St. Mary youths earn state awards

GONZALES — Hundreds of young people from across Louisiana were named state champions during the 80th Annual LSU AgCenter Livestock Show held Feb. 14-21 at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales. Among those were St. Mary Parish students Austin Thibodeaux, Logan Hebert and Hallie Landry.
To qualify for the state show, competitors had to first participate in parish and district livestock shows across Louisiana. At the state show, 2,363 youths exhibited 1,584 breeding animals, 1,492 market animals, 173 pens of broilers and 585 exhibition birds, according to the LSU AgCenter Livestock Show manager Dwayne Nunez.
Judges at the LSU AgCenter Livestock Show determined more than 2,000 state champions in various breeds of beef and dairy cattle, goats, hogs, poultry and sheep.
Although the event showcases examples of the state’s important livestock industries, LSU AgCenter administrators say it is much more than that.
“This show is much more about recognizing champion young people than it is about naming champion animals,” said Bill Richardson, LSU vice president for agriculture. “Every youngster who participated in this show is a champion because of the dedication, skills and knowledge they’ve demonstrated by caring for their animals.”
Breeding Goats
Champion Purebred Pigmy Buck: Thibodeaux, St. Mary Parish 4-H.
Market Swine
Reserve Champion Hog: Hebert, St. Mary Parish 4-H.
Breeding Swine
Champion and Champion Louisiana-bred Duroc: Landry, St. Mary Parish 4-H.
Reserve Champion Louisiana-bred Any Other Breed: Thibodeaux.