KANSAS CITY. Mo. – Bill Breeding, Miami, Texas; Mark Frederickson, Spearfish, S.D.; and Art Olsen, Harrisburg, Neb., were inducted into the Hereford Hall of Fame Oct. 25 during the 2025 World Hereford Conference and American Hereford Association (AHA) Annual Meeting in Kansas City, Mo.

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

“Foundational Hereford breeders have long paved the way of the breed’s success in the United States,” says Jack Ward, AHA executive vice president. “Those inducted into the Hereford Hall of Fame have positively impacted the Hereford breed through their courage and commitment to genetic improvement, in service to commercial and seedstock producers.”

Bill Breeding

Bill Breeding, Miami, Texas, got his start in the Hereford breed at a young age. He began raising Hereford cattle in 1957 when he and his father, Earl, purchased two Hereford cows and a bull. He grew up exhibiting cattle and showing Hereford steers at Texas majors — winning champion steer at the San Antonio Livestock Show and the State Fair of Texas. Today, he owns B&C Cattle Co. in Miami, Texas, where three generations of Breedings produce and promote Hereford cattle at the top of every segment of the industry.

Bill attended Texas A&M University. There, he joined the Corps of Cadets, while he earned his bachelor’s degree in animal science and his doctor of veterinary medicine degree. After graduating in 1964, Bill joined the Army and was stationed in New York City, working as a meat inspector, where he met and married Edie McFadden Breeding in August 1965.

Shortly after, the couple returned to Miami, where Bill began practicing veterinary medicine and continued to grow B&C Cattle Co. After many years of being the only vet in Roberts County, Texas, he closed his clinic to focus solely on the Hereford breed and his herd. During this time, the couple also had two children, Chad and Christi.

Bill grew his herd via AI and embryo transfer (ET), new techniques at the time. While expanding B&C Cattle, he sought out the best genetics in the country. He was one of the first breeders to utilize Line 1 cattle in the ’70s, when he purchased HH Advanced C759 “Hatchet” and WCF L1 Domino 6313 “Clown” from Jimmy Fiddler in Stanford, Mont. These bulls went on to successfully produce many high-quality offspring, and both sires earned the Super Register of Merit award in 1977. Today, many members of the B&C cow herd go back to those genetics.

Bill has hung numerous grand champion banners. Some of the operation’s most recent accomplishments include supreme champion Hereford at the 2018 National Western Stock Show (NWSS), champion female at the 2019 NWSS junior Hereford show, reserve horned bull at the 2023 Cattlemen’s Congress and reserve polled bull at the 2025 Cattlemen’s Congress. 

In addition, the family consistently produces top-grading and top-selling bulls at the San Antonio Livestock Show and Houston Livestock Show’s all-breed range bull sales, showing the grand champion bull across all breeds more than 10 times. Outside of the showring, Bill has been a long-time consignor to Texas Hereford sales and has worked tirelessly to get Hereford bulls working for commercial outfits across Texas. 

Currently, Bill runs roughly 300 head of Hereford cattle alongside his son, Chad. B&C has been a strong influence in the Hereford breed, but Bill’s impact goes beyond the showring and range. A dear friend to many, his lifetime spent raising Hereford cattle serves as a testament to his love for and dedication to the breed. 

“Bill is one of the most knowledgeable and respected men the Hereford breed has ever known,” writes Bobby Singleton, livestock marketer, in his nomination letter. “He shares that knowledge to all that are smart enough to listen and has taught many life lessons to several generations of cattlemen over the years, including many of our elite breeders today. A spot in the Hereford Hall of Fame is the highest honor for our breed; a spot I feel is well deserved for Mr. Bill Breeding.”

Mark Frederickson

In 1950, Mark Frederickson’s father, Don, founded Frederickson Hereford Ranch in west central Minnesota. When Mark was a young 4-Her, he started his beef project with one heifer — by the time he finished high school his herd had grown to 10 head. 

Mark graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1971, where he was a member of the livestock judging team. Upon graduation, Mark began expanding his cattle operation. He and his wife, Mary Kay, purchased land near Starbuck, Minn., in 1974 and moved their cattle there. This ranch’s rolling hills and grasslands were better suited for cattle.

Mark and Mary Kay’s new ranch was home to 40 purebred polled Hereford cows. Through hard work and determination, the couple grew their operation to around 100-125 purebred Hereford cows. While living on the ranch, Mark and Mary Kay raised two children, Nate and Sarah.

During these early years, Mark immersed himself in Minnesota beef cattle leadership roles and activities. In the mid-1990s he worked on the merger of the Minnesota polled and horned Hereford associations. He also helped start the annual Minnesota Go-Pher the Purple Sale and was active in the Minnesota Cattlemen’s Association. He volunteered to assist with educational workshops for cattle producers through the University of Minnesota. Mark served on the Minnesota Beef Council Board and was a member of the Pope County Fair Board, where he helped initiate a youth open class beef show. Mark also helped found the Minnesota Beef Expo. 

In addition to his diligent effort improving the Minnesota beef industry, Mark was an active member of the American Polled Hereford Association (APHA) and was on the committee that facilitated the polled and horned association merger and the creation of the American Hereford Association (AHA).

Mark has always been a staunch supporter of youth beef programs at all levels and through 4-H, FFA and the National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA). Mark’s greatest contribution to youth programs has been his time, positive attitude and effort. His willingness to mentor young people is his contribution to the future.

Mark is a nationally recognized judge, evaluating the National Hereford Show along with several other national and regional shows. 

