LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Hereford juniors put their skills and knowledge to the test in the judging and team fitting contests at the 23rd annual VitaFerm®Junior National Hereford Expo in Louisville, Ky., on July 18. 

Steve Austin, Mount Vernon, Ill., and Corbin Cowles, Rockfield, Ky., helped facilitate the judging contest with more than 500 juniors from across the nation participating in the educational contest sponsored by Central Life Sciences. The team from Illinois won the senior team judging contest with a score of 970 points. The team included Dellana Muck, Caledonia; Morgan Hutchins, Charleston; Emma Richardson, Capron and Reid Allen, Quincy. Second place honors went to the team from Kansas with Channing Schneider, Wamego; Taylor Dieball, Little River; Jordan Gatz, Fairview and Molly Minihan, Wheaton. 

Dellana Muck was crowned the senior high individual with a score of 250. Jacob Coffey, Woodstock, Va., took second high individual and Caleb Edens, Greenfield, Ind., took third high individual. 

At the end of the night, state associations sent in their best junior fitters to go head-to-head in the fitting contest sponsored by Sullivan Supply. Each team consisted of one senior, one intermediate and one junior or peewee exhibitor. The teams were allotted 40 minutes to fit their animal and Jacob Wolfrey, Jarretsville, Md., and Melissa Grimmel Schaake, Manhattan, Kan., judged the contest. 

Team Oklahoma: Quaid and Wyatt McIntyre, Leedey; and Kenna Silas, Leedey, reigned supreme when the hair adhesive settled. Team Indiana: Clayton Musser, Otterbein; Maddox Gunn, Greenfield and Bailey Landrum, Huntington, Ind., was second. Rounding out the top three was team Texas: Braxton Lockhart, Caldwell; Grady Creamer, Waxahachie and Bryden Barber, Channing. 

Judging Contest Results 

Peewee Division 

Individual: 

1. Charlie Kent, Winslow, Ill. 
2. Blakely Storey, Stockton, Ill.
3. Ella Weldon, Piedmont, Okla. 

Teams:

1. Illinois: Charlie Kent, Winslow; Blakely Storey, Stockton; Owen Crutcher, Montrose; Corbin Perry, Tower Hill. 
2. Kansas: Josie Beltz, Canton; Trigg Marston, Agenda; Allie Perry, Onaga; Jaqueline Studer, Frankfort. 
3. Oklahoma: Ella Weldon, Piedmont; Quaid McIntyre, Leedey; Saylor Norvell, Tuttle; Irwin Parker, Hartshorne.

Junior Division 

Individual: 

1. Claire Collins, Frederick, Okla.
2. Nolan Lee, Wellington, Ill. 
3. Maci Atterholt, Jeromesville, Ohio 

Teams: 

1. Illinois: Nolan Lee; Karson Sundberg, Mendota; Hunter Wexell, Cambridge; Peyton Garnhart, German Valley.
2. Oklahoma: Claire Collins; Hudson Carter, Stratford; Madilyn Norvell, Tuttle; Wyatt McIntyre, Leedey. 
3. Kansas: Cami Miller, El Dorado; Faith Perry, Onaga; Drew Ballard, Inman; Lena Schlickau, Dana.  

Intermediate Division 

Individuals: 

1. Jalyn Davis, Maple Hill, Kan. 
2. Maelee Dean, Vienna, Ga.
3. Cally Miller, El Dorado, Kan. 

Teams: 

1. Kansas: Jalyn Davis, Maple Hill; Cally Miller, El Dorado; Danica Davis, Maple Hill; Delaney Figge, Onaga.
2. Illinois: Morgan Richardson, Capron; Paige Lemenager, Hudson; Kade Boatman, Rockford; Houston Stapleton, Clinton. 
3. Indiana: Collin Deatsman, Leesburg; Catie Musser, Otterbein; Sage Lawrence, Avilla; Ellie Gosser, Flat Rock. 

Senior Division 

Individuals: 

1. Dellana Muck, Caledonia, Ill.
2. Jacob Coffey, Woodstock, Va. 
3. Caleb Edens, Greenfield, Ind. 

Teams: 

1. Illinois: Dellana Muck, Caledonia; Morgan Hutchins, Charleston; Emma Richardson, Capron; Reid Allen, Quincy.
2. Kansas: Channing Schneider, Wamego; Taylor Dieball, Little River; Jordan Gatz, Fairview; Molly Minihan, Wheaton.

Team Fitting Contest 

1. Oklahoma: Quaid Mcintyre, Leedey; Wyatt Mcintire, Leedey; Kenna Silas, Leedey. 
2. Indiana: Clayton Musser, Otterbein; Maddox Gunn, Greenfield; Bailey Landrum, Huntington.
3. Texas: Braxton Lockhart, Caldwell; Grady Creamer, Waxahachie; Bryden Barber, Channing. 

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The National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) is one of the largest, strongest and most active junior cattle programs in the country. Over the years, members of this association have gone on to earn international and domestic respect as models for youth organizational success. The NJHA, through its extensive educational programs, continues to lay the foundation for the beef industry’s future leaders. The traditions of the past coupled with the energy of today’s board of directors have created a progressive approach to further develop a meaningful and educational association focus.