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Next Generation Teamwork: Team USA Blue and Red Dominate World Competition

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 14:30:20 GMT

“The cattle industry is not only about genetics or performance but about people who care deeply about preserving tradition, improving beef cattle and helping one another succeed,” explains Tar Tut, from Bells, Texas.

Tut was one of 44 young cattle producers from around the world who competed in the Young Breeders Competition, hosted in conjunction with the World Hereford Conference (WHC), hosted in Kansas City, Mo., Oct. 19-25.

“There are moments in life that are hard to put into words, and representing Team USA Red at the 2025 World Hereford Conference is one of them,” Tut says. “I have been part of plenty of shows, contests and events over the years, but nothing compared to standing shoulder to shoulder with breeders from across the globe, all connected by one shared passion for Hereford cattle.”

Much of the YBC was hosted at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan., before traveling to Kansas City for the WHC and remaining competition, which concluded with a team fitting and showmanship contest at the American Royal.

“Getting to meet the different teams from the around the world was without question one biggest highlights of the whole competition,” says Jacob Johnson, a member of the USA Blue Team from Ruth, Miss. “They were incredible people to get to know.”

Grand Champion Individual: Jacob Johnson, Ruth, Miss., from Team USA Blue, and Reserve Grand Champion Individual: Dylan Kottkamp, Clayton, Ind., from Team USA Red.

(American Hereford Assn.)

Johnson earned the grand champion individual title.

Fellow Blue Team member Trevor Johson from Centerville, S.D., add:, “The competition was a world-class event, and though it was challenging and intense, it was so rewarding to compete amongst the globe’s most talented young Hereford enthusiasts. The contest was also incredibly thought-provoking and stimulating. This exposure provided me better insight to global production practices, what drives value in the beef supply chain around the world and how we as the next generation of Hereford breeders may work together to ensure our breed and our industry’s future.”

Participating countries select their YBC teams, which are comprised of four members, ages 18 to 26. This year’s competition features 11 teams from seven countries, including two from the U.S.

“Competing in the Young Breeders Contest during the World Hereford Conference was absolutely an eye-opening experience for me,” says Logan Topp, a member of the USA Blue Team from Grace City, N.D. “To be able to connect with breeders from across the world, compete against some of the most progressive cattlemen my age and learn along the way was an absolute blessing. The competition was challenging to say the least, but to see the amount of skill and knowledge presented across the board no matter the country really makes me feel good about the next generation of Hereford breeders. They are truly some of the most forward-thinking people I have ever met.”

Team Blue was named grand champion team. Pictured (l to r) are Logan Topp, Grace City, N.D.; Blake Bruns, North Platte, Neb.; Jacob Johnson, Ruth, Miss.; and Trevor Johnson, Centerville, S.D.

(Topp Herefords)

As the scores were tallied, the two teams from the U.S. took the Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion honors.

“There’s no words to truly describe the honor of competing on a young breeders team and just the feeling of being surrounded by elite breeders from across the world,” says Ralston Braden, a member of the USA Red Team from Kearney, Neb. “It was wonderful to learn how young breeders from across the globe are selecting genetics, running cattle from a herd health management and marketing standpoint, and how they are progressing our breed in the beef industry as a whole.”

Reserve Grand Champion Team: Team USA — Red with team members JW Cox, Flemingsburg, Ky.; Tar Tut, Bells, Texas, Dylan Kottkamp, Clayton, Ind.; and Ralston Braden, Kearney, Neb.;

(American Hereford Assn.)

The Contest

“Growing up competing in a variety of different competitive youth events, I have been challenged in many different ways, but the Young Breeders Competition took that to a whole new level of toughness and challenge for all the contests we participated in,” says Blake Bruns, a member of the USA Blue Team from North Platte, Neb.

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The competition included six sections.

Industry Practicums and Hereford Bowl: This module included three parts — Herd Health and Animal Handling, Cattle Scoring Practicum and Nutrition Challenge, plus the results of the Hereford Bowl (quiz bowl).
Meat Animal Evaluation
Livestock Judging Competition
Communications Challenge: Teams were asked to work together on a presentation about Hereford genetics and the beef industry
Team Fitting Contest
Showmanship Contest

“Each competition tested a different skill set, from technical knowledge and reasoning ability to teamwork, composure and attention to detail,” explains Tut, who was a member of the USA Red Team.

“One of the contests we had to do was a communication challenge, where we had to describe four bulls and tell how they would be used in operations within our respective counties,” Johnson adds. “It was awesome getting to listen to the different teams and how they would utilize the bulls within their counties.”

