2011 Pioneer of the Year

Billy Harry

Billy was born on March 19, 1931 during the “great depression” in Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas. His father was a dairyman and truck farmer and Billy learned about hard work as his father was known to be a task master. Billy attended school in Sulphur Springs and graduated from high school in 1949. He is not shy about his athletic prowess. Billy married his high school sweetheart Billie Walker in 1949. He worked at his father’s farm and various other jobs for a few years. Billy then started working for his father-in-law at Walker Oil Co. for a time and the name of the firm was later changed to Walker Harry Oil Co.

Billy and his wife have three children-a daughter Morna and two sons Monty and Bill. At the last muster they had nine grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren.

Billy is a staunch Christian and an active member of the First Baptist Church of Sulphur Springs. He is very proud of his participation in the design, construction and promotion of the Hopkins County Regional Civic Center. He participated in local politics and was elected to the Sulphur Springs city council and later elected mayor.

Billy’s first true exposure to Brangus cattle took place in 1965 on a chilly, rainy day. Billy Harry was 32 years old as he departed from Sulphur Springs for Brenham, Texas to attend his first Brangus sale. On the way to Brenham, Billy continually questioned himself as to why he was going to this sale, but he was reminded of all the good black cattle he viewed as he passed up and down the highway between Sulphur Springs and Paris. Billy appreciated the beef characteristics and the feminine maternal type that these cattle possessed, that the ranchers called Brangus. Billy started his quest for excellence in breeding Brangus by purchasing five bred heifers at the Texas Brangus Breeders Association (TBBA) Annual Female Consignment Sale. He paid a little over a $250 average for these five head and loaded them up in his open-topped, single axle trailer. Not only was he in a hurry to get home because of impending bad weather, he also wanted to miss his father so he wouldn’t have to explain what he had purchased in Brenham. As luck would have it, not far out of Brenham near the Brazos River bridge, Billy’s trailer gate somehow worked its way open. His first challenge with his new Brangus cattle was at hand. Fortunately, none of the five were injured. After several hours, thanks to a good Samaritan who ranched in that area, they were able to reload these high-powered Brangus females. The dam (Miss RH 48-R35050) of the great bull BWH Timberline 41/0 was one of these five heifers.

For the next twenty eight years Billy utilized every tool available to enhance the quality of his Brangus breeding program including breeding, purchasing, culling, developing and promoting his Brangus herd. Since 1965 Billy has received awards, recognition and held important leadership positions in the IBBA, TBBA, and TJBBA. Among these are:

• served three – three year terms on the IBBA Board
• served as IBBA President in 1980-1981
• awarded the 1983 Brangus Breeder of the Year
• served as President of TBBA and Pines and Plains Brangus Breeders Association

Billy sponsored the Texas Junior Brangus International Show for many years in Sulphur Springs. He was recognized by the TJBBA in the summer of 1982 at the first ever banquet conducted by and for the juniors.
Probably no other breeder in Brangus circles has traveled more to make as many herd visits, attended more sales and events or promoted Brangus than Billy Harry.
He was one of the first breeders to computerize Brangus herd data including birth weight, weaning weight and yearling weight along with collecting information that contributed to the enhancement of the EPD program.

Billy dispersed his Brangus herd on September 11, 1993. The occasion attracted a huge crowd where he sold approximately 400 head of the very best Brangus cattle in the breed. Many breeders compared this dispersal to the 1986 Willow Springs and the 1989 Brinks Foundation Cow Herd dispersals.

Nine years ago Billy Harry had a massive stroke and has since resided in a nursing home in Sulphur Springs. At the present time he is in very poor health and his doctors do not expect that he will survive for an extended length of time.

It is an honor and a great pleasure for the IBBA to award Billy Wayne Harry “The Pioneer Breeder of the Year Award” for 2011-12. No other breeder has done more for the advancement of the Brangus Breed than Billy Wayne Harry.

Herb Murray

Herb Murray was reared in Texarkana, TX and throughout his childhood he was associated with livestock. One of Herb’s first exposures to the beef cattle business was as a “ticket writer” for the Owens Brothers Livestock Auction Texarkana.

After graduation from high school, Herb enrolled in Texarkana College with plans to pursue a professional career in Veterinary Medicine. On September 20, 1952, Herb married Mary Francis Pickens from Texarkana. A year later Herb’s plans were interrupted by the Korean War. During the Korean War, Herb developed an interest in engineering and after the war he received his degree in civil engineering from The University of Texas in 1956. This same year, Mary & Herb’s first of four children, Bob was born. Randall soon followed and Brent, the youngest son was born in 1963. Herb & Mary were persistent and five years later their little girl Amanda arrived.

From 1956 to 1962 Herb was employed by Humble Oil Company. In 1962 the Murray family moved back to Texarkana and Herb started an engineering company. 400 acres outside Texarkana was purchased in 1970 and the Murray’s were in the cattle business and MTG Brangus was founded in 1973.

Randy, Brent and Amanda became FFA members while in school. Herb didn’t like to lose and his intensity increased when his children started showing Brangus heifers. Over the years, Herb researched everything he could find on Brangus cattle and their bloodlines. Herb visited with Brangus breeders, bought and selected Brangus females that fit his standards and the MTG Brangus Herd gained national recognition.

While the MTG Brangus herd grew to gain respect, Herb gave back to the IBBA in his leadership capacity by serving on the IBBA Board for 2 – three year terms. Serving as IBBA President in 1990-1991, he gave his professional engineering training to the IBBA by supervising the IBBA building expansion on Tioga Drive to increase its size and value when it was sold. Once the IBBA raised the monies through the efforts of Judy and Ludwig Brand, Herb supervised the construction of the IBBA Headquarters that our offices occupy today. Herb was awarded the IBBA Breeder of the Year in 1994.

Herb & Mary’s children became successful adults as the years flew by. Bob heads the MTG Engineering Company, Randy is a licensed Veterinarian in Texarkana, Brent operates a business in Waco and Amanda assists her husband in sales at Cable One TV.

In 1996, Herb dispersed the MTG herd of around 550 head. This sale featured the 1995 Grand Champion Female in Houston and the 1995 International Futurity Grand Champion bull, MTG Eclipse (jointly owned with Carl Boon and Zeb Morris of North Carolina) along with the progeny of the 1995 National Show of Merit Grand Champion bull, MTG Update 314C (who was purchased by Cow Creek). Needless to say the MTG Herd Dispersal was very well attended by breeders all over the USA and was a huge success.

Herb’s last venture in the Brangus cattle business was a partnership with good friends Carl Boon (Whip-o-Will Land & Cattle Co) and B.D. Richards, known as MBR Brangus in 1999. Each partner contributed their best females to the MBR program. The next several years one or all three of the partners made many Brangus sales around the country. They purchased top females to accommodate an intensive AI and ET program. MBR produced superior cattle and the cattle were sold in production sales at the MTG Ranch at Simms, Texas. In 2003, these three men decided to divide the MBR herd equally because none of the men were getting any younger. Herb’s portion of these cattle was dispersed at Mound Creek Brangus on October 28, 2008.

There have been few, if any, who have dedicated more toward the improvement of the Brangus breed for over thirty-five years than Herb Murray. This is the reason the 2011-2012 IBBA Pioneer Award is presented to Herb Murray.