Programs & Events

Leadership Roles

Equipping and preparing all JRA stakeholders to be leaders, innovators, stewards and advocates for the Red Angus breed, the beef industry and agriculture.

View the current JRA Board of Directors

View the JRA board handbook and application

July 14-19, 2020 - Tennessee/Kentucky

Build friendships, industry knowledge and communication skills during JRA’s summer event that combines cattle tours, educational programs, Junior Board elections, and fun! Compete in a variety of contests to build your leadership and stockman skills. This is a great chance to meet breeders from throughout the country, as well as travel!

2020 Round-Up Itinerary and Registration Link 

Rules & Awards

Top Hand Award

• Sportsmanship
• Teamwork
• Red Angus Spirit
• Positive Attitude
• Cooperation
• Adherence to Round-Up Rules

Champion Team

The teams will compete in various competitions and activities throughout the week, most of which participants can earn points for their team. The team with the most points will earn the “Champion Team” title that will be awarded at Saturday’s banquet.

Rules for all competitions:

1. Points will be awarded according to the Team Point System sheet that will be distributed during the Round-Up kickoff session.
2. Ties will be broken when feasible. If a tie cannot be broken, then the tying teams each receive the points for the place that they made.
3. Unsportsmanlike conduct will be given a warning by the Junior Program Director. Each instance thereafter will result in a one-point deduction from the team’s total points. Unsportsmanlike conduct includes, but is not limited to: (a) use of profanity and (b) disrespect toward other participants or chaperones.

Meat Animal Evaluation

This Round-Up contest is designed to develop stockman skills in breeding and market cattle evaluation as well as product knowledge.

Judging Criteria:

• 50 Pts. Live Evaluation
• 50 Pts. Carcass Evaluation
• 20 Pts. Retail Cut Identification

Rules:

1. Based on the available livestock, the Live Evaluation could consist of a combination of any of the following classes: breeding cattle ranking, breeding cattle keep/cull, market cattle ranking, and market cattle grading.
2. Based on available product, the Carcass Evaluation could consist of a combination of any of the following classes: quality grading, yield grading, and carcass ranking.
3. The Retail Cut Identification will consist of wholesale and/or retail cuts for the participant to correctly identify.

Contest Entry:

Entry is open and encouraged to every Round-Up participant.

Stockman’s Knowledge

This Round-Up contest is designed to develop Red Angus stockman knowledge and skills through questions and equipment handling.

Junior and Senior Division Winners will be awarded at Round-Up.

Judging Criteria:

• 45 Pts. Written exam of beef industry and Red Angus knowledge
• 40 Pts. Equipment identification and/or feed identification
• 15 Pts. Equipment usage demonstration

Rules:

1. No resource materials are allowed in the contest area.
2. The written exam will consist of 45 questions relative to the beef industry and the Red Angus breed. Questions may relate to any segments of the cattle industry including knowledge of the Red Angus sire summary, Red Angus breed history and the Red Angus Association of America staff, board of directors and departments. General beef industry, beef breeds, nutrition, management, anatomy and reproduction may also be included.
3. Ten pieces of equipment and/or feedstuffs used in the cattle industry will be presented for participants to identify by name and purpose. Items will encompass many areas of the beef industry including veterinary supplies and various items used in feedlot cattle processing, calving, fencing, and haying. The items will be selected from a list made available by May 1st.
4. The judges will select 3 of the pieces of equipment which all participants will demonstrate the proper usage to a judge.

Contest Entry: Entry is open and encouraged to every Round-Up participant.

National Contests

Focus on career development by building your leadership and stockman skills through a variety of national contests.

Competitive events on the national level are an opportunity for JRA members to develop knowledge and skills as both a leader and a stockman.

Participants must be JRA members in good standing.

• Junior Division – 15 years and younger; age based on July 1 of the previous year.
• Senior Division – 16 years and older; age based on July 1 of the previous year.
• The Senior Division winner of each contest will receive a $150 award. The Junior Division winner of each contest will receive $100 scholarship for Round-Up or Young Stockman Program.

