V8 Ranch Honored Among Top Brahman Breeders as One of the ABBA Sponsors of the Year
V8 Ranch was recently named one of the ABBA Sponsors of the Year for 2024.
This special recognition is awarded by the American Brahman Breeders Association to individuals or organizations who go above and beyond in supporting ABBA’s programs and events.
As you can imagine, we are humbled to stand alongside leading Brahman ranches like J.D. Hudgins, Ki Cattle Company, Moreno Ranches, and Southern Comfort Ranch, who make up the rest of the distinguished list of 2024 honorees.
These are ranches we respect and admire, friends we have shared decades of camaraderie with, and in the case of JDH, family we cherish. Being counted among them is a humbling honor.
100 Years of Brahman Cattle
2024 was a milestone year, marking the centennial celebration of Brahman cattle. Collectively, these five sponsors contributed over $250,000 in support of ABBA’s anniversary and ongoing mission.
The association explains that the Sponsors of the Year “recognizes individuals and organizations whose generous support has been instrumental in the success of the American Brahman Breeders Association and its events,” with contributions sustaining and enhancing ABBA programs while promoting the growth of the Brahman breed. In other words, it’s not about one particular show win or breeding accomplishment – it’s about being there for the association and the community, year in and year out, in tangible ways.
More than individual recognition, this award celebrates Brahman breeders united in support of the breed’s future. By honoring sponsors, ABBA underscores how vital this support is to keeping youth programs, shows, and educational initiatives thriving.
It’s inspiring to see the scale of generosity across our Brahman community – and we feel lucky to have played a part. ABBA’s 100th year brought us together to celebrate a century of Brahman breeding, and sponsorships ensured the events of this landmark year would be second to none. From the International Brahman Show in Houston to youth shows and historical exhibits, the goal was simple: give ABBA the resources it deserved for its 100th birthday and beyond.
We’re grateful for this acknowledgment, but even more grateful to be part of a community where folks pitch in for the greater good.
Decades of Dedication to ABBA and the Brahman Breed
For our family at V8 Ranch, supporting ABBA isn’t a new endeavor – it’s a tradition that goes back generations. The American Brahman Breeders Association itself has been around since 1924, when it was founded as the official registry for Brahman cattle in the United States.
Over the past century, ABBA’s role has expanded tremendously. What started as a group to record pedigrees and ownership of American Brahmans has grown into a comprehensive organization offering everything from performance data and genetic evaluation tools to education and youth programs.
Today, ABBA is recognized as a leading cattle breeders’ association, providing services that help breeders improve their herds and connect with each other, all while promoting the breed worldwide. As Brahman breed leaders, we appreciate that mission deeply – we’ve witnessed how ABBA’s work (in shows, sales, research, and international outreach) directly benefits ranches like ours.
V8 Ranch’s relationship with ABBA began almost as early as the association itself. In fact, our family became involved with ABBA in the early 1940s, not long after the ranch’s establishment by Mr. Howard Parker. Well before we became official owners of V8 Ranch in 1971, the Williams family already had a strong footprint in the cattle industry through our cousins at J.D. Hudgins and through other agricultural endeavors, including Sloan and Mollie’s leadership in the horse industry.
When Sloan Williams and his wife, Mollie Jo Forgason Williams of the J.D. Hudgins family, purchased V8 Ranch over 50 years ago, they laid the foundation for what would become one of the top Brahman breeders in the world. Sloan brought decades of experience from the rodeo and cattle worlds – first as the owner of the Sloan Williams Rodeo Company and later as a respected international cattle judge. Mollie’s deep Brahman heritage, paired with their shared commitment to agriculture, shaped the V8 program into the award-winning Brahman herd it is today.
Service to ABBA has been a Williams family tradition for generations. Sloan served as ABBA President of the in the 1980s, and his son, Jim Williams (current V8 Ranch manager), followed in his footsteps as ABBA President in the mid-2000s. Both devoted countless hours to the association – from guiding breed improvement programs to judging international Brahman events. Their contributions were honored with induction into the ABBA Hall of Fame (Sloan in 2000, Jim in 2022).
