Ag Communications state winning team (back, l-r) Ashlee Laubner, Annie Allen, Maddi Huber, (front, l-r) Advisor Heidi Reiter, Keela Burt, Dani Taylor, Advisor Dave Axt. Submitted photos

The Mandan FFA Chapter recently competed at the 81st State FFA Convention held in Fargo. Twenty-three FFA students competed in 15 different contest areas. In addition to this, a student was elected as a State FFA President. Here are the results for the following:

Mike Bahm from the Mandan FFA Chapter was recently elected to serve as the 2010-11 N.D. State FFA President. Bahm went through a week of screening and questioning from a committee throughout the week of convention. He was then nominated and elected for State President. In addition, Bahm also won the State Proficiency in Ag Mechanics and Repair. He received a $250 check and two plaques.

The Ag Communications team won the State Contest and will be competing at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Ind., in October. Team members and individual placing were Annie Allen receiving a gold, Maddi Huber and Keela Burt receiving a silver and Ashlee Laubner and Dani Taylor receiving a bronze. The team was awarded a gold ribbon, plaque and traveling trophy for first place.

Melissa Baker was the Courtesy Corp participant who was awarded a gold and chosen to participate at the National FFA Convention. Eric Miller participated in the Talent contest and was awarded first place. 

Dairy Cattle Judging-team members, Tabatha Mesich placed second-gold, O.Kaiden Strabbe place fourth-gold, Shelby Hansen placed 18th-silver, Ashlee Laubner place 19th-silver, and Nicole Starck placed 57th. The team earned second place overall and received a gold award. Brandi Boehm was the Dairy Cattle handler and received a silver award.

The Dairy Foods team placed sixth high overall, receiving the gold award. Team members and individual placing were: Nicole Stastny, 16th-gold; Tabatha Mesich, 32nd gold. Eric Miller, Amanda Houser, and Teddi Schwagler received a silver award.

The Advanced Ag. Mechanics team received a silver award. Team members were: Mike Bahm, silver, Kenny Bahm, gold, Jake Weinberger, bronze.

Small Animal Care team members were Nicole Stastny and Renae Tokach receiving a silver award. Shelby Hansen and Sarah Fischer also participated. The team received a silver award.

Food Science Team received a bronze award. Team members and individual awards were: Teddi Schwagler, gold; Amanda Houser and Tabatha Mesich, silver; and Tammy Mesich and Renae Tokach, bronze.

Team members for the Floriculture team were O.Kaiden Strabbe and Shelby Hansen, who received a silver award, and Annie Allen, Sarah Fischer and Tammy Mesich received a bronze. The team placed a silver overall.

The Meats team received a bronze award. Kenny Bahm received a silver award and Jake Weinberger a bronze. Callen Clarys also participated.

Farm Business Management team members were: Kenny Bahmm, silver award; Eric Miller, gold; and Brandi Boehm and Jared Schmidt, bronze. The team was awarded a bronze overall.

Nicole Starck competed in Horse judging and received a silver. Jared Schmidt was the 10th grade intermediate Ag Mechanics participate and received a silver. Maddi Huber recited the FFA Creed and was awarded a silver. O.Kaiden Strabbe received a gold award on his demonstration on how to cut down a tree. Dani Taylor and Keela Burt participated in the Nursery Landscape contest.

Mike Bahm, Jake Keller and Ethan Olsen received their State FFA Degree and Aaron Steckler will be receiving his American Degree at the National Convention in October.

The Mandan FFA Advisors are Dave Axt and Heidi Reiter.

(l-r) Mike Bahm, State FFA President, and Eric Miller, first place winner at FFA Talent.

Senior overall winners (l-r) Abby Knoll, Lisa Hanson, Miranda Pochant, Brittany Schock, Caleb Riley Rustad. Submitted photo

The Mandan Horse and Saddle Club held a family rodeo June 12 at the Dacotah Centennial Park arena. Events included calf and steer riding, breakaway roping, barrel racing, pole bending, keyhole race, goat tying and pro-am and open team roping. Competitors placing among the top three in each event received cash prizes totaling $1,966.

Here are the overall winners:

Beginners – all-around, Clayton Backhaus, Bismarck; reserve all-around, Caydon Roshau, Bismarck; third overall, Kelly Knoll, Mandan; fourth overall, Kimbery Bauer, Mandan; and fifth overall, Brooke Peterson, Minot.

