In today’s Beef Buzz, senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays speaks with Bray Haven, executive vice president of Cattlemen’s Congress, about the success of the 2026 event and preparations already underway for the 2027 show. In a communication from Congress to the beef industry this week- “The 2026 Cattlemen’s Congress once again demonstrated why Oklahoma City has become the industry’s biggest stage. With 8,489 entries, more than 2,700 exhibitors, and 25 breeds represented, this year’s event brought together the nation’s leading cattle, breeders, and cattlemen for eleven days of elite competition, commerce, and collaboration.”
Strong Growth in 2026
Cattlemen’s Congress held its sixth show in 2026, and Haven says the event continues to demonstrate its staying power. “We just had our sixth show here in 2026, and every year we’ve seen some growth from adding breeds, adding sales,” Haven says. “Really, we had a fantastic year. Our sales and entries were up across the board.”
Haven says Cattlemen’s Congress has established itself as a major marketplace for the purebred cattle industry. “Cattlemen’s Congress continues to prove itself as the place for purebred genetics to transfer hands, or, you know, just for commerce to happen, whether that’s live cattle, genetics, embryos, whatever it might be,” he says.
More Sales and Cattle Coming in 2027
As preparations begin for the 2027 event, Haven says organizers are already seeing interest from groups looking to add sales and other activities. “We’ve already had some interest in adding some sales on site, and we’re working with those folks,” he says.
Haven says once people experience Cattlemen’s Congress, they often see the benefits of bringing their events to Oklahoma City. “It just takes once for people, whether it’s a sale manager, association, whatever, for them to come on site,” he says. “They see what we’ve got going on at Cattlemen’s Congress.”
He says the event also brings together the purebred and commercial sides of the cattle industry. “The people from Oklahoma and from surrounding states that attend Cattlemen’s Congress, they see that camaraderie and the interaction between the purebred industry and the commercial industry, and they want to be a part of it,” Haven says.
Barn Renovations Will Add Capacity
Cattlemen’s Congress also secured state funding in 2026 for additional barn renovations. Haven says work on the Super Barn will allow the facility to house more cattle. “We’re going to retrofit some of that so we can start putting some cattle in there, and that’ll give us the ability to house more cattle at one time,” he says.
The renovation will also work alongside construction of a new connector facility between the Super Barn and the OG&E Coliseum. “Once we get that facility done too, along with the Super Barn renovation, it’s really going to give us an opportunity to get more cattle there at once, have more shows a little bit more condensed as far as the schedule goes,” Haven says.
He says the additional space should create more opportunities for exhibitors, sales and interaction between breeds. “I think it’ll make the whole show feel bigger, more people there, give people an opportunity to do more commerce through sales, and different breeds interact with the other breeds,” he says.
First Year in the OG&E Coliseum
The 2026 event also marked the first year Cattlemen’s Congress used the new OG&E Coliseum. Haven says the facility proved to be a strong fit for livestock events. “Boy, it is a venue designed for livestock and equine events,” he says.
The larger arena gives organizers additional flexibility, including room for two show rings. “The footprint of the facility, the actual arena size is a little bit bigger, gives us a little bit more room and flexibility to have those two show rings,” Haven says.
He also points to improved seating and visibility as major advantages. “The visibility from the stands is really nice,” he says. “The ability to walk up and still feel like you’re part of the arena.”
Haven says the facility’s design allows spectators to remain connected to the show even when they leave their seats. “The venue is really nice. It’s state of the art. It’s more comfortable. The seats are wider, so that’s really all aspects of it bode really well for livestock and equine events,” he says.
A Trade Show and More Than Just a Cattle Show
Construction of the connector facility will also create additional opportunities for a trade show. Haven says the new promenade will provide a heated and cooled, open-concept area. “That promenade is going to add the ability to have an open concept trade show area that’s heated and cooled, black concrete,” he says. “It’s going to be really nice, and I think really give us an opportunity to expand upon that trade show.”
Haven says the goal is to make Cattlemen’s Congress more than a cattle show. “We’re really trying to create an event here, not just a show,” he says.
He says organizers want people from across the region to come to Oklahoma City, experience the trade show, walk through the barns and watch the cattle shows. “We want people from the region to come in here and just walk through the barns, check out the trade show, do some commerce, and then experience the cattle show that’s going on on top of that,” Haven says.
Cattlemen’s Congress Returns in January 2027
Haven says interest from additional breeds continues to grow, with groups considering sales, futurities and other activities as part of the event. “We continue to get interest from other breeds to add aspects, whether it’s a sale or some type of futurity, whatever it might be that some of these breeds do in other places where they can do it all in one place.”
The 2027 Cattlemen’s Congress is scheduled for January 3-13 in Oklahoma City, featuring 25 beef breeds and numerous sales and events.
Haven says the continued expansion could make the event even more significant in the years ahead. “That’s really what it’s turning into,” he says.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR above for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