Red Angus Promotions

This contest is designed to showcase the creative and technical skills of JRA members in developing Red Angus promotion materials.

• 30% Clarity of what is being promoted
• 25% Neatness and organization
• 30% Originality of design
• 10% Cover letter content and organization
• 5% Spelling and grammar

Rules:

1.  Entries in the Red Angus Promotions contest must be created by the JRA member submitting the promotional piece.
2. The piece must be created using computer technology.
3. The piece must meet the specifications of the contest assignment (will be posted December 1).

1. Cover Letter (including project summary, target audience of promotional piece, intended use of the piece, and skills learned) The letter should follow APA guidelines.
2. Promotional Piece The piece must meet the specifications of the contest assignment.
3. Entries must be received electronically by February 1, 11:59 p.m. Central Time or be postmarked by February 1. Entries submitted electronically should be submitted as a pdf file.
4. Submit to: Kimberly Heller Red Angus Association of America 2254 280th Street Clarion, IA 50525 juniors@redangus.org

Agricultural Advocacy

This contest is designed to develop the message development and delivery skills of JRA members in promoting the agricultural industry.

Judging Criteria: Participants will earn a total score combining the three individual elements. Each individual element score consists of 30% accuracy of content, 30% clarity of message, 20% appeal to target audience, and 20% organization and delivery.

• 30 Pts. Media Interview
• 30 Pts. Prepared Message
• 30 Pts. Extemporaneous Message
• 10 Pts. Spelling and Grammar

Rules:

1. Topic for 2019: The role of Red Angus in addressing the challenges of the beef industry
2. Oral Media Interview:
   • Each participant will engage in a two-minute radio interview with a reporter.
   • No reference materials are allowed in the interview.
3. Prepared Message:
   • Each participant will bring to Round-Up a prepared oral message addressing the topic. The message must be the original work of the JRA member.
   • Participants will present a three to five-minute speech addressing a local group of cattle producers.
4. Extemporaneous Message:
   • Participants may bring into the contest, 1 one-inch, three-ring binder of reference materials to be utilized in preparing their message.
   • Participants will be given 20 minutes to compose (hand written) a mock business letter in response to a scenario relative to the topic presented at the competition.

Contest Entry:

Entry is open and encouraged to every JRA member.

Loaded 4 Leadership

Prepare for career and industry leadership by participating in this engaging conference which focuses on advocating for agriculture.

December 4-6, 2020 - Columbia, MO

The JRA Young Stockman Program features a hands-on approach to learning opportunities for juniors who wish to increase their cattle knowledge and skills. The program will feature field trips and will host speakers from a variety of areas within the cattle industry. 

Registration opens October 1, 2020.

National Junior Red Angus Show

Exhibit cattle and interact with other breeders throughout the country at the national show which rotates each year between five regional locations. The 2021 will be hosted in conjunction with the North American Junior Red Angus Event in Lebanon, Tennessee.

Entries in the Red Angus National Junior Show are subject to all show rules and regulations printed in the RAAA Breeder's Guide.

Additional rules may be found in the RAAA Breeder’s Guide, in the “Herd Management” section.

Live | WIRED

Live | WiRED EPD Education Program

The Junior Red Angus board is excited about a unique opportunity to explore EPDs over the next three years in a project featuring the progeny of Penny, a Gelbvieh Cow flushed to selected sires representing both EPD high bell curve and low bell curve Red Angus sires. The goal of the project is to isolate the genetic differences of the bulls and demonstrate EPDs through evaluating two sets of calves from birth through harvest (~25 head per sire performance group). The tracking of this progeny will be a platform for integrated EPD education and exploration throughout the upcoming Junior Red Angus activities and events.

Explore the beef industry in Canada.

