The Flathead FFA livestock evaluation team has had a milestone year, earning top honors in national competition and qualifying for the Western National Roundup in Fort Collins, Colorado.

The last time Flathead FFA sent a team to the Western National Roundup was in the mid-1980s, according to Justin Heupel, team adviser and a teacher at the H.E. Robinson Agricultural Education Center in Kalispell. 

The team made up of Karly Hanson, 16, Emily Hilde, 18, Destiny Brewer, 17, and Livia Jackola, 16, will represent Montana at the roundup Jan. 8-11, 2015.

To qualify, the four team members ranked first among Montana teams at the Northern International Livestock Exposition Oct. 14 in Billings. 

Out of 47 teams, including some from out of state, the Flathead FFA livestock evaluation squad took second place overall.

Heupel assembled the four-member team out of about 20 to 30 students based on average scores from competitions throughout the year. 

“The qualities that they have is they function as one unit, they work hard and they train like champions,” Heupel said.

Livestock evaluation is one of 24 FFA Career Development Events in which students can compete. 

In livestock evaluation, students look at physical characteristics that would be optimal for market or breeding livestock.

When it comes to judging a market animal, Brewer said, “We’re trying to determine what the live animal is going to look like when it goes to market and is ‘hanging on the rail [a butchered carcass ready for inspection].’”

Hilde used cattle as an example. She said they can feel a steer to ascertain its fat-to-muscle composition and whether it has potential for a “choice,” “select” or “standard” grade when finished [fattened] in preparation for market. 

Members can make these assumptions based on visual predictors, Heupel said.

During competition, students have about 10 minutes to evaluate an animal — cattle, pigs, sheep and occasionally market goats. Students then provide oral reasons for their evaluations.

“We have a limited time to prepare the reasons. It can be anywhere from directly after the class to ten minutes,” Hilde said, adding that students can’t use notes.

Hanson said each reason has to be backed up with proof.

“Those judges have looked at those animals and they know,” Hanson said.

FFA competitions attract college scouts, making for numerous scholarship opportunities for students. Brewer said she has been offered a full-ride scholarship to a Wyoming college, although she plans to attend a different college. 

Members also commented on the skills they gain.

“I have a background of raising livestock at home, so being able to go to these practices and actually learn what I can be looking for in my animals at home to make my stock better has been great,” Brewer said.

Hilde, who didn’t have any experience in livestock prior to her freshman year, said it has made her a well-informed consumer because she understands the process animals go through from birth to butcher.

“We get to see the full circle of it,” Hilde said.

Competition also hones public speaking skills, Hilde and Brewer said. Brewer said being able to communicate reasons for her decisions or actions in a professional and organized manner is a great skill to have.

The Flathead livestock evaluation team also won a silver emblem award at the National FFA Convention and Expo in Louisville, Kentucky, Oct. 28-31.

To help defray costs for students to attend the January competition, Pro Clean Car Wash and Valvoline Express Care at 515 E. Idaho St. in Kalispell is donating 50 percent of proceeds to the team from all car washes from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13.

For more information about the livestock evaluation team, call Heupel at 751-3953.  

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.