Contest History
The National Land & Range Judging Contest
A Proud History - A Bright Future
Yesterday
The year was 1942 and three Oklahoma
conservationists were attempting to develop an effective and
exciting means of educating youth about soil. They had no idea
that years later they would be credited with creating the procedures
for what would become the National Land and Range Judging Contest.
Soil experts Edd Roberts, Extension soil conservationist in
Stillwater; Sam Lowe, district conservationist at Pauls Valley; and
Harley Daniels, station superintendent at the Red Plains Experiment
Station near Guthrie, determined which soil properties and
conditions could be judged, and developed score cards similar to
those used to judge livestock.
The first state contest was held in Oklahoma in
1943. Nine years later teams from other states were invited to
the first national contest in Oklahoma City.
An Oklahoma team won the contest in 1953; but
another team, convinced that it would have won if the contest were
held in its state, challenged the winner. Oklahoma accepted
the challenge and did well enough out-of-state that everyone agreed
the procedures used to judge in Oklahoma could be applied anywhere.
Today
The procedures developed by Robert, Lowe and
Daniels have been applied to range judging and homesite evaluation.
Contestants are given the opportunity to attend training sessions
the two days prior to the contest to familiarize themselves with
Oklahoma soil and range conditions.
Approximately 950 teens and adults from 38 states
currently participate in the contest. All states are invited
to send as many as five 4-H teams and five FFA teams to compete.
Teams from as far away as Hawaii have won awards at the contest.
Contest volunteers show their pride in the
homegrown event by serving throughout the year on one of 23
committees, ensuring the contest continues to be both educational
and fun.
In May 2006 the National Land and Range Judging
Contest celebrates its 55th anniversary. As long as food and
fiber come from the soil, and our homes and other structures are
built on earth, and the quality of our lives can be improved through
a better understanding of our land, soil and natural resources, this
event will continue to grow and thrive.
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