Weatherford's O'Leary claims champion bred-and-owned female title at JNHE

Weatherford Democrat, Texas
·3 min read

Aug. 2—MADISON, Wis. — For the first time, the top five overall bred-and-owned females were named at the 2023 VitaFerm Junior National Hereford Expo , "Mad Dash to the Hereford Bash," July 12 in Madison, Wisconsin.

Maddie O'Leary, of Weatherford, and OLY HZS Tommi K 278 ET, a May 3, 2022, daughter of UPS Sensation 2296 ET, claimed the champion bred-and-owned female title. She first won division V.

Taking the reserve champion bred-and-owned female and champion division II female titles were Madilyn Norvell, of Tuttle, Okla., and NCC Rhea 2058 ET, a Nov. 27, 2022 daughter of CH High Roller 756 ET.

The third overall bred-and-owned female title went to Hudson Carter, of Stratford, Okla., with GHC BKMT Kash Expert 260K ET, a Feb. 5, 2022, daughter of SR Dominate 308F ET. Carter's entry was also named champion division VIII female.

Maddie Jenkins, of Athens, Texas, and HAW KLD Monique 413K ET, an April 28, 2022, daughter of T/R BPF AmericanClassic 561CET, grabbed the fourth overall bred-and-owned female banner and champion division VI honors.

Fifth overall bred-and-owned female and champion division IX honors went to Collin and Landon Deatsman, Leesburg, Ind. The Deatsman brothers' entry, Deatsman Kiss to Remember 6KET, is a Jan. 22, 2022, daughter of K Rustic 711 ET.

Craig Sand, from Stillwater, Okla., and Luke Doris, of Ree Heights, S.D., sorted 277 bred-and-owned females to name their top five overall champions.

"They get out here, and boy, it's challenging," Sand said. "There's a lot of good females."

This year was the first time the top-five winners were selected from the bred-and-owned female show. In the past, grand champion and reserve grand champion were the only females to be named. The top five selection was made available this year by the newly established GKB Cattle Youth Endowment.

Through the GKB Cattle endowment and Gary and Kathy Buchholz's generosity, the champion bred-and-owned female exhibitor won a stock trailer.

The Buchholzs are no strangers to the JNHE or any NJHA youth development programs. From hosting leadership conferences to sponsoring shows, the Buchholz family advocate for youth education and leadership.

"My husband and I love to support juniors, and it's our way of continuing the breed for the future," said Kathy Buchholz, GKB Cattle, of Desdemona, Texas. "To continue to support all of the educational aspects that the National Junior Hereford Association presents to juniors, it has just been a part of my life to help support juniors."

The Junior National Hereford Expo, "Mad Dash to the Hereford Bash," was sponsored in part by BioZyme Inc., St. Joseph, Mo. The National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) is one of the most active junior programs in the country with more than 4,000 members. The NJHA's mission is to create and promote enthusiasm for the breed while providing opportunities through leadership, education and teamwork. For more information about the NJHA, visit JrHereford.org.