What better way to hit the ground running on day two of the 2018 VitaFerm Junior National Hereford Expo than with a morning run? Monday dawned sunny and 70 — perfect conditions for the JNHE 5K run. The winning time clocked out at 22 minutes.

Following that endurance test, participants tested their industry knowledge in the Hereford Bowl written test. Hereford youth also competed in individual and team sales, where contestants had the opportunity to wow judges with creative and catchy marketing presentations. Rounding out the day’s competitions was the Great American CHB Grill-off. Aspiring chefs combined their grill skills and Certified Hereford Beef (CHB) LLC expertise in short skits they performed to the judges.

While many barngoers caught some afternoon shut-eye or prepped cattle for the evening’s group classes, Hereford royalty mingled at the NHW queen’s tea. With retired queens in attendance, more than 200 ladies gathered to support the young women of the Hereford breed. Participants wrote letters to members of our armed forces as part of Hereford Queen Abbygail Pitstick’s service project, decorated cupcakes and enjoyed an afternoon catching up with friends. Eight lucky young ladies were chosen as the “Princess off the Day.”

A wave of anticipation swept through the crowd as the Monday evening opening ceremonies went underway. After enjoying a video put together by Showtimes, the crowd cheered with excitement as the 2018 Junior Board entered the ring on a “real-life” train. Retiring President Steven Green led the opening speech and the group contests were soon underway. Group classes were broken down into produce-of-dam, adult breeder group of three, junior breeder group of three and state groups. Amidst the judging, winners of the JNHE photo contest were announced, along with the winners of the day’s earlier competitions.

Today and every day of the past 20 Junior Nationals would not have been possible without Amy Cowan, the American Hereford Association (AHA) director of youth activities and foundation. In an emotional surprise, Amy was recognized for her years of dedication to the National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) alongside her family. Her passion for Hereford youth shines in all she does, laying down the tracks of success for NJHA in their future endeavors. On behalf of everyone at AHA and NJHA, we would like to thank Amy for her service and commitment to the breed.