Awards

2025 CattleWoman of the Year

Andrea Woods, Brazos Valley CattleWomen

 It is with great pride and enthusiasm that this nominee came to our committee. This nominee is a true embodiment of leadership, service, and advocacy for our industry, and her tireless efforts this past year have made a lasting impact across both our organization and the broader community.

She has provided visionary leadership to her local, elevating her chapter’s reach and influence. Most notably, she successfully organized an event that not only highlighted the strength of our membership but also fostered collaboration, education, and fellowship among women dedicated to the cattle industry. Her attention to detail, organizational skills, and welcoming spirit ensured the conference was a resounding success.

Her impact extends far beyond organizational leadership. She played a central role in spearheading a fundraiser which raised over $30,000 for scholarships. Thanks to her vision and commitment, her chapter was able to award $7,000 in scholarships to deserving students pursuing higher education. In addition, she has coordinated numerous beef promotion events within the community, strengthening consumer awareness and appreciation for our product while increasing the visibility of her local. Through her service, she has exemplified the mission of Texas CattleWomen by promoting beef, supporting youth, and strengthening our agricultural communities. Her leadership has not only inspired members but has also created opportunities and built a stronger future for young people who will carry on our ranching and cattle traditions.

You ask where this remarkable CattleWomen is from, she is from our host chapter, Brazos Valley.  Her passion for encouraging the next generation of agricultural leaders is shown by their local being able to financially support every beef exhibitor in Brazos, Burleson, Robertson, Grimes, Madison, Leon, and Milam counties at their county shows - an extraordinary testament to her passion. 

Her leadership extends well beyond her local chapter. She also serves as Secretary for Texas CattleWomen, ensuring that members’ voices are represented at the state level, and that her chapter remains aligned with the broader goals of both American National CattleWomen and Texas CattleWomen. In this capacity, she has provided strong organizational guidance and clear communication, further advancing the mission of our association across all levels.

Through her vision, service, and advocacy, she has made an indelible mark on our organization and the cattle industry as a whole. She is a shining example of what it means to be a CattleWoman, and we can’t think of anyone more deserving of this year’s award.

Congratulations to Andrea Woods!

2024 Lifetime Achievement Award

Dorothy "Dot" Borchgardt

Dorothy (Dot) Borchgardt was born in Brenham, Texas, and has been a lifetime resident of Washington County. After graduating from Brenham High School, she married Daniel Borchgardt, and together, in 1968, they purchased and operated Dan's Meat Market for four decades until 2002.   The meat market may have been called Dan's, but she was the backbone that ensured that anything from the bookwork, inventory, and orders were ready to go! She has always been willing to help when needed.   She and Daniel purchased their property in 1969, where they raised cattle, a son, and a daughter, and still reside there to this day. She was a charter member of the Washington County Cattlewomen Chapter in 1972.

Even though, behind the scenes, she had a full-time job at the meat market, she was employed in several different disciplines throughout her lifetime, from working at the dentist's office, hospital, Blinn College, and the Washington County District Attorney's office. In 2008, she felt the calling to become a county official and ran and won the Washington County Tax Assessor/Collector election. She served the county for twelve years in that capacity until her retirement in 2020.

Dot has always been one who donated her time to organizations that she felt close to. She was a member of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, Pilot Club, Washington County's Victim Assistance Coordinator, Eben Ezer Lutheran Church Council, past council president, and many other organizations. She has devoted her life to the Washington County community.

Although her role has changed since retirement, she stays busy spending more time with her beloved husband Daniel, canning pickles, baking with her granddaughter Suzanna, and helping keep her grandson Blaine's bookwork together with his hay and cattle sale business. If you drive by their house on any given afternoon, you may catch her pulling her red wagon loaded with feed sacks to feed the replacement heifers or sitting on the back porch with Daniel and her three furry friends, Wrangler, Lucy, or Rainey.    

As a member of Washington County CattleWomen, Dot has served in all the Board positions and several positions she served 2 or more times over the last 51 years. She is currently serving as Secretary. For Ag in the Classroom, you can find her cooking 900 beef hot dogs to serve the kids. During the County Fair, she and Doris Koehne are cooking beef sausage, pasta salad and more. You can always count on her to help promote every Washington County CattleWomen project.

2024 Texas Cattlewoman of the Year

Karen Schneider

Karen comes from our Hill Country Chapter, where she and her husband Ronnie operate the Bar Cross Ranch which produces registered Brangus cattle and has been in her family since 1902 where grew up and still lives and works.   They raised their son and daughter on this designated Family Land Heritage Ranch. Her son, his wife and his family are now carrying on this legacy and are raising  2 grandsons on this historic property in Kendall County. In 2016 they were awarded the Texas Soil and Water State Ranch of the Year.  She embodies the life of a CattleWoman through her daily life, her love of the land and support of the beef industry.  She is a hands-on Cattle Woman, physically involved in the daily work with their Brangus cattle operation from branding, feeding, hauling cattle, and all the many pieces of a cattle operation including the business aspects.  She not only manages the cattle but the working ranch as well. 

She is a calm and steady leader, getting big jobs done in her diplomatic way. She comes by it naturally as her mother was a founding member of our Chapter in 1979. CattleWomen has been in her life consistently all these years.  She has served in almost every board and committee position for the second time.  She has been awarded our chapter Cattle Woman of the year award due to her exemplary work and dedication.

Her primary goal for this year was to get our designation as a 501c3 and establish the Charitable Foundation for the chapter.  This allowed us to expand our fundraising opportunities and resulted in our fundraiser having a profit of over $100,000 in May!  This was more than double what we have raised in past years.  In addition, she led the way for our bi-annual Women’s Ranch Seminar which had over 200 attendees.   $30,000 was awarded for scholarships to our youth including trade scholarships for which she helped establish.  She is a president who led by example working many of the Ag Day programs in our 14 counties, delivering gift cards for beef to local food banks, children and veteran homes, etc.  She established a program to honor our members of 25 or more years of membership who were recognized at our annual awards meeting in June.

Currently she serves on the Texas CattleWomen nominating and scholarship committees. She is a member of TSWCRA, ANCWA, TCWA, and the American Brangus Association.   She is active in her local community and church.  She is a wonderful role model for our organization and friend to all.