From late nights of extensive animal care to early mornings of rigorous academic pursuits, members of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) are expected to uphold the responsibilities of maintaining their grades while hosting cookouts for staff and showcasing their livestock at competitions. Junior Jenna Tyler at Texas High manages to balance her challenging course load with endless nights of preparing for the most prestigious competition of her life.
Tyler participated in the American Junior Simmental Nationals in Madison, Wis., from July 7-12, 2025. Most competitors started preparing and showing their cattle in elementary school, but Tyler didn’t start until middle school. Despite her late start, Tyler still managed to place highly in the competition and make a national mark in her journey.
This competition takes place annually, allowing youth to showcase their knowledge and skills of Simmental and Simbrah cattle breeds. From keeping up with cattle to preparing for showings, competitors’ days consist of hours of hard work and often last from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tyler balances her education involving honors and dual credit classes, along with cattle showing year-round. During the school year, she travels for weeks on end, making sure her calves stay healthy and presentable while keeping her grades up.
“Preparation for these shows starts right when you receive [the calves],” Tyler said. “This includes feeding them, working their hair to become healthy and long, walking and exercising them, and many other tasks.”
Each day consisted of contests, networking, and cattle showings. There were six competitions that touched on varying subjects based on participants’ knowledge of cattle.
“During Livestock Judging, we are tested on our ability to determine the good and bad qualities of heifers, bulls, and steers,” Tyler said. “There were five classes we placed [in]. One class [had] questions, and one class we had to give reasons why we placed [the cattle] the way we did.”
Along with Livestock Judging, competitors participated in the Sales Talk contest to test their proficiency in marketing their stock.
“Sales Talk is a contest where each exhibitor is tested on their ability to persuade or sell their animal,” Tyler said. “You present your conversation skills and your knowledge of your animal’s genetics and phenotypes.”
In addition to all the competitions and quizzes, Tyler and her team spent late nights cleaning and grooming her stock, keeping them clean and presentable. On show day, she arrived at the barn at 3:30 a.m., preparing her cattle to be presented later that morning.
“We rinsed and dried all six heads and fed them,” Tyler said. “When it hit 7:15 a.m., we started to [groom] my bred and owned [cattle].”
Tyler won RHF/SA Hallelujah & 4JT Darling Made Ya Look, National Champion Simbrah Cow/Calf Pair, 4JT Darling Pistol Annie, 3rd Overall Bred & Owned Simbrah Female, and 10th Overall Owned Simbrah Female. Tyler, who was once behind on her cattle showing, pushed ahead to win the national title. This propelled her reputation, skills and increased her confidence in her work.
“I never thought I’d win a major national title because I knew I started [training] late,” Tyler said. “Winning National Champion Simbrah Cow/Calf Pair with my first show heifer ever was something that I can’t even express in words.”
This competition awarded Tyler with lots of new experiences, and she anticipates her future competitions involving show animals.
“This competition was one of the best experiences of my life and provided me with many new learning opportunities for future shows,” Tyler said. “I am looking forward to being able to show off more of my cattle and skills in the future.”
