Beef Scholarship Extravaganza

The 30th Annual Beef Scholarship Extravaganza will be held Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at the Jeff and Deb Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center in Ames, Iowa. More than $15,000 in scholarships will be awarded to teams finishing in the first five places. The deadline for entries is November 5, 2025.

Learn more and prep with the Collegiate Cattlemen Beef Education Day -- Details to come

Click here to download the registration form.

 REgistration Form 

The Iowa Cattlemen’s Foundation is proud to host the Beef Scholarship Extravaganza. It is one of the most challenging and rewarding youth cattle competitions in the nation. Young people who participate in this event reap the benefits of their preparation long after the competition is over.

The contest is open to high school juniors and seniors who test their knowledge of the beef industry and beef cattle management issues. Stations cover the following beef industry topics:

• Credit and Finance 
• Seedstock Merchandising 
• Nutrition 
• Reproduction 
• Industry Issues and Advocacy 
• Marketing (Beef Cut Evaluation)
• Beef Management 
• Handling & Health 
• Job Interview 
• Keep-Cull Heifer Replacement Evaluation

Each station will be worth 100 points, and participants will receive an explanation and feedback about the stations following the competition. 

Scholarship dollars won at the Extravaganza can be used at any university or community college. Each of the following institutions may offer additional matching scholarship funds to the top placing individuals, upon enrollment and classwork at their institution: Iowa State University - College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kirkwood Community College, Hawkeye Community College, Iowa Lakes Community College, Muscatine Community College,  and Des Moines Area Community College.

This one-day event is open to teams of either two or three current juniors and/or seniors. Team members do not need to be from the same high school or county. In the case of a three-member team, only two will participate at each station (as decided by the team); the third will be an observer. However, all team members will share the team award.   

The entry fee is $200 per team. The fee covers noon lunch and an Extravaganza t-shirt. Finalized details of the day’s itinerary including station protocols will be sent to registered teams and posted on this site.

The Beef Scholarship Extravaganza is the premier youth cattle contest in the Midwest. Its success is attributed to the endless support of volunteers and the generous financial support of our loyal industry sponsors.

For questions, please contact Mary at [email protected] or (515) 296-2266.