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In today’s beef buzz, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays continues his conversation with Cattlemen’s Congress Board Chairman Tyler Norvell, who says the 2026 event will once again offer something for everyone in the beef industry — from purebred breeders to commercial cattlemen. “A lot of times commercial cattlemen may hear, ‘Oh, there’s a stock show in Oklahoma City,’ and they may think that’s not for me,” Norvell said. “That couldn’t be further away from the truth. With our pen bull show, with the genetic sales we have, and with this commercial heifer sale, there is something for you here in Oklahoma City in early January.”

Entries for the upcoming show are opening soon, and Norvell says it’s time to get ready. “Entries open on November 1 and they close November 25, and the late entries roll into early December,” he explained. “It’s here. It’s time to get rolling.” Looking back, he said the first year’s massive participation was a result of unique circumstances. “I don’t know if there will ever be held again a cattle show as large as the ones in 2021 and 2022 — that was the storm that hopefully will never happen again,” Norvell said. “But we’ve continued to grow again in 2024 and 2025, and have no reason to believe it will be anything less than bigger than last year.”

When asked about feedback from exhibitors, Norvell said participants appreciate how they’re treated and the convenience of Oklahoma City. “They love the way they’re listened to, the loading and unloading process is as good as any, and how fast we are,” he said. “They love the cost of being here in Oklahoma City — they don’t have to pay to park, they don’t have to pay to get in, hotel rooms are very reasonable, and there’s a lot of good restaurants around.” He added that many also value the atmosphere: “A lot of them say what our governor Kevin Stitt said all the way back when we started — they love the conservative values, the family values that Oklahoma brings to the table.”

Even with the event’s growth, Norvell emphasized the importance of balancing exhibitor experience with financial responsibility. “There’s always things we’ve got to be working on,” he said. “We would love to put cedar fiber mulch on every square inch of that facility to walk the cattle on — that’s just not economically feasible. But we look to balance economic feasibility with taking care of our customers.” He added, “We will always be balancing that and pushing our budget to the limit to make the experience the best for our exhibitors.”

Norvell also highlighted the show’s powerful economic impact on Oklahoma City and the state. “After the first Cattlemen’s Congress in 2021, they came and hunted me down and said, ‘We love OYE, but this Cattlemen’s Congress is perfect for us,’ because it brings so much out-of-state money,” he recalled. “It’s in January, the slowest month of the year for Oklahoma City. We became the pretty girl at the prom that year — they wanted to know who we were.” He said the event has also benefited the Oklahoma Youth Expo, adding, “They’ve each helped improve each other, and that’s been neat to be a part of and see that firsthand.”

Finally, Norvell encouraged cattlemen and visitors alike to make plans to attend the 2026 Cattlemen’s Congress. “You should be here because, if anything else, just come and do some post-Christmas shopping,” he said with a smile. “The trade show’s incredible — you can see great livestock, great seed stock bulls and heifers, and meet people from other states that have the genetics you’ve been looking for. If you don’t come here, you’re probably not going to find it. It’s a great celebration of the cattle industry as a whole.”

The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.

The post Tyler Norvell: Cattlemen’s Congress 2026 Set to Grow Again and Showcase the Best in Beef Genetics first appeared on Oklahoma Farm Report.