For Immediate Release
Colorado Youth Join Kentucky Youngsters to Experience Livestock Expo Operations
by Claude L. Brock
(Louisville, KY) – November 13, 2010 – Two Colorado youngsters from Salida and Nathrop
have traveled to the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) to work in the
beef and sheep market shows at the big expo. They teamed up with two Marion, Kentucky youth
to form an “East Meets West” youth team.
The Colorado youth are Ike Timko, 12, of Salida, Colorado, who is accompanied by his
mother, Tracy. Jase Staudt, 13, of Nathrop, Colorado is accompanied by his mother, Kristi.
The Kentucky youngsters are Lauren Beavers, 13, and Danielle Byar,13, both of Marion,
Kentucky. Ronda Beavers, Lauren’s mother, accompanied Lauren, along with Adam, Lauren’s
younger brother.
Donnie Beavers organized the visit in cooperation with expo management. According to
Donnie, the four young people are helping with preparation of the Junior Steer Show and the
Junior Market Lamb Show. Those two events, plus the Junior Market Swine Show, are the only
three market shows held at the expo, and they are youth events. Champion and Reserve
Champion Steers, Wethers and Hogs that emerge victorious from the Junior Market Shows are
sold on the last Thursday of the expo at the famous youth Sale of Champions.
Donnie said he wanted to organize the visit, because he remembers the first time he
visited the exposition as a 15-year-old youngster. The experience influenced his dedication to
livestock agriculture, and he later became a 25-year veteran of expo service, culminating as Steer
Show Superintendent.
The Colorado and Kentucky youngsters are leaders of the future. Donnie and
management of the North American International have always placed high priority on youth
education and participation at the world’s largest purebred livestock exposition. The “East
Meets West” foursome have already agreed that the exposition is “awesome” and they dived
headlong in to their duties as 4-H Junior Staff Members at the NAILE.
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Donnie said he invited Jase Staudt of Nathrop, Colorado to the expo after seeing him on
American Rancher Television. “I felt he was the right quality Western youngster to include in the
“East Meets West” program and was impressed with his television appearance”, said Donnie.
Ike Timko of Salida, Colorado, was also invited, because Donnie said, “young people travel
better in pairs.”
The North American International Livestock Exposition is the largest purebred livestock
exposition in the world. Dates of the 2010 event are November 6-19, during which more than
22,000 livestock entries will be shown in 12 livestock types. Over 200,000 people visit the expo
during the two-week run of events, and visitors from 15 foreign countries also attend as they
search for purebred livestock to improve their international herds and flocks.
This year marks the 37th year of the expo, an internationally respected event that has done
much to showcase and improve purebred livestock production worldwide.
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