Tehama rancher deBrage named Livestock Man of the Year

A Tehama County man has been named California's Livestock Man of the Year.

Rancher Bob deBraga, 75, received the honor during the Grand National Livestock Show at the Cow Palace in San Francisco on Saturday.

"Receiving the award was very nice and humbling for Bob (deBraga). He is a quiet man who definitely has earned the recognition," said his wife Waynette deBraga.

Presenting the award, the California Chamber of Commerce recognized deBraga's contributions to the livestock industry, with 44 years on the Red Bluff Bull & Gelding Sale Committee, of which 19 years he served as chairman.

The deBragas arrived at the Cow Palace on Saturday by limousine and enjoyed cocktails and a special dinner before deBraga was honored and presented a silver plate and silver and gold belt buckle.

During the ceremony deBraga was recognized is a "cowboy's cowboy" who is also capable of working on state and national committees.

"This is a great, great honor to be selected," said deBraga in a video played at the event.

"There has been a powerful set of recipients to have received this award ahead of me and its an honor to be in that gallery with those gentlemen."

The video, narrated by deBraga's son, Dusty deBraga, shared photographs and video of deBraga working in the industry he loves, cattle ranching.

Born and raised in Fallon, Nev., deBraga attended a one room school, grades 1-8, in Stillwater where his family was in the farming and cattle business.

While in high school he was active in football, was class president two years and involved in FFA and was Nevada State FFA president in 1954-55.

He served in the US Army but was discharged due to a football injury.

He paid for college by working for several cattlemen in Dixie Valley and in Elko County, including managing the cattle on Mary's River Ranch at Deeth, Nev., for William Wright.

He and his wife, Waynette, who he married in 1956, and children Dusty and Dena, came to Tehama County in 1963.

He has a long history of working in the cattle industry in Nevada, Oregon and California.

He and his wife live in a home northeast of Corning, where he spends a lot of his time in his leather shop making and replaing riding equipment and other related goods, including saddles.

The deBraga family — Dena deBraga Hendricks, Dusty and Shanna deBraga, and grandchildren Casey Hendricks Owens, Clint Hendricks, Megan and Fallon deBraga — are all involved in the beef cattle business.

The California Livestock Man of the Year has roots in Tehama County since it was first recognized in 1950 when the California Chamber of Commerce presented the award to A.T. Spencer, who owned the property which is now Tehama Angus Ranch.

Past Tehama County recipients include Ellington Peek, Cottonwood 1993; Bill Borror, Gerber 2009 and the late Charles F. Stover 1959, C. Roy Carmichael 1968, and Jack Owens 1982.

Tehama County Cattlewoman Jean Barton contributed to this article.