Goshen County 4-H meats judging team claims national championship

Torrington – Members of the 2010 Goshen County 4-H Meats Judging Team competed at the American Royal in Kansas City, Mo. in early November and claimed the title of national champions.
Team members are Logan Cecil, Andrea Gurney and BW Ochsner, coached by Casey and Deidrea Mabry. Logan, Andrea and BW have worked toward the achievement since last winter.
The team won the opportunity to compete by winning the Wyoming 4-H Meats Judging contest in April against teams from across the state. They placed second in the 2009 Wyoming 4-H Meats Judging contest and won the 2010 National Western Round-Up in January.
Placing first at this year’s state-wide 4-H Meats Judging contest meant the teens got to compete at the American Royal contest, the nation’s premier 4-H Meats Judging competition. At the American Royal, Wyoming competed against 13 other state teams as close as Nebraska, Montana and Colorado and as far away as Virginia, Tennessee and Illinois.
The contest consists of six placing classes (50 points each), identifying 30 cuts of meat (300 points), and giving three sets of oral reasons (50 points each).
The total points an individual can earn are 750 and, as a team, 2,250 points can be earned. BW Ochsner, a junior at Torrington High School earned 728 points individually. Logan Cecil, a junior at Southeast High School, earned 726 points. Southeast High School sophomore Andrea Gurney earned 723 points. Their individual points were added together for a score of 2,177.
“That’s the highest team score at that contest in the past three years,” says Casey Mabry.
Logan, Andrea and BW placed as the second High Team in Beef Judging and first High Team in Pork Judging. In Retail Judging they placed second and they placed second in Total Reasons. The team also placed second in Retail Identification.
The Wyoming 4-Hers got to meet other 4-H Meats Judging kids from around the country and struck up some friendships, sitting with their new friends at the Awards Banquet.
“BW said he had never been congratulated so much,” says Casey Mabry. “I just told him that we are all 4-Hers and we have good sportsmanship. Win or lose, we have always told our teams to congratulate one another. I think he was surprised that even though we won, their new friends were happy for us and wanted to celebrate, too.”
Casey and Deidrea also coached the Goshen County Junior Meats Judging Team, which also won the state 4-H Meats Judging Contest in the Junior Team division.
The Goshen County kids received college scholarships and also met collegiate meats judging coaches.
Article courtesy Goshen County Extension Office.