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Judges:
Contest judges have been selected for their professional experience and expertise. Judges will not see or have access to contestant names or entries. In the event of a tie, the tied contestants will be asked to submit a set of written reasons for one of the 12 livestock classes selected at random by the Contest Manager. The judge for that class will score the reasons and the winner will be announced.
Brad Angus
Sheep
Brad Angus is the coach of Joliet Junior College's nationally competitive Livestock Judging Team and continues to judge livestock shows from coast to coast.
Brad joined the faculty at Joliet Junior College in 1995 after completing his B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Illinois. He currently servers as Coordinator for the Agricultural Business Program and is responsible for instruction in agribusiness management, crop production, introduction to agriculture, and agricultural computations.
He resides with his family on their home farm south of Ottawa, Illinois, and is active in the family’s purebred livestock and grain operation.
Craig Beckmier
Sheep
Craig grew up on the family grain and livestock farm in central Illinois. The 100 head commercial cow-calf operation and 75 head of purebred sheep they raised sparked an interest in livestock judging that has greatly influenced his professional career.
While attending Lake Land College, Craig was a member of the 1994 Illinois State 4-H Livestock Judging Team which was coached by Brad Angus. He then judged in 1995 for Lake Land coached by Jon Althaus and was a member on the Champion team at NAILE. Beckmier transferred to the University of Illinois, where he judged in 1997 for Dr. Steven Myers. During his junior and senior college judging careers, Beckmier was recognized multiple times for reasons and was also the high individual in sheep at NAILE in 1995.
Beckmier then went on to receive his Master’s Degree from the University of Illinois. While there he co-coached the Illinois State 4-H team for two years and went on to coach the University of Illinois team in 2000 and then had the pleasure to coach the 2001 team along with Dan Shike.
Currently Craig is the animal science instructor and livestock judging team coach at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, IL. He currently resides on the home farm with his wife and son raising 60 head of purebred Montadale and Hampshire sheep.
Preston Faris
Goats
Preston Faris is a graduate of Texas A& M University and retired in 2003 after 31 years as a county extension agent in Texas and now operates a private consulting service entitled Preston's Prespective Agri-Resource Consulting. He has been in the goat business for over 35 years and has judged extensively throughout the United States, in Canada and Australia. He has judged such major events as the National Western, NAILE, Houston Livestock Show and San Antonio Livestock Exposition. He has also judged the National Boer Goat Show for the American Boer Goat Assn on three occasions. His hobbies include working with youth livestock exhibitors, hunting and fishing.
Jim McCoy
Hogs
Jim McCoy has been involved in fulltime swine production his entire life, starting with a two-Hampshire sow FFA project in 1973. Today, Jim operates a 140 sow show pig operation and Real McCoy Genetics Show Pig Boarstud, housing 50 boars and selling genetics into 42 states.
Jim’s passion for judging has lasted for over 27 years and he has judged in over 20 states.
Mike McCoy
Hogs
Mike McCoy runs the breeding herd and show pig operation at Real McCoy Genetics, where is he extensively involved in purchasing boars for the boar stud. Mike attended Black Hawk College and Western Illinois University, where he was a member of the livestock judging programs and was the High Individual at the National Barrow show in 1996. He has been judging at all levels of swine shows for ten years and officiating national livestock judging contests. Mike has a true love for making genetic progress and maintains this approach yearly among the diverse breeds at Real McCoy Genetics.
Chris Mullinix
Cattle
Chris Mullinix is an Agriculture instructor and the Livestock Judging Team Coach at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas. Chris was born and raised on a diversified cattle and farming operation in central Maryland where his family continues to run a Hereford cow herd, an Angus herd and a small feedyard. Chris received his Animal Science degree at Kansas State University where he was a member of the 1995 National Champion Livestock Judging Team and was recognized as the contest High Individual. For the past ten years, Chris has been on faculty with Butler and has judged shows in 31 different states including prestigious events such as the North American in Louisville, the American Royal, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and Denver’s National Western.
Dan Shike
Cattle
Dan Shike grew up on a livestock and grain farm in western Illinois. His family has been actively involved in the beef industry for several generations. Dan received an associate’s degree from Black Hawk College – East Campus in Kewanee, Illinois. At Black Hawk, Shike was a member of the livestock judging team coached by Dan Hoge and Lee Denzer. He then transferred to Kansas State University where he was a member of the champion livestock judging team coached by Dr. Scott Schaake. Shike finished in the Top 10 overall and in oral reasons at numerous contests in junior and senior college, and was the High Individual in oral reasons at the National Collegiate Judging Contest in Louisville, Kentucky.
Shike received his master’s degree and PhD in ruminant nutrition at the University of Illinois. Shike is a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois where he is coaching his seventh team. In 2002, the University of Illinois livestock judging team was the High Team Overall at the American Royal in Kansas City, and Shike was named the “Coach of the Year.” Shike has judged shows in 20 states, including the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado and the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Kentucky.
Sherri Stephens
Goats
Sherri received her American Boer Goat Association sanctioning in May 2005. She has been extremely active in ABGA judging ever since and also performs ABGA ennoblement inspections . Sherri is also a proud mother of four and lives in Knightstown, IN where her family started raising boer goats in 2000. She is serves as a 4-H leader for her children's 4-H club as well as helps to lead the Henry County Goat Club. She enjoys judging 4-H shows each year and has a strong passion for working with youth at grooming and showmanship seminars.
Photos and Bios Coming Soon
Dan Hoge
Cattle
Mark Hoge
Hogs
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