RED LODGE — Dozens of kids from near and far gathered in Red Lodge for the second annual Intermountain & Beyond the Beartooth Livestock Judging Camp, where participants of all ages and skill levels built practical knowledge in livestock judging through hands-on experience.
Among those taking part was Ryal Carroccia.
Watch camp leaders talk about the camp:
"I grew up on a ranch, so I've always enjoyed livestock judging," Carroccia said Saturday.
The camp was brought to Red Lodge by Amber Elliott, agriculture and 4-H extension agent in Carbon County, who saw a gap in accessible opportunities for local youth.
"I livestock judged in 4-H and it opened a lot of amazing doors for me," Elliott said.
Those doors, she said, have historically been hard to reach for families in the area.
"The closest camp was down either in Utah or down in Casper. And it's really hard for families to justify that kind of travel and that kind of expense," Elliott said.
So she brought the camp to them. Participants work with four of the main livestock species throughout the event.
"Our kids go through all four main species. So they'll judge pigs, they'll judge sheep, goats, and cattle," Elliott said.
The judging process itself requires careful evaluation. Competitors are presented with groups of four animals and must rank them from best to worst.
"They'll have classes comprised of four animals. And those animals are numbered one through four, and they have to sort from the best animal to the worst animal," Elliott said.
After handing in their placings, participants must stand and verbally defend their rankings for specific classes.
"It gives them the ability to sort through livestock and gain more confidence with it," Elliott said.
Livestock judging coach Sierra Meyers said the decisions aren't arbitrary — they're rooted in established industry criteria.
"They're doing it based off of a set of industry standards that allow them to prioritize how to evaluate the animals," Meyers said.
Elliott emphasized that the camp is open to everyone, regardless of background.
"I think it's important to note that like any kid can join livestock judging. You don't have to have livestock at home. You don't have to be from that background. It's a really great place to get started within the industry," Elliott said.
Carroccia agreed, calling it the ideal entry point for anyone curious about the field.
"It's the best way to get into it, just kind of dive head first and this camp's a lot. I think you do lots of different things," Carroccia said.
He said the skills he gained will have real-world applications back home.
"It's something I'll apply back to ranching. That helps a lot in selecting bulls and heifers," Carroccia said.
Carroccia also plans to continue competing beyond the camp.
"For the next two years, I'm gonna go to Casper and judge in college as well," Carroccia said.
