FFA went to Sand Rock recently for a livestock judging competition and member Jonnie Ann Walker placed Top Highest Individual in the entire county, or first place.
“Winning the competition was a really cool experience, but it initially came as a shock to me because I wasn’t expecting to do that good,” said Jonnie Ann.
Not only did we have a member earn the first place title for county and our team, we had another member, Jo Lee Walker, place 2nd.
Even though Jonnie Ann won, it took much practice to prepare for the competition. About three weeks before the competition, the members began using a computer program to practice judging of groups of livestock.
“We would examine the livestock, write our reasons down of how and why we believed a certain animal could be beneficial and give our reasons to Mrs. Hill,” Jonnie Ann said.
The competitions were very similar to what the computer program entailed. “We took turns studying and taking notes on a certain group of livestock. Then, we would rank them and present our rankings and reasons to the judges,” explained Jonnie Ann.
Brittany Hill, FFA sponsor, believes the Walker girls had an advantage. “Considering they grew up on a farm, the girls know what good cattle and other livestock needs to look like,” said Hill.
Hill hopes to accomplish their goal of winning the county contest and advancing to district before the seniors graduate.
Without a doubt, the practice paid off since Jonnie Ann brought home the winning title for Cedar Bluff’s FFA.