To many in the breed, the blonde hair and cowboy hat in the show ring is easily recognizable. Even if you don’t know Alexis Koelling by her signature look, however, all it takes is one conversation to see she views her role in the industry as more than just a showman. Whether she’s at the end of the halter in the grand drive or out in the pasture tending to her herd, Koelling loves to wear the title of “cattlewoman.” 

The Missouri junior didn’t start out exhibiting black-hided cattle, but as she rounds out her career in the National Junior Angus Association (NJAA), Koelling has come to be known as a force in the show ring and a positive influence in the barn. 

“I think that’s honestly kind of the coolest part about being named the herdsman — I didn’t start with a family that’s deeply rooted in the Angus breed, at least to begin with,” Koelling explains. 

Her passion and focus are just a few qualities that helped her be elected as the 2025 Junior Angus Herdsman of the Year during this year’s National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) in Tulsa, Okla. The award was created to honor an outstanding NJAA member in their last year of eligibility. The individual must display a strong work ethic, dedication to their animals and have skills in preparing their cattle for exhibition at a high standard. 

Koelling grew up showing Shorthorns, but in 2012, her stepdad, Brock Meyer, handed her the lead of an Angus heifer and she was hooked. Her young business mind recognized the value of The Business Breed, but soon Koelling saw the value in the Angus family, too. 

“It took going to my first junior nationals,” she recalls, naming Ella Jordan as one of the first friends she made. “Meeting those kinds of people and meeting the Angus family, that really gave me my love for the Angus breed.” 

Marching to the beat

Like most of her peers, Koelling knows the value of having a good playlist at the ready. There’s a wide variety in the artists that keep her company when she’s hard at work, but Eminem might claim the top spot. A lyric from the song “Lose Yourself” serves as a motto for most of what she does. 

“You can do anything you set your mind to,” she quotes. 

It’s a near-perfect summary of how she’s established her place in the Angus business. 

“I didn’t come from a successful, big showtime family, but we’ve had a goal in mind,” Koelling explains. “We all came together to make that goal and accomplish that goal.” 

While the industry is competitive, Koelling says there’s room for everyone. With the right kind of focus and determination, she says success is within anyone’s grasp. 

Look to her own NJAA career as proof. 

Though last year she checked a major item off her bucket list as she won the National Junior Angus Showmanship Contest, Koelling names 2018-2020 as standout years; she stood in grand drive for all three. In 2019 and 2020, she even brought home a top-five banner. 

“Those cows are still producing … still being very profitable for us back home,” Koelling adds. “I think that’s what’s most important. It’s cool to be successful in the show ring, but also for those show heifers to turn around and be productive cows.” 

To her, that’s what being a herdsman is all about.