Youth Ambassador Program Kicks Off

Twelve youth gathered at the Calgary Stampede’s OH Ranch this fall for Steer Selection Day, the official kickoff to the Calgary Stampede’s 2025–26 OH Ranch Branded Beef Youth Ambassador Program.

The day brought together this year’s ambassadors and their families for orientation, hands-on learning, and the key event: selecting the steer each youth will raise and show at the 2026 Calgary Stampede Junior Steer Classic.

Program overview

Now in its third year, the OH Ranch Branded Beef Youth Ambassador Program provides youth aged 14 to 18 with practical experience in evaluating, raising, feeding, and presenting a steer. Ambassadors select their calf in the fall, care for it through winter and spring, and present it at the Stampede in July.

Steers are then sold at auction, with 80 per cent of proceeds returning to the youth and 20 per cent reinvested into the program. Applicants are chosen based on their ability to house and raise an animal, as well as a written essay outlining their goals.

This year’s ambassadors include 11 from across Alberta and one from Saskatchewan: Tayden French, Brandt Lyster, Austin Cartwright, Shepherd Ostermeier, Dawson Finnerty, Heidi Pas, Sierra Brand, Brooklynn Konynenbelt, Kurtus Pierson, Reese Morison, Rebecca Porter, and Quinn Pedersen.

Welcome and orientation

The day began with greetings from Calgary Stampede CEO Joel Cowley, who outlined the purpose of the program and set the tone for the year ahead.

“You’re not just raising a steer — you’re learning how to evaluate, feed and present one,” Cowley told the group.

“We want you to come away from this program with confidence — not just in showing cattle, but in knowing what quality looks like.”

Following Cowley’s welcome, ambassadors received a briefing on program expectations, feeding fundamentals, animal management, and the yearlong schedule of learning sessions.

Judging and selection clinic

Before heading to the pens, Cowley delivered a condensed selection and cattle-judging clinic, drawing on decades of experience in livestock evaluation.

He walked youth through key traits to evaluate in commercial steers, including balance and eye appeal, muscle expression, volume and capacity, structure and movement, and finish and freshness of condition.

Cowley emphasized the importance of starting with the final product in mind, encouraging ambassadors to picture how the steer will grow and develop over the year.

“Whenever you pick out an animal, start with the ideal in mind,” he said. “Compare that animal to your mental picture of an ideal steer, and it becomes clear what you’d like to see more of — depth, width, structure, muscle.

“You don’t have time to compare every calf to every other calf. Compare each one to the ideal, and your first impression will tell you a lot.”

The clinic prepared participants for the practical portion of the day: assessing the group of calves available for selection.

Select-a-steer

In the main corral, 15 steers from the OH Ranch herd were put through their paces. Ambassadors evaluated each animal based on the criteria outlined in the judging session, using clipboards to jot notes and discussing observations with their parents as they made their choices.

A draw determined the selection order. One by one, ambassadors stepped forward and chose the steer they will raise until Stampede time.

Next steps

With the selection process now completed, the real day-to-day work begins. Ambassadors will now begin daily feeding, grooming, and management routines, while submitting progress reports to program coordinators.

Throughout the program, the ambassadors will also participate in virtual and in-person sessions covering animal health, nutrition, marketing, and the broader beef value chain. They also show their steers at smaller events as practice toward the main showing at Stampede, all with support from the Stampede’s volunteer Livestock Competitions Committee.

In July, the youth will reunite at the Calgary Stampede to show their steers in the Junior Steer Classic, where class winners, champions, and the overall top ambassador will be recognized.

How to apply

Applications for the next intake of the OH Ranch Branded Beef Youth Ambassador Program typically open in late summer. Youth aged 14 to 18 who are interested in applying must be able to house and raise a steer, submit an application and short written essay, and demonstrate an interest in beef production and livestock education.

More information will be available through the Calgary Stampede’s Livestock Competitions webpage once the 2026–27 intake opens.

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This was first published in Volume 5 Issue 4 of ABP Magazine (Winter 2025). Watch for more digital content from the magazine on ABP Daily.