TORRINGTON, Wyo. – The Eastern Wyoming College Livestock Judging team is one of the largest groups that EWC has had in a while for the judging program totaling 18 freshman and sophomore judgers. Zane Mackey serves as an assistant coach to Coach Georgia Younglove.

The EWC Livestock Judging Team began their season regionally at AkSarBen in Grand Island, Neb; The MidAmerican in Hutchinson, Kan.; and finally the Tulsa State Fair in Tulsa, Okla. Students then traveled to the Western Junior Livestock Show in Rapid City, S.D. Their final prep was at the Ram Classic in Ft. Collins, Colo., before they attended their first national contest of the semester at the American Royal in Kansas City, M..  

The freshman team of Kylie Donovan, Haxton, Colo.; Todd Murphy, Chino Valley, Ariz.; Dylan Shaw, Decker, Mont.; and Alexia Velasco, Paulden, Ariz., finished 8th in sheep and goats, 8th in swine and 8th overall at AkSarBen, while Shaw and Baxter Boldon, Buffalo Gap, S.D., both placed in the top 25% of the contestants in the swine division. Boldon also placed 9th in beef and 13th overall at the Ram Classic. 

The judging team ended their fall season at the North American International Livestock Judging Contest in Louisville, Ky.. Team members included Myca Cantrell, sophomore, Burns, Wyo.; Baxter Boldon and Joseph Pieper, sophomore, Mitchell, Neb.. “All three students talked at least one set of reasons in the high forties, I was excited to see a significant increase in reason scores,” said assistant coach Zane Mackey. Prior to the contest students had the opportunity to work out at some of the premiere livestock operations in the Midwest including Prairie Rose Cattle Company; Jack Rodibaugh and Sons; Miller Show Goats; Poe Hampshires; Harker Simmentals, and Forsee Southdowns. They also worked out at the University of Illinois and Purdue University. 

A few students will travel to the Arizona Nationals over Christmas break. The next major contest will be the National Western Stock Show in Denver the early part of January.