COLUMBUS, Ohio –Hosted by the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA), the 2026 Ohio Beef Expo brought together cattlemen from across the Midwest. As the premier showcase for the state’s cattle industry, the Expo featured a seven-breed seedstock sale that grossed $1,738,250 across 284 live lots, averaging $6,121 per lot.

While the sale takes place over the course of a day, the foundation for these multi-million-dollar figures was laid months in advance through the efforts of breed sale managers. For these professionals, the Expo is not a weekend event – it is a year-round job that involves recruitment, vetting and strategic marketing. Behind every high-selling bull is a manager who spent the winter looking for high-quality cattle.

Craig Reiter, of PrimeTime AgriMarketing Network Inc., who has managed the Maine-Anjou sale for 24 years, noted that a lot of administrative work happens between January and March, but the quality search is ongoing.

“It’s really a year-round process as far as recruiting cattle to the event,” Reiter said. “I’ve got a committed core of breeders that make that sale part of their annual marketing plan. That lets me know I’ve got a base to build around every year.”

That base requires constant cultivation and a discerning eye. Managers act as monitors, assessing the cattle to ensure they meet the pragmatic production standards that buyers have come to trust. Roger Hunker, of Breeders World, who handled the Aberdeen Angus and Miniature Hereford sales, describes his role in assembling high-quality seedstock.

“Your job then is you’re trying to get people to consign,” Hunker said. “It’s about vetting the cattle and making sure the quality is there to represent the breed. You have to ensure that when a buyer steps into that ring, they are seeing the best of what Ohio and the surrounding regions have to offer.”

The behind-the-scenes work also includes marketing the sale. Catalogs, digital advertising, and social media outreach are all aimed at a single goal: getting “butts in the seats.” Jeff Winkle, breeds chairman and president of the Ohio Shorthorn Association, noted that the catalog remains the largest single expense for many associations, often costing upward of $10,000. However, as the 2026 numbers show, that investment is returning dividends.

The Simmental sale was the volume leader this spring, successfully moving 86 lots. Along with the high volume, the breed maintained a $6,515 average, a testament to the demand for the breed in both commercial and seedstock operations.

The Angus was a high-volume leader as well, moving 41 lots with an average of $5,984. A highlight for the breed was the top-selling bull from Rains Angus, which commanded $14,000.

The Maine-Anjou sale achieved an $8,716 average, accounting for over 34 percent of the entire Expo’s total gross. The headline price of the entire event was the $58,000 (50 percent interest) paid for Moonshine 59N, a bull consigned by Schaeffer Tice and Tolle.

The breed’s success is anchored by a “committed core” of approximately 12 breeders who treat the Ohio Beef Expo as a primary annual marketing event. This ensures that the quality remains high and reliable year after year, which builds buyer confidence. In 2026, the Maine-Anjou sale featured 27 total consignors, nearly half of whom were part of this consistent, high-quality core.

“People are making decisions based on value and quality,” Reiter said of the high-end bull market. “When the bulls average $9,000, it’s not really a price-driven situation. It’s about value. You can use a bull for 4 or 5 years, take him to the sale barn, and get $4,000 or $5,000 out of him... the balance is still very much in favor of the buyer.”

For breeds like the Miniature Herefords and Aberdeen Angus, success is measured by attracting new interest to the industry. Hunker pointed out how this sale pushed the breed into multiple locations outside of Ohio.

“In the minis, it’s cattle sold in seven different states. Aberdeen sold into nine,” Hunker said. “It’s other breeders or folks that are interested in getting into those breeds.”

The Hereford sale saw a balanced demand for both bulls and females, resulting in a consistent $5,075 average.

Jeff Winkle, breeds chairman and president of the Ohio Shorthorn Association, highlighted how a strategic shift helped the Shorthorn sale reinvigorate its numbers. By moving the sale to a Friday night and adding a social hour, the Shorthorn gross jumped from $92,000 in 2022 to over $259,000 in 2026, with 50 lots selling at a $4,756 average.

This strategic shift helped maintain momentum even as producers’ input costs continued to rise. Winkle emphasizes that the Expo serves as a “premium” outlet where producers expect more than just market price – fthey expect a return on their genetic investment.

“We had to turn our organization around and get it to where it paid,” Winkle said. “The easiest way to have a great sale is to have great stuff to sell... If you can get your gross up, your expenses stay down around 10-11 percent.”

Ultimately, whether a sale moves 14 lots or 86, the goal of the Ohio Beef Expo remains the same: proving that the OCA event is the premier destination for the Midwest.

“I think the sales at the Ohio Beef Expo are just going to keep getting better,” Winkle said. “There’s one reason people come to the Expo and bring their stuff. It pays.”