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Livestock Judging

About the team:

The Iowa State University Intercollegiate Livestock Judging Team is a youth development program that focuses on providing experiential learning. Iowa State boasts perhaps the most decorated judging program in the land, as the University team has won 20 National Championships, and more than any other program in the country. Research shows that students who participate in livestock judging improve their critical thinking, decision making and communication skills. The judging experience also fosters team building skills, while expanding horizons and networking opportunities for students.

The ISU Judging Team consists of junior and seniors interested in competitive livestock evaluation. Students who want to join the team are required to take Animal Science 305 in the fall of their junior year. The team travels to numerous competitions across the country, and competes from January (starting at the National Western in Denver) to November (Ending at the North American Livestock Exposition in Louisville).

Students who are interested in joining the winning tradition of the Iowa State Livestock Judging Team should contact the Livestock Judging Coach, Will Taylor at wetaylor@iastate.edu

Follow along with the Iowa State Livestock Judging Team on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/isulivestockjudging

Team Coach:

Will Taylor

Will Taylor grew up in Central Indiana. He attended Lincoln Land Community College and Western Illinois University, where he received an A.S. in Science and B.S. in Agriculture Science. While in college, Will was on competitive livestock judging teams and held internships with Belstra Milling, National Swine Registry, and Sunglo Feeds. He then went on to receive a M.S. in Animal Science under the direction of Dr. Kenneth Stalder at Iowa State University.

Currently, Will is a Teaching Assistant and Livestock Judging Team Coach at Iowa State University. He has judged shows in 20 states, including: NJSA Eastern Regional, Nebraska State Fair, North Dakota State Fair, and the National Western Stock Show. Will currently resides in Ames, IA.

 

 

 


 

2024 Livestock Judging Team Results:

Team Members:

  • Nick Deppe (Ag Business) - Maquoketa , IA
  • Reagan Gibson (AGLSE) - Panora, IA
  • Ashlyn Huff (Animal Science) - Montezuma, IA
  • Billy McCoy (Animal Science) - Franklin, WV
  • Blake Moeller (AGLSE) - West Point, IA
  • Ben Moffitt (Animal Science) - Indianola, IA
  • Judd Swanton (Animal Science) - Goose Lake, IA
  • Zach Zwiebel (AGLSE) - Lima, OH
  • Robby Burchett (Assistant Coach)
  • Will Taylor (Coach)

 

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

Team Results:

  • Overall - 7th High Team
  • Goats - High Team

Individual Results:

  • Nick Deppe - 6th High Individual Placings
  • Blake Moeller - 9th High Individual Placings

 

San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo

Team Results:

  • Overall - 6th Overall 
  • Sheep - 5th High Team 

Individual Results:

  • Zach Zwiebel - 17th High Individual Overall

 

Iowa Beef Expo

Team Results:

  • Overall – 6th High Team 

Individual Results:

  • Reagan Gibson - 6th High Individual Placings
  • Nick Deppe - 8th High Individual Placings

 

Sioux Empire Livestock Show

Team Results:

  • Overall - 5th High Team 

Individual Results:

  • Judd Swanton - 5th High Individual Cattle
  • Nick Deppe - 7th High Individual Cattle

 

National Western Stock Show

Team Results:

  • Overall - 9th High Team 
  • Reasons - 10th High Team 
  • Cattle - 8th High Team
  • Sheep - 10th High Team  

Individual Results:

  • Judd Swanton - 10th High Individual Cattle
  • Ashlyn Huff - 7th High Individual Carload

 

Cattlemen’s Congress

Team Results:

  • Overall - 12th High Team 

Individual Results:

  • Nick Deppe - 10th High Individual Sheep and Goats

 

Griswold Cattle Company

Team Results:

  • Overall - 14th High Team 

Individual Results:

  • Judd Swanton - 7th High Individual Overall

 

 

 

2023 Livestock Judging Team Results:

 

 

Team Members:

  • Seated (L – R)
  • Cole Claussen (Ag Business) - Bettendorf, IA
  • Emma Freebairn (AGLSE) - Ottawa, IL
  • Makenzie Hereth (AGLSE) - Woodbine, MD
  • Tyler Gifford (Ag Business) - Eagle Point, OR
  • Standing (L – R)
  • Blake Webel (Animal Science) - Arcadia, IN
  • Robby Burchett (Animal Science) - Jonesville, VA
  • Dillon Sheiss (Animal Science) - Larwill, IN
  • Dawson Firlus (Ag Business) - Wonewoc, WI
  • Lane Slaton (Animal Science) - Noblesville, IN
  • Will Taylor (Coach)

 

North American International Livestock Exhibition

Team Results:

  • Overall – 4th High Team
  • Reasons - 6th High Team 
  • Cattle – 7th High Team 
  • Swine - 8th High Team 
  • Sheep/Goat - High Team 

Individual Results:

  • Dillon Sheiss - 9th High Individual Overall, 7th High Individual Sheep/Goat
  • Makenzie Hereth - 10th High Individual Swine, 9th High Individual Sheep/Goat
  • Robby Burchett - 3rd High Individual Sheep/Goat 

 

American Royal

Team Results:

  • Overall - 3rd High Team
  • Reasons - 4th High Team 
  • Cattle - High Team 
  • Swine - 4th High Team 
  • Sheep/Goat - 3rd High Team 

Individual Results:

