Meat judging team grabs eighth place

Just ask any member of the Warren County 4-H meats judging team. Not only can they identify the cut for you, they can also tell you which one is the best.

The 4-H meats judging team of Lindsey Honeycutt, Cinthea Comer, Erika Betschart and Robert Elam recently used those skills at the National Western 4-H Roundup Meats Judging Contest.

The Warren County placed eighth in the national contest and received the fifth place team award in reasons.

The team earned a spot in the invitation-only contest by placing in the top three at the state contest last summer. Teams from all over the United States gathered Jan. 4-7 at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo.

While at the contest, team members identified 30 cuts of beef, pork and lamb. They had to include the wholesale and retail cut as well as species, type of cut and cookery method. The team also ranked six retail and wholesale meat classes consisting of beef and pork carcasses, beef rounds, pork fresh hams, pork rib chops and beef porterhouse steaks. Team members also had to defend their placings by giving three sets of oral reasons.

In addition to the team awards, Cinthea Comer was recognized as the eighth high scoring individual in placings at the contest.

The team was coached by 4-H agent Michael Barry.