Pictured (left to right): manager Grady Gullickson, High Point Freshman Mitchell Vander Wal, High Point Upperclassman Isaac Berg, Champion Round Robin Winner Clay Sundberg, Reserve Champion Round Robin Kaden Nelson and assistant manager Cody Gifford.
South Dakota State University hosted the 99th Little International at the SDSU Animal Science Arena in Brookings on April 1-2. 4-H and FFA contests were held across campus on April 1, with collegiate showing and fitting competitions taking place in the Animal Science Arena throughout the weekend.
Over 170 collegiate students competed in horse, sheep, lamb lead, goat, dairy, beef and swine contests at this year’s event. Students interested in participating in Little “I” attended a livestock drawing in February to receive the chance to show one of the available animals. Dairy, horse and beef exhibitors were able to start working with their animals for three weeks prior to the event, while contestants showing all other species were given two weeks to prepare for the show.
With 2023 marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s largest two-day student-run livestock exposition, Little “I” staff members launched an endowment fundraising campaign on the evening of April 2. The endowment will help fund student scholarships, 4-H, FFA and collegiate contest expansions, equipment for livestock exhibitors and more. Those interested in contributing to the campaign can make their donation here.
Results and awards from the collegiate contests are as follows:
Overall Awards:
High Point Freshman: Mitchell Vander Wal – Brentford, SD
High Point Upperclassman: Isaac Berg – Pipestone, MN
Grand Champion Round Robin: Clay Sundberg - Arlington, IL
Reserve Champion Round Robin: Kaden Nelson - New Richland, MN
High Point Club: Alpha Gamma Rho
Pete Pritchett Memorial Award:
The Pete Pritchett Memorial Award was established to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of a Little “I” staff member and is given in memory of Pritchett, the 1988 Little “I” livestock coordinator who was tragically killed in an auto accident that following summer. The 2022 award was presented to executive committee member Sadie Vander Wal of Brentford, South Dakota.
Novice Beef Fitting Results:
1. Bronson Smith - Powell, WY
2. Kendall Anderson - Lake Crystal, MN
3. Anna Reicks - Palmer, IA
4. Hunter Haberman - Olivet, SD
5. Ella Bauer - Hayfield, MN
6. Maddy Gillett - San Antonio, TX
Experienced Beef Fitting Results:
1. Clay Sundberg – Arlington, IL
2. Murray Perkins - Buchanan, TN
3. Tyanne Geppert - Ft. Pierre, SD
4. Wyatt Debnam - Chestertown, MD
5. Bronson Smith - Powell, WY
6. Jaycen Timm - Hooper, NE
Novice Sheep Fitting Results:
1. Amanda Kelling - Pine Island, MN
2. Emily Schmiedeberg - Lancaster, MN
3. Gabriella Hill - Ashland, NE
4. Jordan Gusa - Wabasha, MN
5. Noel Kusek - Yankton, SD
6. Jaclyn Meier - Faribault, MN
Experienced Sheep Fitting Results:
1. Kasi Knutson – Centerville, SD
2. Emily Nold – Rutland, SD
3. Isaac Berg – Pipestone, MN
4. Jessica Kott - Kimball, SD
5. Amanda Kelling – Pine Island, MN
6. Gauge Liebl - Watson, MN
Experienced Horse Fitting Results:
1. Kennedy Jackels - Slayton, MN
2. Kayla Smeenk - Harrisburg, SD
3. Brooklyn Ludeman - Tracy, MN
4. Rachel Coudron - Milroy, MN
5. Jenna Paul - Ismay, MT
6. Jaylynn Frandrup - Hastings, MN
Novice Horse Fitting Results:
1. Nicole Inch - Fort Thompson, SD
2. Victoria Braley - Brandon, SD
3. Rebecca Marshall - Brookings, SD
4. Caitlin Baltzer - Mitchell, SD
5. Briana Middendorf - Sauk Centre, MN
6. Riley Hoskins - Sergeant Bluff, IA
Novice Goat Fitting Results:
1. Nate Rehder - Moorhead, MN
2. Mitchell Vander Wal - Brentford, SD
3. Grace Erickson - Alden, MN
4. Kodie Doetzel - Lipton, Saskatchewan
5. Alex Kellen - Madison, MN
6. Zachary Schoelerman - Everly, IA
Experienced Goat Fitting Results:
1. Samantha Richert - Springfield, MN
2. Peyton Sundsbak - Des Lacs, ND
3. Ellie Sennett - Waynetown, IN
4. Hannah Neil - Northfield, MN
5. Nate Rehder - Moorhead, MN
