Wednesday, more than 1,000 FFA students from across Ohio gathered at the Logan County Fairgrounds to sharpen their livestock judging skills in an event hosted by the ILHS/OHP FFA Chapter.
Students from 74 schools evaluated cattle, sheep, goats, and hogs, while also taking part in contests involving poultry, equine, and dairy cattle.
The hands-on experience gives participants the opportunity to practice skills essential for careers in agriculture and livestock management.
Due to severe weather moving through the area, students briefly took shelter in the fairgrounds’ storm shelters for about 15 minutes as a precaution.
ILHS/OHP FFA Advisor Dan Young emphasized the importance of the event, noting it serves as excellent preparation for the State FFA Judging contests later this month.
“All exercises are based on Ohio FFA and Ohio Department of Education standards,” Young said. “The content covers material students need for careers in livestock management.”
This year, the event included a new feature: specially trained dairy handlers provided advice to students who compete at the state level, helping them improve their scores.
ILHS/OHP FFA members guided groups of students to various barns on the fairgrounds, where they had approximately ten minutes to rank animals and complete their test sheets.
Tests were then graded by experienced FFA livestock judges, including collegiate national team members, Ohio State University panelists, and local experts who regularly judge county and national livestock shows.
Local farmers, along with members of the Indian Lake FFA Alumni Group, supplied the animals for the contests and volunteered their time, making the event a community-wide effort.
Students received detailed feedback to help them in upcoming competitions and throughout the fair season this summer.
