AMERICAN ANGUS ASSOCIATION - THE BUSINESS BREED

Dreams Come True

Claire Murnin starts her year serving as Miss American Angus.

By Megan Silveira, Angus Journal Managing Editor

January 16, 2026

“I’ve always been a dreamer.”

The confession is equal parts wistful and proud. Wearing the iconic red coat of Miss American Angus for the first time, Claire Murnin can’t seem to stop smiling, because she says this moment is actually a dream come true.

For any who might think she’s exaggerating, the Montana junior has a photo. She’s young in it — 3 years old and in a purple dress — smiling next to Sally Yon, who was Angus royalty at the time.

“What you don’t see in the photo is there’s a princess Barbie^® in my hand,” Murnin says. “I was the girl who loved princesses growing up, and I loved Angus cattle. To see Sally go from being in the show ring and being an active showman to then being royalty — in my eyes, that was amazing.”

Today, as an 18-year-old, Murnin knows there’s more to this title than just a talent on the end of a show halter or donning a shiny crown.

“Now as I look at Miss American Angus, I see how much she’s really able to be a representation of our breed,” she explains. “The role has shifted, and I think that it’s so important for not only those little girls that look up to you as royalty, but then also those older girls to show how you can be a leader and be involved.”

That chance to be a role model for others is what Murnin says is the most enticing part of the red coat role. When she looks back on her own list of mentors, there’s a common denominator.

Sally Yon sparked Claire Murnin’s desire to serve as Miss American Angus.

“I realize that I idolized those people because they were the people that were serving and were taking action and pouring into others,” Murnin says. “Now, I feel like it’s my time to give back and pour into others like others have poured into me.”

But Miss American Angus isn’t the only way Murnin is putting that mission into action.

The Pompeys Pillar resident is also serving as the president of Montana FFA. She’s coupling that responsibility with online courses at Montana State University Billings, studying animal science on a prelaw track. Murnin hopes to serve as an agriculture lobbyist one day, as she says she foresees herself being a resource and advocate for the industry.

Claire Murnin’s family provides continuous support as she pursues her dreams. Pictured (from left) are Claire’s parents, Jared and Julie; Claire: and her brother, Cooper.

The Big Sky State is a big part of her core identity, and that truth shines as Murnin is the first from Montana to wears the Miss American Angus crown.

“I think it’s really cool to start that tradition,” Murnin explains. “I think that Montana is such a big cattle country, and I’m excited to be able … to really be a representation of the Angus breed, not only in the big sky country but across the entire United States.”

It’s hard to miss the passion she has for leadership, but when the moment came for the 2025-2026 Miss American Angus to be announced during the National Angus Convention, Murnin saw that it was a moment bigger than just her own desires.

On stage, her legs were shaking, but Murnin still did her best to process the moment.

“I realized I was standing with three other amazing individuals, and I just prayed in that moment that God would allow the person who was meant for this role to be in the role,” Murning says. “And if that wasn’t me, that He would put somebody who would serve in the capacity that is needed for where we are in our breed right now.”

The contestants for the 2025-2026 Miss American Angus title (from left) are Claire Murnin; Adelaide Haverkamp, Bern, Kan.; Cheyenne Houk, Blakesburg, Iowa; and Payton Alexander, Nemo, Texas. Also pictured is Rosalind Kidwell, the 2024-2025 Miss American Angus.

His plans were made clear when Murnin heard her own name over the loudspeakers in Kansas City, Mo., early November.

“There was that initial bit of shock, just pure dream come true,” she adds. “I just thought about that little girl and how proud she would be to see herself just a few years later getting something that she had dreamed so long for.”

With all the different leadership roles and classwork filling up her calendar, Murnin knows now more than ever she’ll be leaning on her support team.

She says her parents, Julie and Jared, have consistently been on board with all her plans, always finding ways to help her achieve her goals — even if they thought their baby girl dreaming about serving as Miss American Angus was a little crazy. Her brother, too, helps in big ways behind the scenes. While Cooper has jokingly dubbed himself a coat rack, Murnin says he’s always been the work horse at home that keeps the cattle in line while she’s traveling.

Looking forward to the year of service ahead, Murnin has nothing but excitement.

It’ll be a chance to give back to the industry that built her. With Murnin’s servant heart, there’s no doubt some little girl holding a princess Barbie will get her own photo with the first-ever Miss American Angus from Montana.

