every student gets one-on- one time with the coaches rather than being addressed as a group. I feel they not only learn more, but more importantly, get more out of the experience. The 2026 team is made up of 11 students from six states and five different junior colleges. This group has been fun to coach and has worked hard to be in the position they were in at Houston. They were a little greener starting off but have dug their boots in and worked hard to improve, which has shown in the latter part of the spring. They started with
two fourth-place finishes at Denver and Oklahoma City. As competitive as I am, I told them this was unacceptable for the level of talent on the team. After a lot of hours of practice and very little time off, the team finished the spring by sweeping the Texas majors, with three team members earning high individual honors across the five contests they have attended thus far. While there is a lot of work left to go, I am proud of how they have come together as a group and pushed each other to have success this semester. This program wouldn’t be
what it is today without the support of Dr. Gordan Davis and the Rathmann family, I have to credit them for a great deal of the success we have had. THIS IS WHY I JUDGE… Livestock judging is the purest sport we have in the game. What I love about livestock judging it does not matter where you come from, how much money you have or who you may know. If you work hard and have talent this is a way for you to have success on a national stage. Some of my best students have
come from a background where they may have never even showed past the state level and may have never even won their class. A 15-passenger van will change your life, the people you meet and interact with will soon become your best friends and peers moving forward in life. Livestock judging in college changed the lives of both my brothers and myself, for that I will forever be thankful for this sport and hope we can continue making it even better moving forward . ●
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