Jennifer Boka, director of livestock operations at Denver’s National Western Stock Show (NWSS), is passionate about the history of the 118-year event, creating an experience for those in the agriculture industry and welcoming those who live in an urban setting.
“My goal here is to bring an essence of hospitality and create an atmosphere where every exhibitor knows that they are wanted at National Western, and that National Western values them whether they are coming with junior market livestock, whether they’re coming with carloads, or whether they’re in our Catch-A-Calf program,” Jennifer told WLJ.
“All of us have a unique opportunity as both exhibitors and leaders of the stock show to share the mission of agriculture with the non-agricultural industry,” she continued. “My goal is to make sure that all of those exhibitors feel welcome and that we continue to develop opportunities for them and showcase agriculture to the concrete jungle.”
Jennifer said it is essential that the livestock department at NWSS stays relevant to the industry and focuses on every animal that comes through the ring while maintaining the event’s history.
NWSS is undertaking the construction and renovation of buildings throughout the campus, including the completion of the Cille and Ron Williams Yards and their centerpiece, the HW Hutchison Family Stockyards Event Center. The Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Livestock Center and the connected Legacy Building are also under construction, which are due to be completed soon.
Jennifer said visitors will be impressed with the new event center and commented that she is in awe with the size, and that it complements the changes with the new sale rings that have been in place.
“I think when people pull into the grounds this year they will be awestruck by the size of the building and the fact that there will be nothing like it when this thing is done,” Jennifer said. “It is going to create an enthusiasm and excitement among exhibitors that we haven’t seen in a very long time.”
New additions
To further build upon that excitement and focus on the commercial cattleman, Jennifer said they brought back the Stockmen in the Stockyards commercial heifer show and sale, which had many consigners.
“Look at the history of National Western and what it was founded on,” Jennifer said. “It was founded on lots of cattle coming in on the train cars, and National Western wouldn’t be what it is today if we didn’t have that commercial car load show that started the event.”
Also new this year was an educational lineup with CattleFax CEO Randy Blach, Jeffrey Folmer of Allied Nutrition and other speakers presenting on the opening weekend of NWSS.
Jennifer said the excitement has carried over to the commercial cattleman as the number of pen entries increased to 286 this year. Jennifer continued she initially heard some apprehension about the amount of space available with the increase in entries, but she replied it was about getting more people in front of the cattle and to the yards.
Jennifer said it took her and her staff hours to coordinate when breeds were leaving and entering the grounds, and they did their best to accommodate the increase in entries. She said she couldn’t do it without her staff and people like Leon Vick, vice president of Rodeo, Horse and Livestock Operations. Jennifer said Leon builds a great team and brings a unique perspective as a commercial cattleman with a rodeo background, encouraging her ideas or telling her to throttle back.
Jennifer believes that many cattlemen and women who haven’t come to NWSS in the last few years might have felt the focus hasn’t been on the commercial side or that the event didn’t fit their operation. Jennifer said the commercial sales and educational opportunities allow ranchers to get off the ranch, discuss issues and come together as registered and commercial operators to improve their herd and operations.
The traditions are also continuing at NWSS with the Catch-A-Calf program and the opportunity for youth to showcase their animals on a significant stage. Jennifer hopes the traditions can continue to grow.
“I just think it’s a mainstay here at National Western, and even if these kids stop showing and age out of 4-H and FFA, we know we are contributing to society some great kids with a strong work ethic and a desire to take care of another life through ag projects,” Jennifer said.
In addition to NWSS being a showcase for the best cattle and genetics to cattlemen and women, Jennifer said there is a more significant message in hosting the event by showcasing agriculture to the general public. In light of anti-agriculture legislation and talk, Jennifer said NWSS has promoted agriculture for the last 118 years with a mission of agricultural improvement and advancement.
“I would say that my biggest mission this year is to make sure that while we’re taking care of our own, we’re also gathering up our own to stand together for Colorado agriculture,” Jennifer said.
NWSS held the Stockyards Beef Festival last year and other events to showcase agriculture and stewardship to the general public. Jennifer described the event as connecting the best operations with the best vintners in the state and region with people from the Denver metro. Last year’s event was sold out, and the event is scheduled to take place again this year.
“Connecting the mindset between that glass of wine and that ribeye to the producers that are grassroots, boots-on-the-ground people is something that National Western needs to focus on and we hope to continue to develop that evening so that more and more people get that exposure,” Jennifer said.
Close to home
Jennifer was born in Colorado and she recalls that her family brought paint horses to show at NWSS when she was an infant. The family has a Simmental operation north of Fort Collins, CO, and she began showing the breed at shows nationally and regularly at the American Junior Simmental Association’s National Classic. Jennifer went on to participate in judging teams at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, CO.
Her early career was in the artificial insemination business as a representative for ABS, then as the Red Angus Association of America communications director. She then became the general manager of the Northern International Livestock Exposition (NILE) in Billings, MT. Jennifer said her time at NILE building a good team and being involved with all the aspects of the operation benefitted her coming into her role at NWSS.
“You take those skill sets from all of your background—whether we’re talking about rodeo productions to the cattle shows that I’ve been involved with—it all brings you a skill set in a job like this. I can’t imagine stepping into a role like I have here without all of those life experiences coming together,” Jennifer said.
Jennifer said it felt really good coming back to NWSS, and although Colorado has changed so much with the traffic, it still feels like home.
“It feels great to be here and we have such an awesome team here at National Western,” Jennifer said. “They’re really letting us grow this event in a direction where you can take tradition and you continue that tradition to grow and bloom into some other great things, so it’s a really great feeling to be back here,” Jennifer said.
She added, “And I don’t think there’s any better place to see the best of the best in the livestock industry than the Super Bowl of livestock shows here in Denver.” — Charles Wallace, WLJ contributing editor
