Posted: January 18, 2023
Four Pennsylvania 4-H members from Chester County — Georgia Horosky, River Lease, Olivia Macomber, and Melinda Stoltzfus — earned high honors in livestock judging contests at the 4-H Western National Roundup, held January 4-7 in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Photo Courtesy of Don Cairns
More than 100 individuals representing 27 states competed in the events. The Pennsylvania team placed 12th overall. In individual categories, Stoltzfus ranked first for swine, fourth for cattle, sixth for reasons and sixth overall. Macomber placed 12th in reasons and 14th in sheep. Lease ranked 13th in goats.
Livestock judging contests help youth learn breed and conformation standards, advancing their knowledge of the livestock industry, noted Kirsten Dubbs, 4-H animal science specialist with Penn State Extension.
"They learn to evaluate and rank classes of animals that are placed in front of them at judging contests," she said. "Senior competitors, such as these youth, also prepare and deliver sets of oral reasons to justify how they placed classes. They invest a great deal of time learning the subject matter, looking at animals in the flesh and on video, and practicing their evaluation skills."
While this knowledge certainly could benefit future careers in the livestock industry, Dubbs also pointed out the opportunities for building 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," she said. "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 U.S. 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 4-H website.
