NILE Merit Heifer Program

Presented by Phillips 66

The NILE Merit Heifer Program was developed to help youth get a start in the beef cattle business. Selected recipients that are awarded a heifer are chosen based on merit, future goals and ability to care for the animal. Any youth that is between 12 and 16 years of age as of June 30 of the given year and is a 4-H or FFA member may apply. This program is not limited to youth in Montana. Interested applicants must submit an application (think of this as applying for a live animal scholarship) with a deadline of June 30 of the given year. Project participants will be selected by October and will be recognized at the NILE Stock Show in October.

Each program participant will own their heifer jointly with NILE until the completion of the program, at which time NILE officials will sign off and the participant will take full ownership of the heifer. During the program duration, participants are responsible for raising the heifer, arranging for her bred, completing the record keeping procedure and bringing the animal back one year later as a bred replacement heifer for exhibit at the NILE Stock Show.

The program is completed after the heifer is determined bred, all record keeping has been completed and the heifer has been shown at the NILE Stock Show. Note: participants will not sell their program animals at NILE, the purpose of this program is to help the participant start his or her own cattle herd.

Questions?
Program Coordinator: Shelby Shaw
shelby@thenile.org | 406-256-2499

2025-2026 NILE Merit Heifer Donors

3C Cattle Company

Diamond S Cattle

L Bar W Cattle Company

Quarter Circle Livestock

Streamside Cattle Company

Beery Land & Livestock

Diemert Ranch Herefords

Lost Creek Red Angus

Redland Red Angus

TC Cattle Company

Blue Drifter Ranch

Flesch Angus

Maple Leaf Cattle 

SidBar Cattle

Triple Rafter Ranch

Christensen Red Angus

Gateway Simmental

Murdock Cattle Company

Sidwell Ranch

Walborn Cattle Company

DeBruycker Charolais

Gilleard Show Stock

Prickly Pear Simmental Ranch

Stock Ranch

Wooden Shoe Farms

2026 NILE Merit Heifer Recipients

Hannah Braaten — Sheridan, MT | Redland Red Angus — Hysham, MT
Nicole Braaten — Sheridan, MT | Stock Ranch — Bozeman, MT
Vivian Byrnes — Cascasde, MT | Flesch Angus — Shelby, MT
Lainey Clark — Fishtail, MT | Lost Creek Red Angus — Molt, MT
Emersyn Cleppe — Huson, MT | Gilleard Show Stock — Stevensville, MT
Lindie Cummings — Cascade, MT | 3C Cattle Company LLC — Stevensville, MT
Maylea Dawson — Boulder, MT | Triple Rafter Ranch — Jordan, MT
Mason DeBolt — Medical Lake, WA | Blue Drifter Ranch — Baker City, OR
Lauren Duey — Billings, MT | SidBar Cattle — Hardin, MT
Kiley Eckhart — Helena, MT | Prickly Pear Simmental Ranch — Helena, MT
                                                                  Zachary Eckhart — Helena, MT | Walborn Cattle Company — Hardin, MT                                                                    Troy Edwards — Nampa, ID | Wooden Shoe Farms — Blackfoot, ID
Judson Hall — Pomeroy, WA | TC Cattle Company — Warden, WA
Ainsley Hobley — Glendive, MT | Gateway Simmental — Lewistown, MT
Heidi Hutchison — Belgrade, MT | Maple Leaf Cattle — Shoshoni, WY
Katie Kolenosky — Perdue, SK, Canada | DeBruycker Charolais (Kesler Martin) — Choteau, MT
Brayden Krogstad — Bozeman, MT | L Bar W Cattle Company — Absarokee, MT
Taelyn Kuka — Valier, MT | Diemert Ranch Herefords — Lothair, MT
Karlee Marks — Hermiston, OR | Murdock Cattle Company — Echo, OR 
Kenndyl Meine — Dillon, MT | Christensen Red Angus — Park City, MT
Molly Miller — Fromberg, MT | Diamond S Cattle — Ismay, MT
Orin Sell — Sheridan, WY | Beery Land & Livestock — Vida, MT
                                                                     Parker Skinner — Hall, MT | Streamside Cattle Company — Manhattan, MT                                                              Whitlee Theener — Altamont, UT | Quarter Circle Livestock — Laramie, WY 
Kaylynn Weber — Shoshoni, WY | Sidwell Ranch — Columbus, MT

 

2025 NILE Merit Heifer Show Champions