Washington County 4-H senior livestock judging team took 3rd place at the 2021 Iowa 4-H State Judging contest and are now preparing for their next level of competition in January at the National Western Stock Show in Denver. Team members include: Iris Peterson, Anna Nafziger, Carmen Sieren, and Greta Sieren.
Washington County 4-H Livestock Judging Team Makes the National Map of Competition as They Prepare for Denver Contest
Washington County 4-H livestock judging has bounced back into action at the top level of competition placing third at the State Livestock Judging Contest held at the Hansen Ag Student Learning Center in Ames early this summer. This top honor for the senior team has earned them a seat to compete at the National Western Stock Show in Denver this coming January.
4-Hers Carmen Sieren, Iris Peterson, Anna Nafziger and Greta Sieren make up the Denver team who have tightened their focus to prepare for the next level of competition. “During the state competition I was the most nervous I had ever been. We went into competition as a team knowing we could do well,” said Carmen Sieren, senior member of the Dutch Creek Flyers 4-H Club. “When the announcer called our name, I felt a huge sense of accomplishment and relief. We had worked so hard.”
This honor and success came after a new volunteer coaching team set some new goals a few years ago and motivated a group of 4-Hers to get excited about this area of the livestock industry.
“We wanted to get a core group that was serious about getting better and being competitive. Once we started seeing some success, the goal became a moving target,” said coach Brandon Freel. “Our goal was to put Washington County back on the map not only in our area but in the state and nationally. The kids have worked really hard to make that dream become reality.”
Washington County 4-Hers with a livestock judging interest met every other week since January in preparation for the spring and summer contests. During the winter months they met to learn terminology and focus on reasons. In late spring, the frequency and intensity of practices picked up in preparation for the Washington County Fair contest. Weekly workouts were held at Washington County producers; farms focusing on a different species each week.
“Livestock judging is a golden opportunity to learn about the livestock industry from those who know it best, livestock breeders and producers,” said coach Dustin Ford. “Most importantly, it’s a great way to meet others who share a similar passion for the industry and make lifelong friendships. Some of my closest friends today are those I shared this experience with 20 years ago.”
“Livestock judging doesn’t just help you learn about how to sort through animals, but also teaches you confidence and communication skills,” said Iris Peterson, member of the Washington Go Getters 4-H Club who has been a part of the team for two years. “I have learned a lot about livestock judging and it’s terminology. When I started, I wasn’t that great at it, having no clue how to give reasons. My coaches helped me out a lot and continually pushed me to get better.”
Senior Team made of Carmen Sieren, Greta Sieren, Iris Peterson, Anna Nafziger: - 3rd High Team Overall, 3rd in Reasons, 3rd in Beef, 2nd in Sheep, 5th in Swine, 3rd in Goats, 4th in Placings
Carmen Sieren - 2nd High Individual, 8th in Reasons, 4th High in Beef, 7th in Sheep, 4th in Swine, 2nd in Placings, Greta Sieren - 13th High Individual, 9th in Sheep, 9th in Swine, 9th in Goats, 12th in Placings, Iris Peterson - 14th in Sheep, Anna Nafziger - 12th in Reasons
Tradition runs strong in Washington County 4-H and so does success. “I’m a firm believer in ‘success breeds success’ so the more success we can have early in our season and kids can have early in their experience, the more interest this program is going to gain,” said Freel.
The Washington County 4-H volunteer livestock judging coaching team is made up of Brandon Freel, Dustin Ford, Ted Greiner, and Chad Younge. They coached anywhere from 10-40 kids at workouts January-August. This year they are uniquely still working now through the fall and early winter to prepare for the National Western Stock Show in Denver.
“We are thankful to have such caring adults with a judging expertise who want to invest and teach our young people in this project area ,” said Amy Green, Washington County 4-H/Youth coordinator. “This is a project area that develops great life skills of teamwork, confidence in decision making and public speaking. It says a lot about the youth in our county program who have been dedicated to those weekly workouts and learning and now we are extra excited for their success and next level of competition.”
As the team of four prepare for this national contest, they are also working to collect funds to cover registration and travel expenses to Denver in January. They are interested in visiting area service organizations to talk more about livestock judging and sharing information about how groups or individuals can be sponsors of their trip. Contact Amy Green at the Washington County Extension Office, 319-653-4811 or amygreen@iastate.edu, to find out more about how to support this team and their national contest.
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