The Shorthorn Year

Most people live by one of two calendars — the regular January-to-January year, or the fiscal year that runs on its own clock. But now that we’re back in the Shorthorn breed, I’ve discovered a third: the Shorthorn year. And in my mind, it begins and ends at Junior Nationals, the premier event put on by the American Junior Shorthorn Association.

These posts matter to me because they’ve become my way of keeping family history. When I was a junior member, my parents carried around a giant VHS camcorder, recording our National Jr Shorthorn Show memories year after year. Those tapes are priceless — even today, we can slide one in and relive an entire week as if we were right back there.

I don’t have that old camera anymore. What I can leave my family are these words. They aren’t just stories — they’re markers, a record of where our family fits in a tradition that means the world to me. Someday, I hope Knox can sit down, read these lines, and know just how special these years have been.

To us, Junior Nationals isn’t only a cattle show; it’s the start and finish line of a season in our lives.

In 2024, we attended our first Shorthorn Junior Nationals with Knox, not knowing that week would change our lives in all the best ways. It opened the door to a new era for me — one filled with excitement, friendship, and the deep, quiet joy of being part of this breed again.

So our trip to the 2025 Shorthorn Junior Nationals in Grand Island, Nebraska, marked the beginning of what I’m calling Year Two of our Shorthorn journey. And yes, I probably look at it all through rose-colored glasses — but if you’re part of the Shorthorn family, you understand. It’s an if you know, you know kind of thing.

For one great week, we gather with people who have chosen to pour their hearts — and their children’s hearts — into this sacred space of Shorthorn cattle. And for that week, the world feels just right.

Why Junior Nationals Matter

This year was the first time Knox actually got to join the ranks of junior exhibitors at Shorthorn Junior Nationals. Last year, he was too young under the rules for showmanship or the cattle show, so he could only do contests and Pee Wee Showmanship, which is non-competitive. But this year was different. This year, we had our beloved heifer, Margie, in the mix.

I’ll admit: I was more than a little excited to see Margie walk into that Junior Nationals ring. Early on, I was asked which was more important: the summer shows or the fall shows. At the time, I said fall. Who doesn’t love Shorthorns on the green shavings? But after living through it—and with some sage advice from my dad—I’ve changed my answer.

In my opinion, the summer show—Shorthorn Junior Nationals—is the most important. And here’s why:

• People remember it. In my experience, everyone knows who won Junior Nationals. Ask around, and I’d bet more folks can name the champions from the past five to ten Junior Nationals than from Louisville or Cattlemen’s Congress.
• It sets the tone. A Junior Nationals champion heads into the fall and winter shows already on everyone’s radar. It’s hard to win Junior Nationals and then quietly fade away.

I can’t help but see this through the lens of my own show career 20–25 years ago. I was fortunate to win top honors in the Junior Nationals three years in a row, and those experiences taught me an important lesson: champions at this show are rarely one-hit wonders.

Still, if you put me on the spot and ask which show I most want to win, my answer will always be the same: the next one. I’ve seen firsthand that certain cattle can be “12 o’clock” at every show — summer, fall, and winter. Cary Aubrey showed me that during my junior career, and Travis and Beth Pembrook reinforced it during the 2003–2014 V8 Shorthorns era. Not all cattle can do it. Some need hair and don’t stand much of a chance in the summer. But the special ones? They can look the part year-round.

So with Margie, I was proud of how she looked at the National Junior Shorthorn Show. Do I prefer hairy winter Margie? Absolutely. I look forward to seeing her again this fall and winter. But she looked good in the summer, too, and she held her own. And today, I carry the same respect and reverence for the team helping us with her as I did for Cary and the Pembrooks back then. Their care and dedication mean the world to me.

And yes, I let myself daydream a little — Knox walking in with Margie and winning Grand Champion Purebred Female at his very first Junior Nationals. Mayyyybe. Sue me. Would I have been thrilled? Absolutely. I dang sure wouldn’t have given the banner back.

But the truth is, I’ve always believed the best days with Margie are still ahead. And what a wonderful feeling that is. (Now, those overaged ones that don’t grow? They don’t get to say that — but that’s another blog post I’m probably not brave enough to write!)

A Birthday to Kick Off the Week

This year’s Junior Nationals held an extra layer of excitement: Knox’s birthday fell right at the start. We celebrated with fun-filled activities including a foam party, cupcakes, and cookies — the perfect kickoff to a week full of memories.

My own birthday used to land during Junior Nationals, too, so I know the joy of celebrating with your “show family” around you. Next year his birthday will fall during the show again, and we’re already brainstorming how to top it.

