Richland County 4-H Members Represent Montana At Western National Roundup

This last July 4th Richland County 4-H members competed in the state 4-H Livestock Judging Contest at Montana 4-H Congress held in Bozeman on the Montana State University campus. The four members were Jori Horsburgh, Garrett Larson, Landry Larson and Marett Schieber. The team competed against teams from all over the state of Montana. The team placed second in the state. The top team from the contest at Montana 4-H Congress earns an opportunity to represent the state at the Western National Roundup, which is held in Denver, CO in conjunction with the National Western Stock Show. However, each team can only represent Montana once, the team that placed first this year attended the event last year. The team from Richland County has been busy practicing and preparing to proudly compete at the Roundup for the state. Their coaches, Laura Schieber and Rachael Oliver have been working with youth to further develop their skills and gain more experience in judging livestock. The team is ready to hit the road and honored to compete at the Roundup Jan. 4-7, 2023, in Denver.

Livestock judging is a competitive event where youth observe livestock and evaluate them based on commonly accepted standards brought forth by the livestock industry. In the livestock judging contest youth not only evaluate and rank a class of livestock, but then must defend their choices by giving a set of oral reasons to a judge. When youth participate in livestock judging they gain skills that aid them in the livestock industry. Youth who participate in this activity learn livestock breeds, learn the traits that produce a quality animal and product, gain the understanding of desirable characteristics and faults of livestock, and appreciate the value of comparing livestock based on their quality and merit. In addition to preparing these youth for a future in the livestock industry, youth gain life skills from livestock judging that will aid them in all areas of their life. These skills include but are not limited to: decision making, organization, confidence, oral communication, time management, critical thinking and gain the value of appreciating others' opinions.

If you are interested in learning more about 4-H or livestock judging please contact the Richland County Extension Office at 406-433-1206.