Animal Science Youth Programs

Aggiefest Horse Judging Clinic: October 25, 2025; College Station, TX
Join the TAMU Horse Judging Team at Aggiefest for an educational horse judging workshop. The clinic will cover English, Western and Halter classes, including evaluation of live classes, as well as reasons format and presentation. Members of the TAMU Horse Judging Team will present example set of reasons to the audience. More details will be available soon.

Register at judgingcard.com
Contact: Sarah Schobert

Aggiefest Livestock Judging Contest: October 25, 2025; College Station, TX
Each year, the Texas A&M Livestock Judging Team hosts a competitive contest for FFA and 4- H students across the state during Aggiefest.  Participants aged eight and up compete in eight classes as well as in a questions division.  Awards are given to the top competitors in each age and species division.  More details will be available soon.

Register at judgingcard.com
Contact: Chad Coburn

Aggiefest Meat Judging Contest: October 25, 2025; College Station, TX
The Texas A&M Meat Judging Team will host a competitive contest for FFA and 4- H students across the state during Aggiefest.  More details will be available soon.

Register at judgingcard.com
Contact: Drew Cassens

Aggiefest Wool Judging Clinic: October 25, 2025; College Station, TX
Join the Texas A&M University Wool Judging Team during Aggiefest! More information will be available soon.

Register at judgingcard.com
Contact: Shawn Ramsey, Ph.D.

July 10-12, 2026

Held each July, the Aggieland™ Lamb & Goat Camps are designed for youth lamb and goat exhibitors and their parents. The three-day conference includes information on youth goat show programs, feeding, showmanship, show preparation, etc., and features some of the state’s leading experts on junior meat goat and lamb competitions.

Learn more about Aggieland Lamb and Goat Camp
Contact: Shawn Ramsey, Ph.D.

The Horse Judging Camp is a three-day event in which youth, ages 10-18, will be instructed in judging performance and conformation classes along with giving oral reasons.

Learn more about Texas A&M University Horse Judging Camp
Contact: Sarah Schobert

Horse Judging Clinic: College Station, TX
The Horse Judging Clinic is a half-day event held each March in which youth will cover classes in rail (western pleasure, hunter under saddle) and reining.

Contact: Sarah Schobert or Jennifer Zoller, Ph.D.

The Livestock Judging Camp is designed for 4-H and FFA members interested in building their knowledge of evaluating market and breeding animals, including beef, swine, sheep, and goats. The reasons camp focuses on selection principles, oral reasons, live market evaluation, and breeding animal performance data. Any 4-H and FFA member is welcome to attend. Instructors include Texas A&M faculty and staff, and members of the livestock judging team.

Learn more about Texas A&M University Livestock Judging Camp
Contact: Chad Coburn

The Livestock Judging Clinic is a half-day event designed for 4-H and FFA members interested in building their knowledge of evaluating market and breeding animals, including beef, swine, sheep, and goats.

Learn more about Texas A&M University Livestock Judging Clinic
Contact: Chad Coburn

The Meat Judging Camp is a 2 ½ day program dedicated to teaching sponsors and students the fundamentals of evaluation, selection, and grading of beef, pork, and lamb carcasses and cuts.

Learn more about the Meat Judging Camp
Contact: Drew Cassens

The Meat Judging Clinic is a half day clinic held in March, hosted by the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Meat Judging Team, and department faculty and staff. All classes including grading and retail ID will be available for viewing in various locations throughout the Rosenthal Meat Science and Technology Center.

Learn more about the Meat Judging Clinic
Contact: Drew Cassens

This course is designed for youth and collegiate horse judging team members, their coaches, and anyone interested in learning more about horse judging. Learning objectives include understanding the rules for each class, applying the judging guidelines to each class, and learning to articulate placings during oral reasons.

View more details and purchase the Online Horse Judging course at AgriLife Learn.
Contact: Jennifer Zoller, Ph.D.

The Wool Judging Clinic is a half-day clinic held each March hosted by the Texas A&M Wool Judging Team. The clinic is set up in a typical 4-h/FFA wool judging contest.

Contact: Dr. Shawn Ramsey

May 16-17, 2026 – College Station, Texas

The Yates Family Livestock Judging Extravaganza at Texas A&M University will give students in grades 3–12 the chance to sharpen their livestock evaluation skills through interactive judging activities and contests. This engaging event promotes learning, teamwork, and friendly competition while fostering an appreciation for animal science and agriculture. Thank you to the Yates family for sponsoring this event.

Contact: Chad Coburn

The Texas A&M Horse Beginnings Kids Camp is perfect for kids ages 9-12 with no horse experience. Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity for your child to learn and have fun.

Learn more about this program here.

Contact: Chelsie Huseman, Ph.D.

August 3-5, 2026: College Station, TX

The Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course is a highly respected nationally and internationally recognized program. It is the largest attended beef cattle educational program of its type in the world, and is the focal point for beef cattle educational information. This year’s event brings back the youth track for the first time since 2019.

Learn more and register at beefcattleshortcourse.com.
Contact: Jason Cleere, Ph.D.

Through our collaborations with the competitive events departments at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo, and San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo we are able to support the youth of Texas through educational contests that award scholarship dollars and prepare them to be the next generation of equine industry leaders.

Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo Equine IQ Contest

Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo Equine Prepared Speech Challenge

San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Equine Skillathon

San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Horse Skillathon

For more information contact Hanna Galloway-Hillestad

The Youth Program and Skill-a-thon will feature hands on learning from industry experts. Skill-a-thon topics include: Skill-a-thon skills and contest, ultrasound, genetic selection and Mohair judging. 

Over 350 4-H youth plus their families attend the show from all over the state of Texas. The Texas State 4-H Horse Show is the pinnacle of the 4-H horse project and offers many opportunities to 4-H youth including up to 40 classes of competition, educational programs, scholarships, and college preparation opportunities.

Learn more here.
Contact: Chelsie Huseman, Ph.D. or Jennifer Zoller, Ph.D.

Training and programs in the area of veterinary science are offered to youth through the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Veterinary Science Certificate Program, VSCP. The VSCP hosts a variety of events, workshops and more for a range of youth audiences with an interest in veterinary science.

Learn about the VSCP program and upcoming events here.

Contact: Nikki Boutwell or David Sessum