Aug. 1, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Clint Mefford, director of communications
816-383-5143
To request photos contact: prphotos@angus.org
Second-Annual Stockman Award Presented at NJAS
National Junior Angus Association youth selected for honorary award.
For the second year in a row, the National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) selected three individuals to take home the top honors of the Stockman Award during the 50th National Junior Angus Show (NJAS), July 8-13, in Madison, Wisconsin.
This year’s recipients are: in the junior division, Ellie Kidwell of Walhonding, Ohio; intermediate, Lauren Wolter of Alviston, Illinois; and in the senior division, Jayne Bannister of Kent, New York.
To be eligible for the award, juniors must have competed in the cattle judging, quiz bowl written exam and skill-a-thon contests while at NJAS. The total score of the contests were combined to select the winners. The top individuals were selected based on age division – junior, intermediate and senior.
Bannister won the Stockman Award two years in a row and said it is an honor to receive the award again. She credits her success to being able to show her talents outside the showring.
“For me, it isn't just about earning this award, though it is a great perk,” Bannister said. “I would participate in these contests to stretch my knowledge, regardless. Understanding the industry and having basic cattle knowledge is imperative to being a successful cattleman.”
The Stockman Award is aimed to help youth, at all age levels, to expand their knowledge in all aspects of the cattle industry.
“When I first arrived at the NJAS, I didn’t think I would win the award,” Wolter said. “It wasn’t until I did well in the judging and quiz bowl contests that I really considered the possibility of winning the award.”
Bannister thanks the National Junior Angus Board of Directors and Dave Nichols for making the award possible. Nichols and Nichols Farms sponsored the Stockman awards again this year.
She said participating in the contest is a great experience and encourages all juniors to participate at least once in their career. Wolter also added juniors should not be afraid of trying new contests.
“I would advise other juniors to just try the different contests,” Wolter said. “You’ll learn something just from trying it. You might not win the award or contest at first, but the key is just keep trying.”
The 2018 NJAS marked the 50th anniversary of the show and was marked as historic even for the NJAA and the American Angus Association®.
For more news and information on the American Angus Association, visit www.angus.org.
— Written by Laura Bardot, 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.