GREENVILLE, Va. — A Virginia farming couple is getting ready to welcome hundreds of young livestock enthusiasts from across the region for their annual competition that has become a major draw for agricultural youth.
Tom and Sarah McCall will host their sixth MC Livestock Stockman’s Challenge on March 21 at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The event brings together participants aged 5-19 from Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Tennessee.
The competition features nine different categories — three for cattle, two for hogs, plus sheep and goat divisions — with four animals in each group. Young contestants evaluate and rank the animals from best to worst on judging cards.
“We also have verbal questions for one class in each species that the contestants answer from memory after they have judged the classes,” Sarah explained. “Our contest does not include reasons, but we do have a separate jackpot for those that would like to participate.”
The event has experienced remarkable growth since its debut in 2021, when 150 children took part. Last year, organizers had to cap registration at 300 participants due to overwhelming demand.
Entry fees are set at $20 for individuals or $80 for teams, with the youngest competitors participating at no charge.
Both Tom and Sarah grew up on farms and were heavily involved in 4-H and FFA programs, competing in livestock judging and showing cattle and sheep throughout their state. They both graduated from Virginia Tech, where Tom studied agribusiness before becoming a licensed veterinarian through the Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.
The couple operates M C Livestock in Greenville, Virginia, running a 130-head Angus cow breeding operation. They hold bull and female sales twice yearly in April and November.
Their sons, Jake and Zach, also participated extensively in livestock judging at local, state, and national levels.
According to Sarah, organizing an event of this magnitude requires extensive preparation and coordination.
The planning process begins in December following their fall bull sale and continues for several months leading up to the March competition.
“We wanted to give back to the ag community and feel strongly about supporting our youth,” Sarah stated. “Tom’s mom was a member of the 1960 Virginia State 4-H livestock judging team and coached him, his sisters and many others over the years. We wanted to do something to honor her and we are passionate about these kids and the judging program so it seemed like a perfect fit.”
The McCalls rely on a substantial support network to make the event successful. While they supply the cattle, friends contribute high-quality animals for the other three species. More than 50 volunteers help coordinate and execute the competition day, with Virginia Tech’s Youth Animal Science Department serving as a key partner.
“Tom and I went to Virginia Tech with Katherine Carter (Virginia Youth Animal Science Extension Specialist), so it was natural to start with her and his sister Ruth Boden when he first had the idea to start a contest,” Sarah noted. “Without guidance from Katherine and Ruth, there would be no contest. They are the experts. Virginia Tech’s role, through Katherine, is helping with registration, rules, contest format, and most importantly tabulations the day of the contest.”
Katherine Carter confirmed that while various farms and individuals nationwide organize judging competitions, the McCalls appear to be the only ones doing so in Virginia.
“Tom and Sarah created this opportunity in 2021 in response to COVID and so many contests and events that were hosted by Extension, universities, and other organizations being cancelled due to the restrictions imposed at that time,” Carter said. “Over the course of the last five years, 1,147 contestants from six states have participated in the contest.”
Carter and the Youth Animal Science Team at Virginia Tech handle logistics and scoring responsibilities.
“Tom and Sarah source all the stock, sponsors, contest day help and awards,” Carter said. “They do an amazing job.”
The competition day begins with registration at 7:30 a.m., followed by judging at 9 a.m. Participants are organized into smaller groups that rotate through each category.
Competitors receive 12 minutes to assess and evaluate the animals in each class.
Judging typically concludes by lunch, when participants enjoy a catered meal sponsored by Farm Credit while listening to an inspirational speaker.
“Our motivational speakers are generally young rising stars that have an inspiring story to tell about how their livestock judging career has helped them along their life career path,” Sarah explained. “Many times they are one of our officials, but sometimes we ask an outside person to come in. We try to find someone that will resonate with the kids and inspire them to be the best they can be in whatever field they choose. We have had a variety of occupations represented, from collegiate judging coaches to a human hospital administrator, a U.S. Senator’s aide, genetics specialist, and an Ag law student.”
Following lunch, contestants participating in the jackpot competition present their reasoning. Categories are split into senior (14-19 years) and junior (9-13) divisions.
The senior division champion receives $100, while the junior champion earns $50. Runner-up prizes are $50 and $25 respectively.
Ties are resolved by favoring the contestant with the lower placing score. If needed, question scores serve as a second tiebreaker, and officials make the final determination if ties persist.
After reasoning competitions conclude, officials calculate final scores and provide class critiques and official rankings for each category. Awards are distributed and the event typically wraps up around 3 p.m.
“One of our top priorities is for the kids to experience a fun high quality event,” Sarah said. “To us, this means quality livestock, quality people and top notch officials. We feel that our motivational speaker is a unique twist that you won’t find at other contests. We also have a peewee age division that allows kids from 5 to 8 years old to get a taste of what judging in a real contest is like.”
Sarah identified the young participants as the most fulfilling aspect of organizing the competition.
“We believe in these kids! The smiles on their faces with a firm handshake and a thank you at the end of the day is our reward,” Sarah said.
At various events, Sarah noted that former contestants frequently approach them to express gratitude for their efforts and dedication.
“I was at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association meeting last year when a young lady stopped me to thank me,” Sarah recalled. “I was also approached by a parent in Louisville at NILE who was excited to tell me about his daughter who was judging with the VA state 4-H team. Our contest was her very first one. It’s tremendously rewarding.”
The McCalls firmly believe the competition, particularly the jackpot portion, teaches young people to make and justify their decisions — a valuable skill for any future career path.
“Passing that on to these kids is our ‘why’ for having the contest,” Sarah said.
Looking ahead, the McCalls are considering adding a collegiate division to the competition. Tom has also expressed interest in expanding participation.
“Tom would love to have 500 kids,” Sarah said, “but the rest of us are not sure we can handle that many and still have a quality experience. But we’ll see where it goes. If we can handle more, we will.”
