The Department of Animal Science competitive teams completed the 2024 fall semester with great accomplishments, including two national titles and one reserve national title. This month's update includes results for the animal welfare, horse, livestock, meat, and wool judging teams.

Animal Welfare Team

The Texas A&M Animal Welfare Judging Team was named the 2024 National Champions at the Animal Welfare Assessment Contest Nov. 22-24 in River Falls, Wisconsin. The contest, sponsored by the American Veterinary Medical Association, is the only intercollegiate welfare judging contest held for universities worldwide. 

The 11 Texas A&M undergraduate students were split into three teams for the competition. All three teams placed in the top five in the Undergraduate Junior Division.

This year the contest covered: lactating dairy cows live assessment, laboratory frogs, African penguins in a zoo and commercial dog breeding.

The team placings and team members were:

Texas A&M Team Hullaballo: First place overall

  • McKinley Slover
  • Dylan Archer
  • Kirsten Tjelmeland
  • James Wheeler

Texas A&M Team Howdy: Third place overall

  • Anna Jimenez-Matos
  • Kaitlyn Vo,
  • Emmerie Smith
  • Hayden Dyess

Texas A&M Team Whoop: Fourth place overall

  • Hayley Scott
  • Kaitlyn Webb
  • Hayley Ponce

Placing in the top five of the overall individual were:

  • James Wheeler: 3rd
  • McKinley Slover: 5th

Horse Judging Team

The Texas A&M Horse Judging Team was named the 2024 National Champions at the American Quarter Horse Association, AQHA, World Championship Show Collegiate Horse Judging Contest in Oklahoma City. The Texas A&M National Reining Horse Association, NRHA, team also recently competed at the NRHA Futurity in Oklahoma City.

Complete results from the two contests are as follows:

AQHA World Championships Show Collegiate Horse Judging Contest

Senior College Results

Overall – High Team – 59 Point Win

Halter – High Team

  • Reserve high individual – AJ Kendrick
  • 4th high individual – Brianna Bongard
  • 5th high individual – Elena Betteridge
  • 7th high individual – Evyn Barnes
  • 10th high individual – Anelise Wilson

Performance – High Team

  • High individual – Hannah Vierling
  • Reserve high individual overall – Gabby Shultz
  • 4th high individual overall – Evyn Barnes
  • 5th high individual overall – Rachel Kuhlman
  • 8th high individual overall – Brianna Bongard
  • 9th high individual overall– AJ Kendrick

Reasons – High Team

  • Reserve high individual overall – AJ Kendrick
  • 3rd high individual overall – Brianna Bongard
  • 6th high individual overall – Hannah Vierling
  • 7th high individual overall – Evyn Barnes
  • 10th high individual overall – Gabby Shultz

Individual Results:

  • High individual overall – Brianna Bongard
  • Reserve high individual overall – Hannah Vierling
  • 3rd high individual overall – Evyn Barnes
  • 4th high individual overall – Gabby Shultz
  • 5th high individual overall – AJ Kendrick
  • 9th high individual overall – Rachel Kuhlman
  • 10th high individual overall – Elena Betteridge

Limited Results

Halter Limited

  • Reserve high individual overall – Emma Brunson
  • 4th high individual overall – Cassie Hiles
  • 10th high individual overall – Melani Chojnacki

Performance Limited

  • Reserve high individual overall – Dalton Regehr
  • 5th high individual overall – Cassie Hiles
  • 7th high individual overall – Emma Brunson

Reasons Limited

  • Reserve high individual overall – Emma Brunson
  • 5th high individual overall – Melani Chojnacki
  • 6th high individual overall – Dalton Regehr
  • 7th high individual overall – Cassie Hiles

Overall Limited

  • 3rd high individual overall – Cassie Hiles
  • 4th high individual overall – Dalton Regehr
  • 5th high individual overall – Emma Brunson
  • 8th high individual overall – Melani Chojnacki

National Reining Horse Association Futurity

  • 3rd High Team
  • Top 10 Individuals
    • 4th – Camey Powers
    • 5th – Dalton Regher
    • 8th – Amber Potts!!

