Ireland

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.

1 of 11:

American Hereford Assn.

2 of 11:

American Hereford Assn.

3 of 11:

American Hereford Assn.

4 of 11:

American Hereford Assn.

5 of 11:

American Hereford Assn.

6 of 11:

American Hereford Assn.

7 of 11:

American Hereford Assn.

8 of 11:

American Hereford Assn.

9 of 11:

American Hereford Assn.

10 of 11:

American Hereford Assn.

11 of 11:

American Hereford Assn.

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.”

Ireland Proposes Culling 200,000 Cows to Help Meet Climate Goals, Farmers Push Back

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 02:04:24 GMT

Countries across Europe are working to fulfill their commitment to shift to a climate-neutral economy. Under the European Green Deal , the climate neutrality objective becomes a legal commitment for the 27 agreeing countries to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 55% by 2030. However, some countries are finding this goal might be harder to achieve than originally thought.

Recently, Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue told RTE Morning Ireland he has been looking into various ways to reduce methane emissions, including culling 200,000 cows over the next three years.

According to The Trumpet, the Irish government estimates the plan would cost the nation $640 million and assist the agricultural industry in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25% over the next seven years. The Telegraph, the national British newspaper, goes on to report the Irish Department of Agriculture would initiate a cull of 65,000 cows a year for three years, effectively reducing the national dairy herd by 10%. The proposal reportedly would be offered as a voluntary option to aging farmers as a “retirement exit scheme.”

“We’re the one industry with a significant road map, and, to be quite honest with you, our herd isn’t any larger than it was 25 to 30 years ago,” Pat McCormack, president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, told The Telegraph. “Can the same be said for the transport industry, can the same be said for the aviation industry?”

Farmers, ag industry representatives and some politicians are in an uproar with one Irish politician describing the plan as “absolute madness,” according to MSN.

“Reports like this only serve to further fuel the view that the government is working behind the scenes to undermine our dairy and livestock sectors,” Tim Cullinan, president of the Irish Farmers’ Association, told The Telegraph. “While there may well be some farmers who wish to exit the sector, we should all be focusing on providing a pathway for the next generation to get into farming.”

The proposal’s announcement also caught the attention of Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO.

“This really needs to stop. Killing some cows doesn’t matter for climate change,” he wrote in a recent tweet.

This really needs to stop. Killing some cows doesn’t matter for climate change.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 3, 2023

In response to the backlash, the Irish Department of Agriculture has since said reports were referring to a “modeling document” included in a “deliberative process,” but no final plans have been agreed upon, according to Yahoo Finance.

For more industry news, read:

A Look at Irish Agriculture

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 16:24:48 GMT

The island of Ireland is just slightly larger than Scotland; both are about the size of South Carolina. Ireland consists of Northern Ireland, part of the U.K. in the six northern counties and the Republic of Ireland making up the remaining 83 percent of the island. Over 80 percent of land in Ireland is used for pasture and hay production, with under 10 percent used for arable crop production. However, some of the cropped area is extremely productive. Major crops are wheat, barley and oats. Average wheat yield is about 175 bushels/acre.

Unlike the U.K., cattle outnumber sheep in Ireland with a total cattle inventory of 6.6 million head, compared to 4.0 million sheep. The are 1.5 million dairy cows in the country compared to 0.9 million beef cows. Dairy production is a huge industry with over 90 percent of dairy products exported. Most dairies are pasture-based on ryegrass forage (photo below). Dairy production is seasonal with many cows bred to calve in the spring so that lactation coincides with summer pasture production. Dairy production drops sharply in the winter months, with export production sharply curtailed and domestic fluid milk production maintained by a small set of specialized dairy farms.

Beef production is very important in Ireland, which has the third largest beef cow herd in Europe after France and Spain. About 90 percent of Irish beef is exported, primarily to the U.K. and Europe. The photo below shows a feedlot in the northeast part of the country. Cattle feeding is under roof due to the wet conditions. This particular feedlot feeds bulls part of the year for a specific market in Italy and feeds mostly heifers in the remainder of the year. The bulls are fed exclusively in the feedlot, arriving as 800-pound feeders and marketed about seven months later at roughly 1600 pounds. The ration consists primarily of grass silage and fodder beets with some grain. Steers and heifers fed for the domestic and other markets are often grazed longer and then finished in a short two to three month finishing period.

Feedlot cattle include a variety of British and Continental crossbred cattle, including the Belgian Blue cross bull in the photo below. Most of the cow-calf production occurs other regions of the country where crop production is not possible.

Ireland is blessed with a relative mild climate, moderated by the Atlantic Gulf Stream, which offsets the relatively northern latitude of the country. Forage production is possible nearly year-round but slows considerably in the winter months. Ireland has long been a major food producer for the U.K. and other European countries.