Join top professionals in the cattle industry as they bring the up to date information on today's hottest topics. Additional speaker announcements coming soon!

Roy Cox

Cow Dog Demo
Friday, March 27 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Live Demonstration Arena

Roy Cox was born and raised in South Wales, Australia. He later moved to the United States to Oklahoma where he began to work for a cutting horse trainer.

While working there, Roy got his first dog, which was half Blue Heeler, half Border Collie. He used this dog to pin the cutting cattle and his dog training began. After working in Oklahoma for six years, Roy moved to North Texas to train horses for EE Ranches.

During this time, Roy also began to import Kelpies from Australia. After working for EE Ranches for six years, Roy bought a place in Thackerville, Oklahoma and began to train dogs full time.

Roy then began the process of starting the Red River Cattle Dog Association where he served as the original president and continues to hold a position on the board of directors. Competing in the competitions held by the Red River Cattle Dog Association, Roy won the award “Reserve Dog of the Year” four times. Roy also competed in the “World Cattle Dog Challenge” in Alturas, California, and won reserve dog two years in a row.

Roy currently lives in Oklahoma where he works dogs and travels to conduct clinics.

Dr. Shannon Ferrell

General Session | Five Steps Forward: Managing the Generational Transfer
Friday, March 27 | 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Ballroom AB

Shannon Ferrell is a Professor in the Oklahoma State University Department of Agricultural Economics, where he specializes in Agricultural Law.  He grew up on a cattle and wheat operation in Western Oklahoma, and obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Agricultural Economics from OSU before obtaining his Juris Doctorate from the Oklahoma City University School of Law with endorsements in Estate Planning and Business and Financial Services Law.  Shannon spent several years in full-time private practice before joining OSU in 2007.

As an educator and speaker, Shannon helps audiences all over North America understand the fundamental legal elements of farm business management and farm transition planning.  He has delivered presentations and workshops to a cumulative audience of nearly 40,000 across the U.S. and Canada, and has authored over 50 publications, including serving as lead author on the Farm Transition Workbook.  In private practice, he helps farmers and ranchers navigate the family, business, and legal dynamics of farm transitions.

Matt Makens

Opening General Session: Weather Outlook
Friday, March 27 | 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. | Ballroom AB

Matt Makens has presented thousands of weather forecasts and outlooks to dozens of industries since the 1990s. Matt founded Makens Weather in 2016 and grew quickly by providing actionable, clearly communicated weather and climate information. The primary focus is on long-term seasonal forecasts and short-term weather hazards for the agricultural industry. Makens Weather serves global clients across Australia, Canada, and the United States, including CattleFax and NCBA.

Makens grew up outside Castle Rock, Colorado, on a small acreage where he competed annually at the Douglas County Fair and Rodeo and was a member of the livestock judging team. Matt attended the University of Kansas and graduated with a degree in Atmospheric Science.

He and his wife, Hillary, also serve the beef industry, live in Douglas County, Colorado, where they are raising their two children.

Marty Smith

Keynote Session: A Voice Shaped by Agriculture
Saturday, March 28 | 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Ballroom AB

Marty Smith is one of ESPN’s most popular and recognized reporters and hosts who currently covers a variety of sports, including college football, basketball, golf, motorsports, and others. Smith’s features and reporting are often seen on ESPN platforms, including SportsCenter and ESPN.com.

Smith co-hosts the popular show Marty and McGee on SEC Network and ESPN Radio, alongside co-host Ryan McGee. The duo hit the road each Saturday during college football season, following SEC Nation to various campuses across the Southeastern Conference. Smith also guest-hosted SEC Nation during Fall 2019.

Smith, who joined ESPN in 2006, launched his own show Marty Smith’s America in August 2017. Some of sport’s biggest names, including Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Major Golf champion Rory McIlroy, and Oklahoma City’s Paul George, sat down with Smith during the tenure of his show, in addition to stars outside of sports, including music artist Sam Hunt. Smith traveled the world for various features, including his trip to Rome with Coach Jim Harbaugh and the University of Michigan football team, where he spent a week following the team as they saw the sights of Italy.

From 2007-2014, Smith was ESPN’s lead NASCAR reporter for both SportsCenter and the former NASCAR Now program. In addition to reporting for SportsCenter and writing news and features for ESPN.com, Smith also contributed to ESPN’s NASCAR event television coverage, which ended at the conclusion of the 2014 season, with numerous unique features and extensive, in-depth, and revealing interviews with nearly every top driver in the sport.

Prior to joining ESPN, Smith was a senior writer for NASCAR.com, an analyst and host on the former SPEED Channel, and a NASCAR analyst on Fox Sports Net. A Radford University graduate, Smith covered sports for daily newspapers in Roanoke and Lynchburg, Va., before joining NASCAR.com.

Brett Stuart

Annual Membership Meeting | General Session: What’s Next in the Cattle and Beef Markets?
Saturday, March 28 | 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. | Ballroom AB

Brett grew up on a family ranch in Utah and Wyoming, running cows. He has worked in the cattle/beef industry in Nebraska, Florida, Oklahoma, and Colorado for companies including AgReserves, Inc., Cattle-Fax, and the U.S. Meat Export Federation. For the past 20 years, he has been running Global AgriTrends, a business he co-founded in 2006. His work there has taken him to six continents, where he has researched the global meat and livestock markets. He now advises companies worldwide on global agricultural trends, with an emphasis on Asia. Brett received an accounting degree from Utah State University and an agribusiness MBA degree from the University of Nebraska. He and his wife, Amanda, live on a small farm near Preston, Idaho, with their kids.

Elle Terhaar

Preg-checking: Set up for Success
Saturday, March 28 | 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Live Demonstration Arena

Elle Terhaar grew up on a ranch in the mountains of Colorado. During her teenage years and college summers, she gained valuable experience working with a mobile large animal veterinarian. Elle attended Dordt College in northwest Iowa and has been with ReproScan Technologies since her graduation. Her role has grown from sales and marketing to her current role as CEO.

At ReproScan, Elle has partnered with bovine and mixed-animal practitioners to enhance their practices through ultrasound technology. Additionally, she serves as a RACE-approved instructor for advanced bovine reproductive ultrasound courses. Currently residing in Winterset, Iowa, Elle and her family operate Thunderhead Charolais, which offers private-treaty Charolais bulls.

Caitlin Word

Rooted in Profit: The Business Case for Better Grazing
Saturday, March 28 | 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Room 203

Caitlin Word serves as a regenerative ranching consultant at Noble Research Institute. Raised on large cow-calf operations in West Texas and southeastern New Mexico, Word earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science from West Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in ruminant nutrition from New Mexico State University. In 2018, Caitlin began her career at Noble as a grazing livestock consultant, supporting ranchers in managing land and livestock profitably through regenerative principles. She later worked with Ranch Management Consultants, teaching the Ranching for Profit School, before returning to Noble to advance its regenerative mission through strategic partnerships. Across all her work, Word is passionate about helping producers thrive through profitable business practices and regenerative management—for the benefit of people, land, and livestock.

At Noble, Caitlin’s focus is on helping producers build profitable, regenerative businesses by increasing forage utilization, managing ranch costs, and grounding decisions in practical business principles.