Larimer County 4-H Meat Judging Team Wins National Championship

Representing Colorado, the Larimer County 4-H Meat Judging Team finished first overall at the American Royal National 4-H Meat Judging Contest on Thursday, Oct. 18, in Manhattan, Kan. The team is Colorado’s first-ever national champion 4-H Meat Judging Team.

Larimer County team members JoJo Ogg, Charles Ogg, Rachel Cramer, Derrick Brown and their coach, Wendy Woerner, a Larimer County Youth Livestock Extension Agent, represented Colorado in the contest.

Part of the American Royal Stock Show, the contest consisted of the evaluation of beef, pork, and lamb meat products as well as the identification of retail cuts. Team members also are required to defend their decisions by preparing and communicating their reasons orally.

The National 4-H Meat Judging Program began in 1947, however, Colorado did not have a 4-H meats judging program until the Colorado State University meat science group initiated a youth program in the mid-1990s.  

"To win a national championship is a tremendous accomplishment for Colorado 4-H, CSU and Larimer County," said coach Woerner.

As a team, Larimer County took first place in beef judging, second place in retail identification, second place in oral reasons, third place in total judging, and fifth place in pork judging.

Individual Results are as follows:

    — JoJo Ogg: first place, High Individual Overall; second place, High Individual in Oral Reasons; second place, High Individual in Retail Identification; third place, High Individual in Total Judging; third place, High Individual in Beef Judging.

    — Charles Ogg: fourth place, High Individual Overall; first place, High Individual Retail Identification.

    — Derrick Brown: 13th place, High Individual Overall; fifth place, High Individual in Retail Judging.

    — Rachel Cramer: 16th place, High Individual Overall.

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