SULLIVAN, Ind. – Think of Indiana, and thoughts of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Hoosier basketball or corn production might come to mind. But Angus cattle?

Believe it. Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri are top producers of the nation’s beef cows, but the trophies, banners and other top honors are testament that one producer in the Hoosier state may have claim to the best Angus in the Midwest, if not in the nation.

Ferree Fitzgerald, of Sullivan, Ind., is a show cattle farm focusing on purebred Angus and Simmental show cattle. Ferree Fitzgerald is a partnership between Mitch Ferree and Tim Fitzgerald.

“I brought my life-long expertise into the mix with Mitch,” Fitzgerald said. “I’ve been with Angus my entire life, probably 55 years.”

Fitzgerald grew up on a 17,000-acre cattle ranch in western Nebraska, an operation with a herd of 500 registered Angus cows. He obtained an animal science degree and a minor in business from Oklahoma State University. During his time at OSU, he was a member of the National Champion Livestock Judging Team, the World Champion Quarter Horse Judging Team and the Meats Judging Team.

After graduating from OSU, he moved to the east coast and operated a few Angus ranches for roughly 17 years.

“I always wanted to get back to the Midwest and there came an opportunity to do just that when a lady I worked for was getting older and wanted to downsize.”

That’s when he and his herd moved to Sullivan, Ind., and formed Ferree Fitzgerald.

“I sold Mitch a heifer years ago,” he said. “At that time my two sons were exhibiting the cattle. Mitch saw the way I exhibited my cattle and he wanted to get involved. He, too, wanted to have some of the best Angus in the country. Now his two kids, Houston and Mercedes, are showing cattle.”

Fitzgerald knows a thing or two about Angus. He has had the honor of judging many national cattle shows from coast to coast, including The National Western, North American, American Royal, Atlantic National, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and numerous stock shows as well. His own stock has earned top honors, and Houston (age 17) and Mercedes (13) have performed the task of showing the Angus at shows the past few years.

In January of this year, Mercedes exhibited the Junior Heifer Calf Division 2 winner as well as the Early Junior Yearling Heifer Champion at the 2022 Cattlemen’s Congress Junior Angus Show in Oklahoma City. Houston grabbed the Grand Champion Female at this same show and exhibited the Intermediate Heifer Champion.

Houston won Intermediate Champion Heifer at the 2022 Atlantic National Super Point Roll of Victory (ROV) Angus Show in May in Timonium, Md. He also won Late Spring Calf Champion. Mercedes was also successful at the Atlantic National Regional Preview and Super Point ROV, capturing third overall Bred-and-Owned Champion Female during the Junior Angus Show in Timonium. She also won Spring Calf Champion.

In July, Mercedes and 750 other Angus juniors competed in the 2022 National Junior Angus Show at Hale Arena in Kansas City, Mo. There she won third overall Champion-Owned Female.

Houston then captured Grand Champ Beef Heifer at this year’s Indiana State Fair while Mercedes showed the Reserve Grand Angus at this year’s 2022 Fort Worth Stock Show.

Ferree Fitzgerald was honored on Nov. 7 during the 2022 Angus Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah. Houston was awarded the Roll of Victory Show Heifer of the Year award while Ferree Fitzgerald captured the Roll of Victory Show Bull of the Year award.

 “It’s hard to have two champions, let alone one,” Fitzgerald said.

At the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) last month at the Kentucky Exposition Center, Houston was first in the Reserve Champion Angus Bull while Mercedes was champion of the Open Heifers Angus Division 1.

Billed as the “world’s largest all-breed, purebred exposition,” the NAILE is the top show for anyone interested in seeing the best livestock on exhibit. The NAILE boasts 10 divisions with nearly 30,000 entries from 48 states.

In 2021, Houston traveled to Lebanon, Tenn., where he won Grand Champion Owned Female and was the Owned Fall Heifer Calf Champion at the Atlantic National Regional Preview Junior Angus Show.

Mercedes had the Champion MaineTainer Heifer and was awarded the 4-H Intermediate Beef Showman champion at the 2021 Indiana State Fair. In December of that year, she exhibited the Reserve Champion Sim-Solution at the 2021 Hoosier Beef Congress and had the Reserve Grand Champion MaineTainer Female at the 2021 Junior Nationals. In October of that year, Houston exhibited the Grand Champion Owned Female at the 2021 American Royal Junior Angus Show in Kansas City, Mo.

Since combining efforts in Angus, Ferree Fitzgerald has captured top honors at the Indiana State Fair, Illinois State Fair, Tennessee State Fair and Missouri State Fair.

“Together, we have some of the best Angus in the United State, right here in Indiana,” Fitzgerald said.

This month, the two families will be showing in Oklahoma City at the Cattlemen’s Congress, the world’s largest stock show. Ferree Fitzgerald attends 10 to 12 shows a year now. “In 2023 we’ll be as busy as we were this year,” Fitzgerald said.