July 6, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information contact:

Holly Martin, director of communications

(816) 383-5143

hmartin@angus.org

To download a photo, click here.

Cutline:  Pictured from left are the Historic Herd Award recipients, Darryl Holland and Clyde J. Holland, owners of Jenning’s Creek Angus, Ridgeway, Va.

Virginia Farm Recognized as a Historic Angus Herd

Jenning’s Creek Angus has been home to Angus cattle for more than 50 years.

Clyde J. Holland established Jenning’s Creek Angus in 1959 in Ridgeway, Va., with the purchase of six registered Angus heifers.

Holland purchased these yearling heifers from William Craig, Spencer, Va., and all were sired by Prince Blackcap 30E. He then purchased a registered bull, DHK Pride 2121 from Dillard Farm, Spencer, Va. For the next 20 years Holland maintained a purebred herd with these first heifers and bull as foundation stock.

When the family first got into the cattle business in the late 1950’s, they primarily raised Hereford-based cattle. Dwarfism in the Hereford breed influenced Holland to switch to Angus.

“Over the years our Angus cattle have proven to be good natured, good milkers and good mothers and their calves bring top prices at market,” Holland said. “The main reason, in addition to those factors for choosing Angus, is for their easy calving ability. Working off the farm, it is necessary for us to be able to depend on cattle who can calve on their own with minimal or no assistance, and there’s nothing like an Angus to do the job.”

Holland now owns his cattle in partnership with his son Darryl, who purchased some registered Angus heifers after graduating from Virginia Tech in 1981.

In the beginning the herd was primarily commercial focused, with the purebred and registered females as base. However, in 2000, with the dissolving of Virginia Tech’s Angus Research Herd, a new Angus cow was purchased from that sale who proved to be an exceptional animal. With renewed interest in registered stock, Darryl purchased two more cows from the Hokie Harvest Sale, and now most of Jenning’s Creek Angus trace their roots back to these three Virginia Tech cows, and Clyde’s few remaining old blood lines.

Darryl now manages the herd of 61 head of cattle and works to continue the legacy of the family’s operation.

The American Angus Associations Historic Angus Herd Award recognizes Angus breeders and immediate families who have been in continuous production of registered-Angus cattle for 50 years or more. Visit www.angus.org for more information or to view a list of awarded members since the program began in 1988.

— Written by Amber Wahlgren, Angus Communications

ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS. The American Angus Association^® is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving more than 25,000 members across the United States and Canada. It provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers and others who rely on the power of Angus to produce quality genetics for the beef industry and quality beef for consumers.

For more information about Angus cattle and the American Angus Association’s programs and services, visit www.angus.org.

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