Posted: December 1, 2022
Four Pennsylvania 4-H members from Huntingdon County — Justin Whitsel, Evangeline McGargle, Samson McGargle and Lauren Houck — recently participated in the American Royal 4-H Livestock Judging Contest in Kansas City, Missouri. The competition hosted 4-H teams from 17 states.
In the event, contestants competed in teams and individually to judge groups of livestock classes. Participants met one-on-one with an official to give reasons for their placement. They were scored on presentation as well as accuracy of placement.
"Youth who participate in judging invest a great deal of time learning the subject matter, looking at animals in the flesh and on video, and practicing their evaluation skills," said Kirsten Dubbs, 4-H animal science specialist with Penn State Extension.
She noted that livestock judging contests help youth learn breed and conformation standards, advancing their knowledge of the livestock industry.
"That's valuable if youth move on to breeding as a career," she said. "But more importantly, judging teaches youth organizational skills, critical thinking, memorization, and evaluation skills. It teaches them to think on their feet and reason their way through the decision-making process. They learn public speaking and communication skills. It's hard to overstate the life skills impact of participating in judging at this level."
Administered in Pennsylvania by Penn State Extension, 4-H is a nonformal educational youth-development program of the United States Department of Agriculture that helps young people develop knowledge and skills to become capable, caring, and contributing citizens. To find your local program, visit the Penn State Extension website.
