FFA members compete for top awards in American Royal Livestock Judging Contest

KANSAS CITY—On Oct. 31, nine teams vied for champion honors in the American Royal FFA Livestock Judging Contest in Hale Arena. The winning team was Indiana. Team members included Ross House, Kyle Albregts, Caleb Harper and Kinsey McKillip.

The contest is open to one team per state consisting of four members per team. The three highest-placing contestants are considered for the overall team score. Contestants judged 10 classes of livestock containing four animals each. Classes included both breeding and market animals in beef, sheep/goat, and swine divisions. Then, the contestants appeared before officials to present six sets of oral reasons.

Overall team placings are as follows:
1. McCutcheon FFA, Indiana (2,197 points)
Ross House, Kyle Albregts, Caleb Harper and Kinsey McKillip
2. Pleasant Ridge FFA, Kansas (2,155 points)
Aaron Adams, Taylor Ohlde, Leah Parsons and Kenny Campbell
3. Nazareth FFA, Texas (2,131 points)
Carl Huseman, Cole Kleman, Kaden Hatla and Kade Kleman
4. Southside Batesville FFA, Arkansas (2,118 points)
Ashton Clark, Cassie Womack, Morgan Case and Wiley Phillips
5. Bellevue FFA, Iowa (2,111 points)
Austin Deppe, Mathias Peters, Kendall Steines and Reese Frohling
6. Minneota FFA, Minnesota (2,087 points)
Elen Skaar, Julie VanKeulan, Alex Guttormusson and Troy Skaar
7. Amber-Pocasset FFA, Oklahoma (2,064 points)
Kelsey McDaniel, Luke Swinburne and Denton Lowe
8. Mississinawa Valley-MVCTC FFA, Ohio (1,994 points)
Preston Deeter, Kaelyn Marker, Jacob Breymier and MacKenzie Dirmeyer
9. West Ouachita FFA, Louisiana (1,963 points)
Hunter Carter, Zach Joyner, Katelyn Coston and Alissa Reppond

Overall Top 10 individuals are as follows:
1. Caleb Harper, McCutcheon FFA, Indiana (746 points)
2. Elen Skaar, Minneota FFA, Minnesota (743 points)
3. Aaron Adams, Pleasant Ridge FFA, Kansas (741 points)
4. Denton Lowe, Amber-Pocasset FFA, Oklahoma (735 points)
5. Cassie Womack, Southside Batesville FFA, Arkansas (735 points)
6. Ross House, McCutcheon FFA, Indiana (732 points)
7. Kaden Hatla, Nazareth FFA, Texas (726 points)
8. Kyle Albregts, McCutcheon FFA, Indiana (719 points)
9. Austin Deppe, Bellevue FFA, Iowa (718 points)
10. Kinsey McKillip, McCutcheon FFA, Indiana (713 points)

Sheep Division results:

Teams:
1. McCutcheon FFA, Indiana (681 points)
2. Pleasant Ridge FFA, Kansas (681 points)
3. Southside Batesville FFA, Arkansas (667 points)
4. Nazareth FFA, Texas (666 points)
5. Mississinawa Valley-MVCTC FFA, Ohio (653 points)

Individuals:
1. Aaron Adams, Pleasant Ridge FFA, Kansas (235 points)
2. Wiley Phillips, Southside Batesville FFA, Arkansas (233 points)
3. Cassie Womack, Southside Batesville FFA, Arkansas (232 points)
4. Caleb Harper, McCutcheon FFA, Indiana (232 points)
5. Carl Huseman, Nazareth FFA, Texas (230 points)

Swine Division results:

Teams:
1. Pleasant Ridge FFA, Kansas (702 points)
2. McCutcheon FFA, Indiana (697 points)
3. Amber-Pocasset FFA, Oklahoma (678 points)
4. Nazareth FFA, Texas (674 points)
5. Bellevue FFA, Iowa (664 points)

Individuals:
1. Ross House, McCutcheon FFA, Indiana (239 points)
2. Elen Skaar, Minneota FFA, Minnesota (237 points)
3. Taylor Ohlde, Pleasant Ridge FFA, Kansas (236 points)
4. Leah Parsons, Pleasant Ridge FFA, Kansas (235 points)
5. Denton Lowe, Amber-Pocasset FFA, Oklahoma (234 points)

Beef Division results:

Teams:
1. Bellevue FFA, Iowa (821 points)
2. McCutcheon FFA, Indiana (819 points)
3. Southside Batesville FFA, Arkansas (796 points)
4. Nazareth FFA, Texas (791 points)
5. Minneota FFA, Minnesota (772 points)

Individuals:
1. Cassie Womack, Southside Batesville FFA, Arkansas (285 points)
2. Caleb Harper, McCutcheon FFA, Indiana (283 points)
3. Denton Lowe, Amber-Pocasset FFA, Oklahoma (281 points)
4. Elen Skaar, Minneota FFA, Minnesota (279 points)
5. Mathias Peters, Bellevue FFA, Iowa (278 points)

Oral Reasons Division results:

Teams:
1. McCutcheon FFA, Indiana (802 points)
2. Southside Batesville FFA, Arkansas (793 points)
3. Pleasant Ridge FFA, Kansas (778 points)
4. Amber-Pocasset FFA, Oklahoma (766 points)
5. Minneota FFA, Minnesota (762 points)

Individuals:
1. Ross House, McCutcheon FFA, Indiana (279 points)
2. Denton Lowe, Amber-Pocasset FFA, Oklahoma (273 points)
3. Cassie Womack, Southside Batesville FFA, Arkansas (271 points)
4. Ashton Clark, Southside Batesville FFA, Arkansas (267 points)
5. Elen Skaar, Minneota FFA, Minnesota (266 points)

The American Royal Association is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation that has been a Kansas City tradition since 1899. Each year more than 270,000 people attend events at the American Royal Complex. In 2012, the Royal was able to give $1.4 million in scholarship and educational awards. In addition to its educational mission, the American Royal generates some $60 million of economic impact, $4.4 million in local tax revenues, and supports 450 jobs. For more information about the American Royal, contact Karrie Manley at 816-569-4054 or karriem@americanroyal.com.