Junior Red Angus Round-Up

A typical summer vacation may include beaches and boating, but for a group of Red Angus youth, their summer fun includes a trip to North Dakota. These future industry leaders will be surrounded by wide-open spaces, fellow JRA friends and, of course, Red Angus cattle. The 2015 Round-Up, titled “From the Badlands to the Bison,” will tour North Dakota from June 22 to 27 headquartering out of Bismarck.

JRA Round-Up incorporates making friendships, competing in contests, gaining knowledge and meeting industry leaders in agriculture, specifically the beef cattle industry. JRA members from all over the U.S., along with participants from Canada, look forward to this opportunity to travel to a different state each year while expanding their knowledge and experience as cattlemen and woman.

This year’s participants will charter on motor coaches, touring MBI Oil Co., Heart River Ranch and Genetics, Sperry Quarter Horses, Leland Red Angus, Schmidt Ranch, North Dakota State University, Fanta Farms and Koester Red Angus. At these stops they will get the chance to tour and learn with hands-on participation, while also making connections with Red Angus breeders.

Round-Up participants will also tour the historic town of Medora, nestled in the heart of the Badlands, and attend the internationally famous Medora Musical. They will join in the Ropes Course to learn about teamwork, and visit Home On The Range, experiencing how animal-assisted therapies are enhancing the lives of troubled teens.

Along the tour, participants will have the opportunity to compete in contests in hope of winning awards at the Round-Up awards banquet that takes place on the last night of the trip. Junior Red Angus board members will also run elections for representatives for the upcoming year. More information on contests and the election can be found at RedAngus.org/jra.

Registration for Round-Up is due May 1, 2015, and participants may register online at RedAngus.org/jra/roundup. The registration fee is $400, plus travel and personal expenses during the event.

JRA offers scholarships to help alleviate registration and travel expenses. The JRA Merit Award grants three attendees with $750, $500 and $400 awards to defer expenses. The Heather Presser Memorial Scholarship offers a $500 annual scholarship. Applications for both the Merit Awards and Heather Presser Scholarship are also due May 1, 2015.

For additional information on Round-Up and other JRA programs, visit http://www.RedAngus.org.

–Red Angus Association