Beef Blurb

Shelby Diehm

director of youth activities, director of marketing & communications

Out of This World

How is the best part of the year over already? The 2021 National Junior Shorthorn Show & Youth Conference was one of the biggest yet with more than 700 entries exhibited and 425 exhibitors in attendance. I heard many people in the barn say it was the “best one yet” and I really thought it would be hard to beat the 2020 NJSS in Texas!

There are so many people to thank for their help in making the NJSS such a huge success. First, we need to thank the breeders who donated to the Red, White and Roan Club or donated a lot in their sale for the Royal Society Club. This was the first year of the Shorthorn Youth Development Fund and this really took off with donations. The NJSS is an important but expensive event, and we couldn’t do it without donations and sponsorships.

Thank you to all the volunteers who gave their time to help the show and events run smoothly. The state advisors, contest judges and Kentucky Shorthorn Association all had a role in making sure the junior exhibitors had a great experience. We did our best to stay on schedule with the help of these volunteers, but we had more participation than ever in the contests which was exciting even if the schedule ran a little behind. I truly appreciate all those who gave their time during the busy week.

Thank you to Jim and Bev Freed for being the awesome NJSS office staff. If you visited the office with a question, signed up for the cornhole tournament, bought a t-shirt or anything in between, you would have seen their smiling faces. They have helped us for many years, and we couldn’t do it without their assistance! They love helping the Shorthorn juniors.

Thank you to the rest of the American Shorthorn Association and Shorthorn Country staff for being so supportive in the months leading up to NJSS as well as everything you do during the week. I appreciate each of you for your friendship and help!

Thank you to the junior board new and old. It takes a lot of planning and fundraising to make this event happen. You have the junior members best interest in mind with each tweak and change. You are a great team, and I am so proud to serve as your activity director. I can’t wait to see what the team comes up with for next year.

And finally, thank you to the entire Shorthorn family. The show wouldn’t be possible without the many exhibitors or their families. You are so important to the continued growth of the breed and success of NJSS.

It is hard to believe I just wrapped up my fifth National Junior Shorthorn Show as the youth activity director. I look forward to many more years with the ASA and the Shorthorn family. Be sure to mark your calendars for June 1925 in Kansas City, Missouri. I hear it will be “Out of This World.” =

Thank you

Jim and Beverly Freed!

Jim and Bev have been graciously volunteering their time to the ASA staff at Shorthorn Junior Nationals for a number of years, and without their time and dedication, things would be much more difficult. Thank you, Jim and Bev, for all that you do. It does not go unnoticed! The Shorthorn Junior Nationals takes an unimaginable amount of work to organize and host. It takes a lot of people, time, effort, and cooperation to make sure that everything runs as smooth as possible for our junior exhibitors. Things truly would not be the same without all of the help that our volunteers give to us.