It all started with a dream of a young boy in the 1870’s to live free and to be able to have a family, worship the Lord and build a farming and ranching business that could only be done in America. This teenager was John August Young who left his home and family at age 20 and with very little money and no real idea where he was headed he stepped out on faith and followed his dream all the way to West Texas. Papa Young the great grandfather of Angus breeder and West Texas Rancher Andrew “Andy” Holloway had a great deal to do with the present day operation of ASH Angus, LLC. You see JA Young’s son in law and daughter, Tarlton & Esther Willingham (Holloway’s maternal grandparents) passed on the desire and ability to dream great dreams and ask God to give them the desires of their heart. The Willingham’s were registered Angus breeders in West Texas in the early 1950’s through the 1960’s and even put on one of the first Angus bull sales ever in West Texas. With their son Jack and daughter Mary (Andy’s mother) the Willingham’s became known for breeding and selling quality registered Angus cattle, it was a family affair just as it is today. Mr. Young’s influence has been passed through four generations of his family to the present day Holloway’s.Andy Holloway was born on a farm in Lamb County, Texas which was part of the original purchases made by Mr. Young in the Texas Panhandle in the early 1920’s. Holloway’s parents Kenneth & Mary farmed for several years before pursuing careers with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service (Kenneth) and elementary education (Mary) as he was not only born in the Texas Panhandle but he was raised near the Amarillo area ( Vega & Dumas) his entire growing years. Andy’s dad Kenneth loved animals and particularly pedigreed livestock. Kenneth was a student of animal husbandry and passed that love and passion on to Andy. Kenneth taught the young Holloway how to evaluate and judge livestock and it was not to long that Andy was winning livestock contests and beginning to dream of being on the Texas A & M livestock and meats teams. Andy’s dad and his grandparents Tarlton & Esther Willingham had great influence on the man and Angus breeder he was to be and little did they know that Andy would follow in their footsteps so closely.128 years after Mr. Young started the dream Andy Holloway, his wife Tanya and son Tarlton are still dreaming and allowing their faith and trust in God open the doors for their present day Angus business. Andy a 1981 graduate of Texas A & M and Tanya a 1983 graduate of Texas Tech have one son Tarlton who is named for Andy’s beloved grandfather Tarlton Willingham. Andy has had a replacement female cattle marketing company for 23 years and Tanya has been a career school teacher. Tarlton has really made a name for himself winning several major Texas stock shows with his own quality registered Angus bred and raised out of the Holloway herd. In 2007 Tarlton won the Angus show in Fort Worth, the Texas Southwestern Livestock Show and Exposition; also that same year young Tarlton had the Grand Champion Angus cow/calf pair at the State Fair of Texas and the Grand Champion Angus bull also at the State Fair. Then in 2008 with a new heifer he won the Texas Junior Angus Heifer Show with his cow/calf pair.The Holloway registered Angus herd started in 2003 with the purchase of seven registered heifers from Hales Angus Farm, Canyon, TX owned by Richmond and Rick Hales. Ironically Richmond Hales purchased his first registered Angus from Tarlton Willingham in 1962 (19 head of registered bred heifers), today the Hales herd is one of the most well know Angus herds in Texas. The herd that Holloway named ASH Angus, LLC today has grown to more than 600 registered Angus including cattle located in four counties in Texas with Stamford, TX as their headquarters.Most recently the ASH Angus herd has produced the #2 Angus herd sire for the EPD value $B. His name Performer of ASH 7000 is an incredible young Angus bull that is the talk of the breed. Holloway says Performer will be the anchor herd bull of the ASH herd for the next several years and he expects the bull to be widely used as an AI sire in the breed. Performer’s dam an own daughter of the legendary carcass king “CA Future Direction” and sired by the well known Angus AI sire Rito 2V1, gives this young sire all the genetics it will take to make him a great Angus sire.ASH Angus, LLC is planning their first Angus bull and commercial replacement female sale on Monday, October 13, 2008 at Coleman Cattle Auction, Coleman, TX at 12:30pm. Coleman is the location of one of the ASH ranches and is an ideal location for this first sale. This inaugural ASH Angus sale will feature 90 Angus bulls including 65 coming two year olds and 25 fall yearlings. Including in this offering will be a one half interest in the Performer of ASH 7000 herd sire prospect and several other outstanding herd sire prospects. The sale will also feature 220 replacements Angus influenced females all either AI bred or bred naturally to ASH Angus bulls’ selected for calving ease. Yes the ASH Angus herd is truly a Texas dream story come true, Holloway gives all the credit to the Lord for making his dreams and hopes become reality. Tanya says she is a school teacher by day and cow woman by night, and young Tarlton dreams of going to Texas A & M and following in his dad’s footsteps. Heritage, ancestors and the quest for excellence are all important ingredients of the Holloway family and the ASH Angus herd. The Holloway’s look forward to the future and hope that any one interested in Angus will stop by and let them treat you to some Angus hospitality.
"DAD" County Agent
Tarlton, Tanya, & Andy Holloway
Tarlton & Meme
Andrew S. Holloway
Mary Willingham/Holloway with her Grandfather J. A. Young
Tarlton Willingham 1970's
Kenneth Holloway 4th from the left, Age 16, with his Champion Jersey Heifer. (Queen)
J.A. Young with his Bible
Talrton and his Meme in Ft. Worth after Winning Grand Champion Heifer.
J. A. Young at church Swedonia, TX
The original Willingham Registered Herford Herd in the 1940's before Angus.
Jack & Mary Willingham in the 1940's
Mary Willingham / Holloway Age 20
Mary Willingham/Holloway age 17 in the ranch pickup pulling the horse trailor with old "Midge"
Great Aunt Bill
Esther Willingham in the 1960's
J.A. Young at his home in the 1930's Swedonia, TX
P.O. BOX 3719
Abilene, TX 79604
Office (325) 677-8900
FAX (325) 677-8901
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Cell - (325) 668-0466
