On March 28th, the Fredericktown FFA traveled to Columbus to compete in the Ohio FFA State Livestock and Equine Evaluation Career Development Events (CDEs), where members joined hundreds of students from across the state to test their agricultural knowledge. In the Equine Evaluation CDE, which requires students to assess horses based on their physical structure and performance, Fredericktown saw success across both the middle and high school levels. Lily Hambleton represented the middle school program with a strong 19th place finish out of 38 competitors, while Raegan Blanchard took on a massive field of 306 individual evaluators in the high school division to secure 92nd place. Placing in the top third of such a deep pool of competitors highlights the dedication these students have shown in mastering the complexities of equine movement and conformation. The chapter’s General Livestock Evaluation team also delivered a formidable performance in one of the state's most competitive and grueling contests. This event requires students to evaluate multiple classes of beef cattle, sheep, swine, and goats, often under significant time pressure. Out of 196 teams and nearly 1,000 individual participants, the Fredericktown team earned 53rd place overall. The team’s ranking was bolstered by the consistent scoring of Lane Dugan, Ella Bouton, Jordyn Neighbarger, and Austin Frazier, all of whom placed within the top 400 individuals in a field of 966 competitors. This level of consistency at a state-level event is a testament to the students’ critical thinking skills and their ability to apply industry standards to real-world agricultural scenarios. Through their participation on March 28th, these members have not only represented Fredericktown with professionalism but have also gained valuable decision-making experience that will serve them well in their future academic and professional careers.

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