Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame

DE SOTO, Kan., April 10, 2014 – Five distinguished cattle veterinarians have been nominated and voting is underway for the 2014 Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame, which was created in 2011 to honor exceptional individuals who have made lasting contributions to the veterinary profession. This year’s outstanding nominees have played leading roles throughout their careers in preventive health medicine, agricultural policy, rotational grazing, bovine reproduction and milk quality.
“The dedication and contributions of this year’s class of nominees are truly impressive, consistent with the standard of excellence that the Hall of Fame represents each year,” says Mark Spire, D.V.M., technical services manager for Merck Animal Health, who coordinates the nomination process. “In addition to practicing veterinary medicine, they’ve managed livestock operations, founded research facilities, served on board of directors and mentored students.”
Five organizations founded and sponsor the Hall of Fame – Merck Animal Health, the Academy of Veterinary Consultants (AVC), the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP), Bovine Veterinarian and Osborn Barr.
Voting is currently underway and will remain open until Aug. 5. Members of the AVC and the AABP may vote for one beef and one dairy nominee. AVC members may vote during the organization’s spring and summer conferences or online at www.avc-beef.org/halloffame. AABP members may vote online at www.aabp.org/halloffame.
The fourth annual Hall of Fame inductees will be honored at this year’s AABP Annual Conference in Albuquerque, N.M., Sept. 18-20, 2014.

Beef Nominees

• David Bechtol, D.V.M., from Canyon, Texas, has operated Palo Duro Consulting, a consulting business and feedyard research facility, for more than 30 years, where he has pioneered computerized record systems and diagnostics. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine. His leadership roles include president of AVC, AABP, the American Association of Swine Veterinarians and the Texas Veterinary Medical Association.
• Dallas Horton, D.V.M., of Eaton, Colo., is president of Horton Feedlots, a cattle feeding operation started more than 35 years ago. He is a past president of AVC and the Colorado Livestock Association. He is considered a pioneer in promoting the concept of preventive health medicine and is an advocate for progressive agricultural policy.
• Ed Johnson, D.V.M., and his family own and operate two commercial feedyards and also manage a herd of 1,500 cows in Parma, Idaho. He was a pioneer in rotational grazing in the Pacific Northwest and served as president of the Idaho Cattlemen’s Association. Forty years ago, he founded Johnson Research to conduct clinical research specific to beef health and nutritional performance.

Dairy Nominees

John Dahl, D.V.M., of Waunakee, Wis., served in private practice for more than 20 years and worked for BouMatic for more than 10 years, advancing to serve as president. He then served as director of the teaching hospital at the newly established University of Wisconsin College of Veterinary Medicine. He is a past president of the Wisconsin Veterinary Medicine Association.,Maarten Drost, D.V.M., is a world-renowned expert in bovine reproduction known for his ground-breaking work in embryo transfer technology, pregnancy recognition and fertility management. He’s worked in private practice and served as captain in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps and on the faculty of both the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine.

About Merck Animal Health

Today’s Merck is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be well. Merck Animal Health, known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada, is the global animal health business unit of Merck.Through its commitment to the Science of Healthier Animals™, Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services. Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. Merck Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.merck-animal-health.com.