The WTAMU livestock judging team started its 2013 season at the National Western Stock Show Jan. 17 through 18 in Denver, Colo.
The WT team placed eleventh overall out of 28 collegiate teams. They also placed ninth in swine, sixth in sheep and goats, thirteenth in cattle and tenth in reasons. Reasons are your opportunity to explain why you made your choice. They are scored based on your ability to make an organized, reasoned argument for your decision. As a whole, the team’s score put it three points out of the top 10. The top 10 teams were from Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Colorado State, University of Illinois, Kansas State, Colorado State, South Dakota State, Texas A&M and Iowa State.
By being a part of the Livestock Judging Team students are not only given the chance to compete, but they also learn problem solving, critical thinking, communication skills and decision-making.
“My favorite part of competing is definitely reasons,” Kaycee Carpenter, junior Plant, Soil & Environmental Science major, said. “This is the part of the competition that is super competitive. You are sitting next to your opponent the whole time. You basically walk with them to the reasons room and you go deliver your reasons after them. If they come out with a smile, or if they look like they are pleased with their performance, this is what gets me all pumped up. Then it is my turn to go in and blow them out of the water and give it the eight best sets I have ever given.”
To be able to compete against some of the toughest teams in the nation, the judging team must be on top of its game. The team practices every Tuesday and Thursday night from 5 p.m. until Coach Marcus Arnold allows them to go home. They also work all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
“We eat, sleep and breathe judging, which is fine by me. I love judging,” Carpenter said. “If I want to be better and win, I’m going to do what it takes.”
Competing on the judging team also allows students to be able to travel and meet some of the leaders of the livestock industry.
“My favorite part of judging is being able to travel and meet all of the different breeders and producers around the nation,” Rhet Long, junior Animal Science major, said.
When the judging team practices, it sticks to practicing reasons in the Agricultural and Natural Sciences Building on campus. However, when it comes to livestock, the judging team travels across the Texas Panhandle.
“I love going around and seeing quality livestock,” Jessie McClellan, junior Animal Science major, said.
The WT judging team is a diverse group of students. Coming from Wyoming, Georgia, Texas and Utah, the team is able to use their varying backgrounds of judging to benefit and contribute to the team. For some of the members, the judging team is what brought them to WT.
“I judged two years at Casper College and now judging has brought me here to WT,” McClellan said. “I love every minute of it.”
The WT judging team will have competed in the Griswold contest, Denver, Fort Worth, San Antonio and Houston by the end of the spring semester. They will pick judging back up in the fall semester, traveling to the National Barrow Show, the American Royal in Kansas City and the NAILE in Louisville.
