A team of 4-H members from southeast Kansas has won the national livestock judging title, scoring a four-point win over Oklahoma at the Western National 4-H Roundup in Denver.

The Southwind Extension District team tallied 2,546 points in contests that involved judging cattle, goats, sheep, swine and oral reasons. Kyser Nemecek and Reegan McDaniel led the team individually, scoring 864 and 850 points for second and fifth place, respectively.

Oklahoma was the national runner-up with 2,542 points, and Texas was third at 2,536. Twenty-six teams were entered in the national competition. The Kansas 4-H team placed second in goat, sheep and swine judging; and third in cattle and reasons. Its’ combined total, however, was good enough for the overall team title.

In addition to Nemecek (Iola) and McDaniel (Fort Scott), team members include Tate Crystal (Fort Scott) and Emery Yoho (Yates Center).

The team had previously won the Kansas state championship in 4-H livestock judging. The win at the Western National 4-H Roundup qualifies it for an opportunity to travel to Scotland and England this summer.

Also at this year’s Western National 4-H Roundup, contests were held for meat judging, horse judging, and horse bowl. The state champions from Kansas also were represented.

• The Kansas 4-H Horse Bowl team, representing Wyandotte County, placed second overall. Team members are Delaney Schempt (Bonner Springs), Leah Brunner (Olathe), Madison Bone (Olathe) and Paige Metzger (Shawnee). Individually, Bone placed second overall.
• The Kansas 4-H Meat Judging team, representing Greenwood County, placed fifth. Team members are Hannah Perrier (Eureka), Caylin Luthi (Madison), Cody Johnson (Eureka) and Addison Westerman (Eureka).
• The Kansas 4-H Horse Judging team, representing the Flint Hills Extension District, placed tenth. Team members are Augustus Wainwright (Council Grove), Castyn Andres (Alta Vista) and Lexi Todd (Alta Vista).

Kelsey Nordyke, a 4-H ag sciences program specialist, commended the teams for their finishes at the national contests.

“Kansas 4-H supports youth judging events because of the valuable life skills youth gain from competition, and from being part of a team,” she said. “Through practicing and preparing for these events, youth learn how to prepare, and are given the opportunity for valuable feedback while learning from and working with a positive, caring adult.”

She said animal evaluation events teach decision-making, communication skills, learning to think on your feet, setting priorities, and technical knowledge of what an industry is looking for.

“By being part of these teams, youth learn to strive for excellence and work toward mastery, as well as learning time management skills,” Nordyke said. “Kansas 4-H is proud of the hard work put forth by the youth and adults involved in representing the state at the national level.”

Complete results of the Western National 4-H Roundup judging contests are available online at https://co4h.colostate.edu/western-national-roundup-results-2024.

More information on opportunities available through Kansas 4-H also is available online, or at local extension offices in Kansas.