A Berks County youth was among the top finishers at the 2025 Pennsylvania 4-H Animal Judging Day, held recently on Penn State’s University Park campus.
Phoebe Stutzman of Berks County helped lead a multicounty team to first place in the senior livestock judging category. Stutzman competed alongside Mesa Brown of Schuylkill County and Clayton Heisey and Brody Youtz of Lebanon County. Youtz also earned top honors as the high-scoring individual in the senior livestock division.
The annual event brought together 260 participants, ages 10 to 18, from across the state. Youth demonstrated their skills in evaluating animals in several categories, including dairy, horse, and livestock judging, which covered swine, sheep, and beef cattle.
“Judging contests are an important part of our overall focus in the 4-H program on life-skill development,” said Kirsten Dubbs, Penn State Extension 4-H animal science program specialist. “Youths are learning how to learn — developing focus and concentration, decision-making skills, the ability to think under pressure, and how to collaborate with teammates.”
Participants were challenged to rank animals based on quality and provide oral reasons for their placements, a process that helps sharpen critical thinking and public speaking under pressure.
Administered by Penn State Extension, Pennsylvania’s 4-H program is part of a nationwide youth development effort supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For more information or to get involved locally, visit extension.psu.edu/programs/4-h/counties.
