Who says girls can’t judge livestock? Certainly nobody who watched the all-girl FFA livestock judging team from Chilton County High School place third in the Central Alabama District competition in Montevallo May 12.

The team, made up of Kaci Tracy, Kati Brewer, Rachel Mims, Payton Knight and Candice Pierce, will compete at the state level June 2 at Auburn University.

“The team did well. We’re all close and real good friends,” said Tracy, the chapter’s FFA president.

The Central Alabama District comprises 27 counties, and the CCHS team was the only all-girl team to compete and advance, according to Tracy.

At the University of Montevallo, the team judged beef cows, breeding stock cows, sheep and market hogs. The state competition will include these categories and more.

If the girls place at state, they will have the opportunity to attend the FFA national convention in the fall. Many go on to receive scholarships, compete at the college level, or attend veterinary school or agricultural school. That’s why the state competitions are called Career Development Events.

“Everything we do in FFA is career based,” CCHS agriscience instructor Marlon Harton said.

Agriscience instructor Willie Harris said more and more students are going into agriculture related fields. Participating in a livestock judging team can benefit a student significantly in certain careers, he said.

“If they want to become a buyer for a meat packing company, they’ll know how to choose the best market animals,” Harris said.

The June 2 competition will be held at the Stanley Wilson Beef Unit on the campus of Auburn University.