Angus enthusiasts from across the country will gather in Perry, Ga., for the 2009 National Junior Angus Show (NJAS), July 19-25. The Georgia Angus and Junior Angus Associations will host the �Sweet Southern Showdown� at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter.
National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) members 9-21 years of age have entered 1,227 Angus cattle in the show, which has grown to the largest single-breed beef cattle show in the world. Bill Conley, Clarksdale, Mo., will evaluate the owned females; and Frank Jackson, Sanborn, Minn., will judge the bred-and-owned females and bulls as well as the cow-calf pairs. Brandon Callis, College Station, Texas, will place the Angus steers. A new twist has been added to this year's carcass steer competition; as none of the steers will be harvested. Instead, ultrasound data will be collected and an educational seminar will be conducted on the steers entered in this competition.
The 43rd National Junior Showmanship Contest will also occur during the week, allowing young showmen the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to vie for the title of �Top Angus Showman�. This year, 54 young people have qualified at the state level to advance to the final round. Only two people from each state can compete. Judges for this year's event include Jeremy Haag, Smithville, Mo.; Christy Dameron Schumaker, Lexington, Ill.; and John Dickinson, Sacramento, Calif.
The NJAS includes more than showring competitions, and NJAA members will be able to test their skills in numerous other contests including prepared and extemporaneous speaking, graphic design, photography, posters, quiz bowl, team fitting, judging, team sales, creative writing, and the Auxiliary-sponsored All-American Certified Angus Beef � cook-off.
The Georgia Angus folks will kick off the Sweet Southern Showdown with true Southern hospitality during opening ceremonies on Monday, July 20 by providing entertainment by award-winning country sensation Lady Antebellum.
The week will close with an awards ceremony, sponsored in part by Vita Ferm� by BioZyme�, where awards will be presented for various contests, the Angus Foundation will present $100,000 in educational scholarships, and six new directors to the NJAA Board will be announced.
For those who can't make the trek to Perry, online opportunities exist to keep up with the happenings at this year's NJAS. The shows will be broadcast daily on liveauctions.tv and Angus Productions Inc will post results to www.njas.info. Watch these sites for coverage.
The NJAS is a program of the NJAA and the American Angus Association, with headquarters in Saint Joseph, Mo. For more information, visit www.angus.org or www.njaa.info.
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