Mark Goes, a fifth-generation cattle producer and respected leader in the beef industry at both the state and national level, will be recognized as the 2026 Block and Bridle Club honoree.

Since 1938, the Block and Bridle Club has recognized individuals who contributed to Nebraska agriculture through leadership, service, youth projects, community activities, and involvement with the university. The candidates are nominated by industry leaders and selected by the club officers and advisors.

Goes currently serves on the Executive Committee for National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) as Region VII Vice President of the Federation of State Beef Councils. He served as President of the American Gelbvieh Association in 2012 and is the charter president and current vice president of the American Gelbvieh Foundation. Mark and his wife Patty own and operate M&P Gelbvieh, a nationally recognized seedstock operation, and were inducted into the American Gelbvieh Association Hall of Fame in 2024. He also serves as the Region 8 Director and Board Treasurer of the Nebraska Beef Council, and has chaired multiple groups as part of Nebraska Cattlemen. Goes also participated on international trade missions with the U.S. Meat Export Federation to Japan in 2024 and Guatemala in 2025.

A graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (B.S., Animal Science, 1986) and Peru State College (B.S., Secondary Education, 1993), Goes served as a livestock instructor at Southeast Community College for nearly 30 years, developing and coaching a livestock judging team and a purebred cattle show team, while also coordinating 4-H and FFA contests. He has served as a guest speaker at the Nebraska Beef Summit and Nebraska Youth Beef Leadership Symposium (NYBLS), and has been a guest lecturer in animal science courses and for student clubs at Nebraska. Goes is a charter stakeholder of the grazing livestock systems major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and serves on the steering committee for the Nebraska Grazing Conference.

Mark is very involved in outreach activities throughout Gage County. He served as chair of the beef promotions tent at the 2025 Nebraska Cattlemen’s Ball in Blue Springs, was a five-year committee member for the Gage County Fair Board Livestock Premium Auction, assisted in preparing and serving county fair appreciation dinners, and has supervised FFA district livestock judging contests.