Four members of the Clinton High School FFA Chapter competed on a national level last week where they were ultimately named the best in the nation.
The CHS Horse Judging Team, consisting of Alana Alexander, Riley Heerdink, Camryn Kemper and Caroline Wagoner, competed against the best of the best at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis last week. To get to this national stage, these students began preparing for contests in the summer of 2020. Since then, they have remained undefeated in every horse judging contest they have competed in. When they were named state champions last spring, they punched their ticket to the national competition.
The national competition began with a virtual team activity in September, which consisted of five equine science practicums and a breed & tack identification exam. During last week’s in-person portion of the national contest, students judged eight classes (five performance classes and three halter classes) and presented four sets of oral reasons. Team member Alana Alexander placed 7th in the nation and was 5th in oral reasons. Riley Heerdink placed 8th in the nation and was 3rd in halter and 3rd in oral reasons. As a team these students ranked first, making them the 2021 undefeated national champions!
Students are led by FFA Advisor, Tanner Robertson, “This group of students drastically exceeded my expectations. My goal when I started coaching was to teach kids about one of my strongest passions which is the Horse Judging Contest.
Their growth was my biggest reward and the accomplishments are just icing on the cake. They worked extremely hard and
I am incredibly proud of each of them. This is something that most students never get to experience and I am so thankful that I got to guide them to a win on the national stage. Coaching a team like this has been the most rewarding experience
of my teaching career and I feel blessed to be supported so strongly by the community of Clinton.”
This is Mr. Robertson’s second year with the Clinton School District. Under Tanner’s leadership, the Clinton School
District’s FFA program has seen exponential growth and success in a short period of time. “We are so proud of our FFA program and the National Champion Horse Judging Team! Under Mr. Robertson’s leadership, FFA has taken a growth in membership and competitive success. We look forward to many more awards from this program. Congratulations to the team and all their hard work to achieve this,” says Clinton High School Principal, Dr. Jarrod Steffens.
Questions: Contact, Dr. Jarrod Steffens, Clinton High School Principal, 660-885-2247