In 2011, Mark and Mary Kay relocated from their Minnesota ranch to western South Dakota. They were able to purchase the land they now call home near Spearfish. The couple currently runs Frederickson Ranch with their son, Nate, his wife, Jayna, and their two sons, Teegan and Tiernan. Their daughter, Sarah, her husband, Shawn, and their children, Payton and Tryg, raise Herefords and own Foothills Veterinary Services in Sheridan, Wyo. The Frederickson family hosts an annual bull sale the first Saturday in December at the ranch near Spearfish. 

Mark’s commitment to the Hereford breed is steadfast. His drive to improve the breed, along with the beef industry, speaks for itself. Perhaps most important is the innumerable number of breeders across the U.S. who’ve leaned on Mark’s leadership, mentorship and friendship.

 “Mark has a passion for this breed and good cattle. He has built a very reputable, highly valued herd through his well-thought-out breeding visions, performance testing, strict culling and honesty,” writes Jan Ward, NJW Polled Herefords, in her nomination letter. “I think for me though, Mark’s greatest attribute is his heartfelt mentoring to countless folks throughout the breed. He is the one we all call on for his level-headed, well-thought-out advice and the friend we all count on.” 

Art Olsen

Owned and operated by Art and Douglas Olsen and their family, Olsen Ranches of Harrisburg, Neb., is a multi-generational seedstock and commercial cattle operation in western Nebraska. The Olsen family’s legacy in Banner County began in 1885, and the ranch has remained in the family ever since — with Herefords serving as a steady presence through generations of change. 

For more than six decades, Art has been the visionary behind Olsen Ranches, supporting innovation, technology and scientific research to improve the Hereford breed and beef cattle genetics. His forward-thinking, creativity and technology savviness paved the way for the next generations — including son, Douglas, and grandsons, Isaac, Luke and Gabe — to continue prioritizing industry innovating programs like the National Reference Sire Program (NRSP). The family’s push for science-backed solutions catapulted the Hereford breed ahead of the curve among other beef breeds.

In 1959, Art purchased 20 registered Hereford heifers from the Coulter Ranch. He and his wife, Sharon, grew their registered herd when they purchased 150 cows from the Bradbury Ranch in 1967. The couple sold registered cattle private treaty before hosting their first sale in Rawlins, Wyo., in 1972. They held sales through 1979, before once again marketing private treaty. During this time, the operation started collecting carcass data on ranch-raised calves, and Olsen Ranches received the first Register of Merit sire designation in Nebraska.

Olsen Ranches has always run commercial cattle. The operation has collected carcass data on all ranch-raised calves from 1992 to today. In the early months of the Certified Hereford Beef^® program, Olsen Ranches provided cattle for the brand. Olsen Ranches was also one of the first operations to ship age- and source-verified beef to Japan after its borders reopened in 2005, thanks to their meticulous recordkeeping. 

For more than two decades, Olsen Ranches has been the driving force behind one of the AHA’s most impactful breed improvement initiatives — the NRSP. The Olsens’ vision was instrumental in launching the program. What began as a conversation about how to evaluate bulls in a commercial setting, the NRSP — industry-unique in size and scope — has enabled the Hereford breed to identify the genetic merit of young sires faster and more accurately, while also developing new selection tools and validating genomic data. 

Since the program’s inception in 1999, Olsen Ranches has provided the foundation herd for the NRSP, building a data-rich engine for genetic advancement that has shaped the direction of the Hereford breed. The Olsen cow herd serves as a powerful contemporary group structure used to evaluate young sires across a broad genetic landscape. 

The Olsens’ commitment to the program has enabled the breed to move forward with confidence — verifying calving ease, growth, feed efficiency, carcass merit and, most recently, sustainability traits like methane emissions and nitrogen excretion. Their operation was the first in the country to measure greenhouse gas output as part of the AHA’s collaboration with Colorado State University’s AgNext program. 

Olsen Ranches’ commitment to continuous improvement — not only for their herd, but for the entire breed — makes the operation truly extraordinary. With more than 300 NRSP-tested sires since 1999, their work has directly contributed to more than 7% of the breed’s two million performance pedigrees and countless advancements in genetic evaluation. The integrity of their random mating, consistent management and rigorous data reporting has created one of the most trusted sources of phenotypic data in the beef industry.

Art demonstrates an unwavering dedication to the betterment of the breed. Under his leadership, Olsen Ranches has redefined what it means to be a breed improver. 

“Art’s impact on the Hereford industry is profound and enduring,” writes Bryce Schumann, Schu-Lar Herefords, in his letter to the selection committee. “Through Olsen Ranches, he has created a legacy of excellence, innovation and community engagement. His contributions have not only advanced the quality of Hereford cattle but also fostered a spirit of collaboration and education within the industry. As Olsen Ranches continues to grow and evolve, it stands as a living tribute to Art’s vision and dedication to the art of cattle breeding.”

The 19th annual World Hereford Conference, Oct. 22-26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo., features an educational forum, a celebration of high-achieving and influential Hereford breeders of all ages, an international sale and National Hereford Show. 

The World Hereford Conference takes place every four years when delegates of the World Hereford Council meet to conduct official business aimed at breed improvement and opportunity development. It is a time for Hereford breeders from around the world to network and learn from one another — the U.S. is hosting for the first time since 1996.

View the press release and photos here.

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The American Hereford Association hosts the World Hereford Conference (WHC), presented by Merck Animal Health, in Kansas City, Mo., Oct. 22-26, and the Young Breeders Competition at Kansas State University and in Kansas City Oct. 19-25. The World Hereford Council convenes every four years at the WHC — in different council-member countries — where delegates conduct official business aimed at breed improvement and opportunity development.