Regional Civic Center Hosts
Area FFA Judging Contest

by: Bobby McDonald

 

If you noticed an abundance of young people in Sulphur Springs, on Tuesday, they were members of the Area V and Area VI FFA Judging Teams, from all across Northeast Texas. The students had devoted hours of practice sessions at their respective schools, to competed in the Area V & VI Livestock and Dairy Cattle Judging Contest. "The contest is held annually to determine the teams that will be representing the areas in the state contest," stated local Vo Ag Teacher, Dannie Johnson. "The preparation for the contest is an intense study that teaches students about the desirable qualities of livestock, but also gives them drills in critical thinking and decision making. It's a contest that develops youth for their future in society."

These FFA students prepare to place a class of milking Holstein cows, in Tuesday's contest,
conducted in the Hopkins Co. Regional Civic Center.

This young lady represented the Plano East FFA Chapter and prepared
her notes on a class of Jersey cows, as she hoped to bring her team victory in
the Area V Dairy Judging Contest.

In the Dairy Cattle Judging Contest, students are required to place six classes of both milking animals and replacement heifers, and critically score animals against a numerical standard. Then, they must produce two sets of written reasons, for their placings on designated classes. Some 65 teams competed in the Dairy Judging Contest, at the Hopkins County Regional Civic Center, on Tuesday.

In the Livestock Judging Contest, students are required to judge three different species of animals, beef heifers and steers, market and breeding swine, and market and breeding sheep. They too are required to produce written reasons on designated classes, to be judged by a team of experts in the field.

 

These youth move-in on a class of market sheep and handle them to determine degree of finish.

And, these students apply the same criteria to a class of market steers.

Is it pig #1, #2, #3, or #4 that should win this class?

While the youth were judging livestock and dairy animals in the local Civic Center, some of their classmates were participating in another phase of the spring FFA contest. They were members of the Dairy Products Teams, Horticulture Teams, Floriculture Teams, Ag Mechanics Teams, and Agricultural Economics Teams, that were being simultaneously conducted on the campus of Texas A&M University-Commerce.

And, these students find a secluded and private place to collect their thoughts and finish their reasons
for that portion of the contest, Tuesday in the Civic Center.

Top students in each category were determined for each of Area V and Area VI and those student teams will be competing at the State FFA Judging Contest, conducted at Texas A&M College Station, in May. State winners will compete on the national level and represent  Texas in the contest, held annually in November.

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