The Department of Animal Science competitive teams started off the semester strong. Results below include contests at Fort Worth Livestock Show and Rodeo, a recap of the horse judging clinic held in Indiana and Texas Aggie Rodeo team results from the Commerce College Rodeo.

Learn more about the department's 10 competitive teams here.

Horse Judging Team

The Texas A&M Horse Judging program recently traveled to Fishers, Indiana, to hold its second annual TAMU Midwest Horse Judging Clinic.

TAMU Midwest Horse Judging Clinic

The department was represented by TAMU Horse Judging Coach, Sarah Schobert, assistant coach Megan Miller, previous assistant coach, Hannah McLochlin, and a 2023 All-Star Team Member, Brooke Kiefer. The clinic was held January 13-14 at Hamilton Southeastern High School. Unfortunately, due to extreme weather conditions some of the attendees from northern Indiana and Ohio were unable to attend, but the TAMU team was still excited for those able to make it.

The clinic design allows the clinicians to cover the foundation classes of Halter, Western Pleasure, and Hunter Under Saddle on day one, while the second day is unique to the attendees interests. The online registration platform surveys the participants to gather a desired class list to be taught by the TAMU instructors over the course of day two. This is especially important as the TAMU coaches desire to not only meet the educational goals of their attendees, but also to prepare them for their upcoming contests. Each day the clinicians provide reasons instruction, video and live presentations, and finish out the day by either helping students write a set or listening to them present. Our TAMU coaches recently added a mock competition within each skill level to select for the high individual and the most improved. 

The TAMU horse judging clinic caters to all ages and skill-levels. The team provides a beginners section, an intermediate/advanced, and a coaches/adult section. Therefore, various teams, individuals and coaches across the Midwest are provided with the opportunity to either start or hone their horse judging skills across disciplines. By providing clinics nationwide, our TAMU clinicians strive to share their materials and horseman knowledge with the hope of highlighting the value behind competitive judging.

Mark your calendars to join the horse judging team on March 23 for a half-day clinic for 4-H and FFA students and coaches. Register on judgingcard.com.

Livestock Judging Team

It was a good day in Fort Worth for the Texas A&M Livestock Judging Team. The team won first place overall and first in four divisions.

Fort Worth

Team:

  • 1st overall
  • 1st reasons
  • 1st cattle
  • 1st hogs
  • 1st horses
  • 3rd sheep/goats

Individual:

  • Tate Hogan: 1st overall, 1st cattle, 1st hogs, 5th reasons
  • Conner Knudson: 3rd overall, 3rd reasons, 3rd sheep/goats, 5th horses
  • Gunner Coburn: 6th overall, 6th horses, 8th reasons, 8th cattle
  • Blake Peterson: 9th overall, 10th horses
  • Cooper Thompson: 4th cattle, 7th sheep/goats
  • Taylor Turner: 5th sheep/goats, 9th reasons
  • Kyle Real: 6th hogs
  • Hannah McElrath: 7th horses
  • Kash Butler: 9th cattle
  • Weston McElroy: 10th cattle

Other team members include: Kord Butler, Keilee Day, Cooper Ford, Caitlyn Hobbs, Sara Jennings, Hunter Knudson, Emmitt Meyring, Kendahl Nix, Karson Patton, Kaley Pieper, Ethan Sanchez, and Brylee Williams.

Mark your calendars to join the livestock judging team on March 23 for a half-day clinic for 4-H and FFA students and coaches. Register on judgingcard.com.

Meat Judging Team

The Texas A&M Meat Judging Team competed in the Southwestern Meat Judging Contest held in conjunction with the Fort Worth Livestock Show and Rodeo on January 28, bringing home the champion overall title.

Southwestern Meat Judging Contest

Team:

  • High team overall
  • 1st Pork
  • 1st Beef
  • 1st Placings
  • 3rd Reasons
  • 4th Grading
  • 2nd Total Beef
  • 2nd Specs

Two team members were in the Top 10 and five placed in the Top 10 alternates division.

Team members:

  • Kyla Beck: high individual overall (record high score of 1094), 1st grading, 1st reasons, 1st pork, and 1st in total beef.
  • Nathan Kerth: 8th high individual overall, 5th placings, and 3rd pork.
  • Avery Flanagan: 4th pork
  • Tanner Owen: 3rd beef judging

Alternate contest:

  • Madeline Luedke: 1st
  • Dillon Prokop: 4th
  • Shelby Pieniazek: 6th
  • Maddie Unruh & Karson Kurtz: tied for 10th

Other team members include Landon Southern, Tate Lane, Connor Pence, Maggie DeLaCerda, Logann Weidenfeller, Trey Hoffmann, & Gavin Kubala. The team is coached by Lauren Lee, Jennifer Wyle, and Gage Walsh.

The FTAMJT '24 will practice one week in Rosenthal before heading north again to the Texas Panhandle for the South Plains contest in Hereford, Texas.

Mark your calendars to join the meat judging team on March 23 for a half-day clinic for 4-H and FFA students and coaches. Register at judgingcard.com.

Ranch Horse Team

The Texas A&M Ranch Horse Team competed at the Bridles and Brains contest in Fort Worth January 31-February 1. The Bridles and Brains contest is an all encompassing competition that includes a team speech, interviews, reining pattern, trail pattern, roping out of the herd and sorting.

Bridles and Brains

The team celebrated some great individual successes at the contest.

  • Josh Nichols: 80 in trail (2nd), 16.5 seconds in roping (6th), 71.5 in reining (10th), 16 second sort (3rd), nominated for MVP
  • Haley Winkler: 78.5 in trail (3rd), 71 in reining
  • Emma Thrasher: 77 in trail (8th), 90 seconds in roping, 30 second sort
  • Chastain Spiller: 54 second sort

Texas Aggie Rodeo Team

Our Aggies showed up and showed off at the Commerce College Rodeo this weekend, sweeping the team titles. Come out and support the team March 8-9 at the Brazos County Expo Center in Bryan at the Texas Aggie Rodeo!

Commerce College Rodeo

  • Champion Men's Team
  • Champion Women's Team 
  • Women's All Around: Madalyn Richards 
  • Bareback
    • Gavin French: Champion Bareback Rider 
  • Tie Down Roping
    • Connor Atkinson: 2nd in the Average
    • Bryson Dyer: 3rd in the Average 
  • Breakaway Roping
    • Madalyn Richards: Champion Breakaway Roper 
  • Steer Wrestling
    • Trace Harris: Champion Steer Wrestler 
    • Boyd Hanagriff: 6th in the Long Round
  • Goat Tying
    • Madalyn Richards: Champion Goat Tyer 
    • Tylie McDonald: 4th in the Average
    • Aly Ghormley: Tied for 2nd and 3rd in the Long Round 
  • Barrel Racing
    • Victoria Procter: 2nd in the Average