Coryell County's Blayr Barnard Named Runner-Up in Regional Remarkable Women Award

Blayr Barnard, who manages between 12,000 and 17,000 head of cattle annually at Barnard Beef Cattle Company in rural Coryell County, earned a runner-up honor in FOX 44's 2026 Remarkable Women series, recognized as part of the station's final wrap-up that aired March 31.

The recognition reflects a family legacy stretching back more than a century. Barnard Beef Cattle Company was founded by Blayr's great-grandfather, "Daddy Sam" Barnard, as a farming operation. Her grandfather, Sterlin Barnard, transitioned it into cattle ranching; her father, David S. Barnard, known locally for his connection to National United, formerly National Bank, in Gatesville, built it further. Blayr now leads the fourth generation as president and owner, supplying Choice+ and Prime beef statewide with both grass- and grain-finished options available through direct statewide meet-ups.

Barnard spoke candidly about what the honor meant in the context of her industry. "In agriculture, there are not a ton of women, and the women who are out work just as the men," she said. She also credited FOX 44 journalist Lori for the nomination: "I really appreciate the time and time and effort that FOX 44 and Lori put in to nominating me for this, and doing all of this, and I think it's incredible."

The 2026 Central Texas Remarkable Woman of the Year went to Susie Marek of Belton, described as "the driving force" behind the $6 million Marek-Smith Center for Teacher Preparation at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, a facility built specifically for special education training whose dedication drew hundreds of area residents to the UMHB campus. Other runners-up were Gloria Kennard of Bryan, whose community giving dates to 1988, and Amy Traweek, a Waco photo-restoration business owner.

The FOX 44 series is a Nexstar Media Group initiative run annually each March across its affiliate stations. The 2025 Central Texas winner was Inez Russell, founder and executive director of Friends For Life, a Waco nonprofit serving older adults.

Barnard's selection carries weight beyond a single honor. Texas leads the nation in female agricultural producers, with 156,233 women recorded in the 2017 USDA Census of Agriculture, part of a national total of roughly 970,000 female farm operators. Barnard, at home supported by her husband Douglas Landrum and their three sons, Conor, Axton, and Zander, represents a generation of women running operations that shaped Coryell County long before the recognition arrived.