Saddle & Sirloin stands tall at State Convention

The 2023 Wyoming FFA State Convention took place April 18-22, with 49 chapters from across the state participating. Twenty members of the Saddle & Sirloin chapter competed in various contests, and the chapter had several proficiency award winners and three State Degree recipients! The chapter left Newcastle for Cheyenne on Tuesday afternoon and returned Saturday evening. The teams competed in horse evaluation, livestock judging, agronomy, veterinary science and the Greenhand Quizbowl. JJ Lipp also competed in employment skills.
 
 The horse judging team consisted of Brook Martell, Brooklyn Benshoof, Canyon Farnsworth and Callie Christensen. They had a fantastic contest and placed 12th high team in performance horse judging, 13th high team in reasons and 16th high team overall. Senior member Brook Martell was the high individual in performance judging, ranked 13th in reasons, and was fifth high individual overall.  
 
The vet science team was made up of JJ Lipp, Taylor Crinklaw, Cole Wehri and Reagan Redding. They placed 10th high team on the test, 11th high team in the team activity, eighth high team in identification and were the 11th high team overall.
 
The agronomy team had four members: Tell Tavegie, Pate Tavegie, Holden McConkey and Quint Perino. The boys placed fifth as a team on the test, were the seventh high team in grain grading and entomology and were the eighth high team overall.
 
The Greenhand Quizbowl is a test for new members to show their skills in the knowledge of the FFA. Saddle & Sirloin team members who competed were Callie Christensen, Preslee Fitzwater, Cort Perino, Brooklyn Benshoof, Brock Bergstrom, Canyon Farnsworth, Aidan Butler, Ty Stith, Reagan Redding, Charlie Bowles, Kaitlyn Blumenthal and Brynne Kilby. This team placed sixth high team overall and walked the stage.
 
The livestock judging team was made up of JJ Lipp, Ty Stith, Aidan Butler and Reagan Redding. The team ranked 14th high team in reasons, 13th high team in sheep judging, 13th high team in swine judging and 13th high team overall. Team captain Lipp was the 11th high individual in swine judging, as well as the 11th high individual overall. Lipp also placed sixth overall in employment skills.
 
The entire team was also proud to congratulate its freshman in college chapter member, LaKacee Lipp, who was awarded the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers Scholarship, and Pate Tavegie, who was selected from the chapter for his outstanding work in the shop for the Stotz (John Deere) Pathway Invitational reception.  
 
Proficiencies are applications about member’s supervised agricultural experiences, and Saddle & Sirloin members who applied were awarded for their hard work in many different categories. Members who won gold in judging were Tell Tavegie for beef production placement, Cole Wehri for goat production placement, and JJ Lipp for beef production entrepreneurship. Member Julie Morris won silver for swine production placement. Members who won bronze in their division were Pate Tavegie for ag mechanics metal fabrication and design for beef production placement, and Brook Martell for equine science placement. 
 
Three seniors were also awarded the highest degree they can receive at the state level. Tell Tavegie, Quint Perino and Brook Martell met the criteria for the Greenhand Degree and the Chapter Degree and walked the stage with over a hundred other members from other chapters to receive the coveted Gold Emblem for their State Degrees. 
 
The highest award a member can earn at the state level is the State Star. To earn this award, a member must have an SAE that qualifies them for the opportunity to win a Regional Star. Members from the Newcastle Chapter who received the Regional Star were Tell Tavegie for agricultural placement and Quint Perino for agriculture entrepreneurship. These two individuals were visited by state officers to evaluate their projects and then were judged among the other regional winners, and both were awarded the State Star in their respective categories! This award is unmatched by any other for a member at the state level.
 
The highest award for a member is the State Star, but the highest recognition at the state level is to be inducted as an honorary member into the Wyoming State FFA. This year, Newcastle’s own Saddle & Sirloin adviser, Jill Pischke, was inducted as an honorary member at the state convention. 
 
“This was a very deserving award because she was recognized for her hard work and commitment to the betterment of the local chapter, as well as for her contributions to the state FFA,” Tavegie said of the recognition for the local chapter’s advisor. 
 
The final honor that the chapter earned was being named a Silver Emblem Chapter. This award is how judges evaluate the performance of the chapter, and how well they complete their program of activities.
 
The week was filled with many accomplishments and competitions, but members also took advantage of their free time. Throughout the week, the chapter visited and toured the state capital and the historic governor’s mansion.  They also went to the Events Center for roller skating, bumper cars, laser tag, arcade games and fun, and they spent many hours hanging out with each other at the hotel pool. Members also attended leadership workshops and the career and college fair. 
 
Proud of their accomplishments, the team is  excited to see what next year’s convention holds.