Juniors – all-around, Calby Hanson, Jamestown; reserve all-around, Colton Roshau, Bismarck; third overall, Dee’Laney Sheets, Minot; fourth overall, Madison Huber Mandan;, and fifth overall, McKenzie Wiest, Bismarck.

Seniors – all-around, Abby Knoll, Mandan; reserve all-around, Lisa Hanson, Jamestown; third overall, Miranda Pochant, Coleharbor; fourth overall, Brittany Schock, Mandan; and fifth overall, Caleb Riley Rustad, Kindred.

Awards included trophy buckles for all-around winners. Reserve all-around winners received equine protective boots and bell boots. Shipping boots were presented to third overall winners. Fourth overall contestants received rope organizers, and fifth overall winners received picture frames.

The Mandan Horse and Saddle Club will hold an additional family rodeo with cash prizes and awards to the top five overall in each age division on Aug. 7 and Aug. 14. At its annual Wild West Family Rodeo on Sept. 19, saddles will be awarded to all-around winners in each age division and trophy buckles will be awarded in each event. Additionally, the club will host double-header N.D. High School Rodeo sanctioned competitions on Aug. 28 to 29.

For more information, visit the website mandanhorseandsaddle.com or call 663-2729.

Junior overall winners (l-r) Calby Hanson, Dee'Laney Sheets, Madison Huber McKenzie Wiest. Not pictured: Colton Roshau.

Beginner overall winners (l-r) all-around, Clayton Backhaus, Caydon Roshau, Kelly Knoll, Mandan; Kimbery Bauer, Brooke Peterson.

The event was held at the Brown County Expo Building in Aberdeen, S.D., on June 5. In the 4-H livestock judging contest, 54 members competed in the contest.

Decorate Your Duds and Buy and Show participants (front, l-r) Travis Olson, Kourtney Schaff, (back, l-r) Allison Smith, Ellie Bierman, Brandon Olson, Brianna Olson, Kaylin Tomac. Submitted photos

On June 12, Burleigh and Morton Counties held the annual 4-H Clothing Revue and Project expo at Kirkwood Mall in Bismarck.

Project Expo provides youth with an experience in planning, preparing and displaying an article or an educational exhibit. It is an opportunity for self-expression both verbally and visually.

Clothing Revue included entries for Buy and Show, Decorate Your Duds and Sew and Show. Buy and Show participants purchase or recycle a major item of clothing which relates to a wardrobe plan. Decorate Your Duds participants create embellishments for a garment or accessory. Sew and Show participants select a pattern and construct the item using sewing skills.

The following Morton County 4-Hers received Awards of Excellence and will be representing Morton County at the North Dakota State Fair.

Preteen Project Expo – Award of excellence: Brandon Hoines, Dalton Sougstad, Kelsie Schaff. Preteen Sew & Show – Award of excellence: Madelyn Klee. Preteen Buy & Show – Award of excellence: Kaylin Tomac. Teen Buy & Show – Award of excellence: Kirsten Presler, Tyrza Hoines. Preteen Decorate Your Duds – Award of excellence: Brianna Olson, Allison Smith.

Project Expo Participants (l-r) Kelsie Schaff, Dalton Sougstad, Brandon Hoines.

2010 Ag Mechanics Repair and Maintenance Placement Proficiency Winners (l-r) Michael Bahm Devan Hafner. Not pictured are Jesse Steen, Justin McElwain, Brandon Wangler, Nate Streed and Dylan Titus. Submitted photo

By Noah Hall

Michael Bahm, of Mandan, was recently announced the winner of the Ag Mechanics Repair and Maintenance Placement Proficiency award at the N.D. State FFA Convention on the campus of NDSU in Fargo. Bahm’s proficiency involved working at Twin City Implement in Mandan in 2009. His experience included working with service technicians, parts and sales.

Bahm began his proficiency with basic help duties such as cleaning up around the shop and eventually moved on to assembly and repair of equipment. By the end of the proficiency, he had moved on to fabrication/customization of metal parts and working with service technicians on service calls.

Bahm has been an FFA member since 2006. He has been active in the Mandan FFA Chapter with the roles of chapter president, vice-president, and assistant reporter at different points in his FFA career; he also organized and established the Mandan FFA Toy Show. Bahm has played an active chapter role in several other areas including numerous leadership conferences and livestock and dairy cattle judging.

