SimGenetics at Cattlemen’s Congress: Mia Bayer Discusses Annual Meeting, Sales, and 2026 Show Schedule: As Cattlemen’s Congress kicks into high gear, the American Simmental Association (ASA) and SimGenetics have arrived in Oklahoma City for a packed week of business, shows, and sales. Farm Director KC Sheperd recently caught up with Mia Bayer of SimGenetics to discuss the breed’s continued growth and their jam-packed schedule for the coming weeks.
Annual Meeting and Policy Discussions. Before the cattle hit the show ring, the association is handling significant business at the Skirvin Hilton. Bayer explained that the event spans three days and includes committee meetings on breed improvement, growth and development, and policies and procedures.
“That’s where new policies come into place, new rules come into place, discussing current research projects, all of that kind of thing gets discussed these next couple of days,” Bayer said. “The Board is there for the membership… so that we can make the membership and make the Simmental breed the best we can.”
The business portion of the trip concludes Saturday with the Annual Meeting and a Chairman’s Reception.
Why Oklahoma City? Since the inception of Cattlemen’s Congress six years ago, the Simmental breed has been a staple of the event. According to Bayer, the decision to keep returning is simple: it puts them right in front of their target demographic.
“We try to be the commercial man’s breed, and I mean, there’s nowhere better to come than to come here to the state of Oklahoma and be a part of the Cattlemen’s Congress,” Bayer told Sheperd.
She noted that the event is one of their two largest shows of the year and has been a site of major success for the breed, including a previous Supreme Champion win. “We are never disappointed. We come back every year, get to see a lot of members… SimGenetics has really been successful on many levels.”
Upcoming Events and The “Ring of Champions”. The schedule doesn’t slow down after Oklahoma City. Bayer outlined a busy itinerary that takes the breed across the country. Following the shows in OKC, the team heads to Denver for pen shows in the new complex, then to Fort Worth, before wrapping up in mid-February.
“We wrap up what we like to call our ‘Ring of Champions’ of the year,” Bayer said. “We will end that up in Dixie in Jackson, Mississippi.”
Sunday Sale and Scholarship Fundraiser A highlight of the week in OKC is the Sunday sale, which features live lots, bulls, females, and genetic packages. It also serves as a critical fundraiser for the American Simmental Association’s merit scholarships, which award over $55,000 annually to youth.
The centerpiece of this fundraiser is the “Foundation Female,” a heifer donated by a breeder.
“Our hope is to get donations of a thousand dollars from different breeders,” Bayer explained. “Everyone who donates a thousand dollars, we kind of put that name in a hat and pull it out, and they are the winner of the heifer.”
How to Follow Along For those who cannot attend in person, Bayer encourages producers and enthusiasts to visit the American Simmental Association website or the American Junior Simmental Facebook page for schedules, live feeds, and remote meeting links.
