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Niobrara County 4-H meat judging team third in national competitionWyoming The Niobrara County 4-H Meat Judging team representing Wyoming claimed third place in the American Royal Livestock Show's national 4-H meat judging and identification contest. Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan., hosted the event Oct. 27. "The team did an outstanding job of representing the state and the county," said coach Tammie Jensen, the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service 4-H educator in Niobrara County. "They've been a super and hardworking group." Illinois won the competition with 2,159 points, Texas was second with 2,138 and Wyoming had 2,107 points. Team members are Harley Cushman, Katelynn Miller, Jordan Reed and Travis Smith. Overall, Miller and Cushman had tied for 10th with 705 points, and Cushman won 10th place by tiebreakers. Reed was 15th and Smith finished 30th. Miller was second overall in beef judging competition. In retail cut identification, Cushman placed fourth, Reed sixth and Miller eighth. Only one point separated Cushman from third place. Team members worked three to four hours a week since the first of September in preparation, Jensen noted. Team and individual results are available by going to www.judgingcard.com/Default.aspx, clicking on the Online Results link and then the Oct. 27 entry. Jensen said 4-H'ers with the top scores from the county competition become part of the team. All the current team members have judging experience. "They are a sharp bunch and have worked very hard for a long time," Jensen said. "It's been a goal of theirs for at least five or six years to get there." Students must identify various retail meat cuts and whether or not the cuts are beef, pork or lamb; place classes in pork and beef carcasses and fresh hams; then give oral reasons for their choices. Competitors also have to describe the correct cooking methods. "It's pretty intense," said Jensen. Other teams may dread seeing Wyoming at the competition. The teams representing Wyoming and their placing at the competition from 2001 include: 2001, Fremont, second; 2002, Goshen, first; 2003, Niobrara, second; 2004, Goshen County, first; 2005, Niobrara, second; 2006, Fremont, fifth; 2007, Goshen, third; 2008, Fremont, third. This is the tenth team Jensen has taken to the competition during her 30-year UW CES career. Jensen has coached all the Niobrara teams, former UW CES educator Wayne Tatman of Torrington coached the Goshen County teams, and UW CES educator Ron Cunningham coached the Fremont County teams.
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