Michigan State University - Livestock Judging Team

09/03/2026

Make sure to get pre-registered if you’re planning on joining us this Monday for the contest!

Summer is coming to a close and we are quickly approaching the 2026 Michigan State Fair Livestock Judging Contest!

Join us Monday, September 7th in Novi, MI for a free contest opportunity where there will be 5 classes including cattle, sheep, and hogs! Pre-register today or register the morning of!

https://forms.gle/ChLRaupN8uEc5ikG7

Contact coach Kestlyn Willert at [email protected] with questions!

08/10/2026

Summer is coming to a close and we are quickly approaching the 2026 Michigan State Fair Livestock Judging Contest!

Join us Monday, September 7th in Novi, MI for a free contest opportunity where there will be 5 classes including cattle, sheep, and hogs! Pre-register today or register the morning of!

https://forms.gle/ChLRaupN8uEc5ikG7

Contact coach Kestlyn Willert at [email protected] with questions!

07/20/2026

Exciting contest opportunity in mid-Michigan with outstanding prizes! Open to youth through collegiate ages featuring quality livestock.

Reach out to Beth Clark with any questions!

07/01/2026

State contest is underway! Great livestock and record breaking contestant numbers!

Thank you to the following for providing classes:

Seldom Rest Angus
McKay Farms
Hubbard Club Lambs
Birchmeier Show Pigs
Kruger Cattle Company
Scales Farms
Hunt Livestock
MSU Swine Farm

Go Green 🍀

06/19/2026

This week the Michigan State Livestock Judging Team hosted the 2026 Michigan youth livestock judging camp!

Campers from all across Michigan joined us on campus for 2 days packed with learning, livestock, and fun. We are especially grateful to the following for providing livestock classes.

County Line Show Swine
Buckham Farms
Open Gate Farm
Scovill Brother’s Livestock
Michigan State University Beef Center
Seidel Farm
G & G Cattle Company
Haylett Show Goats
Birchmeier Show Pigs

Throughout the days, head coach Kestlyn Willert, judging team members, and coaches worked one-on-one with campers to dive deep into selection and reasons.

A special thank you to Michigan 4-H for their partnership. Go Green!

06/15/2026

Join the MSU Meat and Livestock Judging programs on Thursday, July 9, for our 2026 Alumni Social!

Reconnect with fellow alumni, supporters, and friends as we celebrate the rich tradition of Spartan judging programs and look ahead to an exciting new chapter. During the event, we’ll unveil a major initiative that will help support the future of meat and livestock judging at MSU—you won’t want to miss it!

Unable to attend in person? Tune in virtually at 5:45 p.m. EDT for the special announcement. The livestream link will be shared closer to the event.

🕰️ Thursday, July 9 | 5:00–7:00 p.m. EDT
📍 Classroom A, Farm Bureau Pavilion
🔗 RSVP by June 29: https://msu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0kcdyDst258MWyy

We look forward to seeing you there!

06/08/2026

We wanted to take a moment to recognize and thank our sponsors for the 2026 Spartan Livestock Open! We could not have hosted such an awesome event without their continued support.

The success of the livestock and meat judging programs rely heavily on supporters such as these as students gain more opportunities to represent Michigan State at the highest level. Thank you to all!

06/04/2026

2025 team member Joscelyn Layman was featured in an article through Michigan State’s College of Agriculture! Check it out!

MSU junior Joscelyn Layman was selected as one of 31 participants across the country for Top Judge, one of the livestock industry’s most prestigious collegiate judging development programs. She joined an elite cohort recognized for skill, professionalism and promise as future livestock leaders. Read more: http://spr.ly/6188B8URNy

06/02/2026

That's a wrap on the 2026 Spartan Livestock Open! THANK YOU to all who came out and celebrated 35 years of the golf outing tradition at Michigan State.

We had fun, reminisced, and looked toward the future of judging programs at Michigan State!

Save the date for next year- August 27, 2027 at the El Dorado Golf Course