The carcass contest is a staple in the lineup of contests offered during the National Junior Angus Association’s (NJAA) National Junior Angus Show (NJAS), hosted each July to develop the next generation of beef industry leaders. Also becoming a staple in the annual contest is Owen Austrino, a 17-year-old NJAS member from Dade City, Fla., who took home the title of Grand Champion Carcass for the third year in a row.

“It is exciting to see the hard work pay off,” said Austrino, reflecting moments after his name was announced as the high individual in the contest during the awards ceremony on July 4, in Tulsa, Okla.

The hard work is a family effort and one that doesn’t go unnoticed. “The Austrino family does a good job feeding the steers… They even have a tech come out to do an ultrasound to measure the steer’s backfat development,” said Richie Longanecker, President of the Florida Angus Association. “They work hard at making sure the steer is a good carcass steer.”

Longanecker was introduced to the Austrino family through his wife, Kelley, who serves as the Junior Advisor to Florida youth involved in NJAA. The couple also owns and operates Big Timber Cattle Company, which produces registered Angus cattle with a focus on well-rounded seedstock that excel in carcass traits. In 2022, when Owen first approached Longanecker about purchasing a steer for the contest, Longanecker offered Owen the opportunity to take it home, feed it out and settle up after he received his carcass check. But at the end of the project, Longanecker never asked for payment. Since then, Owen has raised and entered two more steers in the national contest, also donated by Longanecker.

“My whole objective is to give back and make an impact on youth,” said Longanecker. “I wanted Owen to know there are people out there that care about more than money; that care about helping young people learn about the industry.

The NJAS Carcass Contest is designed to help young cattle producers understand the basics of feeding out a steer in a cost-efficient way to yield the best quality carcass possible and in turn the best possible eating experience for the consumer. Juniors entered in the contest either raise or purchase a steer, paying close attention to the genetic potential of the steer’s carcass traits. After feeding the steer to market weight at home, the steers are brought to NJAS where they are weighed and tagged before being shipped to a regional processor where the carcasses are graded on industry standards.

Along with the hands-on experience of taking a steer from start to finish, Owen and the rest of the 22 NJAA members who participated in this year’s contest had the opportunity to attend a clinic led by Gretchen Mafi, Oklahoma State University Professor of Animal and Food Sciences.

“I hope the youth who attended this clinic walked away with a better understanding of quality – how we determine quality beef, where the highest value cuts are, and what value Certified Angus Beef^® Brand brings to the table. How those premiums are rewarded not only as a carcass, but also once those cuts get to a retail store or restaurant,” said Mafi who brought in several primal cuts of meat to demonstrate how the carcass is broken down.

Out of the 24 steers who were entered in the contest, 17 met the specifications for the Certified Angus Beef^® (CAB^®) Brand. Six of those graded CAB^® Prime; all carcasses graded choice or better and received at minimum a $18/cwt. grid premium. The highest premium paid out was $40/cwt.

“It has really opened my eyes to a side of the industry outside the showring; to making profits and trying to make your money back,” said Penelope Soto of Luling, Texas, who participated in the contest with her brother. “I want to be a ranch manager, so it is really important for me and my future that I understand things like average daily gain.”

Soto participated in both the individual and state group contest. Along with her brother, Benjamin, and Luke Summers, she came in fourth in the state group results. Juniors from Kansas won the group contest with a trio of steers. Missouri Juniors took home second and third with two separate groups of steers. Full contest results are provided below.

Contestants received cash premiums on top of the market price paid by the processor thanks to the Angus Foundation’s Briarwood Angus Farms/Curtis and Ann Long NJAS Carcass Contest Endowment Fund. The Longs were firm believers in the value of carcass information. As part of the contest results, contestants also receive carcass data on their animals to make improvements to future selection and management decisions.

NJAS 2025 Carcass Contest Results:

Individual Placing:

State Group Placing:

For additional photos of winners, contact the Communications Department at prcomm@angus.org. View results of the 2025 NJAS, including shows, contests, awards and scholarships at www.njas.info. Additional coverage is also available on the NJAA Facebook page and in the September issue of the Angus Journal.