U of A Livestock Judging Team Wins Arizona National Reserve Championship

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Led by Ryan McDuffie, Kason Cathy and Rylee Simpson, livestock judging team members combined for 26 top 10 finishes in winning the reserve championship at the Arizona National Livestock Show in Phoenix.

The U of A's livestock judging team captured the reserve championship at the Arizona National Livestock Show in Phoenix during the semester break with five team members placing in the overall top 10 individually.

The team is made up of animal science students and coached by professor Bryan Kutz. Team members combined for 26 individual top 10 finishes.

Individuals judged and placed 12 classes of livestock containing four animal per class with categories for cattle, swine, and sheep and meat goats. After judging and placing, team members explained their rankings to officials, who scored competitors as individuals and as a team.

The U of A recorded the best team score in sheep and goats, and was second in reasons, cattle and swine.

Ryan McDuffie, Kason Cathy and Rylee Simpson combined for 13 top 10 finishes. McDuffie was fourth overall, seventh in reasons, third in cattle, fourth in swine, and fourth in sheep and goats. Cathy was sixth overall, eighth in reasons, and fifth in swine, and sheep and goats. Simpson was ninth overall, fourth in reasons, third in swine, and sixth in sheep and goats.

Julie Isbell was ninth in reasons, and second in sheep and goats; Keely Harrelson was 10th in cattle, and eighth in sheep and goats; Walker Antilla was eighth overall, seventh in swine, and ninth in sheep and goats; Carter Culp was 10th overall, second in swine and ninth in cattle; Rebekah Oneal was 10 in swine, and in sheep and goats; and Raven Revels was 10th in reasons.

The team is housed in the Department of Animal Science in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture. For more information about Bumpers College, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter at @BumpersCollege and Instagram at BumpersCollege.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the top 3% of U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.