The MV FFA Horse Judging team won first place during the Illinois FFA State Horse Evaluation Career Development Event on Friday, February 6.
The event was held at the Black Hawk East Community College in Henry County, Illinois, with 71 other schools competing in the contest.
During a horse judging contest, students are tasked with evaluating and judging eight different classes of animals in the horse family, with four of them being halter horses.
The competitors judge the halter horses based on balance, muscle, structure, breed, and gender characteristics.
The remaining four are judged by performance, such as ranch riding, western horsemanship, hunt seat equation, and western pleasure.
The members of the FFA Horse Judging team, Ava Tate, ’26, Connallie Wikey, ’28, Tatum Wilson, ’26 and Shaylen Rowland, ’27 , all finished in the top 15% of competitors, with Tate receiving 7th place overall.
