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Upcoming Events

2026 Annual National Convention

at The Monument in Rapid City, S.D., June 16-18
Days
Hours
Minutes
Attendee Registration
Trade Show/Sponsor Registration
Kimmi Lewis Convention Scholarship

2026 Registration — Due April 1 for Sponsors and June 1 for Attendees. Kimmi Lewis Convention Scholarship applications due May 1.

Hotel Accommodations

DoubleTree by Hilton
(605) 348-4000 

Rooms start at $164/night + tax.
Room block: R-CALF

505 N 5th Street
Rapid City, SD 57701

The Rushmore Hotel & Suites
(605) 348-8300

Rooms start at $179/night + tax.
Room block: National R-CALF Convention

445 Mt. Rushmore Rd.
Rapid City, SD 57701 

2026 Agenda

3 – 7 p.m.
Trade Show Set Up
3 p.m.
Committee Meetings
5 p.m.
Affiliate Council Meeting
6 p.m.
Welcome Reception Sponsored by American Stewards of Liberty
Committee Reports – Shad Sullivan, Property Rights; Kenny Fox, Animal ID; Brett Kenzy, Checkoff; Eric Gropper, Country-of-Origin Labeling; Max Thornsberry, Animal Health; Eric Nelson, Trade; Bill Kluck, Sheep; Theresa Fox, Membership
Branding Party Sponsored by W&W Ventures
7 a.m.
Trade Show Set Up and Registration Open
8 a.m.
Trade Show Open
Convention Welcome
8:30 a.m.
Annual Prayer Breakfast
— Dr. Max Thornsberry, Animal Health Chair; Former President
9:45 a.m.
Trade Show Break
Sponsored by Kent Nutrition and Circle 5 Cow School
10:30 a.m.
Connecting Consumers to American Beef
— Ben Spell, Founder and CEO, Good Ranchers
11:15 a.m.
The Power of a Dollar
— Brett Kenzy, South Dakota Rancher; Checkoff Chair; Former President
Sponsored by Rosebud Farmers Union Coop
12 p.m.
Lunch and Trade Show Break
Sponsored by Valentine Livestock Auction and Farm Credit Services of America
1 p.m.
Speaker to be announced
1:45 p.m.
Wolf Issues
— Dave Duquette, Founder and Executive Director, Western Justice
2:30 p.m.
Break
Sponsored by Becker Ranch, Volk Ranch, and Huron Continental Marketing
3:15 p.m.
Tariffs, Trade Policy, and Their Impact on American Ranchers
— Charles Benoit, Trade Counsel, Coalition for a Prosperous America
4 p.m.
ELD Panel: Where Policy Meets Practice
— Dr. Jim Stangle; Dr. Julie Trask; Kenny Fox
Sponsored by Independent Cattlemen of Wyoming
5 p.m.
Trade Show Closed
Social Sponsored by Producers Livestock Marketing, Moly Manufacturing, K4 Cattle, and Farm Credit Services of America
Branding Party Sponsored by W&W Ventures
6 p.m.
Banquet and Supper
Sponsored by Tri-State Livestock News
Keynote Address
— Speaker to be announced
8 a.m.
Registration and Trade Show Open
R-CALF USA Membership breakfast Sponsored by Ft. Pierre Livestock Auction
CEO Report
— Bill Bullard, CEO
Antitrust Litigation Update
— Patrick McGahan, Partner, Scott + Scott
EID Litigation Update
— John Vecchione, Senior Litigation Counsel, New Civil Liberties Alliance
9:30 a.m.
Trade Show Break Sponsored by South Dakota Farmers Union, Carruth Ranch, and Clark & Associates Land Brokers
10:15 a.m.
Speaker to be announced
11:30 a.m.
A Primer and Update on Federal Land Grazing
— Hayden Ballard, J.D., LL.M., M.S.; Utah/Arizona Rancher and Attorney
Sponsored by Korman Ranch
12:15 p.m.
Lunch
Sponsored by Ag West Feeds
Competition and Buyer Power in the US Beef Packing Industry
— T. Jake Smith, Assistant Professor, Agricultural Economics, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Sponsored by Bar N Feed Yards
1:15 p.m.
Trade Show Break Sponsored by Mobridge Livestock Market and Independent Cattlemen of Wyoming
1:30 p.m.
Narco-Ranching and New World Screwworm
— Dr. Lora Bledsoe, Policy Advisor, Office of Health Security, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
2:15 p.m.
Why It All Matters
— Shad Sullivan, Texas/Colorado Rancher; Property Rights Chair
Sponsored by Vander Wey Ranch
3 p.m.
Trade Show Break Sponsored by Trask Family Seeds and The Cattle Business Weekly
3:30 p.m.
Business Session, Board Nominations, and Policy Resolutions
5 p.m.
Trade Show Closed
Social
Sponsored by Jenner Equipment, County Line Helicopter, Bar N Cattle, and Leininger Ranch
6 p.m.
Denim and Diamonds Gala: Dinner, Auction, and Dance featuring JJ Kent and the Aces and 8’s
Sponsored by Weinreis Brothers

** Agenda subject to change. Additional speakers to be announced.

Downloadable PDF Version

2026 Speakers

Ben Spell

Good Ranchers Founder and CEO

Ben Spell founded Good Ranchers in 2018 and has grown it into a nationally recognized direct-to-consumer brand serving more than 100,000 families. He is a strong advocate for American agriculture and domestic supply chains, using his platform to support U.S. farmers and ranchers.

