As an Association, it is important to establish standards to maintain the heritage of our breed.

At the 2025 MHBA Annual Meeting held on January 10th at the National Western Stock Show, Charles Rohla presented research data and current recommendations from the Height Committee.

After months of gathering additional data and testing the recommendations at various shows, the MHBA Board, during their September 25th meeting, voted to approve the implementation of the 6-month age and height restrictions starting February 1, 2026.

The approved age and height restrictions shown below are based on data from various past show programs. The Height Committee analyzed this data to compare differences in hip heights relative to the animals' ages.

Females:

Animal Age		Height
6 months or younger		40 inches or less
7 to 12 months		42 inches or less
13 to 18 months		44 inches or less
19 to 24 months		45 inches or less

Males (bulls & steers):

Animal Age		Height
6 months or younger		42 inches or less
7 to 12 months		44 inches or less
13 to 18 months		46 inches or less
19 to 24 months		48 inches or less

The Board asks for the support of the breeders and exhibitors to ensure that these rules are followed.  We strongly encourage all exhibitors to know the hip height of their animals and to understand why these rules are important to ensure that the integrity of our breed remains strong and viable. 

If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact any of the MHBA Board members.