“The Hereford quest for excellence. That’s what unites all of us in this room, and it is an odyssey. It is a quest. It is a journey. It is a game that cannot be won, a game that can only be played.”

That’s how Tom Field opened the American Hereford Association (AHA) Educational Forum, held in conjunction with 19th World Hereford Conference (WHC) in Kansas City, Mo.

“I think there are two ways to go at business, and really at life. We can either play a finite game, or we can play an infinite game, and it matters not where we live,” according to Field. “Which game are we going to play? In the finite game, we think in quarters, or if you’re a hockey fan, in periods; if you’re a baseball fan, in innings. There are known players, and we know who they are. The rules are set. There’s a definite ending of the game … The goal is to win. And the question, really, that drives us in the finite game is what’s best for me?

“Then there’s the infinite game. We think in generations. There are known and unknown players. The rules are in flux. There’s no endpoint, there’s no end to the game. The goal is to stay in the game. And what drives us is what’s best for others.”

Field’s presentation on Thursday morning, Oct. 23, ignited, inspired and challenged the crowd as he provided context for research unveiled at this year’s Forum by describing the pioneering in-breed, generational genetic comparisons that were the cornerstone of the 1996 Educational Forum, when the United States last hosted the WHC. He is director of the widely heralded Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is also an active partner in is family’s multi-generation ranch with deep roots in the Hereford breed.

Depth and breadth

Research presented during the first day of this year’s educational forum included:

•Results of collaborative research between the AHA and the University of Illinois-Champaign (UIUC) exploring the efficiency differences between breeding Hereford bulls to commercial Angus cows or Angus bulls across generations and retaining the F1 Hereford-sired replacements or straight-bred black replacements. Hereford-sired females in the study, compared to those sired by Angus, are more moderate in size, have lower feed intake, increased weaning rate, improved breed-back and increased longevity — presented by Dan Shike, Ph.D., UIUC  and Shane Bedwell, AHA.

•Evolution of genetic selection and gene and genetic evaluation models, fueled by technology development — all increasing prediction accuracy — presented by Dorian Garrick, Ph.D., Theta Solutions and Helical.

•How the Pan American Cattle Evaluation (PACE) continues to broaden genetic evaluation with a data base of about four million pedigrees and 253,000 genotypes. Pace is a joint effort by Hereford organizations in Argentina, Canada, Uruguay and the United States — presented by Dan Garrick, Ph.D., Theta Solutions and Helical.

•Growing global demand for animal protein and how new technologies can reduce losses associated with cattle disease and reproductive efficiency — presented by Tiago Arantes, DVM, Merck Animal Health.

Other Thursday highlights

•WHC participants heard country progress reports from: Argentina, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, South Africa, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

•Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe has proclaimed Oct. 22-26, 2025, as Hereford Week. More than 700 Hereford breeders from 20 countries, including the United States, are gathering during the week for the WHC, held in conjunction with the AHA Educational Forum and Annual Meeting.

Governor Kehoe’s proclamation notes, “Hereford seedstock were imported to the United States in 1817 to increase beef production efficiency and continue to serve this purpose through the efforts of dedicated Hereford breeders utilizing genetic improvement tools grounded in cutting-edge research.”

Building momentum

Field’s opening presentation built upon enthusiasm generated at the previous evening’s Welcome Beef Festival, hosted by the AHA at its headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. Participants enjoyed fellowship and creative culinary concepts featuring Certified Hereford Beef^®, while also exploring the art and history recording the breed’s extraordinary journey in the United States since 1817. The festival capped Wednesday events, which included the WHC delegate meeting and Welcome Beef Festival.