Matheny named Hereford Junior Herdsman of the Year

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Austin Matheny, Mays Lick, Ky., was honored as the 2016 Hereford Junior Herdsman of the Year, July 15, during the 2016 VitaFerm Junior National Hereford Expo (JNHE) in Madison, Wis.

Matheny is the 20-year-old son of Andrew and Suzanne Matheny and a junior at Kansas State University where he is majoring in animal science with a business option. Upon graduation he hopes to return home and expand their family operation.

The Junior Herdsman of the Year finalists are chosen by a committee of national advisors then participants at JNHE vote for the winner. Matheny says being selected for this honor by his peers means a lot to him and his family especially since his dad also received the honor years ago.

“Its not every day you win Junior Herdsman of the Year for the American Hereford Association,” Matheny says. “There are 900 junior exhibitors at junior nationals, so I hold this pretty high on my bucket list as things I wanted to accomplish as a junior member.”

Matheny has been showing Hereford cattle for 13 years and has been in attendance at JNHE for nine years. He has served on his state board of directors as well as being newly elected to the NJHA board of directors this year. Additionally, he was honored with the 2015 Junior Merit Scholarship. Matheny notes this as one of his proudest moments amongst all his other accomplishments.

“This is one of the most exciting moments of my life,” Matheny says. “It is truly an honor. I am grateful that I was fortunate enough to receive it.”