Started in 2019, the Lifetime Promoter Award recognizes those who make significant contributions to the Simmental breed. Recipients of this distinguished award are selected based on major contributions to the promotion and advancement of SimGenetics and the American Simmental Association.
Terry Burks, Scottsville, Kentucky
Terry Burks has been an active, involved, and longtime member of the Simmental community. His passion extends from livestock judging to pouring into the young people involved in the industry. Terry and his wife Alice live in Scottsville, Kentucky.
Terry Burks is a respected and revered member of the livestock industry. He was a member of the American Junior Simmental Association (AJSA) from the beginning until he aged out in the early 1980s, serving on the AJSA Board. Terry Burks shares, “It is a blessing to put passion into action,” and he has stayed true to his word.
Terry grew up in Glasgow, Kentucky, where he started showing Simmental cattle in the mid-1970s. He was active and extremely competitive, winning many of the contests and still holding the record in some. Terry was always pleased showing his own heifers despite being offered to show for or borrow from others. He started judging through 4-H and later was part of the Kentucky 4-H Gold team in 1979. In 1986, Terry was a member of the Western Kentucky University Collegiate Livestock Judging team, finishing as either high individual or second place overall in most contests. The beginning of his judging career was only a small tell of his future ahead. After completing his education, Terry worked for a number of Simmental operations across the country including Wayward Hill Farms,
Swain Select Simmentals, K.O. Cattle Company, Silver Towne Farms, WW Cattle Company, and Breck Ellison Farm.
Terry has judged over 1,300 junior and open shows in 43 states. Judging the AJSA National Classic, the Eastern Regional Simmental Show, the Simmental Breeders Sweepstakes Junior Show, all the Texas majors, the American Royal, the North American International, The Cow Place, The Great Western, the National Western, the Oklahoma Youth Expo, the Dixie National and numerous other National and Junior National beef cattle shows are just a few highlights. Terry is a certified judge in multiple species, along with an endorsement from several beef cattle, meat goat, and sheep associations. Terry is well known, and some have called him “the best judge of all four-legged and some two-legged animals.”
Terry is a regular promoter of the Simmental breed’s early years of history and was recognized with honorary membership in the Fullblood Simmental Fleckvieh Federation. “He’s a walking encyclopedia of our breed’s past genetics and routinely stumps many on who and what those animals were,” says ASA Trustee Greg Walthall. For those who follow his Facebook, Terry makes daily promotional and education posts for the Simmental breed. He adds pictures of winners, their pedigree, and history. Terry is passionate about investing in juniors involved in livestock and thanks his mentor Warren Beeler for his insight. Terry has made a massive impact on many lives across the country, and it is clear that he has a large passion for judging, livestock, and the young people involved.
Warren Garrett, Comanche, Texas
Warren Garrett has had a lasting impact on the Simmental and Simbrah breeds. His time working with the Texas Simmental Simbrah Association brought tremendous growth and impact.
Warren Garrett.
Warren Garrett has been instrumental in promoting the Simmental breed in Texas and beyond. His work at the Texas Simmental Simbrah Association (TSSA) left a lasting, positive impact on the state organization, and the state’s youth have also benefited greatly from Warren’s continued involvement. The Texas cattleman also worked for the American Simmental Association as a fieldman, and was instrumental in the development of ASA’s longtime publications, the Register and SimTalk, as well as Simbrah International.
His efforts for improvement and growth of the TSSA are still visible today. While working with the TSSA, sale numbers, membership, and promotion grew. The state’s SimGenetics breeders saw record-high sale attendance and prices. In the 1980s Warren served as the TSSA Executive Vice President while Texas was one of the largest in ASA registrations, helping grow the organization and the breed throughout the state. Through advertisement in monthly beef publications, mailing promotional material, setting up a booth at stock shows, sponsoring shows and sales, field days, hosting a yearly convention, and having a presence at numerous beef industry events, Warren and his team at the TSSA left no stone unturned in their efforts to promote the Simmental breed.
Warren is very knowledgeable of the Simmental breed and is frequently called on for guidance. He has assisted many members of the breed with encouragement during his time in the industry. ASA Trustee Troy Marple describes Warren as “a man of integrity who is well respected by new and old breeders.”
Warren (right) speaking with Tom Risinger.
In his work as a fieldman for ASA, Warren promoted SimGenetics through SimTalk and the Register. He attended shows, sales, and other breeder gatherings primarily in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, and Louisiana, and would travel beyond his region when needed, visiting most of the continental United States, as well as Canada and Mexico.
The Texas Junior Simental Simbrah Association (TJSSA) has been the recipient of Warren’s help and knowledge countless times, and he was named as one of the TSSA’s Families and Supporter of the Year in 2000, and the TJSSA Friend of the Year in 2005. He served on the TJSSA scholarship committee for many years as well.
After his work with ASA ended in 2005, Warren continued his work with the breed through sale consultation, cattle photography and videography, advertising, and private treaty sales. He is well known for his ability to capture an animal’s best features through the lens.
Warren’s dedication to the Simmental breed has had a lasting impact on countless breeders, members, and youth in Texas and beyond. Warren’s knowledge of promotion and advertising was invaluable both to ASA and the TSSA, and his work today continues to promote SimGenetics throughout the country.
Previous Award Recipients
2019 Ron Miller, Plattsmouth, Nebraska
2020 Carlos and Sister Guerra, La Muñeca Cattle Company, Linn, Texas
2021 Larry Martin, Clinton, Illinois
2021 Keith “Sundance” Ruff, Pleasant Hill, Illinois
2022 Kansas State University Department of Animal Science and Industry
2023 Pearl Walthall, Windsor, Missouri
2024 Pam Haley, West Salem, Ohio .