The JRA and the Canadian Junior Angus Association work together to have an "exchange" between juniors to attend the Canadian National Junior Showdown or GOAL conference and JRA Round-Up.

If you are interested in applying for "sponsorship" from the JRA to attend, please read the following requirements and send in application if you are eligible.

The GOAL conference is held over President's Day weekend and focuses on leadership and industry development.  

The Showdown is held in July and serves as the national junior show. More information about the Canadian Junior Angus Association can be found at juniors.cdnangus.com.

Requirements:

1. Must be a current, active member of the JRA
2. Must be at least 18 years of age or travel with a parent
3. Must have attended a minimum of two Round-Ups
4. A passport is required for international travel.

Selection will be based on JRA involvement on the national level.

Eligible JRA members must submit a completed application by Dec. 1 via e-mail to the Junior Programs Coordinator at juniors@redangus.org.

Link to GOAL application.

Scholarship Opportunities

RAAA/JRA COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

The Red Angus Association of America is pleased to award a minimum of five $1000 college scholarships through the support of the Red Angus Foundation, Inc.

The following criteria will be used to determine eligibility:

1. Applicant must be a current JRA member in good standing with the RAAA at the time of application.
2. Applicant must be a graduating high school senior or a current college freshman with definite plans to enroll in post-secondary education in the fall of the application year.
3. Complete applications must be submitted by February 15 of the application year.  Applications will only be accepted via the online portal.
4. Scholarship awards are not limited to one year, last year’s recipients may submit a scholarship application for the current year.

The online Application requires following elements submitted via the online portal:

• Resume
• Current Transcript
• Head and Shoulders Photograph
• Three Letters of Reference (must meet the February 15 deadline)

JRA members must register online at redangus.awardspring.com. Once registered with the site, the application contains several short answer questions.  You can access the application to review the questions prior to completing and submitting the application for scholarship consideration.

If you have questions about the scholarship process, please contact JRA Activities coordinator at juniors@redangus.org.

JRA Scholarship Online Application 

HEATHER PRESSER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Troy and Annette Presser, Presser Red Angus, Turtle Lake, N.D., have established the Heather Presser Memorial Scholarships in loving memory of their daughter, Heather. Heather was taken from her family in an ATV accident in 2012.

The scholarships will assist JRA members’ participation in national Junior Red Angus Association (JRA) leadership events throughout the year. Selected JRA members may use the scholarships to defray registration and travel expenses to major JRA leadership events – Loaded 4 Leadership, Young Stockman Program and Round-Up. Scholarship application is open to any JRA member.

JRA members must complete and submit the application by the respective event’s registration deadline.

Available scholarships:

• Young Stockman Program – $500
• Loaded 4 Leadership –  $500
• Round-Up – $500

Heather Presser Memorial Scholarship 

Beef Industry Education Scholarship Program

• Review the supplied Red Angus breed promotion packet to accurately promote the Red Angus breed when appropriate throughout the educational experience.
• Submit an article for publication, 5-10 photos, and at least two quotes reviewing the educational experience within 15 days of the experience. These items will be used in a variety of Red Angus Association media outlets (e.g. ARA magazine, website, Facebook, blog).

• North Dakota Stockmen’s Association’s Tomorrow’s Top Hands Beef Leadership Summit
• Texas Cattle Feeders Association’s Junior Fed Beef Career & Leadership Program
• New Mexico’s Youth Ranch Management Camp
• Iowa 4-H’s Animal Science Round Up
• Texas A&M’s Beef Short Course Youth Track
• Artificial Insemination Certification Course

Beef Industry Education Scholarship Application

ROUND-UP COMMERCIAL CATTLEMEN'S SCHOLARSHIP

There are two scholarships available to faciliate the involvement of youth interested in commerical beef production.

A private fund has been established to provide one, fully paid sponsorship for a young Red Angus enthusiast to attend Round-Up. This award will provide full registration expense to Round-Up as well as travel to Round-Up for the recipient.

