4 4 to judge more classes. Up to 12 classes are judged which include: beef carcass evaluation; beef cut evaluation; pork carcass evaluation; pork cut evaluation; and lamb carcass evaluation. An additional class requires contestants to determine “quality” and “yield” grades on 15 beef carcasses as well as a class requiring contestants to memorize specifications for federal government foodservice programs (e.g. school lunch) and determine if various cuts qualify. Shortly after the intercollegiate contestants are finished judging their classes, Columbia’s coolers are made ready for the 4-H and FFA contest which commences at 5 p.m. Classes for the younger judges are modified to match their skill levels. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE Compared to leading a steer into the Will Rogers Coliseum for the “grand drive” or riding a speeding horse to a perfect sliding stop during a reining class in the Justin Arena, little of the effort necessary for meat judging success – study, practice, competition – would be considered exciting. Successful meat judging competitors are very disciplined with a strong focus and work ethic that would seem boring to many. Their excitement comes not only when their names are called at an awards ceremony, but also in knowing they are accomplished standouts in an industry that feeds the world. It’s a commitment that few of their peers are willing to undertake. Similar to many youth sports, many competitors start young and, should their skills and interests progress, scholarships and college competition await youth who began the journey on a 4-H team when he / she was only 9-years old. One such 9-year-old was Johnson County 4-Her Travis Tilton who competed in his first meat judging competition in 2011. It was the beginning of a fulfilling and rewarding journey for the youngster who was introduced to meat judging by Larry Wooley a longtime FWSSR Livestock Show Superintendent and adult 4-H leader who has coached and inspired countless Johnson County youth over the years. Tilton and his team won the National 4-H Meat Judging competition in 2016 after which he was recruited to Texas Tech University by the respected and highly successful head coach, Mark Miller. Tilton competed for Texas Tech his sophomore year on a team that won the Reserve National Championship. Between 4-H and intercollegiate competitions, Tilton and those like him devote countless hours to study and practice. “College students can spend 50 or more hours a week studying and practicing,” says Miller, who serves as a professor of Meat Science and Muscle Biology at TTU and is likely the nation’s most well-known meat judging coach and program advocate. “The most dedicated students will work eight to 10 hours a day – seven days a week.” The competitive intensity at the intercollegiate level is not unlike Division I NCAA sports. Besides Texas Tech other perennial meat judging schools include Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Colorado State, Kansas State, University of Illinois, Tarleton State, West Texas A&M, University of Wyoming and others. . These universities, some junior colleges and even a few high schools have meat labs that, while primarily used for academic instruction and research, serve as the main practice facilities for their respective teams. Meat industry corporations like Tyson Foods, Cargill Protein, JBS Foods, National Beef and smaller companies often open their facilities to intercollegiate teams for practice. Plants are often visited when teams are in route to contests held mainly in Texas and the Midwest. It’s a win-win situation where corporations welcome the enthusiastic and aspiring professionals not just for practice, but for networking and potential recruitment opportunities. CREATIVE INNOVATION AND FRIENDSHIPS CAPTURES NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP While intercollegiate meat judging programs have greater access to labs, processing plants and industry executives, most 4-H and FFA programs, with fewer resources, must get creative to generate and maintain the interests of preteen and teenage youth in meat judging. Kari Beth Langbein, ag science instructor at Burnet (Texas) High School excels at creativity. Langbein began her teaching career at San Antonio’s James Madison High School. The Texas A&M graduate who earned her bachelor’s degree in
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