Blinn livestock judging places fourth at prestigious national contest

Three team members rank in the top 10 at the North American International Livestock Exposition

November 22, 2024

The Blinn College livestock judging team delivered an impressive performance Tuesday at the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Ky., placing fourth in a highly competitive national contest where less than 100 points separated the top five teams.

Blinn totaled 4,673 points, with three team members placing in the top 10. Blinn also placed in the top 10 of every division, including first in breeding sheep, second in sheep, fourth in swine, and fifth in reasons and cattle.

Individual Highlights

• Owen Seidenberger: 5th overall, 2nd in swine, 2nd in swine reasons, 17th in reasons
• Lane Hogan: 6th overall, 1st in breeding sheep, 3rd in sheep, 5th in reasons, 15th in cattle
• Maddox Hartmann: 7th overall, 5th in swine, 18th in reasons
• Grant Kubala: 5th in breeding sheep, 6th in sheep reasons
• Shelby Cones: 16th in cattle, 21st in reasons

“The five national contests that we attend each year are like playing in the national championship against 30 different colleges,” coach Adrian Austin said. “We don’t take top-five national finishes for granted, and to have three team members in the top 10 overall at a national level is hard to do. I am proud of their efforts this fall and their commitment to improving every time.”

Blinn’s next competition is the Griswold Cattle Classic on Dec. 20 in Stillwater, Okla.

Blinn’s Agricultural Sciences Program has one of the most active extracurricular programs in the state, including livestock judging, Agriculture Club, wildlife, agriculture mechanics, and horticulture. Blinn offers agriculture classes on all its campuses, with the W.J. “Bill” Rankin Agricultural Complex on the Brenham Campus serving as the program’s hub.

To learn more about Blinn’s Agricultural Sciences Program and the livestock judging team, visit www.blinn.edu/agricultural-sciences.