Team members, coaches explain why hands-on learning priceless for ag
In early May, Kentucky Junior Cattlemen’s Association held its cattle working contest at the Hardin County Extension Office, with three teams winning top placements. This year, 19 teams participated in the qualifying event in March – a great showing for an event that just debuted last year.
“It’s exciting to see the cattle working contest gaining popularity among our junior members,” KJCA President Macey Thompson said. It’s important to provide highschoolers with the opportunity to learn about and compete in one of the most common practices on beef cattle farms, she said – and to provide them with education and resources on the production side of Kentucky’s beef industry.
Out of those 19 teams, the top 10 moved on to participate in the state contest on May 2. The three winners include Henry County in first place; the “Cultivated Cowpokes,” a team with Estill and Scott county members, in second; and Shelby County in third.
“We came in second last year, so winning wasn’t really a surprise for us …” Lindsey Davie said. She’s an ag teacher and FFA advisor at Henry County High School. Team members include Wade Moore, Jake Crabb and Jason Ray.
Her team came in second last year, so she said they really had their eyes set on the win. “But they really worked hard for it, doesn’t mean it was easy,” Davie said.
The contest involves immense teamwork, with members developing a cattle processing plan to be performed right beside the chute, to treat three head. They are given a team problem to figure out, which requires precision and math while using Beef Quality Care Assurance (BQCA) techniques, all done within a time constraint. The students must administer vaccinations on the spot during the contest, including intramuscular and subcutaneous shots, and correctly affixing electronic identification tags to the cows’ ears.
Judges then scored the teams based on the execution of their plans, animal and human safety and implementation of BQCA practices.
“This contest, specifically – and I’ve told Dave Maples (president of Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association) this – whether they win or not, it’s one of the best programs we’ve participated in,” Alison Smith said. She coached the Cultivated Cowpokes, which are Will Beckley of Estill County, and Samantha Brown and Sophia Smith, both of Scott County.
She said the contest is so important because it’s such a hands-on experience, and teaches them “the right things to do, before they ever get some of those bad habits we pick up as farmers.”
Smith is a certified 4-H livestock leader who teaches for Horizons agriscience program. and I “It’s really a group effort, though – my name is on the list as ‘coach,’ but the kids and their parents are highly involved. And I’ve been learning from their parents from the beginning.”
She said having kids in these environments, and participating in programs like 4-H and FFA, is “more than just about ag – it’s leadership, speaking skills, teamwork. And in the cattle working contest, they had 10 minutes to work three head … Had to learn the correct protocols to administer what was needed, and put it into practice right at the chute. That’s what I love – taking that knowledge and putting it into use, and in a stressful situation.”
Extension Agent Candice Hollingsworth, with 4-H Youth Development at Shelby County Extension Office, coached the Shelby County team of Eli Ballard, Nick Gajdzik and Sebastian Gilleo. She said the contest allows the kids to take the skills learned back to their farm and implement them with their own herd. And the team environment helps them with communication skills, along with problem-solving and leadership.
“These are skills that will help them be successful throughout their life,” she said.
Brown, one of the Cultivated Cowpokes, said she’s been a member of KJCA for three or more years, but has been in 4-H longer. “I knew we’d done exceptionally well and we did better than last time, so our confidence really went up,” she said. Learning from their mistakes, Brown said, and being able to put that into actions after the qualifier really helped.
“The competition part – you have to put that part aside and work with your team, realize your strengths and weaknesses. Our strength may be another team's weakness. We were happy to come in second,” she said.
Moore, a member of the Henry County team, said his favorite part was working the calves. “It wasn’t nerve racking for me, I’ve done it so much at Henry County Animal Clinic …” where he works, along with team member Ray. He said Crabb helps him often with cattle outside of the vet, “so he knew what he was doing, too.”
The students had been trained on getting procedures done correctly and quickly, which he said really helped them for the competition.
Becky Thompson is director of the Kentucky Beef Network. She said their involvement in KJCA’s cattle working contest is vital. “It gives young people the opportunity to receive technical, hands-on training they may not get elsewhere. These experiences build real-life skills they’ll carry with them throughout their lives and future careers. And it’s very rewarding to help lead and train the next generation of cattle producers.”
Cattlemen’s director of education, Bradon Burks, said youth involved in the beef industry don’t always get the recognition they deserve for the work they do at home. “Not every student wants to give a speech or do an interview – but many thrive in hands-on competitions that feel practical and relevant to real-world agriculture.”
Burks called the contest “another incredible opportunity to help guide … future cattle producers and they build and sharpen their skills at an early age.”
Burks and Thompson will be holding a Cattle Working Contest Coaches Training on June 23 at the Hardin County Extension Office for anyone interested in coaching future teams. Registration for the 2026 qualifying event will be open in January, and further info will be posted at kycattle.org/kjca-academy, or watch the KJCA Facebook page. Email kbn@kycattle.org for more information.
By Bobbie Curd
From The Farmer’s Pride
