4-H Judging Team Wins Nationals

by Jennifer Miller, Staff Writer, The Enterprise Ledger

The Coffee County 4-H Meat Judging Team went to Kansas City, Kan., as state champions and returned home as national champions.

(Above, from left, Dr. Bill Jones, Alabama Cooperative Extension System meat scientist; 4-H members John Sawyer, of New Brockton; Ann Schieffer, of New Brockton; Heather Carroll, of New Brockton; Carrie Edwards, of Enterprise; and 4-H Coach Stan Windham, pose immediately after the national win at national competition in Kansas City.  Photo courtesy of Jennifer Miller, Ledger Staff Writer.)

Four county students --- John Sawyer, Ann Schieffer, Heather Carroll and Carrie Edwards earned the right to compete at nationals after winning both the district and state championships earlier this year.  According to 4-H coach Stan Windham, the students judged six classes, identified 30 cuts from a possibility of 90 retail cuts and gave three sets of reasons why they were judged the way they were.  Windham said the team has been practicing since April.

“It’s a total academic exercise, and it’s one of the hardest things you can do,” Windham said.  “That same bunch of students won the Denver contest last year.  That’s never been done --- to win the two biggest stock shows in the nation.  As far as we know, it was the first time ever.”

The 4-H students competed against representatives from 20 states during their six-day trip, which began Oct. 26.  According to Shieffer, winning the competition was perhaps her greatest accomplishment. 

“Stan Windom is an excellent coach for our team,” she said.  “He did an excellent job with us, and we’re the best I think.  I hope we made him proud.  We were so excited because it was such a close competition.  This was the first time Alabama has won since 1946.”

According to Windham, not only is the win an accomplishment for their high school career, but it could lead to jobs in the future.

“Former kids have gone on and applied for jobs and gotten them,” Windom said.  “The industry knows about these contests and uses it as an indicator of their abilities.”

Although Edwards has no plans for an agriculture career in the future, she said she wouldn’t change the past three years of participating in 4-H.  She was encouraged to join the meat judging team by one of her friends who participated in 4-H livestock judging. 

“At first I thought --- meat judging, that’s really weird --- but I’m glad I decided to go with it,” Edwards said.  “It’s been a lot of fun these past three years.  Winning the championship was a real honor.  It was so close when they announced it, I’m not sure we believe it yet.”

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More About the Team…

Ann Shieffer had a perfect identification score of 300 at the national meat judging competition this year in Kansas City, Kan. --- the same score she earned at national judging competition last year in Denver.  She obtained the second highest overall score, which earned her a $750 scholarship to the college of her choice.

Heather Carroll earned the fourth highest overall score.  She also obtained the second highest score in beef judging and the third highest scores in retail cut judging, oral reasons and total judging.

Carrie Edwards earned the ninth overall score.  She also placed second in pork judging and oral reasoning.

John Sawyer, the youngest member of the team, was considered a “tremendous addition” to this year’s team, Windham said.

Bill Jones’ Legacy

The success of Alabama 4-H Meat Judging Teams would not have been possible without the leadership of Dr. Bill Jones, Extension meat scientist who is retiring this year, Windham said. 

“Jones represents the ideal Extension specialist,” he said, “someone who is both a good scientist and who works very hard for Extension stakeholders across our state.

“The success Alabama teams have enjoyed in meats judging within the last few years is owed largely to him.”