Bill Bullard

R-CALF USA Chief Executive Officer

Bill Bullard serves as CEO of R-CALF USA, advocating for independent cattle producers across the United States. With a background as a South Dakota cow/calf producer and former public utilities executive, he has testified before Congress and federal agencies and leads the organization’s legal and policy initiatives.

Brett Kenzy

Former R-CALF USA President, Checkoff Chair

Brett Kenzy is a fourth-generation rancher in South Dakota, operating Kenzy Backgrounding with his family. A U.S. Army veteran and former R-CALF USA president, he advocates for independent ranchers and the strength of rural communities.
Sponsored by: Rosebud Farmers Union

Charles Benoit

Trade Counsel, Coalition for a Prosperous America

Charles is Senior Trade Counsel at the Coalition for a Prosperous America, where he advises on trade policy and enforcement. An experienced trade attorney, he has represented clients before federal courts, the USITC, and USTR, and previously served as outside counsel to the European Commission during U.S.–EU trade negotiations.

Dave Duquette

Founder & Executive Director, Western Justice

Dave Duquette is the founder of Western Justice and a longtime advocate for agriculture and rural America. A Marine and former horse trainer from Oregon, he has worked on key legislation in Washington, D.C., supporting farmers’ and ranchers’ rights. Through his work, he defends the Western way of life and promotes policies impacting livestock, land use, and wildlife management.

Dr. Lora Bledsoe

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Health Security, Policy Advisor

Dr. Lora Bledsoe, DVM, serves as a Policy Advisor at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, working on agricultural resilience and animal health policy. She brings over a decade of experience as a food animal veterinarian, along with leadership in rural public service, including founding a mobile veterinary practice and serving as a mayor.

Dr. Max Thornsberry

Former R-CALF USA President, Parliamentarian, Animal Health Chair

Dr. Max Thornsberry is a retired food animal veterinarian with nearly five decades of experience in livestock production and dairy calf health. A graduate of the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, he has owned and operated a feedlot, authored major veterinary reference works, and continues to provide consulting services to cattle producers nationwide.

Hayden Ballard

J.D., LL.M., M.S. Rancher and attorney

Hayden Ballard is a sixth-generation rancher from Southern Utah/Northern Arizona, an attorney, and founder of Great Western Resources, where he advocates for land-use and agriculture policy in the West. He has served as a lecturer on western ranching issues and has engaged in national policy work, including participation in a U.S. Supreme Court amicus filing. He also works in agricultural insurance and remains active in ranching with his family.
Sponsored by: Korman Ranch

John Vecchione

Senior Litigation Counsel New Civil Liberties Alliance

John Vecchione serves as Senior Litigation Counsel at the New Civil Liberties Alliance, focusing on strategic litigation against federal administrative overreach. He is an experienced trial and appellate attorney who has argued cases in courts across the country, including the U.S. Supreme Court, and previously served as President and CEO of the Cause of Action Institute.

Patrick McGahan

Partner, Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP

Patrick McGahan is a partner at Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP, where he focuses on antitrust and competition litigation for corporate and institutional clients. He has significant experience in agricultural antitrust matters and is co-lead counsel in the In re Cattle and Beef Antitrust Litigation. His broader practice includes securities litigation, arbitration, and complex commercial disputes.

Shad Sullivan

Rancher and R-CALF USA Property Rights Chair

Shad Sullivan is a fifth-generation rancher from southeast Colorado who operates his family’s stocker cattle operation. A West Texas A&M graduate, he is a national advocate for private property rights and serves in leadership roles with R-CALF USA while also contributing to ranching-focused media and outreach.
Sponsored by: Vander Wey Ranch

T. Jake Smith

Assistant Professor, Agricultural Economics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Jake Smith is an Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. His research focuses on how market structure, procurement practices, and public policy influence prices, production, and resilience in agricultural sectors, including the beef packing industry. He holds a PhD in Economics from Iowa State University, where he also served as a postdoctoral researcher.
Sponsored by: Bar N Cattle

EID Panel

Dr. Jim Stangle, Veterinarian (SD)
Dr. Julie Trask, Veterinarian (SD)
Kenny Fox, Animal ID Chair, R-CALF USA

Sponsored by: Independent Cattlemen of Wyoming