Bahm was exposed to working with tools at a young age and still has an interest in pursuing that field. He hopes to use that experience in working towards a two-year degree with the goal of a career in agricultural equipment sales.

(front, l-r) Ellie Bierman, Kaylin Tomac, (back, l-r) Brandon Hoines, Tyrza Hoines, Carter Tomac. Submitted photos

On June 1, 4-Hers participated in the Unit 9 Communication Arts contest at Christ the King School. Unit 9 includes Mercer, McLean, Morton, Oliver and Grant Counties. These 4-Hers presented in their chosen categories before two judges and an audience.

Here are the first place recipients:

Preteen

Demonstration – Sierra Ellingson, Morton County; Illustrated Talk – Michael Schmidt, Oliver County; Public Speaking – Kelsie Schaff, Morton County; Dramatic Presentation – William Liffrig, Oliver County; Interpretive Reading Humorous – Brandon Hoines; Short Take – Stetson Ellingson.

Teen

Public Speaking Teen – Kristen Liffrig, Oliver County; Dramatic Presentation Teen – Mariah Higgins, Morton County; Interpretive Reading Humorous Teen – Carter Tomac, Morton County; Short Take Teen – Dominick Goettle, Morton County; Commercial Team Teen – Mariah Higgins and Codi Simonson, Morton County; Broadcast Team Teen – Callen Clarys and Renae Tokach, Morton County.

The Communication Arts program is open to any youth involved in Extension youth programs. It includes two age divisions: the preteen division (youth 8 to 12 years-old before Sept. 1) and the teen division (youth ages 13 to 18 before Sept. 1), the start of the current 4-H year.

The program helps participants develop communication skills that are useful throughout a lifetime and provide an opportunity to gather and organize information, equipment and props for public presentation.

(l-r) Mariah Higgins, Codi Simonson, Renae Tokach, Callen Clarys.

Preteens (back, l-r) Jaycob Taghon, Tyrza Hoines, Theresa Wanner, Kirsten Presler, Rachel Goettle, (front, l-r) Mikayla Schirado, Madelyn Klee. Submitted photos

On June 3 the Morton County 4-H Consumer Choices contest was held in Bismarck. Consumer Choices teaches 4-H members how to make decisions based on information they have learned and on facts collected. It help members learn to defend their decisions. High individuals were awarded gift certfiicates to Barnes and Nobel sponsored by the Morton County Homemakers Clubs.

The following 4-Hers competed: Seniors ages 13-18 – Dominick Goettle, Mariah Higgins. High Scoring 4-Her was Dominick Goettle. Juniors ages 10-12 – Rachel Goettle, Tyrza Hoines, Madelyn Klee, Kirsten Presler, Mikayla Schirado, Jaycob Taghon, Theresa Wanner.  High Scoring 4-Her was Kirsten Presler. Beginners ages 8-9 – Brittany Barnhardt, Kathryn Goettle, Brandon Hoines, Brandon Olson, Brianna Olson, Savannah Samuels, Allison Smith, Mary Westberg. High Scoring 4-Her was Brandon Hoines. Cloverbuds ages 6-7 – Grace Klee, Kylee Samuels, Theresa Westberg.

Dominick and Mariah make up the Morton County Senior team. Rachel, Tyrza, Kirsten, Mikayla and Theresa will make up the Morton County Junior team. The state contest will be held in Minot at the State Fair in July.

Beginners and Cloverbuds (back, l-r) Theresa Westberg, Brandon Olson, Brandon Hoines, Kathryn Goettle, Kylee Samuels, (front, l-r) Mary Westberg, Allison Smith, Brianna Olson, Grace Klee.

Teens (l-r) Mariah Higgins, Dominick Goettle.

Tate Schwagler, a junior from Mandan, competes in bareback riding. Submitted photo

New Salem will be host to the North Dakota High School Rodeo on Sunday, June 6. The rodeo performance will start at 10 a.m. at the Fair Grounds in New Salem, with a church service at 8:15 a.m.

More than 200 cowboys and cowgirls will compete in 12 different rodeo events, including bareback riding, tie down roping, barrel racing, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, pole bending, breakaway roping, team roping, goat tying, bullriding, and boys’ and girls’ cow cutting.

