AMERICAN ANGUS AUXILIARY Miss American Angus
Claire Murnin - 2026 Miss American Angus
“This old town can slow you down
People takin’ the easy way
But I know exactly where I’m goin’
I’m gettin’ closer and closer
And I’m almost there, I’m almost there”
Tiana from Disney’s Princess and the Frog sings this song as she discusses with her mother her dreams of the day she makes it as a restaurant owner. Tiana is a girl with big dreams and is not afraid of the challenges she faces to get there. Step by step she achieved her goal. She built a better tomorrow today.
A young girl hums this same song as she twirls around the National Junior Angus Show picture backdrop with a Princess Barbie in her hand. She sees showmen of all ages walk in the ring with their Angus cattle, dreaming one day she can stand among them and show herself. Another twirl and she spots HER. Miss American Angus. How can this be? An Angus showman AND true royalty? To a three-year-old girl this seems like EVERYTHING. Just like Tiana from Princess and the Frog, a Princess who is working toward opening her own restaurant, this little girl now has big dreams.
In reality, dreams aren’t enough. Dreamers have to be do-ers to build tomorrow today. A dream is defined as, “a strongly desired goal or purpose.” Having a dream or strong desire is a strong foundation for success, but action must be taken. Dreams have to be quantified into a clear goal. An action plan must be put in place. Consistency must be practiced. Adversity must be overcome. Dreamers are do-ers that build a better tomorrow today.
In the Angus breed, we have had a long list of do-ers that have built a better tomorrow by taking action.
George Grant was a do-er. He had the dream to bring Angus cattle to the United States. He had a vision. People laughed, and thought he was crazy to bring these bulls to America to breed to Texas Longhorns. But he persevered and now the American Angus Association is the largest breed registry in the United States and world with over 21 million total registrations.
Certified Angus Beef was created by do-ers. They saw the need for clarity in the beef market. By creating a premium eating experience for the beef consumer, they created a demand for beef through their marketing. There was a long list of people who said it would never work. But the visionaries kept true to the dream. To date, CAB boasts over a billion pounds of beef marketed annually since 1978. Not so silly of an idea now.
Minnie Lou Bradley was a do-er. She became the first woman on the OSU livestock judging team, won high individual at the 1952 International Livestock Judging Contest, established the 13,000-acre Bradley-3 Ranch, and in 1998 became the first woman elected to the American Angus Association board of directors, later becoming the first female President. Was Miss Minnie’s path easy? Absolutely not. This female trailblazer raised cattle that people told her would never work. But she knew they were just the type of low input Angus that her environment needed. Her customer base grew as she stayed committed to the goals she had for raising efficient Angus cattle in West Texas. Today, Minnie Lou’s legacy, Bradley-3 Ranch, thrives by marketing seedstock to commercial producers. Her persistence has paid off.
I, myself, am a do-er. Being a first generation Angus breeder, I have had to take action to make my dreams come true. Starting at the ripe age of two, I begged my parents for an Angus show heifer. Having watched for ages, I knew that it was my dream to show myself. So overtime I saved every pretty penny to buy my own Angus show heifer. While that eight year old didn’t know the value of the breed she was getting into, she later found a passion for its people, its programs, and its cattle.
Over time, I realized passion for Angus cattle was not enough. I saw an extreme need to advocate for all the people that help build this breed and the beef industry. Eventually, I found that I could make an impact by advocating on social media, creating my own brand 365 Days of Agriculture. I use social media to give a peak into the world of Agriculture and beef production, 365 days of the year. While it was scary to put myself out there when I started, three years later I share content to educate the public and consumers about the importance of agriculture. I am a voice for agriculture. Some days are jam packed full and posting might not be the most convenient, but it is important to build my audience and advocate for what we all do, every day. I am a do-er.
But at the core, dreamers are do-ers because of the habits they create to achieve their goals. To be a do-er you must identify a dream. But the real progress comes from studying the dream, then refining what you want to do. Then that idea must become action with consistency. Without work everyday, your goal will never be accomplished. Through creating consistent habits, do-ers achieve their dreams, no matter the trials they face. Without consistent habits, people are not able to move forward, rather they stay stagnant.
If you haven’t already guessed that little girl with the Princess Barbie and a huge admiration for Angus cattle was me. I am an Angus cattle enthusiast. I am a dreamer. But most importantly, I am a do-er. Following in the footsteps of many other do-ers that built a better tomorrow today. And in the words of Disney’s Tiana, “while there’s been trials and tribulations, I’m almost there.”