Chambana Sun

A record number of participants took part in the 2023 4-H Illinois Superior Young Livestock Producers Contest, held on August 9 alongside the Illinois State Fair. Fifty-eight 4-H members from across the state competed in this event, which tested their knowledge of livestock production, including beef, swine, and sheep.

“This contest provides youth an opportunity to showcase their knowledge of the industry while competing for valuable scholarships to help them pursue their career goals,” stated Dan Jennings, University of Illinois Extension 4-H livestock educator.

Each year, $1,000 scholarships are awarded to the nine highest-scoring individuals overall. This year's recipients include Natalie Evans from Morgan County, Ben Wamsley from Christian County, Bayla Crouch from Woodford County, Audrey Curtin from Christian County, Carson Knittnel from McLean County, Isabel Pistorius from Christian County, Hunter Shike from Champaign County, Jay Bliler from Christian County, and Rhett Lehman from Moultrie County.

In the Livestock Management test phase, Hannah Miller and Ellie Drach both from Livingston County along with Davis Howell of DeWitt County excelled and received plaques for their achievements. In the Livestock Marketing competition phase, Hayden Beard of Knox County joined Ben Wamsley and Audrey Curtin in receiving top honors. The Skillathon phase saw Ellie Drach and Hannah Miller again at the forefront alongside Bayla Crouch.

The contest has been running for 27 consecutive years and has offered over $500,000 in college scholarships since its inception. It aims to foster educational activities that promote youth development through increased knowledge of the livestock industry.

Special thanks were extended by the Illinois State 4-H program and University of Illinois College of ACES to CME Group for supporting this year's scholarship winners. The Illinois 4-H Foundation also contributed support for this contest.