America’s Beef Leaders of Excellence (ABLE) is a prestigious mentorship and leadership program tailored for young beef cattle enthusiasts of all breeds, between the ages of 14 and 21. Designed to cultivate leadership skills, enhance industry expertise, and foster personal growth, ABLE offers an unparalleled opportunity for participants to excel in the world of purebred seedstock beef cattle.
Program Structure:
ABLE’s innovative structure revolves around individualized mentorship in four key areas: marketing seedstock cattle, breeding strategies, cattle judging, and farm to table beef.
Each participant will be thoughtfully matched with an experienced and accomplished mentor who will guide and support them throughout their journey.
Program Requirements / Who Can Apply:
Approximately 25 young people from around the world will be selected to be part of the 2026-2027 ABLE group. Once accepted, participants may remain in the program up to age 21.
Mentorship and Leadership Development:
ABLE is a very hands on mentorship program, where students will be paired with members of the BRC team based on their specific interests and goals within the purebred beef industry.
Example opportunities of the ABLE program include:
- Help BRC Ranch in organizing and hosting sales and events.
- Travel with BRC team and judge-shadow judging shows
- Travel internationally with BRC team
- Shadow / assist BRC at shows
- Assist with marketing and hospitality at the Houston Livestock Show
- Assist with collegiate livestock judging team workout
- Hands-on shadowing at various ranch events including cattle working days, selection days, picture days, etc.
- Business shadowing
- Travel to educational field days and conferences with BRC team
- Attend guest lectures by the BRC team at various college universities.
- Other events throughout the year
2026 – 2027 ABLE Calendar of Events:
- September 1, 2026 – Applications due
- Mid September – Recipients selected, matched with mentors
- March 2027 – Houston Livestock Show International Brahman Show
- March 2027 – BRC Ranch Collegiate Judging Team Workout
- And more.
If you are a young person who loves the registered cattle business and would like to learn more, and develop lifelong memories and experiences, we invite you to apply.
