Dobson Ranch Named 2025 American Gelbvieh Association Breeder of the Year

LINCOLN, Neb. — Dobson Ranch of Kaw City, Oklahoma, was announced as the 2025 American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) Breeder of the Year at the 55th Annual AGA National Convention on December 4, 2025, at the Margaritaville Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee.

Dobson Ranch, the founding member of the AGA and member number one, is a Gelbvieh seedstock operation that invests in and advances the breed for today’s cattlemen and for future generations of Gelbvieh breeders. The Dobsons dedicate endless hours to provide quality cattle that best represent the Gelbvieh breed and what it stands for. They not only invest time and financial resources to insure the Gelbvieh breed is the best it can be for the next generation, but they can also be found in the show barn helping juniors with cattle and supporting them at the show ring.

“When we purchased cattle from Dobson Ranch, we not only got quality cattle, but we also entered into a business relationship that did not stop once the purchase was made,” said Scott Ashe, Ashe Cattle Company. “They have stood behind their animals and stayed around to make sure those animals worked exactly as I have expected. If advice was needed, they have been there to provide it. They have been instrumental in promoting the Gelbvieh breed throughout Mississippi and the southeast.”

In 1971, Mitch Dobson called and asked young attorney, Edd Pritchett, to write the Articles of Incorporation for a new national beef cattle breed association. Pritchett obliged and the AGA was born. As a founding father of the AGA, Mitch Dobson became a member of the AGA’s first board of directors. He left a legacy that two of his sons, Jim and John Dobson, would carry on to the next generation of Gelbvieh breeders. Mitch passed away in November 2011, and his sons have taken the reins and continue to grow the operation their father founded.

“As Dr. Odell “Dan” Daniel of Covington, Georgia, is quoted saying in the ‘Gelbvieh in the U.S.: The Breed. The Association. The People.’ History of the AGA 1971-2020 book, “You don’t buy a newspaper – you buy news. You don’t buy a car – you buy transportation. You don’t buy a TV – you buy entertainment. You don’t donate to a junior cattleman group – you invest in the future of your breed, your family and your country.” I just have to believe that when Mr. Daniel said these words, he had an operation just like Dobson Ranch in mind,” said Ashe.

Congratulations to Dobson Ranch on being named the 2025 AGA Breeder of the Year!

The American Gelbvieh Association is a progressive beef cattle breed association representing 1,100 members and approximately 40,000 cows assessed annually in a performance-oriented total herd reporting system. 

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