That legacy continues today. Catherine Williams Neumayr serves as an ABBA Vice President and Communications Committee Chair, and her husband, Luke Neumayr, chairs the ABBA DNA Committee, helping advance the breed’s genetic tools. Through committee service, event planning, and financial support, V8 Ranch has remained committed to the mission of ABBA. In 2024, that included contributing to the centennial year through sponsorships and consigning an elite V8 heifer to a historic Brahman cattle sale that ultimately raised $300,000 for ABBA programs.
It’s been inspiring to see breeders rally together in these ways. For us at V8, being an ABBA Sponsor of the Year is simply an extension of the support and passion for Brahman cattle that has guided our ranch from the beginning.
Of course, none of these contributions would mean much without the greater Brahman community joining in. One thing we’ve learned is that progress in the cattle world is a team effort. Just as ABBA’s programs enable all of us to grow—through better genetics, fair shows, youth scholarships, and international marketing—it takes every breeder pitching in to keep those programs strong.
That’s why this award touches our hearts: it reflects a coming-together of Brahman breeders supporting each other. It’s not about any one ranch; it’s about our collective commitment to the Brahman breed we love.
Honoring a Lifetime of Leadership
Sloan Williams’ induction into the ABBA Hall of Fame reflects a lifelong commitment to advancing the Brahman breed.
Carrying the Tradition Forward
Catherine Williams Neumayr continues her family’s tradition of leadership through her role as ABBA Vice President and Communications Committee Chair.
Investing in the Future of the Breed
V8 Ranch’s consignment of Miss V8 594/9 helped raise $300,000 in support of ABBA programs and youth initiatives.
The Road Ahead
Standing here now, we feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude – to ABBA for this recognition, and to everyone in the Brahman community for the support and friendship we share. We thank the American Brahman Breeders Association for everything it does: for over one hundred years, ABBA has been an inspirational force behind our breed’s expansion from Gulf Coast pastures to herds around the world. It has championed innovation (from developing Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) and genetic evaluations to embracing performance testing) — while also preserving the heritage that makes the Brahman breed so distinctive.
Our ranch has directly benefited from ABBA’s work – through the structured shows that allowed us to exhibit our Brahman show champions, the record-keeping that adds value to our bloodlines, and the network of fellow breeders we’ve come to call family. Being named a Sponsor of the Year feels like a full-circle moment. It confirms that our contributions, alongside so many others, have truly made a difference.
Most of all, we’re grateful for the relationships at the heart of the Brahman world. Working side by side with folks from Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and across the globe on ABBA projects has strengthened our belief that this is more than an industry — it’s a community we cannot do without.
Receiving this honor alongside other top Brahman breeders highlights that spirit of camaraderie. We celebrate J.D. Hudgins, Ki Cattle Co., Moreno Ranches, and Southern Comfort Ranch for their extraordinary support of ABBA, and we thank them for inspiring us to do more. When we look at the success of ABBA’s events—the record-breaking shows, major Brahman sales, and the excitement among junior exhibitors—we know it’s a team victory. It shows what can happen when we all share a vision and invest in it together.
As we look ahead, our commitment to ABBA and the Brahman breed is as strong as ever. This honor serves as motivation to continue the journey. We’ll keep striving to raise the kind of elite Brahman genetics that would make our founders proud, and we’ll continue to lend our support to the association that safeguards the breed’s future.
If anything, being named a Sponsor of the Year has only deepened our sense of responsibility. We encourage everyone in our community—big ranches and small breeders alike—to stay involved, volunteer when you can, and support each other. ABBA’s next century is bright, and we’re excited to be part of it.
Finally, to all our friends, followers, and fellow cattle enthusiasts: thank you for celebrating this moment with us. Your thoughtful notes and kind words have meant the world.
We invite you to visit our Texas Brahman ranch if you’re ever in our neck of the woods (Boling TX). Our gates are always open to those who share our passion for Brahmans. Come have a cup of coffee (or Diet Dr. Pepper!) with us, meet some of our fan-favorite Brahman cows and Brahman bulls (they love visitors!), and see firsthand what makes this breed and community so special.
If you can’t make it out in person, there are still plenty of ways to be part of the V8 story. You can bring a little V8 home with you through our family-owned online store, sign up for one of our free educational programs, or follow along with us on:
Here’s to the next hundred years of great cattle and even greater community — and from the bottom of our hearts, thank you for letting us be a part of it.
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