Nearly six years ago, Kadyn Harris fell in love with the Angus breed. He’d grown up watching his sister show at their county fair in Virginia, but when he hit age 11, the National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) member left Staunton to tackle bigger shows in bigger towns. 

Harris went to the National Junior Angus Show (NJAS). 

While it’s a larger show, Harris admits his string has stayed small. He’s usually hauled only two or three head the long distance to the NJAS from the East Coast, but this year, the 17-year-old only had one steer in Tulsa, Okla. 

Despite the single entry, however, Harris had a chance to spend more time in the ring than ever before thanks to a new addition to the NJAS schedule: a junior and intermediate showmanship contest. 

“Personally, showmanship has always been my favorite because everybody’s kind of got the same chance,” Harris explains. “It doesn’t matter what animal you have; it’s all about how much you work with them at home.” 

Will and Lauren Coor, judges of the intermediate division Harris competed in, agree. 

“I love showmanship because it doesn’t really matter what your heifer looks like,” Lauren adds. “Showmanship really separates and gives everybody a fair shot.” 

Sorting through the heats, Will says it was all about skill. Even in the final rounds, he says they didn’t feel the need to ask questions to competitors — the quiz bowl contest covered that — but he felt it was his mission to spot the kids who could stick a calf with the best of them. 

“By God, when you step into the ring, I want you to present the animal to the best of your ability; and that’s what’s going to sort it,” he told the top 10 intermediate showmen during his closing remarks prior to naming a champion.  

As the Coors surveyed those final showmen, there wasn’t a doubt they’d found individuals who felt at ease in the ring. 

“They’re flat-out good, and there’s no other way to put it,” Will told the crowd. “I’d love for any 10 of these to show up in my yard, hop out of their vehicle and say, which one do you want us to buy into? Because I know they’re going to be presented at the utmost.” 

Something old, something new 

He was excited to compete when he first heard about the contest, but Harris admits the nerves kicked in when he was standing in the makeup ring. It was thanks to a few key lessons that he says he was able to recenter himself. 

“I just remembered everything I’ve [been] taught, about how to stay cool and calm, no matter what job you do,” he recites. 

The advice paid off. 

“I was seventh overall, which I was extremely excited about when I came out of the ring,” Harris says. “Just thinking that there’s so many good kids out there, and I was able to be in the top 10 of them, was very special. I still think about it every day, like, ‘Dang, I actually did that.’” 

Though this was his first and last year to compete in the new classes as Harris will enter the senior age division, he’s got high hopes younger NJAA members will continue to compete. Not only is it a chance to hone your skills and give you more to practice for next year, Harris says he hopes it has helped prepare him for the National Junior Angus Showmanship Contest. 

“I’ve always looked forward to [representing Virginia],” he admits. 

The NJAS ring itself is grander than a jackpot or major show, so any time in the ring at an event of that size can help a showman learn to deal with the crowds and pressure, Harris says.  

The awe of the National Junior Angus Showmanship Contest is evident in Harris’ voice as he speaks, a testament to what Sawyer Styles, education director for the National Junior Angus Board (NJAB) of Directors, says was a goal for the green coats. 

“I think one of the things that we were most proud of during the week is … the senior showmanship contest still had the same, prestigious, traditional feeling,” she explains. “I think we all understood the prestige and the tradition behind our senior showmanship contest, and we really wanted to preserve that while still providing those extra opportunities to these juniors members and really making it worth their time and effort to come out that far.” 

Overall, Styles says she received great feedback on the new showmanship classes. 

“I had so many juniors come up to me and tell me how much they loved it, and it was a great addition,” she adds. “We’re giving these kids another chance to be in the ring and be competitive. I think the more times you go through the ring, the better showman you get to be.” 

It’s not just the NJAA members who saw the good in the event. 

Will says he had several people ask how he feels about the contest

“For me, myself, I feel like it’s incredible,” Will says. “I feel like a lot of these families that travel and come and do this, it’s exceptional to give these young people another time to get in the ring here just to exhibit and show off their talents and what they’ve really been working on back home.” 
That’s music to Styles’ ears. 

She says as a member of the NJAB, it’s her job to make sure the NJAA membership is heard. Two years ago when she was elected, she asked herself, “What are you going to do to make a difference in your term?”

Now, as she hangs that green coat up for the final time, she has her answer. 

“It’s pretty cool to leave knowing that we did something as a board that was really positive and really loved by the juniors.”