How a mid-life crisis turned into a global business opportunity

When Jaclyn first went to Uruguay 2024, it was to learn about traceability. Just one year later, that visit has shaped a whole new business venture for Jaclyn and Wilson Flying Diamond Ranch. 

A scholarship that sparked curiosity

What began as a simple visit as part of the Nuffield International Farming Scholarship, a $25,000 scholarship Jaclyn earned in 2024 to help her expand her knowledge and leadership skills in agriculture through global research and travel, has served as inspiration for the next step in the Wilson Flying Diamond Ranch legacy.

In September 2024, when Jaclyn first visited Uruguay, her intention was to study traceability in beef cattle. The main reason for the trip to Uruguay though was to participate in the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef Conferences, which the ranch is a member of, and then she was going to stay an extra week and a half between Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay to look at traceability among the different countries for her Nuffield research.

As Jaclyn began to research the cattle industry of Uruguay, she fell in love with the country’s genetics, as well as the system. Their cattle and their environment had similarities to the Sandhills where the Wilson Flying Diamond Ranch cattle are raised. Cattle in Uruguay were easy-fleshing, moderate-framed cows with traits similar to those valued in our own herd.  She left the country with a notepad full of information and a desire to someday return. 

The start of something different

Around a month after Jaclyn returned home, she received a ‎WhatsApp from one of the individuals that she had met in Uruguay. He had a friend that had an upcoming production sale, with embryos available from a purebred Red Angus cow.  Multiple embryos were purchased to implant into recip cows in Uruguay that would calve in August of 2025.

The heifer named Crisis

Back in June, Jaclyn partnered on a purchase with one of the best red Angus heifers she’d ever seen. That heifer, “Crisis,” a nod to Jaclyn’s “mid-life crisis” decision to invest in Uruguayan genetics, was born with bloodlines that are a complete outcross to anything Jaclyn currently owned, and was raised in an environment that is challenging in its own way with many aspects that are relatable to the Sandhills.

When Crisis was purchased, Jaclyn hadn’t considered showing her, but her South American partners encouraged Jaclyn to do so. They thought Crisis had the potential to be shown at Expo Prado, an event that is touted as one of the toughest Angus shows in the world.

First American at Expo Prado

With that, Jaclyn was on her way to become the first-ever American to show at the Angus show at Expo Prado. 

On September 6, Jaclyn arrived in Montevideo, Uruguay for Expo Prado. The entire expo is a 10-day event that boasts attendance of over half a million visitors and nonstop livestock shows. Hereford and Angus cattle dominate the cattle shows, with both breeds having shows that span the course of two days. Throughout the entire 10 days, the show cattle are required to remain at the expo. 

All the shows take place in an outdoor grandstand-style show ring that is split into three rings where cattle, sheep, dairy, and horse shows occur nonstop. The venue itself features three beautifully redone historic barns at the centerpiece, and several permanent restaurants, displays and entertainment sites. 

Lessons from the show ring

When the female show began, Jaclyn and Crisis took the ring, noting both the similarities and differences from U.S. cattle shows. Perhaps one of the biggest differences is that the cattle are all slick sheared, so very little fitting is done to better highlight the animal’s best features.

Other differences are that the cattle wear exhibitor numbers around their necks, and the exhibitors all wear matching vests and hats. When a ribbon is awarded, it’s clipped on to the halters of the animal receiving it. 

Jaclyn’s experience at Expo Prado and in the show ring in South America is one of her top 10 days of ranching and being in the beef industry. She even walked away with earning the Champion Young Cow title, earning her chance to compete in the Championship drive where Crisis was the only red hided critter. 

The biggest lesson that Jaclyn learned from her time in the show ring was that it’s definitely okay to do something not “normal.” After all, there are a lot of great genetics and cattle both inside and outside of the U.S. all because people took chances and did things that weren’t normal. 

From mid-life crisis to business venture

While purchasing Crisis may have started as a Jaclyn’s mid-life crisis, that purchase is quickly transforming into an opportunity to further improve the genetics of the cattle at Wilson Flying Diamond Ranch. 

Because of political and animal disease issues, though, Jaclyn has had to get creative with how she brings those strong Uruguayan genetics to the Sandhills. As a result, Flying Diamond Genetics is a new business venture that will bring these fresh genetics into the U.S. working with a Canadian producer. 

With so many wonderful genetics around the world to help improve our cattle herds in the U.S., why not step outside of the box to pursue long-term goals that fit your own operation’s goals?