FAQs
Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about NJHA membership.
Do you want to be a member of the NJHA? If you are under the age of 22 and love Hereford cattle, click below. You’re on your way to being a part of one of the largest junior beef-breed organizations in the world!
Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about NJHA membership.
The NJHA is the organizational name for junior members of the American Hereford Association. The NJHA is governed by a 12-member board, which is elected each year during the annual meeting of the NJHA, held during the Junior National Hereford Expo (JNHE).
Junior memberships are available for any young person from birth through their 22nd birthday. Memberships are limited to juniors who live in the U.S. and/or Canada. To participate in the JNHE members must be 7 years of age by Jan. 1 of the current year and have not yet turned 22 by Jan. 1 of the current year.
Junior memberships expire on the 22nd birthday of the junior member. All junior members must pay annual membership dues ($15) in order to participate in the programs and activities offered through the AHA/NJHA. The membership renewal date is September 1 of each year. Special Note: if a junior has not turned 22 years of age by Jan. 1 the junior can still participate in the JNHE that year.
The simple answer to this question is “Yes.” The rules of the American Hereford Association do allow joint ownership of an animal with siblings only.
Bred-and-owned animals may be multi-owned by siblings as long as the junior member is the breeder, first and continuous owner of the animal being shown. This applies only to shows sponsored and managed by the American Hereford Association.
Exception: Bred-and-owned bulls may be owned in partnership with an adult breeder or farm/ranch. However, to show at the JNHE the junior must remain the breeder and remain listed as the first recorded owner of the bull.
Special Note: Most 4-H and FFA sanctioned shows do not allow joint ownership.
A bred-and-owned animal is one where the junior member owned the dam of the heifer/bull at the time the heifer/bull was conceived.
The categories offered are:
Owned Females – these are females that are purchased either from a family member or any other Hereford breeder.
Bred-and-Owned Females– these are females where the junior member owned the dam of the female at the time of conception. The junior member must be listed as the breeder, first and continuous owner on the registration certificate.
Bred-and-Owned Bulls – these are bulls where the junior member owned the dam of the bull at the time of conception. The junior member must be listed as the breeder, first and continuous owner on the registration certificate.
Steers – these are steers owned by the junior member. All steers must be registered by the American Hereford Association and out of a registered sire and dam in order to show at the Junior National Hereford Expo. ALL STEERS MUST HAVE A DNA PROFILE ON FILE WITH AHA AT TIME OF ENTRY. NO STEER CERTIFICATES WILL BE ACCEPTED. STEERS MUST HAVE REGISTRATION PAPERS TO SHOW AT THE JNHE.
Cow-Calf Pairs – these are cow-calf pairs where the calf is bred-and-owned by the junior member and the date of the transfer of the cow into the junior member’s ownership is prior to the conception date for the calf.
The age requirements for shows vary both on the younger age limit as well as the older age limit. It is important to check the rules for age of the exhibitor for the specific show in which you are interested in participating.
Note: For shows sponsored and coordinated by the American Hereford Association such as the JNHE, the junior must be a minimum of 7 years of age and not 22 years of age by January 1, of the current year for that show.
The National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) offers a world of opportunities to youth. Members of the NJHA are eligible for:
The annual membership fee to be a junior member of the Association is $15. The payment of this fee allows the junior member to participate in activities and events sponsored by the AHA, the NJHA and the Hereford Youth Foundation of America. (Additional entry fees, registration fees, and/or supplemental costs may apply depending upon the event or activity.) Special Note: If a junior is actively registering cattle in his or her name an additional $20 member service fee will apply in addition to the $15 annual dues.