Pacesetter program require a female to have her first calf on time, produce a calf that is the near the top of its contemporary group, and continue to do so in future production years. The Pacesetter program is designed to recognize hard-working, productive cows (and the bulls that sire those cows) in your herd. In order for your cattle to be recognized as Pacesetters, it's important to be turning in your performance records to BBU!