  • Dillon Sheiss - High Individual Overall, 9th High Individual Reasons, 3rd High Individual Cattle, 2nd High Individual Swine
  • Robby Burchett - 3rd High Individual Overall, 5th High Individual Reasons, 4th High Individual Swine, 3rd High Individual Sheep/Goat
  • Makenzie Hereth - 4th High Individual Cattle, 7th High Individual Sheep/Goat

 

State Fair of Texas

Team Results:

  • Overall - 3rd High Team
  • Reasons - 3rd High Team 
  • Cattle - 3rd High Team 
  • Swine - 3rd High Team 
  • Sheep/Goat - 3rd High Team 

Individual Results:

  • Robby Burchett - 2nd High Individual Overall, 6th High Individual Reasons, 5th High Individual Cattle, 2nd High Individual Swine, 3rd High Individual Sheep/Goat
  • Lane Slaton - 6th High Individual Overall, 7th High Individual Swine, 2nd High Individual Sheep/Goat
  • Dillon Sheiss - 10th High Individual Overall, 8th High Individual Reasons, 3rd High Individual Cattle
  • Tyler Gifford - 10th High Individual Swine
  • Dawson Firlus - 10th High Individual Sheep/Goat

 

Tulsa State Fair

Team Results:

  • Overall - 6th High Team
  • Reasons - 5th High Team 
  • Cattle - 5th High Team 
  • Swine - 4th High Team 
  • Sheep/Goat - 4th High Team 

Individual Results:

  • Sheiss - 9th High Individual Overall, 4th High Individual Reason, 2nd High Individual Sheep/Goats
  • Emma Freebairn - 7th High Individual Swine

 

World Beef Expo

Team Results:

  • Overall - High Team
  • Reasons - High Team

Individual Results:

  • Dillon Sheiss - High Individual Overall, High Individual Reasons
  • Dawson Firlus - 2nd High Individual Overall, 2nd High Individual Reasons
  • Robby Burchett - 4th High Individual Overall, 3rd High Individual Reasons
  • Tyler Gifford - 4th High Individual Reasons

 

National Barrow Show

Team Results:

  • Overall - 2nd High Team
  • Reasons - 2nd High Team

Individual Results:

  • Dillon Sheiss - High Individual Overall, High Individual Reasons
  • Lane Slaton - 9th High Individual Overall
  • Robby Burchett - 9th High Individual Reasons

 

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

Team Results:

  • Overall - 3rd High Team
  • Reasons - 4th High Team
  • Placings - 3rd High Team
  • Cattle - 2nd High Team
  • Brahmans - 5th High Team
  • Swine - 2nd High Team
  • Sheep - 5th High Team

Individual Results:

  • Dillon Sheiss - 8th High Individual Overall, 6th High Individual Placings, 6th High Individual Swine
  • Emma Freebairn - 9th High Individual Overall, 10th High Individual Placings, 3rd High Individual Cattle
  • Dawson Firlus - 9th High Individual Brahmans
  • Lane Slaton - 4th High Individual Alternate Division

 

San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo

Team Results:

  • Overall - 4th High Team
  • Reasons - 4th High Team
  • Cattle - 4th High Team
  • Swine - 4th High Team
  • Goats - 3rd High Team
  • Sheep - 4th High Team

Individual Results:

  • Dillon Sheiss - 5th High Individual Reasons, 6th High Individual Sheep
  • Emma Freebairn - 3rd High Individual Swine, 8th High Individual Goats
  • Robby Burchett - 8th High Individual Sheep

 

Iowa Beef Expo

Team Results:

  • Overall – 2nd High Team Overall
  • Reasons – 2nd High Team and 3rd High Team
  • Placing – 3rd High Team

Individual Results:

  • Dillon Sheiss - 3rd High Individual Overall, 2nd High Individual Reasons, 6th High Individual Placings
  • Robby Burchett - 10th High Individual Overall, 6th High Individual Reasons
  • Dawson Firlus - 10th High Individual Reasons
  • Blake Webel - 8th High Individual Placings
  • Cole Claussen - 10th High Individual Placings

 

Sioux Empire Livestock Show

Team Results:

  • Overall – 6th and 7th High Team
  • Reasons - 4th High Team
  • Sheep – 2nd High Team

Individual Results:

  • Makenzie Hereth – 9th High Individual Overall
  • Dillon Sheiss – High Individual Sheep
  • Robby Burchett - 5th High Individual Reasons

 

National Western Stock Show

Team Results:

  • Overall - 3rd High Team
  • Reasons - 4th High Team
  • Cattle - 2nd High Team
  • Sheep - 3rd High Team
  • Swine - 2nd High Team
  • Carload - 5th High Team

Individual Results:

  • Dillon Sheiss - 5th High Individual Overall, 3rd High Individual Reasons, 5th High Individual Cattle, 3rd High Individual Feedlot Cattle, 2nd High Individual Swine
  • Robby Burchett - 9th High Individual Overall, 6th High Individual Cattle, 7th High Individual Sheep and Goats
  • Makenzie Hereth - 5th High Individual Carload
  • Lane Slaton - 9th High Individual Carload

 

Cattlemen’s Congress

Team Results:

  • Overall - Reserve High Team
  • Reasons - 2nd High Team
  • Cattle - 3rd High Team
  • Sheep - 2nd High Team
  • Swine - 2nd High Team

Individual Results:

  • Dillon Sheiss - 3rd High Individual Overall, 5th High Individual Reasons, 4th High Individual Sheep and Goats
  • Robby Burchett - 9th High Individual Cattle

 

Griswold Cattle Company

Team Results:

  • Overall - 3rd and 9th High Team