Time was in this morning at 8 a.m. for the 2018 VitaFerm Junior National Hereford Expo judging contest. More than 550 youth put on their VitaFerm t-shirts and pulled out their steno pads to evaluate four classes and answer questions on three.

After marking their cards, Sullivan Supply offered youth the opportunity to learn more about fitting and showmanship during the Stock Show University demonstration. Competition was high as two adult teams competed in a fitting contest to illustrate a wide array of fitting tips and tricks — not without being cheered on by their respective student fans, of course. On the other side of the ring, showmanship practice was well underway to prepare for the big showmanship contest tomorrow.

In the meantime, the extemporaneous speech contest challenged participants to be quick on their feet. They each received their topic and had only 20 minutes to prepare before presenting their speech to a panel of judges. Hear who rose to the top at the awards ceremony later this week.

Just a barn away, the Hereford bowl final “buzzer” round attracted not only the final teams, but also many audience members. With Shane Bedwell as the mediator, the final teams duked it out in a battle of wits. In fact, it took three rounds of tiebreaker questions to name a junior champion team. However, all the chips were in when it came to the senior round. The Indiana team took a risky bet, but it proved victorious on both fronts, as they claimed champion junior and senior teams.

Later in the afternoon, youth put the skills they learned this morning to use during the Sullivan Supply/Stock Show University team-fitting contest. Three representatives from each state packed their clipper boxes and put on their game faces for 45 minutes of fierce competition. After leading their cattle in the show ring, Judge Eric Eldridge, Bruneau, Idaho, selected the Texas team for champion honors.

The fun was not over yet! Sullivan Supply/Stock Show University filled the ring with hoola-hoops, kiddie pools and limbo sticks for the boot camp. Hereford youth couldn’t have had more fun racing through the obstacle course and playing with their water guns afterward. Parents, you’re welcome.

The evening concluded with the National Junior Hereford Association membership meeting. Youth gathered to discuss the latest and greatest in Hereford news, and hear from the board candidates. Voting for the four new board members will be tabulated tomorrow, and the secret will stay safe until the awards ceremony Thursday — stay tuned!