6. Mitchell Vander Wal - Brentford, SD
Novice Dairy Fitting Results:
1. Luke Carr - Blue Earth, MN
2. Cheyenne Hulstein - Chandler, MN
3. Jayden Carlson - Clements, MN
4. Elijah Downs - Lincoln, NE
5. Sydney Sheffield - Winterset, IA
6. Angie Arensdorf - Asbury, IA
Experienced Dairy Fitting Results:
1. Taylor Fester - Grove City, MN
2. Isaac Berg – Pipestone, MN
3. Taylor Jerde - Northfield, MN
4. Luke Carr – Blue Earth, MN
5. Cheyenne Hulstein – Chandler, MN
6. Jayden Carlson – Clements, MN
Novice Horse Showmanship Results:
1. Ellie Thein - Clara City, MN
2. Briana Middendorf - Sauk Centre, MN
3. Rebecca Marshall – Brookings, SD
4. Nicole Inch – Fort Thompson, SD
5. Caitlin Baltzer - Mitchell, SD
6. Riley Hoskins - Sergeant Bluff, IA
Experienced Horse Showmanship Results:
1. Kennedy Jackels - Slayton, MN
2. Mercedes Schueler – Willmar, MN
3. Rachel Coudron – Milroy, MN
4. Nicole Inch – Fort Thompson, SD
5. Briana Middendorf – Sauk Centre, MN
6. Kayla Smeenk – Harrisburg, SD
Experienced Sheep Showmanship Results:
1. Kaden Nelson - New Richland, MN
2. Isaac Berg – Pipestone, MN
3. Emily Nold – Rutland, SD
4. Kasi Knutson – Centerville, SD
5. Amanda Kelling – Pine Island, MN
6. Hadley Stiefvater – Salem, SD
Novice Sheep Showmanship Results:
1. Amanda Kelling – Pine Island, MN
2. Emily Schmiedeberg - Lancaster, MN
3. Jordan Gusa - Wabasha, MN
4. Gabriela Hill - Ashland, NE
5. Jacyln Meier - Faribault, MN
6. Daniel Williamson - Spicer, MN
Experienced Beef Showmanship Results:
1. Clay Sundberg – Arlington, IL
2. Tyanne Geppert - Ft. Pierre, SD
3. Murray Perkins - Buchanan, TN
4. Bronson Smith – Powell, WY
5. Wyatt Debnam - Chestertown, MD
6. Sydney Pankonin - Lamberton, MN
Novice Beef Showmanship Results:
1. Bronson Smith – Powell, WY
2. Hunter Haberman – Olivet, SD
3. Kendall Anderson - Lake Crystal, MN
4. Paige Fedders - Ireton, IA
5. Madisen Henley - Greeley, CO
6. Greta Adolf - Aberdeen, SD
Experienced Goat Showmanship Results:
1. Carissa Kleinwort - Dodge Center, MN
2. Grace Erickson - Alden, MN
3. Samantha Richert - Springfield, MN
4. Mitchell Vander Wal – Brentford, SD
5. Hannah Neil – Northfield, MN
6. Ellie Sennett - Waynetown, IN
Novice Goat Showmanship Results:
1. Grace Erickson – Alden, MN
2. Mitchell Vander Wal – Brentford, SD
3. Ty Schoelerman – Everly, IA
4. Alex Kellen - Madison, MN
5. Claire Ohlrichs - Merrill, IA
6. Cheyenne Adams - Dell Rapids, SD
Experienced Swine Showmanship Results:
1. Ashley Holst - Kellogg, MN
2. Kaleb Koerselman – Le Mars, IA
3. Brinn Begalka – Castlewood, SD
4. Makayla Nelson - Sinai, SD
5. Kinlie Lewis- Iliff, CO
6. Jeffrey Paulson – Clark, SD
Novice Swine Showmanship Results:
1. Kinlie Lewis - Iliff, CO
2. Ashley Holst - Kellogg, MN
3. Riley Leeson – Hays, Alberta
4. Colton Raatz - Jasper, MN
5. Elise Johnson – Seward, NE
6. Jaiden Davison - Le Mars, IA
Experienced Dairy Showmanship Results:
1. Taylor Jerde – Northfield, MN
2. Isaac Berg – Pipestone, MN
3. Luke Carr – Blue Earth, MN
4. Jayden Carlson – Clements, MN
5. Elijah Downs – Lincoln, NE
6. Taylor Fester – Grove City, MN
Novice Dairy Showmanship Results:
1. Luke Carr – Blue Earth, MN
2. Elijah Downs – Lincoln, NE
3. Jayden Carlson – Clements, MN
4. Courtney Lundin – Watertown, SD
5. Angie Arensdorf – Asbury, IA
6. Katie Fitzgerald - West Concord, MN
Lamb Lead Results:
1. Isaac Berg – Pipestone, MN
2. Emily Nold – Rutland, SD
3. Kaden Nelson – New Richland, MN
4. Jessica Kott – Kimball, SD
5. Gabriela Hill – Ashland, NE
6. Emily Schmiedeberg – Lancaster, MN
Hardest Worker Awards:
Voted on by fellow exhibitors, the hardest worker awards are presented to the hardest working exhibitor in each species:
• Beef Hardest Worker: Allison Wormwood - Dayton, ME
• Lamb Lead Hardest Worker: Amanda Drews - Camarillo, CA
• Sheep Hardest Worker: Jaclyn Meier – Faribault, MN
• Horse Hardest Worker: Kayla Smeenk – Harrisburg, SD
• Goat Hardest Worker: Kodie Doetzel – Lipton, Saskatchewan
• Dairy Hardest Worker: David Hassing – Springfield, SD
• Swine Hardest Worker: Riley Leeson – Hays, Alberta