Ryan Cotton was raised near Howell, MI, on a purebred Angus operation. He was active in state and national Angus activities, exhibiting livestock across the country.

Ryan attended Oklahoma State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in animal science. During his time at OSU, he was a member of the meats and livestock teams, including the 1991 National Champion Livestock Judging Team.
After graduation, Ryan worked for Ankony Angus Corporation with locations in Minatare, NE and Clarkesville, GA. Ankony Angus was then the largest purebred Angus operation in the United States, selling more than 900 bulls per year. Ryan was involved with management, bull development and marketing for the more than $3 million in annual sales business. He later became purebred manager of Ankony’s Georgia operation, handling two sales a year and national and international private treaty sales.

While in northeast Georgia, Ryan also worked in real estate sales, marketing raw land, lots and homes in the Orchard Golf and Country Club gated community.

Ryan has judged many national, state and local shows, including the National Western Stock Show, North American Livestock Exposition, San Antonio Livestock Show, National Junior Hereford Show and National Junior Angus Showmanship Contest.

His experience in marketing spans the world, selling purebred livestock, embryos and semen in Argentina, Paraguay, Switzerland and Canada. Today, he is vice president of Cotton & Associates’ livestock marketing firm, and resides in Ponce Inlet, FL.