LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Four outstanding students, grades ninth through 12th, received a coveted bronze Hereford bull statue for being named Junior Golden Bull Award recipients. The winners were announced at the 2025 VitaFerm^® Junior National Hereford Expo (JNHE), “Live from Louisville” during the Hereford Youth Foundation of America (HYFA) Scholarship, Award and Maroon Jacket Ceremony on July 17 in Louisville, Ky.  

This award recognizes high-achieving junior members, who demonstrate exceptional leadership in the Hereford breed, the agricultural industry and their communities. 

“The National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) is the best resource to help me become successful in the Hereford industry,” says Tymber Billman, 11th-grade Junior Golden Bull Award recipient. “This great association has allowed me to meet other passionate youth and professionals that share the same interests as me.”

NJHA strives to offer its more than 4,000 members opportunities to enhance their leadership skills and advance their education through hands-on learning experiences. 

“The Prospect and Junior Golden Bull Award winners are the future of the agriculture industry,” said Amy Cowan, American Hereford Association director of youth activities and foundation. “It makes me proud to know they are growing up in the NJHA and are already building their resumes and destined to do big things throughout their journey in the Hereford breed and beyond.”

The 2025 award winners are as follows:

Ninth  grade – Faith Benedict, Dewey, Ill.

10th grade – Cierra Collins, Frederick, Okla.

11th grade – Tymber Billman, Rigby, Idaho

12th grade –  Jordan Mitchem, Vale, N.C.

Faith Benedict, Dewey, Ill.

As a fifth-generation Hereford breeder, Benedict wasted no time and started showing at 7 years old. A bred-and-owned heifer, called Ruby, captured her heart and ignited her passion for Hereford cattle.

Benedict will start her sophomore year at Mahomet-Seymour High School and enjoys attending the NJHA’s Faces of Leadership conference, making connections and showing at the JNHE each summer. She plans to attend college and pursue a degree in agricultural communications. 

“Being an active member of the NJHA means that I am a part of something bigger than myself,” Benedict says.  

Cierra Collins, Frederick, Okla.

Collins will be a junior at Frederick High School this fall. She plans to run for an Oklahoma FFA state office and attend Oklahoma State University to study pre-law, with an agricultural business or natural resources focus. Collins currently serves as the vice president of the Junior Hereford Association of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma state queen. 

“Whether it was giving my first sales talk at JNHE when I was 7 years old, or having my first position in Hereford royalty as the Oklahoma Hereford Sweetheart, the NJHA activities I have participated in have shaped me into who I am today,” Collins says. 

Her participation in the NJHA Fed Steer Shootout and Faces of Leadership conference are highlights of her NJHA experience, and she is proud to represent the next generation of her family’s Hereford operation.  

Collins says that her goal is to continue learning and use her knowledge to positively impact the beef industry by making sound breeding and marketing decisions. 

Tymber Billman, Rigby, Idaho

Billman’s passion for Hereford cattle is inspired by her late grandfather, Neal Ward, who mentored, encouraged and  provided Billman with opportunities to become more involved in the Hereford breed. 

Billman will be a senior at Rigby High School with plans to attend college and pursue a degree in animal reproduction with a focus in embryology. She is also the Idaho Junior Hereford Association vice president. She enjoys participating in the NJHA’s Faces of Leadership conference, the Fed Steer Shootout and the different programs at the JNHE. 

“This association has helped me develop into a well-rounded individual, because of the many facets it has to offer for leadership and industry experiences,” Billman says. “I am sure that these experiences will help me in the future because I have been inspired to work hard, become a leader and keep the traditions of the Hereford breed alive.”

Jordan Mitchem, Vale, N.C.

Jordan Mitchem, a recent graduate of West Lincoln High School, currently serves as the North Carolina Junior Hereford Association president. Mitchem plans to attend North Carolina State University to study animal science and biochemistry. As a fifth-generation farmer, she is committed to expanding her family’s Hereford herd.

Mitchem says her favorite NJHA events are the Faces of Leadership conference and the Fed Steer Shootout.  

“Because of the NJHA, I see life through the bigger picture,” Mitchem says. “My summers have a richer meaning, I have stepped out of my comfort zone, I am confident in who I am, and I have found my passion and life’s purpose.”

Mitchem says that her involvement in the NJHA has shown her that there is a vast world past the pasture, and she is excited about all the opportunities that it gives her. 

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The 2025 VitaFerm^® Junior National Hereford Expo (JNHE), “Live from Louisville,” is sponsored in part by BioZyme^® Inc., St. Joseph, Mo., and their brands VitaFerm^® and Sure Champ^®. The VitaFerm® JNHE provides an opportunity for competition of junior members and their cattle projects, along with events for the entire family. The National Junior Hereford Association is one of the most active junior programs in the country with more than 4,200 members. For more information about the JNHE, visit Hereford.org/youth. 

Find the press release and photo here.