As many as 1,300 high school students from throughout Ohio and neighboring states are expected to hone their skills at agronomy and judging equine, dairy and general livestock Wednesday at the Wilmington College Aggies’ 62nd annual Livestock Judging Contest.
Last year’s competition set a record with 1,367 participants.
This year’s event again will be held at the Champion Expo Center, 4122 Laybourne Road, Springfield, with judging from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Billed as the largest competition of its kind east of the Mississippi, WC’s Livestock Judging Contest is on a short list of the most enduring and popular such attractions in the country and typically is among the first judging competitions of the year.
The contest represents real-life application and a hands-on learning experience for both the high school students and WC’s agriculture students that stage the event.
The Aggies’ longtime adviser, Harold Thirey, assistant professor of agriculture, said annually attracting more than 1,000 high school students to a Wilmington College activity is the result of building credibility over the years and becoming recognized for staging a high quality event.
“The Livestock Judging Contest is well known by high school teachers, advisers and students involved in 4-H, vocational agriculture and Future Farmers of America,” he said.
Wilmington College’s Bachelor of Science in Agriculture degree program features concentrations in agricultural business, agronomy, animal science, equine business management, agricultural communications and agricultural education. WC recently implemented a new ag-related concentration in food policy and agriculture advocacy.
Also, the College offers minors in equine studies and sustainability.
