Goodwell Teen Places at Inaugural Cattlemen's Congress Speech Contest

The inaugural Cattlemen’s Congress Junior Speech contest, held January 7, 2026, brought youth speakers from 13 states to compete in five subject areas and three age divisions. Organizers staged categories in Salesmanship, General Agriculture, Agricultural Policy, Animal Science, and an Extemporaneous category reserved for senior competitors. Contestants were evaluated across age brackets, and winners were named in each category and division.

Among those who placed was Kinley Jo Tolle of Goodwell, a student from Texas County who finished as a top winner in the Senior division in an animal science-related category. Awards for top finishers included steer-shaped plaques and merchandise gift cards, tangible recognition of both performance and participation. A second day of competition was scheduled for January 12 at the OG&E Coliseum, extending the opportunity for more speakers to compete and for attendees to observe the program’s emphasis on communication and subject mastery.

The contest’s format and geographic reach speak to a larger trend: agricultural communities are investing in soft skills as well as technical knowledge. With entrants spanning 13 states, the event served both as a regional showcase and as a practical training ground for future farm managers, extension agents, and industry advocates. Skills developed in speech contests—public speaking, persuasive salesmanship, and policy literacy—translate directly into farm-level decision making, marketing livestock, and engaging with regulators and buyers.

For Texas County, the local placement underlines a pipeline benefit. Young people who can communicate animal science findings or argue policy positions more effectively are better positioned to influence local cooperative ventures, secure competitive contracts, and adopt innovations that improve productivity. The visibility of a Goodwell student among regional competitors may also encourage school and community programs to sustain investment in agricultural education, helping maintain a skilled rural workforce as commodity markets, labor needs, and regulatory frameworks evolve.

On the policy side, contests that include an Agricultural Policy category encourage a generation of speakers to understand and articulate how farm policy, trade dynamics, and environmental rules affect local operations. Those competencies matter to markets: clearer producer messaging and leadership can shape cooperative bargaining, influence price discovery, and affect how rural communities respond to supply chain pressures.

As the second day at OG&E Coliseum approaches, local families and educators in Texas County are likely to watch for more entrants and continued evidence that hands-on skill-building activities are advancing both individual opportunity and the county’s agricultural competitiveness.