TORRINGTON – Torrington High School senior Connor Booth launched his livestock judging career at the ripe old age of eight.

“I live on a ranch and I’m around livestock every single day,” Booth said. “I started 4-H when I was five years old. I’ve done livestock judging and competed at state 4-H competitions since I was eight years old.”

Booth found success in high school as a member of both the 4-H and FFA livestock judging teams. Booth’s 4-H team won the state livestock judging competition the previous year. The senior was named an all-state livestock judger through the 4-H, an honor reserved for the top five judges in Wyoming.

Booth snagged the number seven spot in the nation at the American Royal in Kansas City, Missouri, and placed ninth as an individual in the FFA livestock judging competition at the National Western Stock Show in Denver. 

Booth also captured a berth among the top 25 at the National FFA Convention, “the biggest FFA competition you can go to.”

Booth decided to take his career to the next level and signed to compete on the livestock judging team at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas, in a ceremony on April 30.

“It felt good to sign with a nationally renowned livestock judging team (at Butler),” Booth said. “They are known for winning national contests over the past 10 years.”

Livestock judging in college involves a significant time commitment. The junior college season last from the beginning of the school year to February, Booth said.

“My practice schedule will include two days after school during the week for two hours,” Booth said. “Most weekends are consumed by traveling – you get to go see live animals across the country to get better and sharpen your skills.”

Livestock judging involves studying cattle, pigs, sheep and goats to determine which animals possess the highest market value, Booth explained.

“Judging is all based on what we use the animals for,” Booth added. “On the market side, we’re going to look for animals that have the muscle and other factors to turn into a product that’s going to be on a plate. On the female side of judging, you want to see which animal will make the best baby that will turn into the best market product.”

Once the livestock judges rank the animals they are examining, contestants give an oral presentation to outline their reasoning.

“You really get to learn to speak in front of people (through livestock judging),” Booth said. “I am so much better at speaking to large crowds after doing FFA and 4-H.”

In addition to livestock judging in high school, Booth showed market steers, breeding heifers and market swine at fairs through the local FFA and 4-H chapters.

Booth plans to study agriculture business at Butler Community College and then pursue an animal science degree at a four-year college or university.

Booth’s career path remains open-ended.

“We’ll see where the road takes me as I go through college,” he said.

For now, the senior is excited to begin his livestock judging career at Butler Community College.

“I’m looking forward to all of the people I’ll meet, the friends I’ll make and seeing a higher level of animals and competition,” Booth said.

Booth thanked “all the coaches that I’ve had across the years” for their support.