AMARILLO, TEXAS -- More than 400 head of cattle are coming to the Amarillo National Bank Center this week.

The 35th National Junior Limousin Show and All-American Limousin Futurity have brought people from 20 states to the Texas Panhandle.

Children as young as eight years old and young adults up to 22 years of age comprise teams representing their home states and obtain points that are tallied at the end of the week.  The winning teams receive awards and bragging rights for the next year.

Cattle showing, beef cookoffs, sales talk competitions, speaking contests, judging contests and quiz bowls help the competitors learn life and leadership skills, as well as gain experience showing their heifers.

NALJA Director of Junior Activities Bret Begert says the experience benefits the kids and the reference is helpful when the kids get into high school and college.

"They make lifelong friends from all over the country, some of them just see each other once a year.  And it truly is like a family reunion," he said.  "But there's a lot of educational events that go on in addition to just showing cattle."

Begert also says the event is looking to make Amarillo a permanent host.  He says competitors from all over, including Florida, Maryland and the Dakotas, are willing to make the trip to Amarillo because of the hospitality they've been shown by the locals.