The Beginnings of the Miniature Hereford Junior Nationals®

In 2010, the first Miniature Herefords were shown at Junior Nationals.  But this wasn't just any Junior Nationals, it was the Hereford Junior Nationals held in Indianapolis, Indiana.  The Miniature Hereford breed was still growing and gaining respect in the cattle industry, and the Miniature Hereford Junior Nationals had not yet been developed.  If you were a youth wanting to attend a Junior Nationals, your only option was to show with the full-sized Herefords.  That is exactly what Wyatt and Caroline Debnam of Glenville, PA decided to do.  "Our intention was to show off the Miniature Hereford breed.  We did not do so well when it came to ribbons, but by far, we had the most visitors and cameras in our stall area."

Fast forward to today and a lot has changed.  The Miniature Hereford Junior Nationals® is a well recognized and trademarked event where youth from all over the country gather to show against other Miniature Herefords.  The event takes a full year to plan and execute but leaves youth and families climbing in the truck after a long week, exhausted, but with smiles on their faces.  

It all began with the vision of MHBA President, Justin Grady.  In 2014, the American Hereford Association Regional Expo was being held in Denver, Colorado, just a stone's throw from Justin's hometown.  He reached out to event organizers to collaborate and provide an opportunity for Miniature Hereford youth to participate in the event.  By tag-teaming, we were able to minimize costs while gauging interest in the possibility of creating our won Junior Nationals event.  "We have wanted to for quite some time, but we needed the venue to do it and to share the cost," Grady explained¹.  The 2014 event was called the Junior National Miniature Hereford Expo.  Grady said, "It went outstanding.  The kids had a blast.  They got to show their cattle, compete in a speech contest and judging contest, and have fun.  The parents also enjoyed themselves.  I feel it went off without a hitch."² With the success of the event, MHBA and MHYF leadership decided to move forward on their own to create the Miniature Hereford Junior Nationals in 2015, held in Chickasha, Oklahoma.  

The MHJN® has continued to grown, and event organizers have done a great job brining new ideas to the table and making sure our youth and their families experience "the best week of summer".  The Miniature Hereford Junior Nationals is an event of the Miniature Hereford Breeders Association® as outlined in the Association's bylaws.  The fundraising arm of the event in run through the Miniature Hereford Youth Foundation®, the 501(c)(3) subsidiary of the MHBA.  The organizational structure of the Miniature Hereford Junior Nationals® provides for the true collaboration of both organizations.  It is exciting to see our leadership work together to make this event come to life.  It takes a lot of time and volunteers, but we have assembled a great team to get the job done.  

The Miniature Hereford Junior Nationals is a huge undertaking that would not be possible without the contributions and donations from members, friends, and corporate sponsors.  As a 501(c)(3) organization, the MHYF works hard to raise the funds necessary to put on the event and keep costs as low as possible for our families.  Every dime raised for the MHJN goes straight towards funding the event for our youth.  Breeder's World has been a big part of these fundraising efforts with its annual collaboration with the MHYF to host an online fundraising auction.  With banners, buckles, and donations from members and friends of the Association, the friendly bidding brings in the largest portion of our donation funding for the event.  

The MHJN® Committee is made up of members of the MHBA Board, the MHYF Board, and several Miniature Hereford Breeders Association members.  Many times, youth events are planned and executed by parents who want to be a part of providing the best opportunities for their kids.  One of the great things about our MHJN Committee is that many don't have show-age youth participating in the event.  They recognized the importance of the event and are dedicated to the mission of the MHYF that "encourages our youth to participate in the breeding, raising, showing and marketing of Miniature Herefords and in doing this we hope to develop their leadership skills and encourage personal growth."  It's this dedication that becomes evident when you see the Miniature Hereford Junior Nationals schedule with a week packed full of education and fun events that the entire family can be a part of.  

The MHJN Committee's goal is that each youth walks away with a smile and a list of accomplishments.  Accomplishments are not always measured in ribbons and banners, but sometimes just doing something they never thought they could do.  

^{1-2  Scherer, Robyn.  "Mini Herefords showcased at first ever junior nationals." The Fence Post, 14 July 2014, www.thefencepost.com/news/mini-herefords-showcased-at-first-ever-junior-nationals.}