ABBA recognizes the breed’s top-performing animals each year through a number of genetic merit awards.
Maternal Merit Award
Engineered by ABBA’s Research and Breed Improvement Committee, the Maternal Merit Award recognizes exceptional cows based on their performance in the Brahman Herd Improvement Records (BHIR) program. This prestigious award honors females that demonstrate early onset of puberty, maintain a consistent calving interval, and consistently produce offspring that perform above average.
On official ABBA registration papers, an “=” ahead of a cow’s name represents the Maternal Merit designation.
Award Requirements:
- Calved before her 24th or 36th month of age
- Had three calves with performance records, each having been raised with three or more contemporaries
- Maintain a regular calving interval
- Maintain a MPPA (Most Probable Producing Ability) of 101 or better, which is used to compare cows with a different number of offspring
There are three levels of excellence for the Maternal Merit Award, rewarding cows for high levels of production efficiency.
Elite Plus Maternal Merit Award Cow:
A cow calving before her 24th month of age, maintaining a regular calving interval and a MPPA of 101.
Elite Maternal Merit Award Cow:
A cow calving before her 36th month of age, maintaining a regular calving interval and a MPPA of 101.
Supreme Maternal Merit Cow:
A cow reaching all previously stated criteria, yet weaning four calves and attaining a MPPA of 105.
Supreme Maternal Merit Cow:
A cow that has reached all of the above criteria, yet has exceeded the requirements for number of calves (having produced four, rather than three, calves with performance records) and MPPA (105 or higher).
Maternal Performance Sire
The Maternal Performance Sire program recognizes sires that have produced Maternal Merit Cows.
On official ABBA registration papers, a “A =” ahead of a sire’s name represents the Maternal Performance Sire.
There are two levels of excellence.
Silver
Bulls that have produced three to five Maternal Merit Cows.
Gold
Bulls that have produced more than six Maternal Merit Cows.
Register of Renown
The Register of Renown is designed to honor the sires and dams of showring winners at ABBA-approved shows. Points toward this prestigious title are accumulated annually from January 1 through December 31.
A "+" in front of a name on official ABBA registration papers indicates a Register of Renown status.
Award Requirements:
Cows
To achieve Register of Renown status, a cow must earn a minimum of 75 points from two or more of her offspring.
Bulls
Bulls must earn 200 points from five or more of their progeny.
Points may also be accumulated when a get-of-sire or produce-of-dam is exhibited by one or more owners.
Points are awarded based on the following criteria:
Individual Classes
Points will be awarded as follows:
Number of animals
in each class
2-4
5-7
8-10
11-13
14-16
17-19
20-22
23-25
26+
Placings
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
1 0 0 0 0
2 1 0 0 0
3 2 1 0 0
4 3 2 1 0
5 4 3 2 1
6 5 4 3 2
7 6 5 4 3
8 7 6 5 4
9 8 7 6 5
Champions
The senior, reserve senior, junior, reserve junior, intermediate, reserve intermediate, calf, and reserve calf champion of each sex division receive at least the same points as any individual in their respective division. The grand and reserve grand champion of each sex division will receive at least the same points as the top individual in their division. Additional points are awarded to the champion of each sex division.
Get of Sire Class
Points for class winners in the Get of Sire class are awarded as follows:
- First place: One point per entry shown in the class.
- Second place: One point less than first place.
- Third place: One point less than second place, and so on, until the last place entry.
Produce of Dam Class (Natural and Embryo)
Points for winners in the Produce of Dam class are awarded similarly to the Get of Sire class:
- First place: One point per entry shown in the class.
- Second place: One point less than first place.
- Third place: One point less than second place, and so on, until the last place entry.
Vanguard Designation
To recognize the very elite Brahman sires and cows that qualify for both Register of Renown and Maternal Merit awards, ABBA created the Vanguard program. There are only a select few animals that achieve this high level of performance.
On official ABBA registration papers, a Vanguard Sire is identified with “(+)” ahead of his name. For Vanguard Cows, they will have a “$” before their registered name.
Show Animals of the Year
Established in 1999, this award recognizes individual animals that excel in ABBA-approved shows. Winners have accumulated the most overall show points in their respective divisions from July 1 to June 30 of the following year. Not only have these individuals placed at the top of numerous shows, but they have also represented ABBA and the Brahman breed at many events across the country.
ABBA’s Show Animal of the Year honor is awarded to an outstanding individual in each of the following categories:
Red Bull, Red Female, Grey Bull and Grey Female.