The 2023 Intercollegiate Meat Judging season began with AMSA planning, organizing, and facilitating several intercollegiate meat judging contests to include the National Western in Honor of R. Paul Clayton, the Southwestern and South Plains Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contests. Additionally, the association helped facilitate the Iowa State University Meat Judging Contest and the Southeastern. Furthermore, our student members were able to compete at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest. Over the spring competitive season, a total of 212 students from 27 different programs across the United States and internationally were exposed to the meat industry through highly educational and competitive contests.
The spring season was kicked off at the National Western in Honor of R. Paul Clayton held at the JBS facility in Greeley, Colo. The contest activities began with JBS-Pilgrim’s hosting the students, coaches, and coordinators at their corporate headquarters for a student engagement session and meeting. Students were exposed to their corporate leadership and were shown the numerous opportunities JBS-Pilgrim’s can offer to young professionals entering the meat industry. The next day was contest day, students were full of nerves, but ready to put into practice all the skills they had been building for the last several months. The first contest of the season is when programs can benchmark their team’s strengths and weaknesses. As the students competed in their first Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest their coaches where just as nervous wondering where they prepared enough, what kind of classes will they see, will they remember their specifications, but most importantly will they be proud of the day they will have. As contest day comes to an end and important milestone has been achieved 166 students were exposed to an Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest, the meat industry, and several of their future industry colleagues. The day may have been intense and highly educational, but one fact will remain it will be the most memorable moments throughout the rest of the competitive season and for a lifetime. The following morning AMSA hosted their first meat judging banquet where Washington State University and the Australian National Meat Judging team were named Champion and Reserve Champion teams in the A-Division, respectively. Washington State University is coached by Dr. Blake Foraker and the Australian National team was coached by Nick van den Berg and Mel Smith. The high individual in the A-Division was Lawton Elliott from the Australian National team. Kansas State University and Texas A&M University were the top two teams in the Senior Division. The champion team, Kansas State University, is coached by Dr. Travis O’Quinn and Lindsey Decker. Texas A&M University was named the Reserve Champion team and is coached by Trent Stolowski and Lauren Lee and coordinated by Jennifer Wyle. Lastly, the high individual was Shelton Luedke from Texas Tech University coached by Shae Sarchet and coordinated by Dr. Mark Miller. The high individual received a $1, 000 scholarship in honor of Dr. Gary C. Smith from the Bellinger Foundation. The National Western in Honor of R. Paul Clayton was an overall incredible way to begin a highly competitive Intercollegiate Meat Judging season.