October 1, 2025
Hereford breeders from around the world are coming to Montana Oct. 16-21, touring prominent Hereford operations ahead of the World Hereford Conference (WHC) in Kansas City, Mo., the following week.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome international and domestic Hereford seedstock producers to Montana and the World Hereford Conference,” says Jack Ward, executive vice president of the American Hereford Association (AHA).
Hereford breeders from around the world are coming to Montana Oct. 16-21, touring prominent Hereford operations ahead of the World Hereford Conference (WHC) in Kansas City, Mo., the following week.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome international and domestic Hereford seedstock producers to Montana and the World Hereford Conference,” says Jack Ward, executive vice president of the American Hereford Association (AHA). “This tour is designed to showcase some of the leading Hereford genetics and operations in the nation, provide insights to leading-edge production practices and highlight Montana’s historic role in U.S. beef cattle production.”
Montana is home to plenty of Hereford history and current-day breed leaders. The state is also commonly regarded as the fountainhead of Line 1 Hereford cattle, founded in 1934 at the USDA’s Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory in Miles City.
The tour and WHC come at an extraordinary point in the breed’s U.S. history.
“More commercial cow-calf producers in the United States are embracing Hereford’s inherent genetic advantages of fertility, docility, longevity and documented feed efficiency on the range and in the feedlot,” Ward explains. “Many of these producers are also using Hereford genetics as an essential component in strategic crossbreeding, magnifying the breed’s genetic advantages through direct and maternal heterosis.”
Montana herd tour stops and hosts include (in schedule order):
Participants will also have a chance to visit the Northern International Livestock Exposition (NILE) in Billings, where they will see local Hereford cattle on display and take part in a fun evening with the Montana Hereford Association.
The AHA expects 115 breeders to attend the weeklong tour. For broader perspective, the WHC includes registrations from 209 international Hereford breeders and 467 U.S. breeders, representing 19 countries and 37 states.
“I think the opportunity for all Hereford enthusiasts to make connections and interact with one another during this tour is going to be priceless,” says Shane Bedwell, AHA chief operations officer and director of breed improvement. “I know of nowhere else you’re going to be able to spend time with a really great nucleus of Hereford breeders, while getting to see some great Hereford cattle in the process.”
Ward notes successful preparation and execution of the Montana Hereford Tour are due to the tireless efforts of the tour hosts. He also extends thanks to Montana Department of Agriculture, Merck Animal Health, Montana Hereford Association, NILE, Western Ag Network and Trans Ova Genetics for their efforts and support in hosting this historic event.
About the WHC
The 19th annual WHC Oct. 22-26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo., features: a two-day educational forum, including a first glimpse at results from pioneering collaborative research conducted by the American Hereford Association (AHA); celebration of Hereford Hall of Fame and Hall of Merit indictees; recognition of Golden Hereford Breeders, Certified Hereford Beef® award winners, Hereford Commercial Producer of the Year; Hereford Youth Foundation of America scholarship recipients and winners in the National Junior Hereford Association Fed Steer Shootout.
The week culminates with the Ladies of Royal International Edition Sale and National Hereford Show at the American Royal, where the new National Hereford Queen will be crowned. In fact, the first National Hereford Show in 1899 was the foundation of what later became the iconic American Royal.
A special feature of this year’s WHC is the international Young Breeders Competition (YBC) that takes place concurrently, Oct. 19-25. Most of the contests are at Kansas State University, but will conclude at the American Royal. The YBC includes 11 four-member teams from seven countries, two of those from the U.S.
For historical perspective, the WHC 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.
Sites for the World Hereford Conference revolve among World Hereford Council member countries. The first one was in 1951 in Herefordshire, England. The U.S. hosted the conference for the first time in 1960, in Kansas City, Mo. The U.S. also hosted the 12th annual conference in Fort Collins, Colo., in 1996.
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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 press releases and photos, visit Hereford.org/media.
View the press release and photo here.
