The Beef Empire Days 2025 awards banquet was held June 6, where the Live and Carcass Show awards were presented, as well as awards for the Cattle Working Contest, Feedlot Special, People’s Choice Auction, Public Pick 5, and Ranch Rodeo.
In addition, the Beef Empire Days Academic Scholarship recipients and winners from the Sunflower Youth Showdown were recognized. The coveted Earl C. Brookover Award was also announced.
The 2025 Earl C. Brookover Award was won by tag No. 182, a 1,535-pound heifer fed at High Choice Feeders and owned by High Choice Cattle Co. The heifer placed fourth in both the live and carcass shows. For complete results of the live and carcass shows go to www.hpj.com.
Service award
Also given at the banquet was the Jeff Jones Living Water Service Award. Given in memory of Jeff Jones, a 30-year employee of Finney County Feedyard and a lifetime member of the Garden City community. The Beef Empire Days committee recognized men and women in the feedlot and ranching community who go over and beyond everyday care to thousands of head of livestock in southwest Kansas.
“We honor individuals whose years of dedication and commitment have helped set the
standard for the industry we are all involved in,” organizers stated in their program.
Jones was nominated by Finney County Feedyard in 2024 and Travis Pitts was nominated by Irisk & Doll Feedyard in 2025. Pitts’ family accepted his award posthumously.
Scholarships
The scholarship program hopes to identify and encourage talented students who may emerge as cattle industry leaders. Sponsors that helped fund the $1,000 scholarships were Cobalt Cattle Company, Security State Bank and Animal Health International.
Scholarship recipients were Jhett VanderHamm, Channing Dillinger, Kayla George, and Paul Caballero.
Ranch Rodeo winners
Winning the Ranch Rodeo at Beef Empire Days was 3H Cattle. Second was Peanuts Ranch. Third was Gibbs Cattle. Fourth was NextGen Cattle Feeding.
Empirical Timed Events
First in the Feedlot Team Roping was Layton Wright and RA Turley of HRC Feedyard. Second was Houston Hendricks and Pancho Wiebe of Rex Stanley Feedyard.
In the Sponsor Team Roping, first went to Jhett VanderHamm and Scott VanderHamm of VanderHamm Cattle. Second place went to Jarek VanPetten and Cody Remington of Microtechnologies & Corteva.
The Feedlot High Point roper went to RA Turley, while the Sponsor High Point went to Scott VanderHamm.
Cattle Working Contest
In the Cattle Working Contest, first place went to the Ford County Feeders team of Willy Alfaro, Ruben Gomez, Manuel Hipoloto and Luis Garzon. Second place was the Brookover North team of Deb Kirby, James Stanford, Francisco Gonzalezk and Seth Lynd. Third place was the Lane County Feeders team of Andres Rodriguez, Cristian Deciga, Omar Pacheco and Alejandro Cordero.
For more results visit www.beefempiredays.com.
Kylene Scott can be reached at 620-227-1804 or [email protected].
