we all came to know very quickly, COVID-19, hit and our spring season was cut short just as we were an hour south of Dallas in route to the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo when we got the word that it had been cancelled. Disappointed, but moving on from that we had a lot of uncertainty regarding our fall judging season. Even so, we made it to contests whether they were the originals or makeups we didn’t care we were just happy to be judging. Now, into my final chapter, judging at Louisville. The opportunity every judging kid dreams of ! I like to say undoubtedly the pinnacle of the collegiate judging world for most. I stepped on the floor of the contest, took a deep breath, and let the day happen. Following our 12 classes, I reached the reasons room and told myself this is where you cannot quit, this is the moment to dig deep and separate yourself. Concluding the day, I felt confident that I’d positioned myself to succeed. We get to the banquet the next morning and with an incredible start and even better finish to the awards, I was left speechless. Not knowing how to react with being named High Individual overall at the National Collegiate Judging Contest. It was a moment of relief, sadness, excitement, and quite honestly, I’m not sure that all reality has sunk in yet. Certainly, a day that I’ll never forget! I know that none of this would be possible without the help of each coach I’ve had along the way, the teams I’ve been on, my friends, and my family. I feel thankful for my past and all that it has entailed, but I can’t help but be excited for what the future has to offer. •
after traveling across the country from each prestigious livestock operation to the next is how much passion and drive every single breeder has to not only improve their own genetics, but to help advance the livestock industry as a whole. This was truly eye opening as a young kid with the aspirations of doing great things someday in this industry. It lit a fire in me and I can’t express how thankful I am to have experienced moments like that time and time again. It truly kept my determination to have an impact alive. remember being a little kid, standing ringside, listening, and soaking every moment up as I watched each animal be evaluated. I could tell stories like they were yesterday about my dad coming home after judging a show Now, I suppose I’ll dive into my livestock judging career. I can and me asking every little detail about what he did. I’m confident he got annoyed, a little frustrated, and frankly just sick of me asking question after question. Today, I hope he realizes how much those moments impacted me and instilled me with the love for judging. I was an 8th grader when I can recall a couple of our close family friends entering junior college. I watched closely, I studied results, and began to become in tune with
what was happening in the collegiate judging world. I decided if I wanted to be competitive, I needed to do it the right way and put my time in to be successful. In 4-H, I attended several SDSU judging camps, making a competitive run, and rounding out as the Reserve National Champion Team at NAILE in 2016. I then committed to Hutchinson Community College to be a part of the livestock judging team under the direction of Ben Williams and Pat Arkfeld. I was fortunate to be part of a very talented and successful team for two years there. Committing to a junior college was bar none the best decision I’ve ever made. The relationships, connections, and experiences you entail are absolutely second to none. From there I chose to come back to my home state and see what SDSU would have to offer with Brady Jensen at the helm. Somehow, I roped one of my best friends into chasing this dream with me and we were off to the races ready to do what we could for the Jackrabbits. The last stretch, it’s my senior year and to say a lot of lasts come with that would be an understatement. In January I entered the beginning of my senior college judging career. It was with a competitive start and exciting future for the team, but what
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