In the foreword of the ASA's 1973 National Sire Summary, Don Vaniman, executive secretary of the ASA, wrote, in part:
... The American Simmental Association was the first to recognize the need to improve the economic traits of cattle by informing its members of the genetic differences of its registered sires. The National Simmental Sire Summary is still the first publication of its kind ever printed by an American breed society. The others are contemplating its benefits – but the Simmental breed has actually accomplished it.Page 9 of the 116-page Summary set forth the ASA rules and percentage chart as pictured below:
This Sire Summary will completely change methods of breeding, selecting, exhibiting and selling of Simmental cattle. It will keep the honest cowman in business and eliminate the exploiter who would promote valueless bulls by hard sell advertising and sharp management practices but which would not stand up genetically in the Simmental performance testing procedures.
This Summary will not only benefit those purebred breeders who wish to become “master breeders,” instead of just “multipliers,” but will also immeasurably benefit the commercial cattleman who has to make a living by raising profitable cattle. …
This Summary is an improvement over last year and subsequent summaries will be even more meaningful. This represents only the second year of the National Simmental Sire Summary …
