Oklahoma City, OK - Rogers Ranch earned the overall individual championship and swept the three-head pen competition in the 2026 GridMaster Challenge, an educational and competitive program that evaluates cattle using feedlot and carcass results. Kenneth Gruszie earned the overall junior championship.

The final ratio scoring system gives equal weight to test average daily gain, carcass price per hundredweight and hot carcass weight. The approach recognizes cattle that gain efficiently, earn value on
the carcass grid and produce economically meaningful pounds.

Individual Competition
Rogers Ranch Test ID 96 won the overall individual competition with a 114.93% ratio. The steer recorded a 4.225 pound test average daily gain, a 1,079 pound hot carcass weight, a carcass price of $368 per hundredweight and a total carcass value of $3,971.

Mathias Ranch Test ID 113 placed second overall, and Watson Ranch Test ID 82 placed third. Mathias Ranch 113 won the feedlot category, while Rogers Ranch 84 won the carcass category.

Three Head Pen Competition
Rogers Ranch won the overall pen competition with Test IDs 96, 92 and 106 with an overall average ratio score of 110%. Watson Ranch placed second with Test IDs 82, 101 and 91. Ben Winsor placed third with Test IDs 124, 108 and 104.

For the final competition, each operation’s three highest overall-scoring animals were selected first. Those same three animals were then used to calculate its feedlot, carcass and overall pen results. The top 3 placing groups all posted feedlot scores over 112% and displayed carcass weights over 1,035lbs.

Junior Competition
Kenneth Gruszie won the overall and placed second in both feedlot and carcass junior categories. Madi Gruszie won the junior feedlot category and placed second overall. Claire Holton placed third overall and third in the feedlot category. Sarie Rogers finished third in the carcass category.

Education Tied to Economic Performance
The GridMaster Challenge is designed to help producers connect decisions made at the ranch with results in the feedlot and packing plant. Participants receive information that extends beyond the award formula, including cost of gain, quality and yield grades, carcass measurements, total carcass value, genomic scoring, parentage, health records, and other phenotypic measurements. A ratio of 100% represents the Challenge average for a measure. Ratios above 100% indicate performance above that average. Combining the three component ratios gives producers a clear overall comparison while preserving the economic role of gain, carcass price and carcass weight.

The Red Angus Association of America congratulates the 2026 winners and thanks every producer and junior exhibitor who entered cattle. Their participation strengthens the educational value of the program and provides a clearer picture of how genetics and management translate into feedlot and carcass performance.

Information about future GridMaster Challenge enrollment and participation opportunities will be available through the Red Angus Association of America’s Beef Supply and Market Development Team.

The Red Angus Association of America serves the beef industry by enhancing and promoting the measurable advantages of Red Angus and Red Angus-influenced cattle. RAAA provides commercial producers with objectively described cattle by implementing new technologies and using scientifically sound principles that quantify traits of economic importance to beef producers in all segments of the beef industry. For more information, visit www.RedAngus.org.