At the 2024 Cattlemen’s Congress, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster, Ron Hays, had the chance to talk about a review of the show with Cattlemen’s Congress consultant, Erin Dorsey. Before her time with Cattlemen’s Congress, Dorsey worked with the National Western Livestock Show.
“We have grown, we have progressed, we got our schedule down pretty solid this year, and it has been a really good show,” Dorsey said.
In fact, Dorsey said she believes 2024 has been the best year yet for Cattlemen’s Congress. When comparing Cattlemen’s Congress to the National Western Livestock Show, Dorsey said Cattlemen’s Congress caters to the cattlemen and does not include other attractions.
“My passion here has really been the international program, and I absolutely love the people,” Dorsey said.
In her time working with Cattlemen’s Congress, Dorsey said she has traveled around the world to different livestock events.
“People do not realize the number of imports and exports, semen, embryos, and just livestock that go out of the U.S. and Canada to Mexico, Argentina, the UK, even Singapore and Australia,” Dorsey said.
Over the past four years, Dorsey said the international presence at Cattlemen’s Congress has seen significant growth. This year, Dorsey said tours were offered and planned for international guests at the show and across the state of Oklahoma to showcase different breeds and genetics.
“This year, we did three breed tours in the state of Oklahoma, and then we also had some groups that I actually sent to Kansas for a tour, and they went to Texas for a tour as well,” Dorsey said.
Next year’s Cattlemen’s Congress is planned to start close to January 4th, after the start of the new year, which Dorsey said will help boost numbers of foreign guests coming to the show. Dorsey added that next year may be the best year in terms of numbers of international cattlemen and women coming to Oklahoma City.
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