2023 National FFA Convention and Expo sets attendance record
Downtown Indianapolis was a sea of blue and gold as FFA members gathered to celebrate the 96th National Convention and Expo held at the Lucas Oil Stadium and the Indiana Convention Center Oct. 31 to Nov. 4.
A record-setting 70,000 attendees, including students, teachers and other guests, from around the U.S. gathered for the four-day leadership event where nearly 9,000 chapters were present from all 50 states including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The organizations mission is to create a positive difference in the lives of students by fostering personal growth through agricultural education, growing the next generation of leaders and encouraging more students to build a career in agriculture.
National convention events
FFA convention attendees had a full schedule, packed with keynote speakers, competitions, numerous ceremonies and award events, workshops, tours, and according to the national FFA organization, members attending the convention had the opportunity to stop by various booths.
Attendees also had the opportunity to meet Ezekiel Mitchell, one of the most prominent bull riders in America and the first African-American bull rider to make it to the Professional Bull Rider finals five times.
The national event had several significant milestones, including the 50th anniversary of the 1972-73 national officer team and the First National Spanish FFA Creed Invitational.
Wyoming represents at the national convention
Students from around Wyoming traveled to Indianapolis to participate in 96th National FFA Convention and Expo.
Numerous Wyoming FFA members received the American FFA Degree and Wendy Pollock won the Honorary American FFA Degree.
Another prestigious award is the National Chapter Star Award. The Cheyenne Frontier and Green River FFA chapters were the recipients of the Three Stars Award, while the Coal Country, Paintrock, Shoshoni and Snowy Range FFA chapters received the Two Stars Award.
Placing as the second-high team in the National FFA Quiz Bowl was the Gillette FFA Chapter, while the Casper FFA Chapter received a silver team emblem in parliamentary procedures.
Torrington-Lingle and Chugwater FFA chapter winners
Connor Booth, Sam Birdsall, Louden Bremer and Kaleb Booth from the Torrington-Lingle FFA Chapter placed fifth in the Livestock Evaluation Career Development event, each receiving gold emblems.
The agronomy team from Torrington-Lingle, including Hope Hager, Holly Leiseth, Addie Hansen and Natalie Speckner each received silver emblems, as did the team.
Klacie Groene, Carleigh Dugger and Addy Scott from the Torrington-Lingle Marketing Plan Team earned a gold team emblem, placing fourth overall.
Snowy Range
FFA Chapter winners
Snowy Range FFA Chapter took second place in the Conduct of Chapter Meeting competition, earning them a gold team emblem. Team members were James Coxbill, Riley Lake, Shanna Stinson, Trenton Rogers, James Vasek, Wyatt Strain and James Johnson.
Jim Coxbill was named the high chairman of the semi-final round.
Keegan Norelius, Marshall Olsen, Brandon Waggoner and Collin Borer, all of Snowy Range placed seventh in Agricultural Technology Mechanical Systems, earning the team a gold emblem.
Olsen took home third-place honors in the top placing individuals and earned a gold individual emblem, with Borer, Waggoner and Norelius receiving silver individual emblems.
The Conduct of Chapter Meetings Reserve National Champions and Gold Team Emblem Winner went to the Snowy Range FFA Chapter.
Gillette, Casper and
Douglas FFA chapter
winners
The FFA chapter from Gillette received a team silver emblem in veterinary science. Team members Jayden Haugen and Samantha Marshall were awarded individual gold emblems and TeAnna Jolovich and Larissa Rathbun received individual bronze emblems.
The Casper FFA Parliamentary Procedures Team received a bronze emblem, while Jonathan Danford, Noah Danford, Trever Campbell and William Gutierrez, all of the Casper FFA Chapter, placed fourth in Meats Evaluation and Technology, where each received an individual gold emblem as well as a gold team emblem.
Campbell was named the fifth top placing individual.
The FFA team from Douglas also brought home a win in poultry evaluation with a silver team emblem. Maggie Booth was the recipient of a gold individual emblem in this category and Elza Moffatt, Savanna Moffatt and Lauryn Vollman all received the silver individual emblem.
Wheatland FFA
Chapter winners
Caden Wade, Hadley Paisley, Hayden Hocker and Megan Sagner, from the Wheatland FFA Chapter were the third place winners in Farm and Agribusiness Management and took home gold individual and team emblems.
Wade was the top placing individual in this category.
The Wheatland FFA Horse Evaluation Team earned a silver emblem, while individual members Paige Hofrock won a bronze emblem, Jadea Graves and Ella Keil received a silver emblem and Kaylee Rasnake received a gold emblem.
Dante Dawson, Savanna Metz and Eleni McKee received a silver individual emblem in Agricultural Sales and Service, while team member Ecomae Kontour received an individual gold emblem. The team earned a silver emblem in the category.
Frontier and Glendo
chapter winners
Regan Allen of the Frontier FFA Chapter finished her 2023 National FFA Creed Speaking Competition as a bronze emblem winner in the first round of the event, and Brody Medina was one of more than 100 talent applicants chosen for the first round of the FFA Talent Competition.
The Frontier FFA Chapter ended their Agricultural Issues journey in the semi-final round and finished with a team silver emblem.
Tess Palen of Glendo FFA finished as a bronze emblem participant in the first round of Employment Skills, while the Glendo FFA Chapter placed seventh in the Division Six Agriscience Fair.
Buffalo, Rawhide and Tongue River Valley FFA chapter winners
The Buffalo FFA Chapter secured a silver emblem in the Environmental and Natural Resources competition. Team member Brogan Byram received a gold individual emblem, Zach Freise was the recipient of an individual silver emblem and Lane Boden and Kaityln Evans were awarded bronze individual emblems.
Wyatt Charlson from the Tongue River Valley FFA Chapter was Wyoming’s Extemporaneous Speaker this year and finished with a bronze emblem at the national convention.
Tessa Manning of Rawhide FFA finished her Prepared Speaking journey in the first round as a bronze emblem participant.
Agriscience Fair winners
Kadance Kummer and Heidi Shade of Lander FFA placed fourth in Division Four Food Products and Processing, and Shanti Junker, also from Lander FFA, was the Division Three Reserve Champion in Environmental Natural Resource Systems.
Riley Thomas from the Greybull FFA Chapter finished eighth in Division Five Environmental and Natural Resource Systems in the National Agriscience Fair.
Big winners from Big Springs FFA Chapter were Alec Martinez, who was the Division One Reserve Champion in Food Products and Processing, Clint Kimes and Tyler Morris finished ninth in Division Two Environment and Natural Resources Systems and Ava Dafoe finished ninth in Plant Systems, all at the National Agriscience Fair.
Savannah Norfleet and Noah Pershall of Chugwater FFA were this year’s Social Systems Division Two Champions.
Melissa Anderson is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