The contestants vie for awards and points in each event. Contestants that capture first place in their event will be awarded a trophy buckle. Second place winners will receive duffle bags with leather imprinting, and third place winners will be given travel bags with leather imprinting. In addition, buckles will be awarded to the All-Around Cowboy and Cowgirl. Contestants in each event that place first through tenth are awarded points that will carry into the state finals.

The top 24 contestants in each event with the most points earned in the regular season then advance to the North Dakota High School Rodeo Finals which will be held in Bowman June 17 to 20.

The New Salem High School Rodeo is considered the “last chance rodeo.” It’s the final chance for contestants to earn points in order to compete at the state finals. The top four state finishers in each event go on to compete at the National High School Finals Rodeo in Gillette, Wyo. July 18 to 24.

State High School Rodeo standings can be found online at ndhsra.org.

Contestants in both divisions need to be available July 1 to 4 for participation in pageant competition and professional rodeo activities. Contestants are judged on horsemanship, a speech and personal interview, appearance and modeling.

Among the many prizes are trophy saddles sponsored by Hoffman’s Tack and Express Yourself Salon and Spa.

Miss Rodeo Mandan contestants must be residents of the state and between the ages of 17 to 23 as of Dec. 31, to assure eligibility for the Miss Rodeo North Dakota Pageant in 2011. Princess contestants must be between the ages of 8 and 12 as of July 1 and be from Mandan or within an approximate 125-mile radius.

Complete rules and entry forms are downloadable at mandanrodeo.com or by contacting Keely Spilde of the Mandan Rodeo Pageant Committee at 527-5118 or keelys99@yahoo.com.

A pageant luncheon will be held Friday, July 2, at 12 p.m. noon at the Seven Seas Inn. Queen and princess contestants will present speeches, model their own western clothing and answer impromptu questions. The cost is $13 through June 26 or $15 at the door. Register by contacting Spilde.

The horsemanship competition, which is free and open to the public, will be held Saturday, July 3, at 10 a.m. at the rodeo arena.

New royalty will be crowned preceding the July 4 rodeo performance by 2010 Miss Rodeo Mandan Brittany Schock, of Mandan and Miss Rodeo Mandan Princess Libby Bateman, of New Salem. Mandan Rodeo Days is celebrating its 131st anniversary in 2010.

There are a total of 13 rodeos; six in the fall and seven this spring. They will compete in Dickinson May 24, Bismarck June 5 and New Salem June 6. The top 10 in each rodeo receive points through the season, with the top 25 competing at the North Dakota State Finals in Bowman June 17 to 20.

Here are Mandan’s results of the North Dakota High School Rodeo in West Fargo:

April 24

Bareback – 2. Casey Breuer, 73; 3. Tate Schwagler, 65. Barrel racing – Teddi Schwagler, 15.083; 20. Abby Knoll, 15.419; 25. Brandi Davidson, 15.529. Bull riding – 1. Jeremy Kramer, 77. Goat tying – 15. Brookelle Christman, 11.08; 20. Madison Huber, 11.630. Pole bending – 10. Abby Knoll, 22.374; 11. Brandi Davidson, 22.460. Saddle bronc – 1. Wyatt Gifford, 44. Steer wrestling – 2. Tate Schwagler, 5.33. Team roping – 5. Tate Schwagler and Brandon Thomas, 26.0; 6. Casey Breuer and Brooke Lillis, 29.480. Tie down roping – 6. Tate Schwagler, 18.65. All Around Cowboy: Tate Schwagler.

April 25

Bareback – 1. Casey Breuer, 71; 2. Tate Schwagler, Mandan, 63. Barrel racing – 11. Madison Huber, 15.034; 13. Brookelle Christman, 15.053. Breakaway roping – 10. Brooke Lillis, 4.78; 11. Brandi Davidson, 5.29. Bull riding – 2. Cody Breuer, 64. Girl’s cow cutting – 10. Teddi Schwagler, 65. Goat tying – 7. Brookelle Christman, 9.32;11. Dani Taylor, 10.13; 14. Madison Huber, 10.630; 19. Teddi Schwagler, 10.96. Pole bending – 3. Brandi Davidson, Mandan, 21.809; 10. Abby Knoll, Mandan, 22.275; 20. Brookelle Christman 23.228. Team roping – 5. Teddi Schwagler, 15.7. Tie down roping – 6. Tate Schwagler, 16.17.