For many students on the Fort Hays State University Campus it may be a surprise to learn there is a swine show team, and even more of a surprise, they are award winning. The team received top honors at the Kansas State fair early last month. The team took two purebred Yorkshire gilts, young female swine and 3 market barrows, castrated male swine.
“FHSU was very well represented exhibiting the Grand Champion Yorkshire gilt, Reserve Champion Yorkshire Producer and exhibiting the Reserve Champion Market Hog,” said the team’s faculty advisor, Clay Hamil.
The team also won second Overall Barrow and two other hogs receiving second and sixth place.
The team is organized through Block and Bridle, an animal science organization on the FHSU campus.
That organization promotes all phases of agriculture to FHSU students with emphasis on farm livestock and animal science. While the club is agriculture based, it is open to all students and offers member opportunities to give back to the community through educational agriculture experiences and service activities.
The team competes across the United States, showing and marketing swine from the University Farm to swine producers.
Show team members who participated in the Kansas State Fair are listed below, by hometown and classification:
Atlanta: Ky Biddle, sophomore, agricultural business.
Burden: Bryant Lawson, freshman, agricultural business.
Burlington, Colo.: Wyatt Durham, freshman, agricultural business; Caleb Nitsch, freshman, agricultural business; and Aranda Stolz, senior, agriculture.
Garden City: Kate Huschka, junior, agriculture.
Parker, Colo.: Abby Baker, freshman, agricultural business.
Powhattan: Kacey Rieger, freshman, agriculture (animal science).
Round Rock, Texas: Taylor Eason, senior, agriculture (animal science).
Victoria: Mesa Eckroat, freshman, agricultural business.