The founders of this award have two primary areas of intent:

1. Provide means for a young person with financial limitations to attend Round-Up
2. Encourage involvement of commercial operation-based young people with Round-Up and Red Angus junior programs

The Colorado Red Angus Affiliate has established a second scholarship to assist with a young commercial cattlemen's interest in attending Round-Up. Individuals interested in applying for the Colorado-sponsored "Beef Industry Scholarship" should contact the Junior Coordinator at juniors@redangus.org.

This funding for these scholarships are not intended for juniors already members of the JRA but for a young person with interest in Red Angus and the beef industry from a commercial background and one who would not be able to attend Round-Up due to expense. We are looking for young people who are motivated by the cattle industry and may benefit from attending Round-Up. Potential nominees may include children or grandchildren of your customers and bull buyers, farm- or ranch-oriented youth who don’t participate in JRA because they do not have registered cattle, young people who are buying bulls, or perhaps heifers, for use in a crossbreeding program.

RAAA and JRA members may suggest potential candidates by contacting the Junior Coordinator at juniors@redangus.org.  Participant suggestions are requested by April 1 to provide time for individuals to complete an application for scholarship selection by May 1.

The award founders will select the individual recipient.

Internship Opportunities

Three easy steps to using the Intern Placement Program:

1. Review the list of breeders and industry partners who are interested in hosting an intern.
2. Directly contact any operations on the potential intern hosts list in which you have an interest in working as an intern. Phone and/or personal interviews are encouraged; discussions on compensation, housing, transportation, insurance, expectations from each party, date of beginning and ending internship, days off etc. are between the employer and employee. JRA or RAAA has no role in negotiating actual work experience details.
3. Provide any information requested by the potential host.

Some Red Angus breeders have expressed their preference to host interns during the fall or spring to provide the best learning environment with a wider variety of opportunities on an operation. So, even if you are not seeking an internship for college, you may consider taking time in the fall or spring to become involved in an internship.

For more information, contact RAAA Junior Programs Coordinator.

Potential Intern Hosts

Red Angus Operations

Bieber Red Angus Ranch, Craig Bieber
11450 353rd Ave • Leola SD 57456
605-439-3628
craig@bieberredangus.com • www.bieberredangus.com

Gill Red Angus, Bryan Gill
HC 64 Box 146
Timber Lake, SD 57656-9801
bigredgenetics@hotmail.com
701-730-0134

Kniebel Cattle Co., Mary Ann and Kevin Kniebel
428 S. 2600 Road
White City, KS 66872
kniebel@tctelco.net
785-349-2821

R.A. Brown Ranch, Donnell & Kelli Brown
PO Box 727
Throckmorton, TX 76483
940-849-0611 • 940-256-1406
office@rabrownranch.com • www.RABrownRanch.com

Red Hill Farms, Sarah and Bart Jones
466 Red Hill Road
Lafayette, TN  37083
615-666-3098
mail@redhillfarms.net • www.redhillfarms.net

Strawberry Ridge Reds, Jim Frazier, Manager
101 Elbow Creek
Livingston, MT  59047
406-223-0389
jim@srredangus.com

State and Regional Events

Reap the benefits of membership on the state or regional level. Get involved to gain industry skills and to build your network. Contact your state association for more information.

Get in touch with our Junior Programs Coordinator to learn about events: 

Help raise funds for the Junior Red Angus Association of America by donating your used Estrotect wrappers. Now through Dec. 31, 2020, Estrotect is pledging $1 per empty Estrotect (up to $10,000).

Red Angus juniors will solicit and collect empty wrappers from Red Angus membership and send them in to the national office. Each wrapper should include the customer's name, address and where they were purchased. Wrappers will also be collected at other key events such as NAJRAE, Round-Up, National Red Angus Convention, Young Stockman program and additional events. 

Please mail your Estrotect wrappers to a JRA member or to the National Office at: 18335 E 103rd Avenue, Commerce City, CO, attn: Kim Heller