TCFA NAMES WINNERS IN
JUNIOR FED BEEF CHALLENGE

More than 60 of the beef industry's future leaders gathered in Canyon, Texas recently to test their knowledge about cattle feeding and earn the rewards of hard work as they competed in the Junior Fed Beef Challenge.

Sponsored by the Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA), the Junior Fed Beef Challenge allows
4-H or FFA students to gain practical experience in commercial cattle feeding.  Students from Texas , Oklahoma and New Mexico feed a pen of three steers, then compete on their industry knowledge and cattle performance.  The contest also features a Team Challenge, where students who don't feed cattle can compete on their cattle feeding knowledge.   This year, 38 students competed in the Junior Fed Beef Challenge and eight teams of two to three students competed in the Team Challenge.

Senior Division Results

Overall champion and top scholarship winner in the senior division was Hayley Henderson of Childress, who won a $2,000 scholarship.  Kathryn Wright of Menard captured reserve champion overall and a $1,500 scholarship and Jerad Johnson of Hereford was first runner up, winning a $1,000 scholarship. 

The overall winners are determined by combining scores in four areas-written exam, interview, record book and carcass performance of their steers.  A plaque and $500 cash award is given to first place winners in each area and plaques go to second and third.  In addition, each student who enters steers in the contest earns premium money plus the proceeds from the sale of the carcasses. 

In the written exam, Jerad Johnson and Hayley Henderson tied for first, Kathryn Wright and Garrett Anderson of Menard tied for second and Ole Dahl of Texhoma, Okla. took third.  While the written exam tests the student's knowledge of the industry, the interview before a panel of three judges tests their ability to think on their feet and their understanding of the cattle industry.  Hayley Henderson captured first place in the interview, with Kathryn Wright in second and Joanna Olson of Hereford in third. 

Reece Hales of Nazareth captured the record book competition, while the partnership of Clay Cooper, Cody Cooper and Clint Cooper of Matador took second with Joanna Olson receiving third.  In addition, TCFA awards $500 and a plaque to the top first-year students in the competition.  This year, Kathryn Wright was named top rookie, followed by Trent Cadra of Shamrock in second and Justin Edwards of Texhoma in third. 

In individual carcass competition, the partnership of Dancey and Clint Hopping of Memphis captured first place, followed by Hayley Henderson, who took home second and third.  Henderson came back to win first place in the pen of three division, followed by Jacob Little of Garwood in second and Zachary Long of Canadian in third.  In the live evaluation contest, Justin Johnson of Hereford took first, followed by Jerad Johnson in second and Blake Sizelove of Buffalo , Okla. in third. 

Junior Division Results

Travis Fish of McLean was the overall winner in the Junior Division.  In the Junior Division, youngsters compete in the same four areas, vying for a plaque and $100 cash prize for first and a plaque for second. 

Ross Anderson of Menard took top honors in the written exam, followed by Kristen Odom of McLean in second.  Pete Messer of Memphis gave the best oral presentation with Matt Mellema of Dalhart capturing second.  Lucas Webb of McLean had the top-scoring record book, followed by Ross Anderson in second.

In the carcass contest, Lucas Webb captured top individual carcass and Ross Anderson captured second.   Webb came back to win best pen of three honors with Pete Messer and Tate Hopping of Memphis tying for second.  Top live evaluation honors went to Pete Messer with Derek Blain of Texhoma winning second.  The top rookie award was captured by Willy Wright of Menard with Pete Messer taking home second. 

Team Challenge Results

In the Team Challenge contest, a team from Hallettsville came back to repeat as winners, with top overall honors going to the team comprised on Tracy Brandenberger, Courtney Dornak and Amy Pustka.  Second place overall went to a team from Hooker, Okla. comprised of Seth Adams, Keysha James and Brenden Kachel.  Honors for third place overall went to another Hallettsville team of Holly Dornak and Ashley Schmidt. 

The Hallettsville contingent swept the written exam contest, with the team of Brandenberger, Dornak and Pustka winning first, the team of Dornak and Schmidt taking second and Dillon Leopold and Steven Tobola of Hallettsville capturing third. 

Brandenberger, Dornak and Pustka captured top honors in the live evaluation contest.  Second place went to a team from Texhoma , Okla. of Justin James, Cody James and Chani Overton and third place went to the Hooker, Okla. team of Adams, James and Kachel.

"The future of the beef industry rests with our youth," said Travis Cook, TCFA market analyst and contest coordinator.  "Based on what I saw at this year's Junior Fed Beef Challenge, our future is in good hands indeed.  These are the best and the brightest kids going and they showed they have the intelligence and the work ethic to be successful in any endeavor they undertake." 

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