We weren’t the only ones marking the occasion. Knox’s mentor, AJSA junior board member Samantha VanVorhis, also had a birthday that week, so it became a joint party — two special people, one memorable night.

Once the candles were blown out and the foam washed away, it was time to settle into the rhythm of the week: the contests.

The Star of the Show — and the Contests That Matter Just as Much

For most, the highlight of Junior Nationals is the heifer show. No doubt — it’s the grand finale of the week, the Purebred Heifer Show on Saturday. And yes, it was a big deal for us. We love showing cattle, and we love being competitive.

But as much as the heifer show is the crown jewel, I’m just as proud—maybe even more so—of something else. I come from a family of contest people. Thirty years ago, my parents made sure I participated in every contest at Junior Nationals. There was never a question of whether I would — it was just expected. And now, with Knox, it’s the same.

Last year was his first Junior Nationals. He was brand new, but he practiced hard, learned quickly, and discovered one of life’s best lessons: hard work pays off. That hooked him, and this year he threw himself into everything.

Some highlights: he snapped a winning photo of Margie in the wildflowers, filmed a first place award promo video, teamed up with Kamryn Thomas to win Team Sales, and stood tall to deliver another winning speech. He even redeemed himself in the Cattleman’s Quiz after last year’s missed-page disaster — this time acing it.

By the banquet, all those wins added up to something big: Knox was named High Point in his age division. At just seven years old, he got to walk across that stage and feel the kind of pride that lasts a lifetime.

His placings:

• Photography Contest – 1st
• Promo Video Contest – 1st
• Promotional Poster – 1st
• Art & Etc. Contest – 1st
• Speech Contest – 1st
• Team Salesmanship – 1st (with Kamryn Thomas)
• Cattleman’s Written Quiz – 1st
• Quiz Bowl – Competed with Team Texas
• Livestock Judging – 5th in his division

That High Point award will always be the true highlight of the week. The ribbons and trophies will fade, but hearing Knox’s name called — that’s the kind of moment a mom tucks away forever.

Showmanship

For me, showmanship was the most nerve-wracking event of the week. We’d practiced plenty at home, and Knox had the benefit of some truly great coaching. The Cates crew was with us every step of the way, and Tyler—a national champion showman himself—poured time and precision into Knox. I’ve been showing cattle for 30 years, and even I learned a few things from watching him coach our son.

Lauren Shoufler added something just as valuable: encouragement and mindset. Her advice wasn’t about where to set a foot, but about how to walk in with presence — with eye contact and confidence so strong a judge couldn’t look away. All of it mattered. All of it poured into Knox.

I love the way NJSS runs showmanship — a progressive system where you advance round by round. After his first heat, we told Knox, “Keep your eye on the judge if you want to move on.” He fixed it and advanced. In the semifinals, the coaching crew reminded him, “Margie’s head up.” He nailed it and advanced again.

In the finals, when the judge shook his hand as Reserve Champion Prospector 1 Showman, I had a lump in my throat. Beyond proud doesn’t even begin to cover it. At the backdrop, Knox turned to me and asked, “Am I going to make it on The Pulse?” Yes, indeed.

Looking back, I know we put a lot of pressure on him. We push, and push, and push — and so far, he rises to it. Maybe someday he’ll talk about all of this in therapy, but for now, he enjoys the payoff. He enjoys proving himself. And we enjoy watching him shine.

Speaking at the Youth Conference

One of the most meaningful moments of the week for me didn’t happen in the show ring at all. A few months before Junior Nationals, the ASA reached out and told me the junior board had selected me to give the keynote at the Youth Conference to the voting delegates. What an honor.

Public speaking makes me nervous — but when the invitation came, I jumped at the chance. How could I not? They were asking me to speak about my favorite subject, the one closest to my heart: Shorthorn cattle and Shorthorn people.

And when the day came, I wasn’t nervous. I was excited. I was thankful. I was emotional, in the very best way. I opened with a line from Texas A&M lore:

“From the outside looking in, you can’t understand it. And from the inside looking out, you can’t explain it.”

That’s what it means to be raised in the Shorthorn breed. It’s not just cattle — it’s community, it’s connection, it’s love.

I told them about my own story. About growing up in this breed, serving on the AJSA board, and even meeting my husband at Junior Nationals in 2004. About stepping away when life took me in other directions — career, wedding photography, life outside of cattle. And then about coming back last year with Knox to his first Junior Nationals. How I looked around that week and realized so many of my old friends were doing the same — bringing their children into this sacred space, wanting them to have the same gift we were given.

My goal that day was simple: to make sure those young people walked out believing with their whole hearts that with Shorthorns, it’s possible. Whether they dream of raising cattle that win shows, starting a commercial bull sale, running a ranch, building a career in ag, or even leading at the highest levels, this breed can help them get there.

