County 4-H team wins state and places 16th at national

December 10, 2014 at 5:00 a.m.

by Susan Holland

Submitted Photo Laurel Mayo, of Centerton, Levi Bingham, of Gravette, and Jessica Crawley, of Maysville, competed against more than 20 other teams in the Arkansas Livestock Skill-a-thon on the University of Arkansas campus in July. They won first in the state competition and represented Arkansas in the 2014 National Livestock Skill-a-thon Nov. 17 in Louisville, Ky., where they placed 16th in the nation. Levi was High Point Individual in the state contest.
Submitted Photo Laurel Mayo, of Centerton, Levi Bingham, of Gravette, and Jessica Crawley, of Maysville, competed against more than 20 other teams in the Arkansas Livestock Skill-a-thon on the University of Arkansas campus in July. They won first in the state competition and represented Arkansas in the 2014 National Livestock Skill-a-thon Nov. 17 in Louisville, Ky., where they placed 16th in the nation. Levi was High Point Individual in the state contest.

BENTON COUNTY -- A team from Benton County 4-H clubs recently displayed members' outstanding knowledge of livestock by placing 16th in the nation in the 2014 National Livestock Skill-a-Thon contest in Louisville, Ky. The winning team was made up of Laurel Mayo, of Centerton, a member of Centerton 4-H; Levi Bingham, of Gravette, a member of Town & Country 4-H; and Jessica Crawley, of Maysville, a member of Maysville 4-H.

The team qualified for the national contest by participating in and winning the State 4-H O'Rama Livestock Skills Contest held on the University of Arkansas campus in July.

More than 20 teams from across the state of Arkansas competed in the state contest. 4-H youth participated in individual and team exercises of identification, quality assurance and animal science knowledge after many months of preparation. The livestock Skill-a-Thon contest, where youth are tested on knowledge and compete in a wide range of "hands-on" exercises, differs from regular livestock judging.

Levi Bingham was named High Point Individual at the state contest. Levi, the son of Kelly Hankins of Maysville and Scott Bingham of Jay, Okla., is a 2014 graduate of Gravette High School. He received several scholarships through his 4-H participation and is currently attending NEO A&M at Miami, Okla., studying for a degree in animal science.

The 41st annual National Livestock Skill-a-Thon was held Nov. 17 at the North America International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Ky. The contest has become one of the nation's most challenging competitions for livestock industry youth, attracting top young people from throughout the United States each year.

A highly competitive event for young 4-H members, the contest provides participants with an opportunity to develop skills in evaluation, decision-making, communication, self-discipline and responsibility. The topics cover breed identification, quality assurance, meat identification, meat judging, equipment identification, animal breeding and marketing, feed identification, hay judging, wool judging, livestock industry and animal science tests across cattle, sheep, hogs and goats, according to extension agent Jessica Street, coach of the county livestock skills team.

General News on 12/10/2014