To many in the breed, the blonde hair and cowboy hat in the showring is easily recognizable. Even if you didn’t know Alexis Koelling by her signature look, however, all it takes is one conversation to recognize she loves to wear the title of “cattlewoman.”
The Missouri junior didn’t start out exhibiting black-hided cattle, but as she rounds out her career in the National Junior Angus Association (NJAA), Koelling has come to be known as a force in the showring and positive influence in the barn.
“I think that’s honestly kind of the coolest part about being named the herdsman — I didn’t start with a family that’s deeply rooted in the Angus breed, at least to begin with,” Koelling explains.
Her passion and focus are just two of the qualities that contributed to her being elected as the 2025 Junior Angus Herdsman of the Year during this year’s National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) in Tulsa, Okla. The award was created to honor an outstanding NJAA member in their last year of eligibility. The individual must display a strong work ethic, dedication to their animals and have skills in preparing their cattle for exhibition at a high standard.
In 2023, the family of Tom Wells established the Tom Wells Junior Herdsman Scholarship for the recipient of this award through the Angus Foundation. Tom Wells was an avid junior Angus member and supporter of the National Junior Angus Association. He was very passionate about the Angus breed and the caretakers of Angus cattle. The herdsman of the year award is voted on by NJAA members and recognizes an individual who showcases leadership in the barns and with other junior members. In addition to the $500 Tom Wells Herdsman Scholarship, the recipient also receives a custom belt buckle to commemorate the achievement.
Marching to the beat
“You can do anything you set your mind to,” Koelling quotes, naming the lyric from Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” as one of her personal mottos.
It’s a near perfect summary of how she’s established her place in the Angus business.
“I didn’t come from a successful big showtime family, but we’ve had a goal in mind,” Koelling explains. “We all came together to make that goal and accomplish that goal.”
The industry is competitive, but Koelling said there’s room for everyone. With the right kind of focus and determination, she said success is within anyone’s grasp. You can look to her own NJAA career as proof.
While last year she checked a major item off her bucket list as she won the National Junior Angus Showmanship Contest, Koelling names 2018-2020 as standout years; she stood in grand drive for all three. In 2019 and 2020, she even brought home a top five banner.
“Those cows are still producing…still being very profitable for us back home,” Koelling adds. “I think that’s what is most important. It’s cool to be successful in the showring but also for those show heifers to turn around and be productive cows.”
To her, that’s what being a herdsman is all about.
“It’s just someone that has the ability to take care of livestock first and foremost,” she said, noting that applies to cattle both in the show barn and in the pasture.
But it’s not all cattle sense. Koelling also lists being personable, showcasing a willingness to help others and a thirst for industry knowledge as key traits.
To know that her peers see those qualities in her is priceless.
“It’s humbling,” Koelling admits. “It’s a nice feeling to know that people recognize that at the end of the day I’m a stock kid…they see what I’m doing back at home, working cows, doctoring calves, whatever it may be, people recognizing that side of me.”
While she reflects on the NJAS closing ceremonies now, she has to laugh.
“I was sitting there trying to tell myself that it was okay if I didn’t get it,” Koelling explains, noting it had been a long-time goal to win the prestigious award. “I would love for that to be on my namesake as I leave. But I knew that there were very accomplished, very successful individuals that were also being nominated for it, so I was really just talking myself down and telling myself that it was okay if I didn’t get it.”
Award in hand now, Koelling said she is grateful to have made this a reality and is eager to see what’s next for her. She’ll graduate from Oklahoma State University next May with an animal science-business degree and has her sights set on a career in equipment sales and marketing.
Though she’s aging out of her junior show career, she won’t be leaving the NJAA behind yet. In addition to being named herdsman, Koelling also earned a green coat this July. She’ll spend the next two years serving on the National Junior Angus Board of Directors.
For additional photos of winners, contact the Communications Department at prcomm@angus.org. View results of the 2025 NJAS, including shows, contests, awards and scholarships at www.njas.info. Additional coverage is also available on the NJAA Facebook page and in the September issue of the Angus Journal.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL JUNIOR ANGUS ASSOCIATION. The National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) promotes the involvement of young people in raising Angus cattle while also providing leadership and self-development opportunities for more than 4,500 active members nationwide.
ABOUT THE ANGUS FOUNDATION Established as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1980, the Angus Foundation remains focused on its mission to support Angus education, youth, and research. The organization has distributed more than $4.9 million in youth scholarships since 1998 and has also invested more than $1.4 million in beef cattle research in the past decade.
For more information, contact the Angus Foundation at 816-383-5100.
