Nearly 800 Ohio FFA students honed their livestock judging skills at an Indian Lake High School/Ohio Hi Point FFA contest in Logan County recently.
The ILHS/OHP FFA Chapter hosted its first ever livestock judging contest at the Logan County Fairgrounds on Wednesday.
Hundreds of students from more than 50 schools across Ohio got to practice their judging skills on cattle, sheep, goats and hogs. In addition, they also participated in poultry and dairy cattle contests.
Finally, other students who concentrate on horses participated in a simultaneous equine judging contest at Marmon Valley Farm.
ILHS/OHP FFA Advisor Tanner Schoen said this event is great practice prior to the State FFA Judging contest in late March.
“We do contests all year round, but now is the heavy contest season,” Schoen explains.
“Any kid going into a livestock or poultry field, it’s all based on standards that the Ohio FFA and Ohio Department of Education come up with. All the contests cover stuff that the kids need to know for a career (in livestock) going forward.”
First, all the participants gathered in the grandstands. Then ILHS/OHP FFA members led groups to barns for judging animals in stations throughout the fairgrounds. Students had about 10 minutes to rank the group of animals and fill out their test sheets. Tests were then turned in and graded by a host of experienced FFA livestock judges ranging from collegiate national team members, and Ohio State University panelists to local experts who judge national and county livestock shows.
The feedback received at this contest should help students in upcoming contests and during fair season this summer.
Schoen said in the past, Mercer County conducted a similar contest leading up to the State FFA Judging event. However, the group discontinued their contest during the pandemic, so the ILHS/OHP FFA Chapter decided to take on hosting duties.
Local farmers, including many members of the Indian Lake FFA Alumni Group, provided the animals involved in the contests.