The 2025 Cattlemen’s Congress Jarold Callahan Collegiate Livestock Judging Contest has concluded, and the overall winning team in the Senior College Division is Texas Tech University, and the individual by a record number of points earned – 4 points ahead of the previous record – is Texas Tech University Junior Lexi Hunt. Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays scored an interview with the winner right after the awards. To view all of the results from the 2025 Cattlemen’s Congress Livestock Judging- click here for the Judging Card website’s dedicated pages.
Cattlemen’s Congress was the first national competition of the year, and the Texas Tech Livestock Judging team has been working hard for months to prepare. Originally from Buckeye, Arizona, Hunt’s livestock judging career began in 4-H, and then carried over to FFA.
“My love for it sent me to South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, for junior college,” Hunt said. “There, I was coached by Connor Brew alongside some awesome teammates and had an awesome time there. That led me to my time at Texas Tech in Lubbock where I, along with ten other judging team members, are under the advisement of Coach Skyler Scotten and Kase Lerow.”
According to Hunt, her passion for livestock was instilled by her parents and by watching her older sisters show before her. “From the age of about three or four, I was in the barn,” Hunt shared. “With that, I always looked up to people who judged collegiately. They were my superstars and idols. I always knew that if I wanted to get off of the West Coast and involve myself further in the industry, I would have to move east. That’s how I ended up in Texas.”
Hunt believes that the lessons learned, and relationships gained she has accumulated through livestock judging are the most paramount for her future.
Hunt’s advice to younger students is to never quit in the pursuit of their dreams. She said, “I came from a background where I wasn’t as competitive as some kids and I just didn’t have it as easy as some in terms of showing, and I thought, maybe, I would never get to a level where I could be really competitive at livestock judging. If you continue to pursue it, truly believe in yourself, surround yourself with others who lift you up and encourage you to get better, you can achieve anything.”
Hunt’s plans for the future include staying in the livestock business and currently interns with a company in Iowa that deals with small ruminant reproduction services. “I am hoping to continue that after I graduate with my bachelor’s degree,” she added. “I showed sheep heavily growing up and a few hogs here and there, but mostly, I’m just passionate about the sheep industry.”
In the Junior College Division- NEO (Northeast Oklahoma State) in Miami, Oklahoma took the Grand Champion title at Cattlemen’s Congress- and it was a solid performance by five of the six members of the team- Tyeson Gravenhof placed 10th, Brighton Lane placed 13th, Avery Kimble placed 14th, Dustee Hollenback placed 17th and Jacey Smith placed 18th.
Their coach, Mattie Haynes became the NEO Livestock Judging Coach in the fall of 2022 and is originally from Jay, Oklahoma, and attended NEO from 2018-2020. While at NEO, she was a member of the Livestock Judging Team, and she was an Academic All-American in Livestock Judging.
After graduating from NEO, Haynes continued her education at Oklahoma State University, where she double majored in animal science and agribusiness. While at OSU, she was named a Leader of Excellence in Animal and Food Sciences, an Academic All-American in Livestock Judging and a member of the 2021 National Champion Livestock Judging Team.
