The Kentucky 4-H Livestock Skillathon team brought home the national championship from  the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville.

Team members are Madison Kelly and Katie Jo Walker from Christian County, Walter Steely from Webster County and Lauren Dixon from Jessamine County. All have livestock backgrounds and have participated in 4-H livestock events for many years.

In a livestock skillathon, youth demonstrate their ability to identify, judge and evaluate several areas related to the production and management of beef cattle, meat goats, sheep and swine.

“It’s always a pleasure to work with youth who want to be the best they can be,” said Matt Futrell, the team’s coach and Christian County 4-H youth development agent for the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. “These kids committed many hours every week to studying and visiting farms and livestock facilities to prepare for the event, and their hard work paid off.”

The Kentucky 4-H team placed first in both evaluation and quality assurance and fourth in identification. Individually, Kelly placed first in evaluation, third in quality assurance and fourth overall. Walker was sixth in evaluation, eighth in identification and eighth overall. Steely was second in quality assurance and 10th in evaluation. Dixon was ninth in evaluation. Kelly, Walker and Steely were named All-Americans.