Bonnie Johnson
June 03, 2025
Media ArticleJan Lyons, a lifelong rancher from Manhattan, Kansas, has been named the 2025 National Golden Spur Award recipient in recognition of her outstanding service to the ranching and livestock industries.
She will receive this honor at the National Golden Spur Award Honors on Saturday, October 4, 2025, at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center.
“The National Golden Spur Award is the most prestigious national honor given by the ranching and livestock industries to one person,” said Jim Bret Campbell, executive director of the Ranching Heritage Association and National Ranching Heritage Center.
Lyons is co-owner of Lyons Angus Ranch and has spent decades improving the beef industry through leadership, innovation, and a strong sense of duty. She has led through difficult periods, including the 2003 Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy crisis, earning respect for her calm and science-based approach.
“It is not an exaggeration to say she is the ‘Gold Standard’ of selfless service to the ranching industry,” said Dee Likes, chief executive emeritus of the Kansas Livestock Association.
Lyons made history by becoming the first woman president of both the Kansas Livestock Association and the Kansas Angus Association. She also chaired the Cattlemen’s Beef Board in 1996 and led the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association in 2004.
She has strongly supported beef promotion, genetic improvement, and consumer trust. Her work has strengthened national initiatives like the beef checkoff program.
Among her many honors are the BEEF Magazine Trailblazer of the Year (2004), Stockman of the Year (2008), and the Visionary Award (2024). She is admired for her leadership, mentorship, and dedication to the values of ranch life.
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