2015 National/Regional Awards

23 IJSA members attended the North Central Regional Classic - awards are as follows:
- Top 10 Bred & Owned Percentage Heifers (#8 Clay Sunberg)
- Top 10 Bred & Owned Purebred Heifers (#2 Madison Frederick, #5 Lauren Glick, #8 Chloe Boitnott, #9 Cole Glick)
- Public Speaking Top 10 Juniors (#4 Jessica Carlson, #6 Emerson Tarr, #8 Lauren Glick)
- Sales Talk Top 10 Juniors (#2 Emerson Tarr, #5 Jessica Carlson, #6 Jasper Tarr, #9 Lauren Glick, #10 Chloe Boitnott)
- Sales Talk Top 10 Seniors (#2 Kaylee Huizenga)
- Cattlemen's Quiz Top 10 Juniors (#1 Lauren Glick, #5 Emerson Tarr, #9 Madison Frederick)
- Cattlemen's Quiz Top 10 Seniors (#2 Leslie Walker, #3 Kaylee Huizenga, #5 Clay Sunberg)
- Judging Contest Top 10 Juniors (#10 Emerson Tarr)
- Judging Contest Top 10 Seniors (#4 Clay Sunberg)
- Showmanship Top 10 Juniors (#4 Lauren Glick, #9 Allison Stephens)
- Showmanship Top 10 Seniors (#1 Kaylee Huizenga)
- Overall Top 10 Juniors (#4 Lauren Glick, #6 Emerson Tarr)
- Overall Top 10 Seniors (#2 Kaylee Huizenga)

2015 National/Regional Information

2015 North Central Regional:
June 16-19
Mower County Fairgrounds, Austin, Minnesota

2015 Eastern Regional:
June 24-27
Eastern States Expo Center, West Springfield, Massachusetts

2015 AJSA National Classic
July 5-11
Brazos County Expo Center, College Station, Texas

2015 Western Regional:
June 26-28
Gallatin County Fairgrounds, Bozeman, Montana

2015 South Central Regional
June 9-12
Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, Springfield, MO

2015 AJSA Summit Conference
August 3-6

Keep up with national events for ASA and AJSA at www.simmental.org

The AJSA website also includes information for the 2015 service project, Hats off to Cancer.

American Junior Simmental Association Regional and National Classic Age Requirement Lowered

At their January 2015 meeting, the American Simmental Association (ASA) Board of Trustees approved the American Junior Simmental Association (AJSA) Board of Trustees request to lower the Regional and National Classic participation age of junior exhibitors to 8 years old as of January 1 of the current year from the prior rule which required juniors to be 9 years old as of January 1. Previously 8 year olds were required to participate in the Novice programs, beginning with the 2015 AJSA Classic season 8 year olds will be eligible to participate in the Junior Division, exhibiting cattle and participating in the educational contests.

The 2015 AJSA Regional and National Classic Age Divisions are as follows:

• At the Regionals Classics:

• Junior Division contestants must be 8 years old on or before January 1, 2015, and not have reached their 15th birthday prior to January 1, 2015.
• Senior Division contestants must be 15 years old on or before January 1, 2015 and not have reached their 22nd birthday prior to January 1, 2015.

• At the National Classic:

• Junior Division: Contestants must be 8 years old on or before January 1, 2015, and must not have reached their 14th birthday prior to January 1, 2015.
• Intermediate Division: Contestants must 14 years old as of January 1, 2015 and must not have reached their 18th birthday prior to January 1, 2015.
• Senior Division: Contestants must be 18 years old as of January 1, 2015 and must not have reached their 22nd birthday prior to January 1, 2015.

Click for the complete 2015 AJSA Rules

Looking for a service project for your State Junior Association?

Many thanks to all of the state associations that made blankets for the first annual AJSA service project, Project Linus. More than 150 handmade blankets were donated to the Louisville Project Linus Chapter. The Board of Trustees of the American Junior Simmental Association (AJSA) is excited to announce that this year’s national community service project will be a Mad Hatter drive. We will collect hats for the Hats Off For Cancer organization. We invite your state association to be a part of the effort by donating new hats of any kind (kid friendly logos please).

The brand new hats will be distributed to hospitals in Texas (home of the 2015 AJSA National Classic) and given to children battling cancer, especially children who lose their hair due to their cancer treatments. The hats can be anything from a ball cap to a handmade stocking cap, with lots of options in between.
Hats will be collected on Monday, July 6 at the opening ceremonies of the 2015 AJSA National Classic. Can’t make it to the National Classic but still want to be a part of AJSA’s effort with Hats Off For Cancer? You can mail your hats to the American Simmental Association office by June 30.

Monetary donations are also accepted, the AJSA Board of Trustees will use this money to get hats made and/ or donate it to the organization to use as they see fit. Hats Off For Cancer is an all-volunteer organization. No one receives a salary. Since 1996 it estimates it has distributed 2 million hats.

Do you have members that are ready to take their leadership skills to the next level?

Do you have junior members excited about the Simmental breed? Kids that have a passion for the agriculture industry? Do your juniors enjoy traveling and getting to know your fellow AJSA members? The AJSA Summit Leadership Conference is a fit for them!

The AJSA hosts the biennial Summit Conference, an intensive leadership development workshop where AJSA members between the ages of 13 and 21 interact with nationally renowned speakers and tour top cattle operations.  This event is a great opportunity for members to get together with cattle friends, without cattle to develop their leadership skills.

The 2015 Summit will be held in Bozeman, Montana, August 3-6. This year’s theme is Beef Advocacy participants will spend time learning about ways to become a stronger ambassador for the beef industry. The trip will begin in Bozeman with a tour of the American Simmental Association Headquarters. In addition to developing beef advocacy knowledge, participants will travel to area ranches, hear guest speakers, play team-building games, visit Yellowstone National Park and go whitewater rafting.

Mark your calendars and join fellow Simmental youth at the Summit! Registrations due June 1. Late registration accepted through June 15. More information on registration to come in April.