What made it all even more special was that my family was in the room. Knox got to hear my story. My parents got to hear me say out loud how grateful I am for the foundation they gave me — for putting me in this space, all those years ago.

It felt like the perfect cap to Year One of being back in Shorthorns. Preparing that talk gave me the chance to dig even deeper into my feelings about this breed and my why. I walked away from that podium with a full heart — thankful, re-centered, and more convinced than ever that with Shorthorns, it’s possible

Margie’s Story — The Heifer Show

By the time Saturday rolled around, we were all tired and had walked what felt like hundreds of thousands of steps in Grand Island. But this was the big day — the finale. The purebred heifer show. And for us, it all came down to one entry: Margie.

That’s a lesson learned. When you only have one heifer, you’ve put all your eggs in one basket. Looking back at my own junior show career, past my first year, I always had two or three on the trailer. More cattle means more chances — something we’ll fix before next year.

We did all the things to get ready: stood ringside, studied the flow of the show, watched how the judge was placing, and made sure Knox knew exactly what to expect when it was his turn.

As Margie got in the chute to be fit, I felt the familiar mix of excitement and nerves. Not so much about the results, but about the little things: watching Tyler Cates clip her top, holding my breath every time she coughed and raised her back, hoping he’d react quickly to avoid a nick in her perfect hair coat. (He did.)

While I was scratching her, trying to calm my nerves as much as hers, Ron Alden stopped by — the very man who showed the original Shannon Margie 924 to win Junior Nationals back in 1980. Just a week earlier, I had published my blog post about the Shannon Margie cow family, and several people had brought it up at the show. Mr. Alden told me he enjoyed it and was pulling for our Margie. That simple kindness meant the world.

When showtime came, Margie didn’t win it all. But she did win her class, which at Junior Nationals is no small feat. Margie has never been beaten in class, and that record still stands.

For a few moments after she didn’t move out of division, the air went out of us. We were disappointed — of course, we were. But the key word there is moments. As quickly as the sting came, it left. We went to the backdrop with our blue ribbon and the bag she won, and the picture from that moment says it all: a huge smile on my face. 

Margie had made our dreams come true. Margie and Knox had made my dream come true — we are Shorthorn people again.

Afterwards, my parents left, much to my dismay. When I asked my dad why, he gave me a wry smile and said, “We don’t have one in the hunt.” That stung, but it was the truth. We’ll try again next year — with more heifers, more chances, more preparation.

Later that afternoon, sitting together at Starbucks, Luke finally put words to what I hadn’t been able to articulate. We weren’t sad because Margie didn’t do more than win her class. We were sad because her placing meant the week was over. Junior Nationals—our favorite week of the year, the one we work toward as a family—had come to an end.

And when I look back, what stands out isn’t what we didn’t win. It’s what we did: Margie’s blue ribbon. Knox’s showmanship success. Knox was the High Point in his age division! A week full of contests, fun, and friendships. An outstanding Junior Nationals that left us eager to start planning the next.

And one more thing. Our Margie didn’t win Junior Nationals — but the heifer that did? She was a Margie. And that matters. Because the magic is in the cows. I root for cow families. I root for tradition. And I will always cheer for the Margies — any of them.

Epilogue

As I finish these lines, we’re packing for Modoc, Indiana, heading to the Cates Farms sale. Once again, we hope to find a heifer that can carry our dreams forward. The one we bring home this weekend will be next year’s star of the show. And the thought of that — of having the chance to do it all over again — fills me with such gratitude.

The past year has been the sweetest of my adult life, largely because of Shorthorns. They’ve given me joy, community, and purpose — and the chance to share it all with my family. I am thankful beyond words, and I am so very excited about what lies ahead.

For 12 years, I built a career as a wedding photographer. A famous photographer, Mary Marantz, often spoke of the need for BHAGs — Big Hairy Audacious Goals. And now, standing in this new season, I know I have mine. I have big, audacious dreams for V8 Shorthorns, and I’m going to love every single minute of chasing them — with my family by my side.

Earlier this spring, at the Texas Shorthorn Field Day at GKB Cattle in Desdemona, I heard Mr. Gary Buchholz speak with a quiver in his voice, thick with emotion: “This is me and Kathy’s dream.” Later that day, we rode around the ranch with them, and I soaked in every moment of their wisdom.

It struck me then that the way they accomplished their dream was simple: they never took their foot off the gas. They just kept moving forward, year after year, fueled by love for the cattle and belief in their vision.

That’s exactly what I plan to do with Shorthorns.
Onward.