Beef carcass Showing cattle is not all there is to the 4-H beef project. At the point where the fair’s livestock show leaves off, the Carcass Contest picks up. The 4-H’ers get to see firsthand how their 4-H project stacks up to what the industry wants when it comes to meat grades. The quality grades measure the eating quality of the meat.
Clay Terrell, son of Shane and Kelly Terrell of Gothenburg, entered the top beef animal in the 2024 Dawson County Beef Carcass 4-H Contest.
Terrell’s champion carcass steer had the top yield grade of 1.7 and low choice. The animal’s carcass had a 15.79-square-inch ribeye and 0.3310 backfat.
Augustus Barnes of Gothenburg received the reserve champion title with a steer that had a yield grade of 2.2 and low choice with a 16.52-square-inch ribeye area and 0.4400 backfat.
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There were no prime grades in this year’s contest.
Ten market beef were entered into the contest.
Purple ribbons went to Clay Terrell of Gothenburg and Augustus Barnes of Gothenburg; Hailey Jensen of Cozad took third and Greta Rickertsen of Lexington placed fourth and took a blue ribbon for fifth. Blue ribbons went to Trina Pearson of Brady; Parker Walahoski of Overton; Brantley Malcom of Cozad; Dallee Barnes of Gothenburg and Layla Mariel of Lexington.
Carcass contest placings are configured with the cooperation of Tyson’s meat staff and the 4-H beef carcass superintendents, Paul and Shannon Peterson of Gothenburg, and Scott Aden, also of Gothenburg.
Special premiums are provided to all 4-H owners by donors to the 4-H Livestock Premium Fund.
Lamb carcassJaelin Wolfinger of Lexington took top honors in the Market Lamb Evaluation Contest as she was awarded both the champion and reserve champion trophies for her market lambs.
The 142-pound champion 4-H market lamb owned by Jaelin Wolfinger, daughter of Jake and Janice Wolfinger, had a .18 back fat with 4.40 square inches of loin eye area and a 50.164% lean reading. Her second lamb had a 49.629% lean reading.
Sixteen lambs were entered in this ultrasound contest.
This is the 37th annual Dawson County 4-H Market Lamb Muscle Evaluation Contest.
2024 Market Lamb Percent Muscle Contest Ribbon Placings:
Purples: Jaelin Wolfinger of Lexington with three and Trina Pearson of Brady.
Blue: Samual Winter of Cozad with three; Grant Walahoski of Overton, Megan Walahoski of Overton, Taylor Kramer of Elm Creek with three, Bodee Klemm of Lexington with two and Kehl Jones of Gothenburg.
Red (lightweight lamb): Daniel Dailey of Gothenburg.
Swine carcassIn the Swine Muscle Evaluation Contest, Owen Fairley of Brady grabbed the champion title at the 2024 Dawson County Fair. As Alexandra Rickertsen of Lexington received the reserve champion spot.
The champion 4-H market hog yielding the highest percent muscle was owned by Owen Fairley, son of Jake and Erin Fairley. Owen’s pig had 63.14% lean reading, a back fat of 0.49 and 7.85 square inches of loin eye area.
Alexandra Rickertsen, daughter of Curt and Holly Rickertsen, owned the reserve champion market hog with 62.16% lean reading.
There were 16 hogs entered in the contest. This is the 47th year for the hog carcass contest.
2024 Market Swine Percent Muscle Contest Ribbon Placings:
Purples: Owen Fairley of Brady and Alexandra Rickertsen of Lexington.
Blue: Grant Walahoski of Overton, Parker Walahoski of Overton, Greta Rickertsen of Lexington with two, Harlow Rickertsen of Lexington, Bristol McConville of Lexington, Riggs McConville of Lexington and Alexandra Rickertsen of Lexington, Dallee Barnes of Gothenburg with two and Augustus Barnes of Gothenburg with two.
Red (lightweight hog): Paige Walahoski of Overton.
Goat carcassThe 97-pound champion 4-H market goat owned by Kamrynn Rhoades, daughter of Adam and Krystle Rhoades, had .08 back fat with 2.99 square inches of loin eye area and a 49.350% lean reading.
The goat owned by London Costanza, daughter of Amanda Schukei, had .03 back fat with 2.06 square inches of loin eye area and 49.350% lean reading.
There were 16 goats entered in the contest.
This is the first year for the goat carcass contest. Goat carcasses were evaluated last year only for educational purposes.
2024 Market Goat Percent Muscle Contest Ribbon Placings:
Purples: Kamrynn Rhoades of Cozad, London Costanza of Cozad, Elsie Cool of Gothenburg, Keeley Nichols of Eddyville and Matthew Rhoades of Cozad.
Blue ribbons: Karsyn Nichols of Eddyville, Matthew Rhoades of Cozad, Aleigha Negley of Gothenburg, Ryan Hagen of Sumner, Keaton Bebensee of Gothenburg, Graycie Kleinknecht of Gothenburg, Kehl Jones of Gothenburg, Trina Pearson of Brady, Abby Negley of Gothenburg, Kollyn Nichols of Eddyville and Keeley Nichols of Eddyville.
The carcass data was collected by Allen Hines with Nebraska SPF of Lincoln using ultrasonic equipment. The 4-H member could view the backfat and loin eye on the TV monitor as the data was collected.
Special premiums will be awarded by donors to the 4-H Livestock Premium Fund. Expenses were sponsored by Farm Credit Services and the Dawson County Agricultural Society.
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