Senior team members Madi Shults, Ty Dunham and Macy Collins from Meeker and Samantha Lapp from Rangely were the Grand Champion Senior Team at the Tri River Area Livestock Judging Contest. They won embroidered Cinch team jackets, sponsored by Troy and Kay Latham of Mack, Colo., (Kay was raised on the Twin Buttes Ranch in western Rio Blanco County) along with the traditional miles of ribbon they usually win.
The RBC team was the fourth high team in swine, champion sheep and goat team and third in beef. They were the low drop team off the floor, but, more importantly, Rio Blanco County was the Champion Reasons Team for the sixth contest this season.
Individually, Madi Shults was ninth in swine, sheep and goat division; Lapp was third, Madi Shults was fourth and Dunham fifth. Madi Shults was Champion Beef “Judger,” Placings: Madi Shults, Reserve Champion, Reasons: Madi second, Dunham fifth and Collins seventh. Overall, Madi Shults won the Champion Buckle and an embroidered boot bag, and Samantha placed ninth overall among 53 senior judges.
The Rio Blanco County team beat their rivals from Routt County by six points, setting the stage for a fun team dual in Gunnison.
The RBC Junior Judging Team members that competed were Kacie Lapp from Rangely, Marryn and Hayden Shults, Jilly Bumguardner, Tatumn Kennedy and Kenzie Turner from Meeker. The Junior Team had a rough go at the TRA contest, nevertheless, Jilly was ninth in beef and Kenzie finished 13th overall.
The junior team didn’t pout, they just went back to work on the way to Gunnison, talked about what to fix and got back after it on Saturday.
Twenty-two Colorado Junior 4-H Livestock Teams judged at the 69th annual Gunnison Stock Growers Contest. The Rio Blanco County Junior Team placed fifth overall. They were the fourth overall team in Reasons and seventh in placings.
Individually, Marryn Shults was the Champion Beef Judge, seventh in Placings and eighth overall.
The Gunnison contest bills their adult jackpot as the Rancher’s Division since 1946. This year, Rio Blanco County 4-H alum Maclaine Shults won the Rancher’s Contest and $100. She beat her father, Clint, who is also her former coach, by three points. He was “First Loser.” They outguessed 33 other contestants who lost “they money”.
The Senior Team entered Gunnison dialed in to win that one, too. A high quality Angus Heifer class and a rough Gunnison-raised Market Steer Class would determine the traditional Gunnison County Judging Contest Champion Team Leather Plaque.
In the sheep and goat division: Collins was seventh; Hogs: Madi Shults was Champion; Beef: Madi Shuldts was ninth; Placings: Madi Shults was sixth; Reasons: Madi Shults was second; Collins was sixth; Dunham was eighth; Overall: Madi Shults was Reserve Champ; and Ty was 10th.
Sixteen Colorado Senior 4-H Judging Teams competed in Gunnison this year. The senior team came off the floor in fifth place. But, their “spin doctor” instincts took over in the Reasons Room and they managed to win Reasons again. Sadly though, they had to sniff first place this time as Routt County slipped past by three points and Rio Blanco County had to settle for Reserve Champion, again.
The kids were a little down headed for a minute or two, until they were handed a check for $150. This money is awarded to the team with the highest aggregate score from both contests. Rio Blanco County beat Routt County for the big bucks by three points.
The team had a great time in 2015. The senior team won champion team honors at the Four-Corners Ag Expo, Weld County Invitational and the TRA Invitational. The team was reserve champion at ADCO, Lincoln County, Elbert County and Gunnison County contests.
The junior team’s season is complete and the senior team will begin preparing now for the state contest, which will be held June 24 at Colorado State University in Fort Collins.