Tuesday evening the participants enjoyed a visit to Springhill Herefords, Blue Rapids, Kan.

(American Hereford Assn.)

Much More than Banners and Buckles

“I believe we quickly learned just how important it was to be able to network and talk with all the producers and young breeders from across the world. I confidently would say that was by far the most rewarding part of the whole trip,” says Dylan Kottkamp, a member of the USA red team from Clayton, Ind. “Other than Canada, the way we raise cattle in America is night and day compared to many places across the globe. Learning and seeing how other countries operate, what they have to breed for, and why their cattle look the way they do created many educational conversations and grew an appreciation amongst everyone as a whole. It was a lot of fun to compare and grow together as producers.”

Kottkamp won the showmanship division as was reserve overall individual in the competition.

“Getting to tour operations and visit with people from the U.S. as well as all across the globe was an experience second to none,” says JW Cox, a member of the USA Red Team from Flemingsburg, Ky. “I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to compete, learn and connect.”

“I came home with a full heart, lifelong friendships and a deeper appreciation for what it means to be part of the Hereford family,” Tut says. “The Young Breeders Competition was not just a contest; it was a reminder of why we do what we do and who we get to do it with. This experience reignited my passion for the Hereford breed and the people behind it. I left feeling proud, humbled and more motivated than ever to keep growing both as a cattleman and as a person.”

U.S. Frozen Beef Exports To China Growing

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 17:14:46 GMT

The U.S. has surpassed Australia as the top exporter of frozen beef to China.

Australia’s exports have declined since April, according to a report in the South China Morning Post, a result of the fallout from ongoing tensions between Canberra and Beijing.

In May, the U.S. shipped US $90 million of frozen beef to China, compared to Australia’s US $47 million, the Morning Post reported. By July, U.S. exports hit US $107 million, while Australia’s shipments fell to $35 million. Australia remains China’s biggest supplier of chilled beef.

While Australia still dominates exports of chilled beef, the gap is closing, though analysts say chilled beef from the U.S. remains more expensive than from Australia and New Zealand.

Amid growing tensions with Australia, China informally banned a series of goods from Australia last year such as coal, log timber and wine, opening the venue to the U.S. Political analysts have suggested Washington is prioritizing American interests over its ally, despite assurances from US politicians, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the U.S. would stand with Australia against economic coercion from Beijing.

The signing of the phase-one trade agreement between the U.S. and China in January of last year opened the door for American beef.

The phase-one deal requires China to purchase US $80 billion in agricultural products from the US across 2020 and 2021, effectively giving preference to US products over other suppliers. Trade data show the values of U.S. frozen beef exports to China between April and July this year were from eight to 18 times higher than their corresponding months last year.

Australian Billionaire To Sell Cattle Stations

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 20:17:13 GMT

Hancock Agriculture and S. Kidman & Co are seeking to sell seven cattle stations across Western Australia and the Northern Territory, along with a cattle herd of about 108,000 head.

Australian mining billionaire Gina Rinehart owns the Hancock portfolio and is the major shareholder in S. Kidman & Co. Since 1992 she has been the Executive Chairman of Hancock Prospecting, a privately-owned mineral exploration and extraction company founded by her father, Lang Hancock. Rinehart topped the Australian Financial Review Rich List for 2020 with a personal wealth of $28.89 billion. Her wealth has been spurred by increasing demand for iron ore from China.

Gina Rinehart

The portfolio of cattle stations includes 1.9 million hectares (4.7 million acres), and will be marketed by real estate specialist Elders, and will consider offers for all or part of the portfolio. The portfolio also includes a strategically located feeding and export facility and farming operation.

“This represents a rare opportunity to acquire a strategically constructed portfolio of assets at scale during a period of unprecedented growth in demand for quality Australian protein,” Tom Russo, Elders’ general manager for real estate, said in a press release .

Market conditions are favorable for the sale as Australian cattle prices have surged to records as demand returns amid signs the global economy is recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the country faces a chronic supply shortage, with herd sizes near their lowest since the early 1990s.

The company, which is Australia’s second-largest beef producer, had undertaken extensive capital works to improve the properties and is now looking “to complete its investment cycle and focus on other areas of growth in its agricultural operations.”

Flooding Kills Estimated 300,000-plus Cattle in Australia

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:21:36 GMT

Record rain fall in northern Queensland, Australia has left upwards of 300,000 cattle dead as farmers struggle to care for their livestock during a multiday rain storm.

After years of drought, the northeastern region of Australia received much needed rain towards the end of January and the start February. However, the rain was more what is typically expected in the area during a single year and led to widespread devastation.

