Greg Shaw, Caldwell, Idaho, John Loewen, Waukomis, Okla., Dale and Mary Barber, Channing, Texas, and Clifford and Barbara Copeland, Nara Vista, N.M., were inducted into the Hereford Hall of Fame Oct. 26, in Kansas City, Mo., during the American Hereford Association (AHA) Hereford Honorees Reception during the AHA Annual Meeting and Conference.

The Hall of Fame honor annually recognizes breeders who have dynamically influenced the direction and advancement of the Hereford breed.

Greg Shaw

A third-generation rancher, Shaw has been a committed Hereford breeder from day one. The Shaw Hereford Ranch in Caldwell, Idaho, got its start in 1946 when Shaw’s parents, Tom and Mary, selected a Hereford heifer as the foundation for the family’s herd. Ahead of their time, the family began collecting performance data in 1963. Greg officially joined the operation after graduating college in 1968 and got straight to work in bettering the herd.

In cooperation with the University of Idaho, Shaw, his wife, Cleo, and Tom started the Northwest Bull Test Center in 1969, the first performance bull test center in the Northwest. That same year, Shaw enrolled the Shaw Hereford Ranch cow herd in the AHA Whole Herd Total Performance Records (TPR)  program, recording everything “by hand on good, old carbon-copy pages.”

In 1988, the Shaw herd was divided into three. Shaw and Cleo ventured out on their own and started Shaw Cattle Company while raising their three children Tucker, Sam and Jaime, while carrying on the tradition of producing reputable performance cattle.

Shaw’s commitment to the industry is supported by his multiple leadership roles and industry-wide recognition. He served as president of the AHA Board of Directors and was also a board member for the Idaho Cattlemen’s Association and the Idaho Purebred Council. During his time on the AHA Board, he served as chairman of the breed improvement committee when the Whole Herd Total Performance Recording was implemented. In 2016, Shaw Cattle Company was recognized as the Beef Improvement Federation Seedstock Producer of the Year, an honor to an outfit that “prides itself on selling commercial bulls from a real-world cow herd.”

John Loewen

With more than 60 years of experience, Loewen got his start in the registered business after receiving his first registered female as a wedding gift from his father-in-law and long-time Hereford breeder, Harold V. Hunter. The two worked together running the HVH herd in Waukomis, Okla., for many years.

Loewen and his wife, Mona, now operate the ranch under Loewen Herefords and have stayed true to raising “curve-bending cattle with carcass merit.” He is regarded as a disciplined breeder and a mentor by his peers and is recognized for his “preservation and advancement” of the breed.

His dedication to breeding Hereford cattle that fit the needs of the commercial industry is only outshined by his passion for service. Loewen was a member of the AHA board of directors and served as chairman of the Certified Hereford Beef® Board and also served on the Hereford Youth Foundation of America Board. He currently chairs the Hereford Legacy Fund LLC Board. Loewen has been an integral leader in the Oklahoma Hereford Association, serving as its president several times.

Dale and Mary Barber

Dale and Mary Barber, are the owners and operators of Barber Ranch, a 114-year-old operation located in Channing, Texas. Barber Ranch’s roots trace back to a commercial horned Hereford cow herd Mary’s grandfather started in 1904. Mary’s dad replaced the commercial cows with registered ones in 1950 and the family’s vision for raising the best Hereford cattle possible has remained steadfast as the industry has evolved.

Dale grew up on a commercial Hereford ranch in the Hill Country of Texas. He graduated from veterinary school at Texas A&M University and then joined the Air Force as an officer. Dale met Mary soon after graduating vet school and they got married. Shortly after, they moved to Channing to take over the ranch.

Barber Ranch was a pioneer in blending both horned and polled genetics and producing popular pedigrees. The pedigree of the program’s most influential cow, Gabrielle, can be found throughout herds all across the U.S.

Dale and Mary are also huge supporters of the National Junior Hereford Association. Their four children, Brett, Justin, Jason and Terri, have all grown up to become leaders in the Hereford business and are still involved in the ranch in some capacity.

The Barber Ranch prefix has been on countless national champions over multiple decades. The prominence of their visionary breeding philosophy continues to be a dominant force at all competitive national sales and shows.

Clifford and Barbara Copeland

Originally established as Jack Copeland and Sons 75 years ago by Clifford’s grandfather, Otis, and dad, Jack, Copeland & Sons Herefords, LLC, is nestled just north of Nara Visa, New Mexico. At the ripe age of 10, Clifford made a commitment to become a great rancher and raise the best Hereford cattle he could.

Clifford and Barbara met showing cattle at the New Mexico State Fair, and in 1959 the couple assumed management of the Copeland family ranch. Fast forward, the ranch now has two divisions and is home to more than 500 cows and three generations of Copelands — Clifford and Barbara; son Cliff, and his wife Pat; and their son, Matt. The operation hosts an annual bull sale in the spring and females in the fall. On the ranch’s 50th anniversary in 1993, the Copelands hosted the New Mexico Junior Hereford field day and Governor Bruce King declared the day as Hereford Day in New Mexico to help celebrate.

Clifford and Barbara have devoted decades of leadership to the breed. They have both served as advisers for the New Mexico Junior Hereford Association. Barbara saw through the formation of the American Hereford Auxiliary and was a charter member of the Auxiliary.

In addition to their service to the breed, Clifford and Barbara are leaders in their community. Clifford helped organize the local fire department and served as its first chief. Barbara has been instrumental in preserving the history and old buildings in the area, and currently serves as the curator for the Little House on the Prairie in Amistad.

“We congratulate these individuals for the impact they have made on the Hereford breed,” said Jack Ward, AHA chief executive officer. “Their dedication to the breed is inspiring and I am honored to induct them into the Hereford Hall of Fame.”

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The American Hereford Association, with headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., is one of the largest U.S. beef breed associations. The not-for-profit organization along with its subsidiaries — Certified Hereford Beef (CHB) LLC, Hereford Publications Inc. (HPI) and American Beef Records Association (ABRA) — provides programs and services for its members and their customers, while promoting the Hereford breed and supporting education, youth and research. For more information about the Association, visit Hereford.org. For pictures and additional news releases, visit www.hereford.org/media.

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