April/May 2008 Issue (pdf - 7794 kb)... - Hereford America

HEREFORD AMERICA • April/May 2008 www.herefordamerica.com • 19
Ryan Sellman:
NHA Young Promoter of the Year
It is with pride that the Nebraska Hereford
Association recognizes Ryan Sellman
as our Young Promoter of the Year. Ryan
has already made a name for himself as
one of the best fitters in the country and
also is a premier cattle judge.
Ryan’s Hereford roots run deep as he is
the third generation of Sellmans to be in
the purebred Hereford business. Even
though he is receiving the Young Promoter
Award, he has been involved in
showing Herefords longer than many
people here today. As a very young toddler,
Ryan had the entire show barn crew
searching for him when he came up missing
in Denver one year. Never fear,
though. At feeding time he was found
sound asleep in the feed mixing box.
Ryan came up through the ranks of the
Nebraska Junior Hereford Association. He
exhibited very successfully at every Expo
and Junior National from the time he was
7 until he became too old to show at junior
shows. He brought home more than
his share of banners and trophies, but
probably the most meaningful to Ryan was
being named National Junior Herdsman
of the Year and winning the National
Showmanship Contest. Ryan was also a
leader as he was president of the Nebraska
Juniors when they hosted Expo
1999. As an adult, Ryan now serves on
the Board of Directors of the Nebraska
Hereford Association.
When Ryan graduated from high
school, he received a full ride scholarship
to Clarenden College in Texas. College life
did not suit Ryan, though, so he went to
Ryan Sellman (right) was the recipient of the
Young Promoter of the Year award. Presenting
the award is Kyle Rutt.
work for various livestock outfits, including
Upstream Ranch. A few years ago the
opportunity arose for Ryan to return to
the family ranch near Crawford so he
moved back home and began seriously
developing his purebred Hereford herd.
He also brought his bride, Sandi, to the
ranch to make their home.
Since being home Ryan has been successful
in producing some standout cattle,
notably SR Hard Rock, calf champion in
Denver in 2006 and reserve champion bull
in Denver in 2007.
With Ryan’s keen eye for cattle, expert
fitting skills and his dedication to the Hereford
breed, the Nebraska Hereford Association
is proud to name him as our 2007
Promoter of the Year.
Ridders Receive NHA
Heritage Award
Ridder Hereford Ranch had its
beginnings with the 1907 purchase of
land six miles west of Callaway by
Theodore and Elizabeth Ridder.
Theodore started his Hereford herd
when he bought Rector 334160, a May
12, 1908 son of Astor 128637 and Mabel
Bellringer 117599 from Benger & Decker.
One of his earliest purebred cow
purchases was Old Susannah for $5,000
from Mousels of Cambridge, Nebraska.
Theodore and Elizabeth’s youngest
of 11 children, Paul, decided to ranch
instead of attending Engineering college
when his father announced his
retirement in 1934. Paul and Marianne
were married in 1945 and after WWII
ended, they returned home from Corpus
Christi, Texas where Paul had served as
an aviator instructor for the U. S. Navy.
In 1972 Paul died in a ranch accident
and John took over management of the
ranch, having graduated the year before
from Colorado State University with a
BS in Animal Science.
Within a couple years John added
Line 1 genetics with the purchase of
bulls and heifers from Cooper Herefords
in Montana, took his first carload of
bulls to the National Western Stock
Show, and hosted his first sale on the
ranch in a new sale barn and cattle
display area he had built. He got
involved in the national and state
cattlemen’s organizations, the national
and state Hereford organizations, and
encouraged his brother to take part in
4-H.
In January of 1982 Metric was named
the Grand Champion Hereford Bull at
the National Western Stock Show.
Metric, or L1 Domino G081, was out of
a Holden cow John had bought for his
brother as a college graduation present
and out of a Venhuizen bull he’d
purchased for the ranch. Steckel’s
Diamond Ring Ranch had bought an
interest in Metric in the 1981 Showcase
(continued on page 21)
Kyle Rutt (left) presented the Heritage Award
to Mary and John Ridder, Ridder Ranch,
Callaway, NE. Ridder Ranch celebrated their
100th ranch anniversary last summer. (See
feature story on Ridders in the September
2007 issue of Hereford America.)
HPH 36N Tage 405T, Grand Champion
Bull Sioux Empire Farm Show, Sioux
Falls, SD, sold to Darwin and Cindy
Aman, Eureka, SD.
HPH 14N Taz 70T, High Selling Bull,
Sioux Empire Farm Show, Sioux Falls,
SD, sold to Kris Black, Crawford, OK.
ANL RH Ette 14T, Champion Hereford
Heifer and Reserve Supreme
Champion Heifer at the Watertown
Farm Show, Watertown, SD.
HPH 36N Tytus 73T, Champion
Hereford Bull and Supreme
Champion bull at the
Watertown Farm Show,
Watertown, SD, sold to Mike
Flatten of Madison, SD.
HPH 36N Trump 105T, sold to Steve
Arnesen of Florence, SD.
HPH 40P Tabor 111T, Reserve Champion
Bull, Black Hills Stock Show, sold to
Darwin and Cindy Aman.
HPH 72R Torque 76T sold to
Hansmeier & Sons, Bristol, SD.
Sherry Hanson
15477-409th Ave. ~ Conde, SD 57434
Home: 605-382-5868 ~ Cell: 605-350-7477
hanson_herefords@hotmail.com