Ragsdale, who is also known as “Mr. Shorthorn” by many breeders, has the Jack C. Ragsdale National Shorthorn Show and John "Jack" C. Ragsdale Scholarship named in his honor.
Born 1926 | Artist: Richard Steward Halstead (born 1947)
Impact & Accomplishments
John C. “Jack” Ragsdale was born in Indiana and earned his bachelor’s degree from Purdue University, where he was on the Intercollegiate Judging Team.
In 1948, he was the high individual at the International Live Stock Exposition. Ragsdale accepted a position to build the Sutherland Farms Shorthorn herd, Prospect, Kentucky, in 1955. Under his management, Sutherland Farms produced more All-Americans than any other herd. A decade later, he began a twelve-year term of service on the board of the American Shorthorn Association.
A judge at Palermo and all major shows in North America, Jack Ragsdale serves as chairman of the executive committee of the NAILE and was instrumental in securing the Saddle & Sirloin portrait collection for the Kentucky State Fair Board. Ragsdale was honored by the Indiana Livestock Breeders Hall of Fame in 1984 and the University of Kentucky Animal Sciences Hall of Fame in 1992.
Did You Know?
When the 2013 National East Major P.A.C.E. Shorthorn Show took place in Freedom
Hall, the event was paused at mid-show for a special announcement. Dr. Les Mathers, president of the American Shorthorn Association, said that starting in 2014 all future association shows held at the NAILE will be named the Jack C. Ragsdale Shorthorn Show, in honor of the internationally known and respected Shorthorn breeder.
Courtesy of David Ragsdale
