Co-hosted by the American Simmental Association & the American Brahman Breeders Association

Friday, October 24, 2025 at the7P Ranch Headquarters

10678 FM 757, Winona, TX

Held in conjunction with the 7P Ranch 50th Annual Production Sale

SCHEDULE:

1:00 PM Registration  

1:30 PM Welcome and 7P History – Prud’homme Family

1:45 PM Brahman and Simbrah: The Power of Complementarity – Paul Maulsby

2:15 PM Optimizing Your Genetics Through Nutrition – Doug Hawkins, PhD

2:45 PM Simmental, Brahman and Simbrah in Texas A&M AgriLife Research at Overton – Charles Long, PhD

3:15 PM Break

3:30 PM Lessons from the 7P Program: How Crossbreeding Strategy Transforms Commercial Profitability – Marty Ropp

4:00 PM Harnessing Heterosis: The Key to Solving Today’s Cattle Industry Challenges – Jon DeClerck, PhD

4:30 PM Break

4:45 PM Simbrah Producer Panel

6:00 PM Dinner – Sponsored by Purina .

Senior Technical Consultant, Purina Animal Nutrition LLC

R. Paul Maulsby, Executive Vice President of the American Brahman Breeders Association, resides in College Station, Texas. Raised on his family’s ranch in the high Sierras of New Mexico, Paul’s roots in the cattle industry run deep. He holds a degree in animal science with a minor in business from Oklahoma State University, where he excelled in livestock and meats judging, and later earned a master’s degree from Texas A&M University with research focused on Bos indicus cattle. His career includes managing nationally competitive purebred and commercial herds, directing beef cattle operations at Texas A&M, and working extensively with junior livestock programs. With decades of experience as a rancher, educator, judge, and

consultant, Paul brings passion, vision, and leadership to advance the Brahman breed and its global impact.

Senior Technical Consultant, Purina Animal Nutrition LLC

Dr. Hawkins has been employed by Purina Animal Nutrition for 27 years and currently resides just south of Fort Worth, Texas, in Grandview. Dr. Hawkins has worked with purebred and commercial cow/calf ranches and large stocker operators in Texas and Louisiana. Dr. Hawkins received his animal science degree from Texas Tech and his master’s and PhD in physiology of reproduction from Texas A&M University.

Professor & Resident Director, Animal Breeding & Genetics, Texas A&M University

Charles Long, PhD, is professor and resident director of research at the Research and Extension Center at Overton. He is also a member of the animal genetics section in the Department of Animal Science. He received a bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University and a doctorate from Texas A&M University.

Long plans, organizes, and directs the agricultural research activities of the Overton Center, which focuses on horticulture, forages, and livestock research. Emphasis is placed on scientific leadership, management of research programs, and clientele interaction; research activities are coordinated with counterpart Extension programs.

Long is a former director of the American Society of Animal Science, and served as president of the Southern Section in 1988. He also served on the Strategic Planning Steering Committee at Texas A&M University. Currently, he is a member of the Committee for Assessment of Animal Agricultural Research and the Agricultural Program Management Committee, and he chairs the Agriculture Program East Regional Council. He is also a member of the Agricultural Advisory Committee of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Founder, CEO, Allied Genetic Resources

Marty Ropp is founder and executive officer of Allied Genetic Resources, New Acres, All Beef LLC, and Allied Feeding Partners LLC. Allied is one of the largest coordinated seedstock service businesses in the US, with owners marketing more than 10,000 bulls annually. All Beef LLC and Allied Feeding Partners LLC were added to the Allied family in 2017 to aid in achieving Allied’s original mission.

Originally from Normal, Illinois — the current home office of Allied — Ropp grew up in the swine seedstock business. He left Illinois in 1982 to pursue his BS degree from Kansas State University, which was followed by an MS degree from University of Missouri. Ropp also held a faculty position as an adjunct instructor at the University of Missouri in the late 80s and early 90s. During his five-year tenure there he also coached the livestock and meat animal evaluation teams.

Ropp then held positions as a Regional Livestock Specialist for the University of Missouri and Michigan State University before accepting a position with the American Simmental Association (ASA) in 1998. For 12 years he served as the director of Commercial Programs and Field Services for ASA. Ropp is also a past president of the Beef Improvement Federation and served on its board of directors for six years.

Executive Vice President, American Simmental Association

Dr. Jon DeClerck serves as Executive Vice President of the American Simmental Association (ASA), where he leads the Association’s operational strategy to advance the use and value of SimGenetics across the beef industry. In this role, DeClerck oversees the ASA’s day-to-day operations and works closely with staff, board members, and industry partners to align scientific innovation, genetics services, and membership programs with producer needs and marketplace opportunities.

A practitioner and scientist by training, DeClerck blends technical expertise in ruminant nutrition and genetics with practical experience across seedstock, commercial production, and education. He leads ASA initiatives that translate scientific research into actionable services for producers — including genetic evaluation, educational programming, and collaborative industry projects. DeClerck is focused on strengthening ASA’s core services: delivering robust genetic tools through International Genetic Solutions (IGS), improving data collection, member support, and expanding educational and youth outreach that develop future leaders in the beef industry.

DeClerck’s approach is collaborative and pragmatic: he engages members directly, solicits producer feedback, and prioritizes projects that deliver measurable benefits at the ranch level. He regularly represents ASA at industry conferences and forums, presents on practical applications of genetics and nutrition, and fosters cross-discipline conversations that bridge research and production.

Raised on a diversified family farm in western Illinois, DeClerck’s commitment to youth development and practical education traces back to his early involvement in junior programs. He holds a BS in animal science from Texas A&M University and an MS and PhD in ruminant nutrition from Texas Tech University. His earlier career included ten years in academia as a livestock judging coach and lecturer, followed by work as a technical consultant supporting large commercial and seedstock operations.