The Noble Foundation's 2006 Junior Beef Excellence Program awarded a total of $12,500 to 10 south-central Oklahoma youths as part of the annual contest, which highlights the carcass merit of steers shown at junior livestock shows in nine south-central Oklahoma counties. Sixty-seven youths entered 73 steers in this year's event. Winners were announced March 30 during the awards program at the Southern Oklahoma Technology Center in Ardmore.

Stephen Campbell of Tishomingo 4-H entered this year's champion steer. Stephen earned a $2,500 check and a custom-designed winner's jacket. Chris Dethloff, Wilson 4-H, had the second-place steer, taking home a $2,000 award.

The other winners were: 3rd - Clint Dennis, Madill FFA, $1,500; 4th - Brandi Harris, Dickson FFA, $1,250; 5th - Kade Howard, Ringling FFA, $1,000; 6th - Eli Vandevier, Tishomingo 4-H, $950; 7th - Joseph Buzidragis, Wilson FFA, $900; 8th - Jessica Maxwell, Bray-Doyle FFA, $850; 9th - Seth Cleary, Lindsay 4-H, $800; 10th - Laci Jones, Dickson 4-H, $750.

The contest steers are priced on a grid, meaning they are sold on their own merit instead of on the average. Shan Ingram, education and special projects manager at the Noble Foundation, said that the average total price for a contest steer was $1,095.86, which divided by the average live weight of 1,220 pounds, gives an equivalent live price of $89.82/hundred pounds.

"Even though the cattle market is somewhat lower this year, the participants' steers brought in a lot of money on a per head basis," Ingram said. "The rewarding thing was that the contest steers beat the industry average by $3.68 per hundredweight for the week they were marketed. That translates to $44.16 per head. I think that's super!"

"The top ten award-winning steers averaged $95.07 per hundred, which was $9.02 per hundredweight or $112.21 more per head than the industry average," he added. "I guess all of this is just a testimony to what this contest is about – producing excellent beef."

Sixty four people competed in this year's Live Animal Evaluation Contest, which was held at the Junior Beef Excellence Program delivery. Participants judged five live steers and estimated the attributes that affect their beef market value. Scorecards were submitted the day of the contest, and the winners in the five divisions were announced during the awards ceremony.

The first place winners were: 4-H - Baylee Butler of Ringling; FFA - Barrett Butler of Ringling; Adult Men - Brad Butler of Ringling; Adult Women - Susan Dodd of Lone Grove; Expert (previous adult division winners and Noble Foundation employees) - Roy Sparks of Wilson.

Winners in each division received custom-monogrammed leather duffel bag.

This is the tenth year for the Junior Beef Excellence Program in its expanded format. Entrants must be from Carter, Garvin, Grady, Jefferson, Johnston, Love, Marshall, Murray or Stephens counties, and all animals must have been shown in a county junior livestock show. The steers are delivered to Ardmore, weighed-in and commingled for two days before being sent to the Cargill Meat Solutions plant in Plainview, Texas.

Members of the Junior Beef Committee are Ingram, Kyle Stutts and Robert Wells, all of the Noble Foundation, and Leland McDaniel, Carter County Extension agent. Dr. Fred Ray, retired OSU Extension animal foods specialist, assisted with the awards program and serves as contest official. Bill Harrison, a field representative for Alliance Programs with Cargill Meat Solutions, discussed how the contest cattle compared to industry averages and pointed out current issues facing the beef industry.

To learn more about next year's program, call the Noble Foundation at (580) 223-5810 or access Junior Beef Excellence Program information on the Foundation's Web site at www.noble.org/Ag/JrBeef.

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	Photo (440k):
	Photo cutline:	Front row (left to right) - Jessica Maxwell, Laci Jones, Stephen Campbell, Brandi Harris. Back row (left to right) - Seth Cleary, Eli Vandevier, Kade Howard, Clint Dennis, Chris Dethloff.

News Release Issued: Apr. 20, 2006

The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc. (www.noble.org), headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a nonprofit organization conducting agricultural, forage improvement and plant biology research; assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs; and providing grants to nonprofit charitable, educational and health organizations.