Changemakers recognized as 2024 Angus Heritage Foundation Inductees
The 2024 Angus Heritage Foundation inductees were honored by the American Angus AssociationÒ during Angus Convention in Fort Worth, Texas on Nov. 3.
November 26, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Holly Martin, director of communications
816-383-5143
For more than 40 years, the American Angus Association’s Angus Heritage Foundation has recognized the passion, dedication and perseverance of individuals whose life’s work has made a lasting impact on the Angus breed. Today more than 80% of the U.S. cow herd is Angus-influenced. The forward-thinking action of the 2024 Heritage Foundation inductees contributed to that market share and helped position The Business Breed as a leader in the industry.
The 2024 inductees include: Bill and Sally Bowman, St. Joseph, Missouri; Dave and Yvonne Hinman, Malta, Montana; Bob and Jim Sitz, Harrison, Dillon, Montana; and Harlan Ritchie (posthumously), East Lansing, Michigan.
Bill and Sally Bowman
Bill and Sally Bowman traveled separate paths to Angus, but their shared teamwork helped transform genetic tools and producers’ ability to use them. Bill’s grandfather first taught him about livestock, and his small herd started as a junior high FFA project. He graduated with an animal science degree from the University of Missouri and worked in various roles for the American Angus Association®, including as a regional manager, director of commercial programs, and assistant director of performance programs.
Sally Northcutt-Bowman, a native of Lexington, Kentucky, earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Kentucky and then completed a doctorate in quantitative genetics at Iowa State University. After time at Oklahoma State University, she landed at the Association, bringing the organization’s genetic evaluation in-house for the first time.
“We wanted to be more fluid and be efficient and change the environment of the industry,” Bill said.
During their time at the Association, the duo led the introduction of $Value indexes, genomically-enhanced expected progeny differences (EPDs) and helped create Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI®) as a standalone subsidiary of the Association. With Sally working on the data to build tools, Bill was “out in the country” helping to inspire adoption as AGI’s first president.
“I am still immersed in Angus cattle and the Angus breed and will be my whole life,” Sally said. In 2014, Sally founded Method Genetics, and Bill became her first employee. The couple was married in 2017 and continue to advance the Angus breed through data-driven innovation and a strong sense of commitment to the cattlemen they serve.
Learn more about Bill and Sally’s story on Angus TV.
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Cutline: Bill and Sally Bowman, St. Joseph, Missouri, were inducted into the Angus Heritage Foundation at the 2024 Angus Convention in November. Pictured from left are Lauren Wolter, 2024 Miss American Angus; Sally Bowman; Bill Bowman; and Mark McCully, American Angus Association CEO.
Dave and Yvonne Hinman
Pioneer breeders of performance cattle, Dave and Yvonne Hinman of Hinman Angus, have raised registered Angus cattle since 1973.
“It’s a work in progress forever and it will be for the next generation and the next one,” said Dave.
The couple and their daughters, Jill and Heidi, ran Hinman Angus in Willow Creek, Montana for over 25 years. In 1988, they had their first production sale, joining with Bill and Jennifer Davis and two other couples as the Performance Breeders, a group that worked together until 2008 to market registered Angus seedstock.
“The reason we wanted to do it together was at the time, we wanted more bulls in one sale,” Dave said. “It worked.”
In 2000, Dave and Yvonne made the move to “good old cow country” near Malta, Montana, to lease an 8,000-acre ranch and later purchase land in the area. In Malta, they have worked alongside daughter Heidi, and son-in-law Billy Lulloff for many years, mentoring them and now their grandson Tyler Lulloff. Together, the family continues to produce high-quality, reputation cattle as Hinman Angus and distribute their signature, bright yellow-covered sale books annually.
As leaders in the breed, Dave served on the Association Board of Directors from 2017 to 2023. Yvonne served as president of the American Angus Auxiliary in 1999 to 2000 and was honored as the Distinguished Woman Award in 2007. In 2005, the Performance Breeders were recognized with the Certified Angus Beef (CAB) Seedstock Commitment to Excellence Award.
“If I had advice for young breeders? I’d do this, make some friendships with older breeders that have been in the business and listen to them,” Dave said. “I was very, very fortunate to have a lot of them. . . Those friendships, that’s what made it so special.”
Learn more about Dave and Yvonne’s story on Angus TV.
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Cutline : Dave and Yvonne Hinman, Malta, Montana, were inducted into the Angus Heritage Foundation at the 2024 Angus Convention in November. Pictured from left are Lauren Wolter, 2024 Miss American Angus; Yvonne Hinman; Dave Hinman; Heidi Lulloff; Billy Lulloff; and Mark McCully, American Angus Association CEO.
