Nov. 8, 2018

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

For more information contact:

Clint Mefford, Director of Communications

(816) 383-5143

cmefford@angus.org

 

Event photos available upon request via prphotos@angus.org

 

2018 Angus Convention and Trade Show a Success

Progress and innovation celebrated at the three-day event in Columbus, Ohio.

 

The 2018 Angus Convention and Trade Show drew in a crowd of nearly 2,000 cattle producers, industry professionals and Angus breeders. The American Angus Association® celebrated a year full of progress and innovation at the three-day event.

“We are very pleased to have celebrated another great year at the American Angus Association, culminating in another successful Angus Convention,” said Allen Moczygemba, Association CEO. “We connected with numerous members, partners and friends and had the opportunity to show significant progress on the Long-Range Strategic Plan.”

The convention commenced on Friday, Nov. 2 with the National Angus Tour, hosted by the Ohio Angus Association. The first stop on the tour was Claylick Run Farm in Newark, Ohio. At the farm, a representative from Select Sires Inc. spoke to participants about the benefits to an artificial insemination program and how bull studs owned by the company are cared for. Additionally, cattle from Ohio and West Virginia were on display for attendees to view, and producers were able to network with fellow tour attendees from around the country.  

The second stop on the tour was the Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) headquarters in Wooster, Ohio. Visitors enjoyed a hearty Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) brand lunch and heard from President John Stika and founding president Mick Colvin. After lunch, participants were free to tour the CAB campus, and Chef Tony Biggs demonstrated proper cooking techniques to attendees at the Culinary Center.

Friday evening, a year of generous giving was commemorated at the Angus Foundation Supporter Recognition Event as several individuals and families were recognized for their continued investment in the Angus breed. In addition to an impressive gross of $36,000 by the live auction, two generous donations were made that evening – one outright unrestricted cash gift of $40,000 and an $80,000 gift to the National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) Endowment Fund.

The 2018 Angus Convention was a true educational experience. Attendees had the opportunity to attend workshops and demonstrations at the fourth-annual Angus Genomics Symposium, sponsored by Neogen GeneSeek. Keynote speakers for the event included Dr. Spencer Wells, geneticist, anthropologist and former explorer-in-residence at the National Geographic Society and Mark McCully, Certified Angus Beef LLC vice president of production.

The fifth-annual Angus University, sponsored by Merck Animal Health encompassed a diverse set of breakout sessions from genetic advancement to marketing practices, as well as inspiring presentations from U.S. Special Forces Green Beret Commander Mark Nutsch and Cameron Bruett, corporate affairs and sustainability, JBS USA.

This year marked the first-ever Angus Convention Meat Judging Contest, hosted by the Ohio State University and CAB. The contest had three divisions – youth, young adult and adult. Winners of each division took home a $650 Greeley Hat Works gift card. Cole Walenciak took home high honors in the youth division and Susan Schlosnagle won the adult division. Ohio native Ellie Kidwell won the young adult division and was named overall champion.

Convention attendees entered the Grand Prize Giveaway contest to win a Priefert and Tru-Test complete cattle handling system and a John Deere XUV835M Gator Crossover utility vehicle. Barry Endy of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, took home the cattle handling system. Sidman, Pennsylvania, native Theresa Neff was the lucky winner of the John Deere Gator Crossover utility vehicle. Following the giveaway drawing, two-time TNN/Music City News Entertainer of the Year Neal McCoy brought his renowned stage presence to Columbus to provide convention-goers live entertainment.

The highly anticipated Awards Recognition Breakfast on Monday, Nov. 5 highlighted some of the Association’s best and brightest. Award winners and new Auxiliary president were announced:

·         American Angus Auxiliary 2019 president: Cindy Ahearn, Texas

·         ROV Show Heifer of the Year: EXAR Princess 6680, owned by Carter Ward, Missouri

·    ROV Show Bull of the Year: SCC Tradition of 24, owned by Cade Stertzbach, Ohio; David Smith, Colorado; and Massie Creek Cattle, Ohio

·         ROV Breeder of the Year: Express Ranches, Oklahoma

·         Angus Value Discovery Contest

o   Grand Champion Pen: Boyer Brothers Angus Farm, Missouri

o   Reserve Grand Champion Pen: Georg Farms, LLC, Kansas

·         Heritage Angus Foundation Inductees:

o   Keith Arntzen, Montana

o   Evelyn Edmunds, South Carolina

o   Mark Gardiner, Kansas

o   Donna Holmes, Missouri

o   Lowell Minert, posthumously, Nebraska

·         Century Award: Woods Angus – Rains Angus and McKean Brothers, Pennsylvania

·         NJAA Angus Ambassador: Cale Hinrichsen, Kansas

·         Miss American Angus: Madison Weaver, Pennsylvania

 

The 135th Annual Convention of Delegates transpired immediately following the Awards Recognition Breakfast where five directors and two new officers were elected to the Association’s board of directors. Additionally, the new treasurer was announced. The directors and officers are:

·         Board of directors:

o   Jim Brinkley, Missouri

o   James Coffey, Kentucky

o   Chuck Grove, Virginia

o   Mike McCravy, Georgia

o   Mick Varilek, South Dakota

·         President and chairman of the board: John Pfeiffer, Jr., Oklahoma

·         Vice president and vice chairman of the board: Don Schiefelbein, Minnesota

·         Treasurer: David Dal Porto, California

 

The 2018 Angus Convention wouldn’t be possible without the support of our generous sponsors. Thank you to Merck Animal Health, Boehringer Ingelheim, Neogen GeneSeek and all other sponsors for helping make the Angus Convention a success again this year.

The 2019 National Angus Convention and Trade Show is heading west to Reno, Nevada. Registration and lodging reservations open July 1, 2019.

For more details about and coverage on this year’s convention, visit angusconvention.com.

 

Written by Kate Ryan, Angus Communications

 

ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS. The American Angus Association® is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving more than 25,000 members across the United States, Canada and several other countries. It’s home to an extensive breed registry that grows by nearly 300,000 animals each year. The Association also provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers and others who rely on Angus to produce quality genetics for the beef industry and quality beef for consumers.

For more information about Angus cattle and the American Angus Association, visit www.angus.org.

 

 

 

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