LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A group of 4-H youth from Torrington and Southeast high schools represented Wyoming with a fifth-place finish overall in the annual North American International Livestock Exposition earlier this month in Louisville.
The team of Kaden Malm, Kendall Haas and Jacob Chapman, all from Southeast, and Paige Miller, a student at Torrington, were coached by Brodie Mackey. The team placed as fifth-place Overall Team, based on points, out of 34 teams from around the country for the national 4-H Livestock Judging competition, Nov. 10-14.
In addition to the team win, Miller finished the contest as the 4th High Overall Individual, and Malm ended 15th, earning the two of them All-American status in livestock judging.
The contest consisted of: Market Lambs, Southdown Ewes, Dorper Ewes, Corriedale Ewes, Duroc Gilts, Market Hogs, Berkshire Market Hogs, Charolais Heifers, Simmental Heifers, Market Steers, and Red Angus Heifers.
In the Beef Division, Malm placed in the top tenth percentile, earning second High Overall Individual in Beef, out of more than 120 high school competitors. As a team, the Goshen County students placed eighth overall in Beef.
The Sheep Division proved to be the weakest link for the team representing Wyoming. Miller lead the Goshen County, placing 15th in the individual competition and ultimately placing the team as 15th overall in Sheep.
To compensate for the team’s low scores in the Sheep Division, they came back in the Swine class and placed as the fifth high-scoring team, with Miller leading the way as the seventh-place individual overall.
“I totally bombed my Southdown Ewes class,” Haas said. Complementing her teammates, she continues: “But Kaden and Paige did very well. They definitely carried most of the weight for Jacob and I.”
Everyone on the Goshen County team contributed to the success of the team by placing as the 9th high overall team in reasons and 5th overall as a whole this past week. Big congratulations go out to these young individuals for representing our state and county well at a national event.