“We think that there’s over 300,000 head of cattle that have been lost, drowned or washed away,” says Georgie Somerset, president of the farm lobby group AgForce .

Queensland is home to approximately 11.1 million head of cattle, about 42.5% of Australia’s cattle, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics and Australian Government Land and Coasts . The current estimated death toll would mean one out 37 cattle in the state have been killed. Other estimates from a number of media outlets in Australia have put the death toll at up to 500,000 head of cattle.

According to AgForce, the area impacted is twice the size of Tasmania (or West Virginia ) at 32.74 million acres (13.25 million hectares).

In an interview with ABC News , 4^th generation cattle farmer Dudley Harrington shares his experience dealing with flood waters on his station.

“About two weeks ago the rain started here which was very welcomed after we’ve gone through about seven tough years of drought here,” Harrington says.

Unfortunately, for 11 days it rained at Harrington’s cattle station with relentless winds blowing around 40 miles/hour (65 km/hour) and with the temperature dropping it made it difficult on livestock. During breaks in the storms Harrington would fly in a helicopter to drive cattle towards higher ground and drop hay from the air.

Harrington is unsure of the losses on his station or the extent of the damage. He has only been able to leave the homestead via a helicopter and has observed that much of his fence has been destroyed.

“There are a lot of cattle that have perished in the paddocks just because of the chilly winds and extensive rain. There have been a lot wash away because it has been such a widespread flood,” Harrington says. He adds that areas he has seen are as wide as 53 miles (85 km) with no land in between.

Large cattle stations like Australian Agricultural Company Ltd (AACo) have experienced significant cattle losses because of the flooding . AACo owns nearly half a million cattle running on 24 stations throughout Australia and four of those properties were impacted by the storms.

Losses at the 600,000 acre Wondoola station have been extreme according to Hugh Killen, AACo managing director.

“We’ll have to see what happens over the coming days and weeks, but it looks grim for those cattle,” Killen says.

The Canobie, Dalgonally and Carrum stations also had high losses. “We haven’t disclosed the breakdown of numbers across those three properties, but it’s been a pretty tough one on Dalgonally,” Killen says.

There have been efforts underway to give support to cattle farmers in Australia via hay donations . These efforts have been put together by groups like the Australian Defence Force, local government, AgForce and Australia’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Queensland’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries has enacted an assistance funding program that offers up to US$53,000 (AUS$75,000) in grants to aid farmers. The grants can be used for hiring and leasing of equipment, purchasing hay, replacing dead livestock, salvaging feed or crops and repairing essential plant and equipment.

The government is also being flexible with its rules regarding the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) during this time of natural disaster for impacted cattle producers.

Queensland’s Bureau of Meteorology calls the flooding along the Flinders River – Queensland’s longest river – the most significant that has been witnessed in more than 50 years.

Below are some social media posts showing the devastation and rescue efforts going on in Australia (Warning: Some of the images are graphic in nature):

River levels continuing to rise in the lower Burdekin River into tomorrow. Roughly 16,000 cubic metres of water is currently flowing over #BurdekinFallsDam every second, the equivalent of 16,000 fully grown salt crocs being flushed down the river every second #qld #floods 🐊 pic.twitter.com/eShqcPH2FW
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) February 7, 2019

These cattle in Cloncurry are dry and safe - it’s thousands of others around Richmond, Hughenden and other centres across NW Qld that are stranded in water and unable to access feed. We’re working with other levels of government to find the best way to drop fodder. pic.twitter.com/OoMwWcJuJd
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@a_palaszczuk) February 7, 2019

Timelapse shows train line engulfed by rising flood waters in Corella Creek, Queensland, Australia. The footage was captured from 30 January to 5 February during the north Queensland floods. Hundreds of thousands of cattle are feared to have died in the area. pic.twitter.com/QFHlrLT5gM
— BBC Weather (@bbcweather) February 8, 2019

Flood plumes entering the ocean near #Ayr are clearly visible from Japan's Himawari-8 weather satellite. Levels on the Burdekin River are expected to ease below the minor flood level overnight tonight. See Warnings for further info: https://t.co/CQJkcamqzO pic.twitter.com/EEnJuGFnkz
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) February 12, 2019

False-colour images of #flood waters in #Queensland taken from Japan's Himawari-8 satellite. Major flooding is occurring now on the #DiamantinaRiver at Diamantina Lakes and downstream during the coming weeks. See Warnings for further info: https://t.co/reR9XrAPYW #bigwet pic.twitter.com/W1h8je9WD8
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) February 10, 2019