OKLAHOMA CITY—Thirty youth from across Oklahoma competed in the 2022 Midwest Shows Livestock Handling Scholarship Contest Nov. 18. The annual competition showcases the skills of young FFA members in practical, real-life cattle handling scenarios, such as weighing for accurate dosage, vaccinating and tagging calves in a manual chute. Contestants are judged on skill, accuracy and efficiency as they process the animals.
“While stress-free processing has always been a goal of good cattlemen, proper and efficient handling has become even more important in the modern age of livestock production,” said AFR Cooperative President Scott Blubaugh. “With an increased need to diversify herds, producers can now expect cattle of all ages and backgrounds to be sent through the chute. It’s vital that young producers understand the needs of each animal.”
The annual contest begins with a written exam that measures students’ knowledge of livestock handling practices. At the state level, the competition emphasizes the application of classroom study to actual agricultural production scenarios. In order to excel, students must take knowledge out of the classroom and apply it in a real world situation.
“The industry needs young producers more than ever,” said Ddee Haynes, Sales Representative for Multimin USA and contest coordinator. “We hope this contest encourages young producers on their path to becoming full-fledged cattlemen and cattle women. This is a noble profession to pursue. We want them to know we’ll be supporting them every step of the way.”
Ten teams—two top teams from each FFA district—of three students each qualified for the state competition. Top-placing overall teams received caps and cash scholarship awards. The first place team in the livestock handling portion of the contest also received the Frank Elliot Scholarship and $2,000 in Priefert equipment to be used by the entire FFA chapter.
The overall winners of this year’s Midwest Shows Livestock Handling Scholarship Contest were: 1st Place – Valliant FFA Chapter: Baylee Weatherford, Sydney Tyler and Audry Davis
2nd Place – Cherokee FFA Chapter: Abby Guffy, Brant Failes and Aiden Sanborn
3rd Place – Battiest FFA Chapter: Luke Delozier, Charlie LeForce and Emalee Plemmons 4th Place – Guthrie FFA Chapter: Maysen Garrett, Ridge Garrett and Ronnie Adams
5th Place – Perkins-Tryon FFA Chapter: Nick Rains, Hagen Cundiff and Logan Hering 6th Place – Pawnee FFA Chapter: Mason Rieman, Brooklyn Flores and Kate Sherrill 7th Place – Navajo FFA Chapter: Abby Brooks, Rylee Jackson and Carson Brooks 8th Place – Caney Valley FFA Chapter: Dally Harp, Dalton Conner and Jeff Childress
9th Place – Amber-Pocasset FFA Chapter: Claire Jansse, Ladd Turner and Sage Schenk
10th Place – North Rock Creek FFA Chapter: Cooper Kline, Stephen Wicked and Raice Abney
The 2022 Midwest Shows Livestock Handling Scholarship Contest was sponsored by American Farmers & Ranchers (AFR) Cooperative, Ballou Cattle Company, Midwest Show, Behlen Country Farm & Ranch Equipment, Cattleac Cattle Equipment, Datamars Livestock, Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Oklahoma National Stockyards, Dale and Tammi Didlot, Multimin and Priefert Rodeo & Ranch Equipment.
For more information on the Midwest Shows Livestock Handling Scholarship Contest or other youth events contact Ddee Haynes at 580-772-4053 or [email protected].
