KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For three years running, the National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) has brought real-world experience and education to its junior membership. In 2019, 67 youth from 15 states entered 206 steers in the NJHA Fed Steer Shootout contest, powered by BioZyme Inc. and the Feed the Future program. This year’s NJHA contest winners were recognized for their efforts Oct. 25 at the Hereford Honorees awards ceremony in Kansas City, Mo., and received close to $20,000 in awards from the Hereford Youth Foundation of America (HYFA) and BioZyme.

Contestants collected actual feedyard performance and carcass merit data on pens and individual entries of Hereford and Hereford-influenced steers while gaining a comprehensive industry education on topics such as ultrasound technology, genetics and cattle health. All steers were fed at Gregory Feedlots in Tabor, Iowa, and through a generous sponsorship from Texas Stardance Cattle, steers were hauled to and harvested at National Beef Packing Co. in Dodge City, Kan., as candidates for the Certified Hereford Beef® brand.

“The NJHA Fed Steer Shootout proved to be yet another successful year for the participants and I would like to congratulate all of the winners on their accomplishments,” says Trey Befort, American Hereford Association (AHA) director of commercial programs. “I am proud of all of the youth who have taken the initiative to participate in this contest and look forward to watching this program grow and develop in the years to come.”

Participation nearly doubled from the previous year and so did BioZyme’s financial commitment and quest to bring education to the forefront of the contest. Contestants entered performance portfolios from data reports they received throughout the feeding period, and wrote an essay about what they learned from the process. The top five participants were selected from the submitted portfolios, and had the opportunity to travel to Kansas City, Mo., to compete for the NJHA Fed Steer Shootout Junior of the Year title during the AHA Annual Membership Meeting and Conference. These juniors presented a short speech and were interviewed about what they learned from the contest and how they can apply this knowledge in the beef industry.

This year’s award winners are:

• Overall grand champion steer — Jarrett Worrell, Mason, Texas
• Champion purebred pen of three — Emma Shaw, Caldwell, Idaho
• Reserve champion purebred pen of three — Lydia Shaw, Caldwell, Idaho
• Champion purebred individual — Ben Ridder, Marthasville, Mo.
• Reserve champion purebred individual — Claire Collins, Chattanooga, Okla.
• Champion commercial pen of three — Elizabeth Shaw, Caldwell, Idaho
• Reserve champion commercial pen of three — Jarrett Worrell, Mason, Texas
• Champion commercial individual — Emily Cranwell, Hays, Kan.
• Reserve champion commercial individual — Emily Cranwell, Hays, Kan.
• Performance portfolio top five — Molly Biggs, Dixon, Ill.; Kade Boatman, Rockford, Ill.; Trevor Johnson, Centerville, S.D.; Haley Mouser, Tenstrike, Minn.; and Elizabeth Pribil, Hennesseey, Okla.
• Fed Steer Shootout junior of the year — Trevor Johnson, Centerville, S.D.

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The American Hereford Association (AHA), with headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., is one of the largest U.S. beef breed associations. The not-for-profit organization along with its subsidiaries — Certified Hereford Beef (CHB) LLC, Hereford Publications Inc. (HPI) and American Beef Records Association (ABRA) — provides programs and services for its members and their customers, while promoting the Hereford breed and supporting education, youth and research. For additional press releases and photos, visit www.hereford.org/media.

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