Regional Shows and the International Championship Show were created by the International Texas Longhorn Association BOD as marketing tools to promote and exhibit the finest quality Texas Longhorn cattle. The ultimate goal is to not only produce professional exhibitors, but also to produce good, sound, structurally correct cattle that will compete in the sale ring, on the range and in the show ring. The show ring is a tool to enlighten cattle people to the many true qualities of Texas Longhorn cattle, create marketing opportunities and reward superior cattle.

 Judges will be chosen from the International Texas Longhorn Association list of approved judges. The approved judges list will be made available to all sponsoring groups upon request and is also available on-line at the ITLA web site. (www.itla.com).

  Each new prospective judge will be required to attend a judging clinic and to serve as an apprentice judge with an ITLA experienced judge before his/her first official show. Other requirements may be added from time to time by the ITLA BOD.

A review clinic attendance is recommended for each judge every two years as a continuing education. Other continuing education for approved judges includes active participation in the Texas Longhorn industry, frequent attendance at shows and sales. Approved judges shall be aware of cattle current values for considerations in class placements.

On February 16 the first part of an ITLA Webinar will be conducted via high speed internet. This will be live on-line presentations, power point, questions, answers and illustrations by a team of current approved judges. Each current judge can do their two year review, new prospective judges can participate as well as ITLA members or non-members interested in expanding their knowledge of Texas Longhorn judging. The second half day session is on the next Saturday, February 23. 

In the ITLA Webinar people can participate in every country by previously enrolling with ITLA. The Webinar will be available at a small fee and the ITLA Judges Manual will be provided at no charge. The number of participants is unlimited and each person may be able to text the presenters during the program. It will be a two part program of 4 hours each. Illustrations will include over 300 close up anatomy teaching graphics.

More information will be available soon as technical procedures and programs are purchased. This is the first worldwide judging Webinar of it's kind in the cattle industry. ITLA continues to improve the show system, to improve consistency, professionalism and concise procedures.

We listened and made a change in response to the registrations!

The seminar time of BOTH DAYS has been changed to 4:30 PM CST to 8:00 PM to better handle the response and to better accommodate international attendees.  Thank you for your registrations and making this a great member-focused seminar of the International Texas Longhorn Association!

>>>NOTE THE NEW TIME FOR BOTH DAYS<<<

February 16, 2013 4:30 PM CST to 8:00 PM(Part 1)

February 23, 2013 4:30 PM CST to 8:00 PM(Part 2)

Call the Office for More information @ 254-898-0157

Visit www.ITLA.com 

By Justin Johnson

Saturday, January 25 was a great day to have a Texas Longhorn show at the Denver National Western Stock Show. The weather was terrific, and Longhorn enthusiasts turned out for it. The show was open to both TLBAA and ITLA registered cattle at the invitation of Mountains and Plains Texas Longhorn Association, the region's TLBAA affiliate.

  Gary Cole of Longhorn Legends of Penrose, CO, rode one of his show steers in the opening ceremony, and brought the capacity crowd to its feet. The judge was Jerry Miller of Hollister, FL, and Jim Civis of Lamar, CO, announced the show. The haltered cattle show was first and the non-haltered show followed.

Barbara Fillmore of Elbert, CO, took first in the opening class for yearlings with her Red Tail Ranch halter bull calf RTR Light My Fire. Kimberly Nikodym of Commander's Place Longhorns in Newcastle, OK, won second with her bull Flint N Steel Cowboy CPL. Kim Nikodym's bull Nacho Cowboy CPL wound up Junior Champion Haltered Bull while Fillmore's Light My Fire was reserve.

 There was a great group of yearling heifers this year, and after the dust settled, Tom Matott (M2 Land & Cattle Co. of Castle Rock, CO) took Junior Champion Haltered Female with his heifer M2 Cooter Mountain, and Kim Nikodym's heifer Aloha Cowgirl CPL was reserve.

Kenny Richardson of Greeley, CO (Fossil Creek Longhorns) had a great showing with his senior heifers. His heifer FCL Gypsy Queen was Senior Champion Haltered Female, and his FCL Brown Sugar was reserve.

Matott's M2 Cooter Mountain was named Grand Champion Haltered Female, while Nikodym's Aloha Cowgirl CPL was reserve. Richardson won both Grand Champion Haltered Mature Female and Reserve Grand Champion with SV Buttons and Bows, and FCL Sweet Hitchhiker, respectively.

Ronald and Lana Pearson (Windy Point Longhorns) of Fowler, CO, won both Junior Champion Non-Haltered Female and Reserve Junior Champion with Windy Point Samoa and Windy Point Delady, respectively.

Stan Searle (Searle Ranches) of Monument, CO, took first in the next class of heifers (two-year-olds) with Feel the Fire, and John and Darlene Nelson (Cloverbloom Ranch) of Wellington, CO, saw their Shamrock Angel Baby take second. Clyde and Virginia Peek (Peek Ranch) of Franktown, CO, were first in the following class of two-year-olds with Mile High Molly, while Randy and Marsha Witte (Red Ink Ranch) of Peyton, CO, took second with Hippy Lady.

Wittes' Ranger's Gun won Senior Champion Non-Haltered Female as well as Grand Champion Non-Haltered Female. Peeks' Mile High Molly won Reserve Champion as well as Reserve Grand Champion.

Pearson's Windy Point Dearest 2 Red was Grand Champion Non-Haltered Dam, and Searle's Bar S Emotions was Reserve Grand Champion.

Peeks' bull Golly Moses was Champion Non-Haltered Bull, and Robert and Julie Balzan's (Balzan Ranch of Wheatland, WY) Frost 3 was Reserve Champion Non-Haltered Bull.

There was a great group of steers this year, and Gary Cole won both Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion with his riding steers Sandollar Newton and PRL Son of Sailor, respectively.

Both affiliates, Mountain States Texas Longhorn Association (ITLA) and Mountains and Plains Texas Longhorn Association (TLBAA) vowed to work together to make next year's National Western Texas Longhorn Show bigger and better.

For the eighth straight year, Longhorns have led the stock show parade through downtown Denver. The cattle are brought to town by Stan Searle, and ever since the first cattle drive was held in 2006, the parade has continued to grow in popularity with thousands of spectators lining 17th Street from Union Station to the Brown Palace Hotel.    

This year's donation towards the ITLA scholarship fund, a caribou shoulder mount, is out of Dr. Graham's trophy room. Anyone can also add any amount of money to the Scholarship Fund for the Junior ITLA members.

ITLA Scholarship Winner Samantha King

Mi Tierra Ranch is donating a caribou shoulder mount out of Dr. Graham's trophy room. Shoulder mount horn measurements are 45" tip to tip and 101" total. On March 9, 2013 this caribou mount will go up for auction at the Best of the Trails Texas Longhorn Spring Sale at

 Mo-Kan Livestock, Passaic, MO at 11 a.m. 660-679-6535

All the proceeds will go to the International Texas Longhorn Assn. Junior scholarship fund. The 2012 Junior recipient is Pre-med to become a large animal veterinarian.

You can also be a ITLA Scholarship Sponsor by being a

Big Game Hunter for $500 and over

 Caribou Sharp Shooter for $200-$499

Marksman for $100-$199

 Contact

Dale Eppard, Mi Tierra Ranch, Joplin, MO   417-592-7667