Introducing the Shorthorn E.D.G.E Show

The 2024 Cattlemen’s Congress is going to have some additional Shorthorn flare to it, as the inaugural Shorthorn E.D.G.E. Show will take place during the OKC festivities in January 2024. The E.D.G.E. (Exposition Driving Genetic Excellence) is an additional chance to exhibit your purebred Shorthorn cattle in a new format, combining phenotypic and genotypic evaluation under a panel of three judges. The E.D.G.E. will be a separate show from the current open and pens shows, but entries in both those events are welcome to exhibit in the E.D.G.E.

The E.D.G.E. show is an opportunity for the Shorthorn breed to lead the way in the industry with this new format of cattle exhibition. While competition and breeder recognition are paramount in the drive to create this event, breeder education is also a crucial piece of the E.D.G.E. This show will be evaluated by three judges selected from across the beef industry. The entrants in the E.D.G.E. will be evaluated in two parts. The judge panel will be asked to evaluate the EPD profiles of the cattle, ranking them in order of preference for genetic merit. The same panel will then judge the cattle in person for phenotypic quality in OKC. The two portions will be combined to tabulate winning entries in each class to advance to divisional competition. The core function of the E.D.G.E. from an educational perspective is to allow breeders (both exhibitor and spectator) to identify the cattle that combine genotypic and phenotypic quality and learning of the importance of having both merits in a prize Shorthorn animal.

The inaugural E.D.G.E show will be open only to purebred Shorthorn cattle. There are some data requirements in place for entries into this event, such as recorded weights and mandatory genomic testing for all entries. Those are things that will need to be on your to-do list for this fall if you wish to participate in this one-of-a-kind show at Cattlemen’s Congress in 2024. A full listing of rules and more information will be published in the July issue of the Shorthorn Country. Be on the lookout for that, and it’s never too early to be scouting for your entries to the E.D.G.E.!

The idea and implementation of the Shorthorn E.D.G.E show is driven by breeders from all angles. The inception of the E.D.G.E concept came from a Shorthorn breeder. Our breeder-based Genetic Improvement Committee discussed the concept at length over the summer meetings before agreeing to allow the ASA Board and Staff to assemble a subcommittee to hash out the details. This subcommittee did the heavy lifting, donating several hours of their time over the winter to discuss how to make the E.D.G.E. unique event for participants, spectators, and the Shorthorn breed.

Thanks to these gentlemen who worked alongside your ASA show staff on this committee: Jeff Bedwell, Chair, Tyler Cates, Ethan Gilman, Aaron Hahn, Rick Leone, Steve McGill and Cody Nelson.

It’s easy to walk in the woods when there’s a path already cleared. It’s much more difficult to clear the path to take your hike. With the development of the Shorthorn E.D.G.E., it’s felt like we are clearing the path for the Shorthorn breed to showcase our cattle that combine genetic excellence with phenotypic function. I’m excited to see this event come to fruition next year.