Many young farm kids dream of having a toy John Deere tractor or imagine working cows and plowing fields on the carpet of their living room. For Mike McGuire, his dream as a young 4-Her was to have an Angus heifer.  

He grew up in town, but his father’s career in extension eventually led the family to Georgia in 1970. At the age of 10, McGuire’s family purchased their first acreage — just enough for some show steers and pigs. 

“I had some influential people around me at that time that had an Angus herd,” McGuire says. “Boy, it was not long until I wanted an Angus heifer so bad.”

It took five years of patience before that dream became a reality, but it’s one he’s held to tightly ever since. 

“This coming March, it’ll be 50 years in the business,” he explains. “I think it is simply out of love for the business to stay in it that long. It has been a really great experience, and there was just nothing I wanted to do more than show an Angus heifer or steer back in those days.”

That childlike love for the work still rests in his heart today. 

“Still even to this day, I just want to get out there and touch them and work on them. That’s just what really gets me excited,” he adds. 

McGuire’s journey has been shaped by his dedication. His passion has remained steadfast, especially when he returned to Alabama to raise a family and build his own herd. More importantly, his commitment has always been to Angus breeders.

McGuire’s devotion to Angus and Alabama for nearly five decades culminated in being recognized as the Angus Ambassador of the Year at the 2024 American Angus Association Awards Reception and Dinner in Fort Worth, Texas, Nov. 3. 

This is the second year the award has been used to honor an individual who goes above and beyond to promote or aid Angus efforts and broaden the breed’s influence in the beef industry.

“Anytime you get recognized by the American Angus Association, it just means a lot,” McGuire says. “Working in the position for the Alabama Association was never something I had envisioned myself in, but I am thankful to have been able to do it. I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish here, and it is just a huge honor.” 

Sweet home Alabama 

While his childhood might have taken him to a few different states, Alabama eventually became a permanent home for McGuire. He was in his early 30s when he started taking the knowledge he’d gained working on a few different cattle operations with various mentors to build his own herd. 

He settled in Waverly, Ala., with his wife, Angelika, and sons, Reid and Clay. He ran cows with his father from 1993 until 2012, when his father passed away. 

Shortly after the relocation, McGuire heard about an opening for the role of executive secretary with the state Angus association. In 1997, the role became his. 

“The Alabama Angus Association had a strong foundation that preceded me. A lot of the things that we do now, were all in place before I started. I have just tried to carry those on,” McGuire says. “You blink your eyes, and 27 years have gone by now.”

Decades later, McGuire continues to be a leader in the breed and has been pivotal in growing one of the most robust state associations in the country. From annual meetings and banquets to educational opportunities, it’s been a goal to serve both commercial and seedstock breeders in the area. 

“I think that’s how it should be,” he says. “We’ve got our great national organization, and then if we have these state organizations, too, we can kind of help funnel people, answer some things and help people here…” 

McGuire has helped to serve an active membership by organizing more than 50 state sales, planning annual field days and helping to establish the Alabama Angus Family of the Year and Alabama Progressive Breeder of the Year awards.  

“A couple of important activities we have been able to maintain is hosting two sales a year, one each April and November,” McGuire says. “It’s given people an avenue to sell and build a reputation. It is a great gathering place for us, and a way to bring everybody together.” 

While he’s happy to be a part of this mission, McGuire says he knows there’s a bigger hope he’s fighting for. He’s seen it get progressively harder for younger cattlemen to find their place in the industry, but he says there’s still hope. 

“I am glad to see that we do have a lot of young people that are interested,” he explains. “I do think that we need to stay with it, and we have to feed the world, and we need to take pride in that. Every little bit we do is working toward that end.” 

McGuire says the key is to stay patient and never lose sight of end goals. In his eyes, pride in your own work and satisfaction in hard-earned success is a draw to the cattle industry, especially the show side that he raised his own sons in. 

McGuire says it’s the people in the breed that truly make him happy to call himself an Angus man. 

“It’s just the breed and the breeders and then just the inherent goodness in them,” he adds.