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By Amanda Radke
Alexa Montagne, of Elk Point, S.D., was four-years old when she
attended her first North American Limousin Junior Association
(NALJA) show. Watching her older brother Justin in the ring,
Alexa couldn’t wait to show her own Limousin cattle.
A few years later, Montagne made her NALJA debut at the 2006
junior nationals held in Lawton, Okla. She quickly dived into showing
cattle, as well as competing in other contests such as livestock
judging, quiz bowl, cow camp, team fitting and showmanship.
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88 | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
“At my first junior nationals in Lawton, we sold raffle tickets
for $100 each,” recalled Montagne. “There was a contest
to see who could sell the most. At the age of seven, I got
second place for the most sales. That was the start of
valuable lessons learned in and out of the show ring.”
An avid learner, Montagne didn’t just learn by doing, she
gained important knowledge along the way by observing,
asking questions and learning from mentors in the industry.
“I started watching shows all day long at the South Dakota State
Fair when I was seven,” said Montagne. “I judged the class in
my head and then compared it to the judge’s official placing.
I also watched the showmen and fitting and observed which
techniques worked and which didn’t. Through my participation
in NALJA, I learned so much about livestock selection when
purchasing heifers and planning my cows’ matings.”
Fifteen years later, Montagne is no longer a novice; now she is
one to watch in the ring as she expertly shows her Limousin
seedstock with a confidence that can only be earned through
years of experience and thousands of miles spent on the road.
“I am very thankful that my family gave me the opportunity to
attend junior nationals all of these years,” said Montagne. “I learned
that the world was a big place with a lot to offer, and there are
so many people to learn from. The NALJA shows have taken