It’s down to the final moments of preparation before the show. No, these juniors aren’t practicing their a cappella rendition of “Old MacDonald Had a Farm.” They’re perfecting a different kind of pitch — a sales pitch.

At the 2025 National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) in Tulsa, Okla., 81 juniors on 21 teams put their knowledge about marketing Angus cattle to the test in the team sales contest. Designed to mimic a private treaty sale, National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) members are challenged to sell a live animal to a panel of judges. Competitors must present pedigree, performance data and phenotype before answering a set of questions from the judges. 

Hannah Perrier, a member of the senior team representing Kansas, says, “It’s a great opportunity for kids to learn more about the genetics and pedigree that they may not necessarily learn through just watching the shows or being ringside.”

Each team selects a heifer, bull or cow-calf pair and creates a presentation tailored to their animal. In junior and intermediate divisions, teams choose their animals prior to the NJAS. Seniors, however, get handed a sale scenario during check-in of the show, meaning they have just two days to select an animal that aligns with the given scenario.

For five to eight minutes, teams must divide roles strategically based on their strengths: one person opens, another member talks through expected progeny differences (EPDs), someone highlights phenotype and the final teammate discusses pedigree. 

Mic drop

Moments after competing, all four participants of the Kansas intermediate team agreed they felt confident in their performance.
“We all thought we kind of said everything we were each supposed to say,” says Addison Burns.

Each team member knew their role and did their best to deliver. 

Corbin Russell summed up his enthusiasm for the contest simply: “I love yapping about EPDs.”

Their confidence was not misplaced, and the team, consisting of Burns, Russell, Eliza Rosenhagen and Molly Hill, took home the title of first place in the intermediate division. 

Kansas pride was running strong through the contest, and the senior team representing the state also won their division. 

Creed Caldwell, Jackson McCurry, and Hannah and Lyle Perrier brought home the Bob Laflin Award, which was more than just a title to the team.

Laflin was a passionate Angus breeder and salesman from Olsburg, Kan. He believed in investing in youth programs, and could always be found cheering on his grandchildren during team sales at the NJAS. 

After his death in 2004, his family established an award for the champion senior team, a trophy depicting an Angus breeder looking at show heifer prospects in the field with two young Angus exhibitors.

Knowing the Laflin family comes from Kansas, Lyle says, “It meant a lot to receive that award.”

Members on his team have been competing in team sales at the NJAS for multiple years, coming in second place in 2024 and 2023. Being just out of the top slot the last two years made this win extra sweet. 

“I was thrilled to hear the Kansas team announced as the winner of team sales,” Caldwell explains. “We had placed second for the last two years at junior nationals, and it was really satisfying to finally win the senior division.”

Lyle also mentions two of the team members were competing above their age division.

“It meant a lot to get to win in the senior division,” he says. “Two of our teammates were intermediates still, but they did extremely well.”

Talk Angus to me

For juniors considering competing in the contest in the future, the Kansas intermediate team has one message: “Do it.” 

Why? It’s an accessible way to learn life skills. For some, this is their first time competing. For others, it’s been a few years. But all agree this contest has helped develop their knowledge of the industry.

“Out of all the contests of the NJAS, this is the most real-life,” says Rosenhagen, an intermediate NJAA competitor. “You’re always selling yourself to people … so to be able to do that with other things is very important.”

Like any good performance, she knows a great sales pitch takes practice, teamwork and a little stage presence. The Kansas juniors aren’t planning to be in the next cattleman’s choir, but they are gaining the skills to speak with confidence, clarity and conviction. 

Their pitch? Perfect.