A Wayne County student was on teams that finished second and third at a national competition about cattle knowledge.
Matthew Elzemeyer was on Indiana’s reserve champion senior Hereford Bowl team at the Junior National Hereford Exposition in Grand Island, Nebraska.
The competition encourages good sportsmanship and dedication to learning more about the beef industry and the Hereford breed.
Competitors demonstrate their knowledge of Hereford beef cattle and the history of JNHE. Participants take a preliminary 50-question written test, including a newly added skillathon portion where members identify different feed samples. The top four teams then compete in a buzzer match to determine the winner.
Elzemeyer’s teammates were from Roachdale, Otterbein and Huntington.
In addition, Elzemeyer competed on Indiana’s team that placed third in the Senior Livestock Judging Contest.
A livestock judging contest involves evaluating and ranking livestock based on traits such as conformation and muscling. Participants develop skills in animal evaluation, decision making, public speaking and critical thinking.
His teammates were from Wingate, Otterbein and Roachdale.
JNHE features more than 800 exhibitors from 41 states and two countries.
A version of this article appeared in the July 31 2024 print edition of the Western Wayne News.