Bob and Jim Sitz
Bob (Jr.) and Jim Sitz of Harrison and Dillon, Montana, lead Sitz Angus as its third generation. They labored alongside their parents Bob (Sr.) and Donna as young men, growing a passion for Angus cattle and the cattle business. In their 20s, they chose to manage the ranch alongside their mother after the untimely death of their father in 1989.
“My dad always said, we had to be a jack-of-all-trades. That would fit Sitz Angus ranch to a T,” said Jim.
Together, the brothers and their mother guided the ranch through some lean years that included a mature cow dispersal and subsequent herd rebuilding. In the decades since, they have expanded the ranch from a single location in Harrison to three properties, and they have prioritized customer relationships, adopted new technologies like embryo transfer and genomics, and improved the quality of their cattle.
“What’s helped us survive for over a hundred years? I’d say adaptability,” said Jim. “The consistency of knowing that the only thing constant in this world is change. When there is new technology that is brought forward, you can’t be afraid to embrace it.”
Sitz Angus sires consistently claim spots in annual lists of the top 25 sires for breed registration, and their reputation for being a high-quality source of maternal genetics persists. As leaders, Bob serves the Montana Stockgrowers Association in addition to being an active member of the American Angus Association®. Jim followed in his father’s footsteps, serving on the Association Board of Directors from 2009 to 2016 and as president in 2016.
Today, Jim and Bob, along with Jim’s wife Tammi (Huntsman), run Sitz Angus with their families. Jim also markets customers’ cattle as a representative with Northern Livestock Video Auction. The brothers continue to be long-term supporters and collectors of performance data, especially with the pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) EPD and as a MaternalPlus® herd.
Learn more about Bob and Jim’s story on Angus TV.
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Cutline: Bob and Jim Sitz, Harrison and Dillon, Montana, were inducted into the Angus Heritage Foundation at the 2024 Angus Convention in November. Pictured from left are Lauren Wolter, 2024 Miss American Angus; Jim Sitz, Tammi Sitz, Amber (Sitz) Konen, Tyler Sitz, Tucker Sitz, Taylre Sitz Zempel, Bob Sitz and Mark McCully, American Angus Association CEO.
Dr. Harlan Ritchie (posthumously)
Dr. Harlan Ritchie’s profound legacy and influence on the cattle industry is unmatched. Throughout the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s, the Michigan State University (MSU) professor championed change, driving cattle trends with his bold selections in the show ring, groundbreaking research and published works.
“Dr. Ritchie had the innate ability to foresee the future needs of the beef cattle industry,” said Ken Geuns, Ritchie’s business partner in Ventura Farms.
Up until his passing in 2016, Ritchie was first and foremost a student, a seeker of knowledge. It was his constant curiosity and passion for learning that laid the foundation for him to become one of the world’s leading experts on cattle. The Iowa native traveled the world speaking about his work, seeking out the value in all types of cattle and judging premier cattle shows. In the ring, Ritchie made selections that pushed the industry to think differently.
“Having the courage to walk out in front of thousands and thousands and thousands of people and slap an animal that you deem champion, that nobody else deems champion, requires tremendous courage,” said Jason Rowntree, who knew Ritchie and now serves as MSU Faculty Coordinator at the Lake City Research Center where Ritchie did much of his research.
What stands out most to those who had the opportunity to cross paths with Ritchie is his generosity with his time and wisdom; always willing to have a conversation, answer questions and offer his insights.
“My dad was a very hard working, passionate person about the beef cattle industry,” said Ritchie’s oldest son, Bill. “He was very humble; very kind and generous.”
Ritchie is remembered as a man who dedicated his life to the betterment of the cattle industry, pushing against the grain to drive meaningful and impactful change that continues to play a role in the success of today’s market.
Learn more about Dr. Ritchie’s legacy on Angus TV.
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Cutline: Dr. Harlan Ritchie was posthumously inducted into the Angus Heritage Foundation at the 2024 Angus Convention in November. The award was accepted by Harlan’s former business partner Ken Geuns. Pictured from left are Lauren Wolter, 2024 Miss American Angus; Ken Geuns; Nancy Thelen; Scott Foster; Cody Sankey; and Mark McCully, American Angus Association CEO.
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Cutline: Dr. Harlan Ritchie, 2024 Angus Heritage Foundation inductee (posthumously), evaluating cattle at the National Western Stock Show. Date unknown.
ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS
The American Angus Association® is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving more than 21,000 members across the United States, Canada and several other countries. It’s home to an extensive breed registry that grows by more than 300,000 animals each year. The Association also provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers and others who rely on Angus to produce quality genetics for the beef industry and quality beef for consumers. For more information about Angus cattle and the American Angus Association, visit www.angus.org.
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