The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) BEST program has teamed up with sponsor¬ing partner, Weaver Livestock, to get new youth involved with the OCA BEST program. In 200 words or less, tell us why you should receive a Novice sponsorship covering your OCA membership ($60 value) and BEST nomination fee ($30 per head). This Novice sponsorship will be awarded to a maximum of 50 Novice participants for this year’s BEST show season! 

What is BEST? 

BEST stands for Beef Exhibitor Show Total and is a youth development program that recognizes Ohio’s junior beef exhibitors through a series of sanctioned steer and heifer shows that include showmanship competitions. BEST promotes educational opportunities for cattle showman ages 8-21 throughout Ohio. Juniors who participate in these shows earn points for their placings. The Novice division was implemented to provide a less competitive environment for newcomers to the program. Novice participants have their own showmanship division and an additional set of points tracked along with their regular class points, tracking both their overall achievement and their accomplishments in the Novice division. Awards for the Top 10 Novice Showmen, Heifer and Market Animal winners are presented at the BEST awards banquet at the conclusion of the show season.

Who is Eligible?

Any 8-21 year old cattle enthusiast that is participating in their first or second year of the BEST program may submit an essay for the Novice sponsorship. 

Need some ideas? Here are a few questions to help prompt your thoughts. 

• What is your background with cattle? 

• Why do you want to show cattle in the BEST Program? 

• What are your goals for the first year? 

• What would you like to learn while you’re involved in BEST? 

• Why do you deserve the Novice sponsorship? 

How do I submit my application? 

Send it to: Ohio Cattlemen’s Association 

Attn: BEST 

10600 US Highway 42 

Marysville, Ohio 43040 

Or by email to Stephanie at ssindel@ohiobeef.org

Applications must be postmarked by October 15 and Novice sponsorship recipients will be notified by November 1, prior to the first BEST show.

Novice Sponsorship Flyer PDF

Weaver Flyer PDF

Novice Sponsorship Application 2013 PDF