This NRHA team was represented by students Dalton Regehr, Camey Powers, David Kendrick, Eden Moffett, Delaney Sheffield, Madison Council, Jamieson Capps, Amber Potts, Ashley Froebell, Cassie Hiles, and Lauro Garza. The teams was coached by assistant coaches Megan Miller and Brooke Kiefer.

Livestock Judging Team

The Texas A&M Livestock Judging Team competed at the National Collegiate Livestock Judging Contest in Louisville, Kentucky, placing third overall. In addition, two team members were named All Americans.

All Americans

  • Cooper Ford
  • Kaley Pieper

Team Results

  • 3rd high team overall
  • 2nd high team swine
  • 4th high team sheep/goats
  • 4th high team cattle
  • 4th high team reasons

Individual Results

  • Tate Hogan: 9th high individual overall, high individual swine, 10th high individual sheep and goats
  • Gunner Coburn: 10th high individual overall, 5th high individual swine, 7th high individual reasons
  • Conner Knudson: 8th high individual sheep and goats, 8th high individual reasons
  • Cooper Thompson: 4th high individual cattle

Meat Judging Team

The Texas A&M Meat Judging Team were named Reserve National Champions at the  American Meat Science Association,  AMSA, International Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest in Dakota City, Nebraska.

Team Results

  • Team-Reserve Champion
  • Lamb 1st
  • Pork 5th
  • Beef Grading 3rd
  • Specs 1st (with a perfect 400!)
  • Beef 3rd
  • Reasons 3rd

Individuals

  • Dillon Prokop - high individual overall, 1st total beef, 1st specs, 1st beef grading, 2nd beef judging, 4th pork, 2nd placing, 5th reasons, and 1st Team All American
  • Kyla Beck - 3rd lamb, 2nd specs, 4th reasons, and 2nd Team All American
  • Madeline Luedke - 5th specs

Top 10 High Individual Alternates

  • 4th - Maddie Unruh
  • 5th - Logann Weidenfeller
  • 8th - Gavin Kubala
  • 9th - Trey Hoffmann
  • 10th - Tate Lane (Rachel Hamilton Spirit Award)

Other team members include Nathan Kerth, Tanner Owen, Landon Southern, Shelby Pieniazek, Connor Pence, Maggie DeLaCerda, Avery Flanagan, & Karson Kurtz. The team is coached by Lauren Lee & Jennifer Wyle.

The team won five of the eight contests, had six of the eight overall contest high individuals (four different students), and four alternate high individuals. All 16 team members were recognized at banquets throughout the year for their accomplishments!

Wool Judging Team

The Texas A&M Wool Judging Team competed at the Texas Invitational Wool Judging Contest in San Angelo. Complete results are as follows:

Team Results

  • High team overall
  • High team grading
  • High team placings and reasons

Individual Results: Overall

  • 1st - Brylie Roeder
  • 2nd - Avery Detten
  • 3rd - Abigail Slack
  • 4th - Ryan Gilliam
  • 6th - Brady Prukop
  • 7th - Sarah Keesecker 
  • 8th - Taryn OBrien
  • 10th - Jace Burkholder

Individual Results: Grading

  • 1st - Avery Detten
  • 3rd - Kahla Simpton
  • 4th - Abigail Slack
  • 5th - Ryan Gilliam
  • 6th - Brylie Roeder
  • 9th - Brady Prukop

Individual Results: Placings and Reasons

  • 1st - Jace Burkholder
  • 2nd - Marti Ducote
  • 3rd - Garrison Pieniazek
  • 4th - Brylie Roeder
  • 5th - Taryn OBrien
  • 7th - Bella Autrey
  • 8th - Sarah Keesecker
  • 9th - Alli Long
  • 10th - Cadence Morisette

The team is coached by Dr. Shawn Ramsey, Shane Flanagan, Jaxson Zimmerman, Carson Carter and Ben Flanagan.