Area youth earns national showmanship title

10-year-old Jaxen Birk, a fifth-grader in Gridley, brought home a national showmanship title at the VitaFerm Junior National Hereford Expo in Wisconsin over the summer.
Jaxen Birk gets emotional after being named the peewee showmanship champion at the 2026 VitaFerm Junior National Hereford Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Birk, 10, earned the national title in his first trip to the expo, competing against 96 contestants in the peewee division. Courtesy photo
by Sarah Haney
Published: August 28, 2026
|
Preferred source Add The Iola Register as a preferred source on Google. Google Search will then show you more of our stories in Top Stories. Opens Google; you may need to sign in.

10-year-old Jaxen Birk, a fifth-grader in Gridley, brought home a national showmanship title at the VitaFerm Junior National Hereford Expo in Wisconsin over the summer.

Jaxen Birk, left, his mom Ashton and 6-year-old brother Heston.

The heat of a Wisconsin summer was no match for 10-year-old Jaxen Birk and his young Hereford, Tootsie. The Gridley fifth-grader stepped into the show ring at the VitaFerm Junior National Hereford Expo in July and walked out a national champion.

Birk, who attends Burlington schools, is the son of Ashton and Brandon Birk, grandson of Greg and Jackie McIntyre, and the great-grandson of Iolan Beverly Franklin. He was named the 2026 peewee showmanship national champion during the July 4-10 event in Madison, Wisconsin. Competing against 96 contestants in the peewee division, Birk earned the top honor during his first trip to the Junior National Hereford Expo.

The national competition drew 629 exhibitors across four age divisions, making Birk’s accomplishment particularly meaningful for the young livestock exhibitor who has been showing cattle for only three years.

Sarah Haney

Sarah joined the Register in November 2023. With 13 years of experience in journalism, she is a 2009 graduate of Cottey College, in Nevada, Mo with a degree in English. Upon graduating, she began her career in journalism at her hometown paper in 2010. Over the next 13 years (and a brief hiatus to Fayetteville, Ark.), she worked her way up to the position of editor and enjoyed the connections she built within her community. Sarah is a member of Rotary Club International and the P.E.O. Sisterhood. She enjoys reading, listening to her vinyl records, and spending time with family and friends.

All Articles

Leave a Reply

The Iola Register Comment Policy

The Iola Register needs your voice. We welcome your on-topic commentary. Comments are moderated for civility. Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.

Trending now

  1. Marmaton Valley schools eye upgrades

  2. Area athletes peak at the right time

  3. Cooking up something sweet

  4. Allen County voters reject sales tax

  5. Road near Humboldt closed due to washout

Related articles

Recent Videos

View our channel