MARYSVILLE – Knox County residents Ellie and Josie Kidwell were among many winners at the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) BEST awards banquet held on May 1 at the Ohio State Fairgrounds in Columbus.
Ellie Kidwell received awards for Reserve Champion Angus Steer and Champion Angus Steer BBS, a press release from the OCA said. Kidwell, a junior representative, will continue in that role for the 2021-22 BEST show season.
Josie Kidwell won a door prize for a year’s use of the Buckeye Breeders Series trailer donated by M.H. EBY.
This year’s BEST (Beef Exhibitor Show Total) program featured seven weekends of sanctioned shows that wove their way across the state, the release stated. Over 592 youth participants showed 850 head of market animals and heifers throughout the season.
BEST is a youth program of the OCA that recognizes Ohio’s junior beef exhibitors through a series of shows. Juniors who participate in these sanctioned shows earn points for their placing at each show. The OCA BEST program promotes educating Ohio’s juniors about cattle industry issues and rewards the successful accomplishments and hard work of those junior cattle producers.
“Of all the prizes and awards given to these kids at the end of the season, the most exciting part to them is the community service,” BEST program coordinator Karigan Blue said in the press release. “They are always so eager to be involved in this project, and I hope it is something they will take with them as they get older and grow to become leaders for Ohio’s cattle industry.”
