Elbert County News > News
4-H team takes top spot at nationals
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| From left are award sponsor Gary Colgate from Westway Feed Products, coach Dean Link, Curtis Doubet, Dan Sewald, Wyatt Taylor, Garrett Liss and coach Garret Miller after winning the 85th National 4-H Livestock Judging Contest in Louisville, Ky. Courtesy photo |
By Ashley Dieterle
The Elbert County livestock judging team came home from the 85th National 4-H Livestock Judging Contest with more than good memories and good experiences. The team’s hard work and dedication paid off, winning the championship in Louisville, Ky.
After winning the state competition, Curtis Doubet of Parker, Garrett Liss of Elbert, Dan Sewald of Kiowa, and Wyatt Taylor of Kiowa, coached by Garrett Miller and Dean Link, both from Kiowa, traveled to Louisville just hoping to do well in the national competition. After the winner was announced, and they won, Miller said the team was ecstatic. He knew the team was good, but he also knew it would take a little bit of luck on their side to win the overall competition.
“When we won, it was priceless — that is the best way to put it,” Miller said.
In addition to winning the national championship title, the team placed fourth in sheep, second in swine, 10th in beef, and eighth in reasons. Doubet placed third in sheep and sixth overall. Taylor placed second in swine and Liss placed 18th overall.
Before the competition, the team has one practice a week and one live workout a week. During the live workout, the team trains for judging contests by looking at a variety of livestock and their traits. Each class of livestock is different and requires specific traits that the team must look for. Miller said the team has put in a lot of time and dedication to make it this far.
“They have to put in a lot of commitment to do what they do and to also be successful,” he said.
One team member still is in shock after the big win. Liss, 18, has been involved with judging livestock since age 11 and plans on attending a junior college after high school graduation on a judging scholarship.
“It still hits me pretty hard,” he said. “Just to think that we got that opportunity and we took advantage of it. Not a whole lot of people get to do that in a lifetime.”
Sewald, 17, also plans on attending a junior college on a judging scholarship and hopes to continue his success in judging livestock. He too was excited and said this was an amazing experience.
“I want to go to a school with a good team and do well in college too,” he said.
Now that the team has won the national competition, they are eligible to attend the 167th Royal Highland Show in June 2009 in Edinbourgh, Scotland. Even though the livestock will be different in the foreign land, the team is ready to make the trip and expand their judging horizons.
“There will be different breeds and each breed will have a composition that we aren’t used to,” Liss said. “I have no idea how we are going to train for that show, but we are excited.”
An open house is being held in honor of the team’s success at nationals from 7- p.m. Dec. 18 in the Exhibit Hall at the Elbert County Fairgrounds in Kiowa. The team will share its experiences, and those who want to donate to their trip to Scotland may do that during the open house.
After winning the state competition, Curtis Doubet of Parker, Garrett Liss of Elbert, Dan Sewald of Kiowa, and Wyatt Taylor of Kiowa, coached by Garrett Miller and Dean Link, both from Kiowa, traveled to Louisville just hoping to do well in the national competition. After the winner was announced, and they won, Miller said the team was ecstatic. He knew the team was good, but he also knew it would take a little bit of luck on their side to win the overall competition.
“When we won, it was priceless — that is the best way to put it,” Miller said.
In addition to winning the national championship title, the team placed fourth in sheep, second in swine, 10th in beef, and eighth in reasons. Doubet placed third in sheep and sixth overall. Taylor placed second in swine and Liss placed 18th overall.
Before the competition, the team has one practice a week and one live workout a week. During the live workout, the team trains for judging contests by looking at a variety of livestock and their traits. Each class of livestock is different and requires specific traits that the team must look for. Miller said the team has put in a lot of time and dedication to make it this far.
“They have to put in a lot of commitment to do what they do and to also be successful,” he said.
One team member still is in shock after the big win. Liss, 18, has been involved with judging livestock since age 11 and plans on attending a junior college after high school graduation on a judging scholarship.
“It still hits me pretty hard,” he said. “Just to think that we got that opportunity and we took advantage of it. Not a whole lot of people get to do that in a lifetime.”
Sewald, 17, also plans on attending a junior college on a judging scholarship and hopes to continue his success in judging livestock. He too was excited and said this was an amazing experience.
“I want to go to a school with a good team and do well in college too,” he said.
Now that the team has won the national competition, they are eligible to attend the 167th Royal Highland Show in June 2009 in Edinbourgh, Scotland. Even though the livestock will be different in the foreign land, the team is ready to make the trip and expand their judging horizons.
“There will be different breeds and each breed will have a composition that we aren’t used to,” Liss said. “I have no idea how we are going to train for that show, but we are excited.”
An open house is being held in honor of the team’s success at nationals from 7- p.m. Dec. 18 in the Exhibit Hall at the Elbert County Fairgrounds in Kiowa. The team will share its experiences, and those who want to donate to their trip to Scotland may do that during the open house.
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