(Back) Matthew Willey, Hayden Shults, Marryn Shults and Johnny Allmon. (Front) Owen Etchart, Teagan Smith, Spencer Bair and Joslin Speith competed at the Weld County 4-H Livestock Judging Contest on April 10, 2021. | COURTESY PHOTO
RBC | The Rio Blanco County 4H Livestock Judging team was able to get down the road on April 9 for the first trip of the season.
The team made it to Laramie on Friday and got in some live practice classes at the University of Wyoming Animal Science Research Farm in Laramie, Wyoming.
Madi Shults put together four cattle classes for the team and helped them understand the basics of evaluating breeding cattle.
Marryn and Hayden Shults, Matthew Willey, Owen Etchart, Teagan Smith, Johnny Allmon, Jordan Speith and Spencer Bair made the trip to the Weld County 4-H Livestock Judging Contest held at Island Grove Park in Greeley.
An interesting note is that Island Grove Park is only two blocks from the Meeker Mansion. Meeker’s namesake helped Greeley get started back in the day.
As expected, the Weld County Corps of Livestock Judging Coaches, team members, parents and sponsors put together another high quality, challenging livestock judging contest.
The judges marked cards on four cattle classes, three sheep classes and three hog classes.
Marryn Shults finished ninth in oral reasons and placed sixth in the sheep division.
Spencer Bair competed in his first contest and placed 10th in novice reasons and was 12th overall in the Novice 4-H Judge Division.
It was the first live contest of the year for Willey, Etchart, Smith, Allmon and Spieth. None of those members have quit the team so far after their baptism by fire. Weld County is usually not the contest a coach wants to start a fresh bunch of rookie judges. But, the kids held up fine. They have grown their hair back after the scalping and they secretly wanted to scalp their coach. Nonetheless, it was fun to judge under normal circumstances again and the first contest provided some good experience for the team to remember.
On April 17 the senior team made the trip to Laramie to compete at the Cowboy Beef Expo hosted by the University of Wyoming Livestock Judging Team.
Marryn and Hayden Shults and Trinity Boulger competed at the contest. The classes were very logical and judges needed to be prepared to win this one in the reasons room.
Marryn was recognized as the fourth high individual in the beef division.
Boulger and Hayden Shults only missed getting their name called in each division by a mere three or four points in reasons.
There is plenty of season left to get this senior team dialed in for the state contest on June 21.
Special to the Herald Times