Claire Murnin’s Winning Speech

Tiana from Disney’s “Princess and the Frog” sings this song as she discusses with her mother her dreams of the day she makes it as a restaurant owner. Tiana is a girl with big dreams, and is not afraid of the challenges she faces to get there. Step by step, she achieved her goal. She built a better tomorrow today.

A young girl hums this same song as she twirls around the National Junior Angus Show picture backdrop with a princess Barbie in her hand. She sees showmen of all ages walk in the ring with their Angus cattle, dreaming one day she can stand among them and show herself. Another twirl and she spots HER. Miss American Angus. How can this be? An Angus showman AND true royalty? To a 3-year-old girl, this seems like EVERYTHING. Just like Tiana from “Princess and the Frog,” a princess who is working toward opening her own restaurant, this little girl now has big dreams.

In reality, dreams aren’t enough. Dreamers have to be doers to build tomorrow today. A dream is defined as, “a strongly desired goal or purpose.” Having a dream or strong desire is a strong foundation for success, but action must be taken. Dreams have to be quantified into a clear goal. An action plan must be put in place. Consistency must be practiced. Adversity must be overcome. Dreamers are doers that build a better tomorrow today.

In the Angus breed, we have had a long list of doers that have built a better tomorrow by taking action.

George Grant was a doer. He had the dream to bring Angus cattle to the United States. He had a vision. People laughed and thought he was crazy to bring these bulls to America to breed to Texas Longhorns. But he persevered, and now the American Angus Association is the largest breed registry in the United States and world with over 21 million total registrations.

Certified Angus Beef was created by doers. They saw the need for clarity in the beef market. By creating a premium eating experience for the beef consumer, they created a demand for beef through their marketing. There was a long list of people who said it would never work. But the visionaries kept true to the dream. To date, CAB boasts over a billion pounds of beef marketed annually since 1978. Not so silly of an idea now.

Minnie Lou Bradley was a doer. She became the first woman on the OSU (Oklahoma State University) livestock judging team, won high individual at the 1952 International Livestock Judging Contest, established the 13,000-acre Bradley 3 Ranch, and in 1998 became the first woman elected to the American Angus Association Board of Directors, later becoming the first female president. Was Miss Minnie’s path easy? Absolutely not. This female trailblazer raised cattle that people told her would never work. But she knew they were just the type of low-input Angus that her environment needed. Her customer base grew as she stayed committed to the goals she had for raising efficient Angus cattle in West Texas. Today, Minnie Lou’s legacy, Bradley 3 Ranch, thrives by marketing seedstock to commercial producers. Her persistence has paid off.

I, myself, am a doer. Being a first-generation Angus breeder, I have had to take action to make my dreams come true. Starting at the ripe age of 2, I begged my parents for an Angus show heifer. Having watched for ages, I knew that it was my dream to show myself. So, over time I saved every pretty penny to buy my own Angus show heifer. While that 8-year-old didn’t know the value of the breed she was getting into, she later found a passion for its people, its programs and its cattle.

Over time, I realized passion for Angus cattle was not enough. I saw an extreme need to advocate for all the people that help build this breed and the beef industry.

Eventually, I found that I could make an impact by advocating on social media, creating my own brand, 365 Days of Agriculture. I use social media to give a peak into the world of agriculture and beef production 365 days of the year. While it was scary to put myself out there when I started, three years later I share content to educate the public and consumers about the importance of agriculture. I am a voice for agriculture. Some days are jam-packed full and posting might not be the most convenient, but it is important to build my audience and advocate for what we all do, every day. I am a doer.

But at the core, dreamers are doers because of the habits they create to achieve their goals. To be a doer you must identify a dream. But the real progress comes from studying the dream, then refining what you want to do. Then that idea must become action with consistency. Without work everyday, your goal will never be accomplished. Through creating consistent habits, doers achieve their dreams, no matter the trials they face. Without consistent habits, people are not able to move forward, rather they stay stagnant.

If you haven’t already guessed, that little girl with the princess Barbie and a huge admiration for Angus cattle was me. I am an Angus cattle enthusiast. I am a dreamer. But most importantly, I am a doer. Following in the footsteps of many other doers that built a better tomorrow today. And in the words of Disney’s Tiana, “While there’s been trials and tribulations, I’m almost there.”

Topics: Events , Member Center Featured News , Association News , Success Stories

Publication: Angus Journal

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Dreams Come True

Claire Murnin’s Winning Speech

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