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Quality on the rise in Foundation-sponsored beef contest
More youths, more steers boost 2002 Junior Beef Excellence Program

ARDMORE, Okla. — Steer quality was up at this year's Noble Foundation-sponsored Junior Beef Excellence Program, an annual contest designed to highlight the carcass merit of steers shown at junior livestock shows in eight south-central Oklahoma counties.

Participation was up, too, with 64 youths and 74 steers entered in this year's contest, compared with 58 youths and 65 steers in 2001.

Jace Jenkins, a Fox 4-H'er, entered the champion steer, earning a $2,500 check — which was presented during the awards program March 26 at the Southern Oklahoma Technology Center. Jenkins will also receive a winner's jacket.

Kelly Whetstone of Lone Grove FFA placed second, claiming a $2,000 award.

Other winners were: 3^rd - Ethan Welch, Lone Grove 4-H, $1,500; 4^th - Drew McCarthick, Tishomingo FFA, $1,250; 5^th - Jennifer Larson, Sulphur FFA, $1,000; 6^th - Dayna Buck, Wilson 4-H, $950; 7^th - Morgan Shores, Wilson FFA, $900; 8^th - Chase Comer, Ardmore 4-H, $850; 9^th - Casandra Robertson, Wapanucka FFA, $800; and 10^th - Ashley Liston, Tishomingo FFA, $750.

"We were pleased with this year's event because we had more kids and more steers," said Shan Ingram, Noble Foundation education and special projects manager and Junior Beef Excellence co-coordinator. "It was a very positive experience since the quality has gone up. For example, the number of steers grading choice or better was higher, and the percentage of yield grades 1 and 2 was higher."

Fred Schmedt, Noble Foundation agricultural economist and Junior Beef Excellence Program co-coordinator, pointed out that the 74 contest steers brought $75.08/hundred pounds, and the top 10 steers brought $79.04/hundred pounds on a live weight basis.

"That compares favorably with the $73 per hundredweight cash market on that date," said Schmedt.

In addition to the carcass competition, 33 adults and 25 youths took part in a live animal evaluation contest March 9, judging five steers as they were weighed in at the Foundation's Pasture Demonstration Farm and then filling out a score card. The contest was divided into 4-H, FFA, adult and expert (previous adult division winners and Foundation employees) divisions, with first place winners receiving trophy belt buckles. Scores are out of 100.

First place winners were: 4-H - Taylor Sparks of Lone Grove, 61; FFA - Joe Pittman of Tishomingo, 72; Adult - Dale Rich of Ringling, 73; Expert - Fred Schmedt of Ardmore, 75.

This is the seventh year for the Junior Beef Excellence Program in its expanded format. Entrants must be from Carter, Garvin, Jefferson, Johnston, Love, Marshall, Murray or Stephens counties, and all animals must have been shown in a county junior livestock show. The steers are delivered to Ardmore, weighed in, and commingled for two days before being sent to Excel Corporation's plant in Plainview, Texas.

Noble Foundation livestock specialist Ryan Reuter is also a Junior Beef Excellence co-coordinator. Fred Ray and Leland McDaniel of the OSU Extension Service and Glen Dolezal of Excel assisted with the awards program.

To learn more about next year's program, call the Noble Foundation at (580) 223-5810 or access Junior Beef Excellence Program information on the Foundation's Web site at www.noble.org/Ag/Jrbeef.

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Photo: 196k JPEG

Cutline information: Winners at the awards program. Back (left to right): Jennifer Larson, Drew McCarthick, Chase Comer, Morgan Shores, Casandra Robertson. Front (left to right): Kelly Whetstone, Ethan Welch, Dayna Buck. Not pictured: Ashley Liston and Jace Jenkins. Photo/Courtesy the Noble Foundation

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The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a non-profit organization conducting agricultural, forage biotechnological, and plant biology research; providing grants to numerous non-profit charitable, educational and health organizations; and assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs.

To learn more, visit the Noble Foundation Web site at http://www.noble.org.

More news releases available at www.noble.org/Press_Release