Members representing FFA Chapters from Chinook, Harlem, and Big Flat (Turner) traveled to Malta for Career Development Events (CDE) in the Judith Basin District FFA Competition held on October 4. While all three Chapters posted strong scores, Blaine County’s top finisher was Katherine Windy Boy who placed first overall in Senior Livestock. Another stellar performer was Ashlyn Hofeldt who achieved fourth overall as an individual in Junior Horse. Many other Blaine County youth ranked in the Top Ten.

Hosted by the Malta Chapter of the FFA, the Judith Basin District Competition offered contests in livestock, horse, and range judging. Livestock teams evaluated heifers, steer calves, ram lambs, breeding ewes, feeder pigs and meat goats. Meanwhile, horse judging involved confirmation classes of geldings, mares, and yearlings with two western horsemanship riding classes. Finally, those taking part in range addressed topics such as plant identification, soil texturing, stocking rate questions, and plant anatomy.

Windy Boy’s high scores helped her team place fifth overall in Senior Livestock. Other Harlem competitors on the Senior Livestock Team included Ty Kinyon, Kobe Hammond, Jaeden Ansburg, Miles Fetter, Cyla Adams, Ty Kittson, and Cadence Fortin. Their advisor is Kylee Urie.

Chinook FFA Advisor, Mitzi Cecrle reported that her members participated on the following teams:

• Senior Livestock: Wylee Simenson, Morgan Friede, Bree Swanson, Torin Cecrle, Ryan Meneely, and Ben Hofeldt;

• Junior Livestock: Emma Klingaman, Grace Buck, Kirbey Hofeldt, Madi Gruszie, Neva Lowe, Falyn Cecrle, Griffin Crowley, Wyatt Olmstead, Fletcher Anderson, Tucker Crawford, and Ayden Alisch;

• Senior Horse: Emma Klingaman, Grace Buck, Sterling Bemis, and Aislinn Handy;

• Junior Horse: Kirbey Hofeldt, Fletcher Anderson, Ashlyn Hofeldt, and Jenna Liddle;

• Senior Range: Ashlyn Hofeldt, Jenna Liddle, Carter Alisch, and Jameson Nordboe;

• Junior Range: Eyan Hofeldt, Lynley Conrad, Kaidence Unruh, and Gus Buck.

The Senior Livestock Fall District team for Chinook attained 8th overall. Top performers in that contest were Torin Cecrle, Bree Swanson, and Morgan Friede. Senior Horse evaluators performed similarly, also achieving 8th overall. Top placers for Chinook were Aislinn Handy, Grace Buck, and Emma Klingaman.

In Junior Livestock competition, Chinook’s team took 7th with high scorers being Grace Buck, Madi Gruzie, and Emma Klingaman. Assisted by Ashlyn Hofeldt’s individual fourth place, the Junior Horse evaluators earned 6th overall. Joining Hofeldt as top performers for Chinook were Kirbey Hofeldt and Fletcher Anderson.

On the Range side of things, Chinook’s Junior Range group secured second overall with Gus Buck capturing third individually. Other top achievers for the Beeters were Kaidence Unruh and Eyan Hofeldt at 7th and 8th place, respectively.

Chinook’s Senior Range contestants placed third overall with Carter Alisch, Jameson Nordboe, and Ashlyn Hofeldt posting the highest scores on their team.

Under the mentorship of Turner’s Advisor Nathan Urie, Big Flat FFA sent three teams to Fall District Competition, two to compete in Livestock Judging, the third in Range. Those contributing talent in Livestock included Cassidy Grabofsky, Meridian Snider, Charlie Calvert, Joe Trautman, Hannah Richman, Bridget Reed, and JR Brown. Turner’s group earned 11th overall, with Grabofsky and Calvert achieving the highest scores on their Senior Livestock team.

During the Livestock Evaluation CDE, students ranked breeding and market classes of beef, sheep, and swine and then gave oral explanations to support their placement decisions. Students determined the most desired traits in marketing and breeding livestock and selected market livestock that would satisfy consumer demands as well as provide increased economic returns to producers. Understanding what makes a good market or breeding animal is valuable knowledge for every livestock producer. This CDE further encourages students to communicate effectively by supporting a claim with evidence.

In Range competition, Ryan Doyle, Trent Billimayer, Tate Beck, and Caleb Zellmer took part. They were required to answer several questions related to such topics as the amount of usable foliage, condition of rangeland, number of animal units supportable by a plot of land, ecological sites, and plant identification. Their team captured fourth overall, with top scores earned by Beck and Zellmer.

The Malta Chapter expressed gratitude not only to the community for their generous donations in making the contest possible but also to the crew at the Bureau of Land Management for putting on the range contest.

According to a spokesperson from the Malta FFA Chapter, schools from all over central and north central Montana participated. The Judith Basin District includes FFA Chapters in Turner, Chinook, Harlem, Big Sandy, Dodson, Malta, Fort Benton, Winifred, Geraldine, Denton, Stanford, Roy, Lewistown, Grass Range, Hobson, Moore, and Judith Gap.