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Brown honored as pioneer at B.I.F. annual conference

published: September 7th 2007

BOZEMAN, MT- The Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) honored Rob Brown of R.A. Brown Ranch, Throckmorton, Texas, with the Pioneer Award, June 1, during the organization’s 39th annual meeting in Fort Collins, CO.  His son, Donnell Brown, accepted the award on behalf of his father, R.A. “Rob” Brown.

The award recognizes individuals who have made lasting contributions to the improvement of beef cattle and who have had a major role in the acceptance of performance reporting and documentation as the primary means to make genetic change in beef cattle populations.  During the course of his career in the livestock industry, Brown has demonstrated vision, leadership, and excellence.

The R.A. Brown Ranch is most noted for the development of Hotlander, a heat-tolerant composite breed, which they developed during the 1990s. The ranch provides Angus, Red Angus, SimAngus Hotlander bulls and females to producers worldwide through their annual production sale each October.  If that isn’t enough, the R.A. Brown Ranch keeps detailed records on more than 1,000 head of registered cattle in four breeds and 1,100 commercial cows.

As an industry leader for more than 20 years, Brown has dedicated himself to several organizations over the years including the National Cattlemen’s Association, Livestock Industry Institute, American Society of Range Management, American Simmental, Angus, Red Angus, and Senepol Associations, Texas Cattle Feeders Association, and World Simmental Federation.  At Texas Tech University, he has served as chairman of the Agriculture Dean’s Advisory Council and has served on the Ranching Heritage Board of Overseers since 1982.  Governor, George W. Bush appointed Brown to the Texas Animal Health Commission, where he served for 10 years.

Today, Rob and his wife, Peggy, are still involved in the daily operation of the ranch as they transition management to the fifth generation.

Headquartered in Bozeman, Montana, the American Simmental Association maintains the breed registries for the Simmental and Simbrah breed of cattle.  The organization has an active adult and junior membership of more than 8,000.  For more information, please visit www.simmental.org.