Lindsay — LINDSAY — Students from Lindsay Independent School District’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) program excelled during recent participation in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo — including the Rodeo Calf Scramble — with results announced Tuesday.

The students were involved with various rodeo activities during the past two weeks at Houston’s Reliant Stadium under the guidance of agriculture teacher Cody Spies.

Lindsay ISD Superintendent Secretary Kelly Huston released the local FFA results:

Market lambs

Claire Williams — 19th place (didn’t qualify for premium sale)

Campbell Williams —17th place; qualified for premium sale of $1,000.

Noted participants who didn’t place high enough to qualify for sale: Doug Case, Karlye Case, Travis Whitcraft, Nick Springs and Evan Anderle.

Market goat

Caleb Anderle (did not place high enough to qualify for sale)

Commercial steers (Pen of 3)

Alex Harrell — “Best Record Book.” Sold the pen of steers for $6,740.

Breeding beef heifers

Alex Harrell — “Reserve Division Champion.” (Maine Anjou Breed)

Market steer

Evan Anderle — fourth place polled Hereford steer; qualified for sale and sold for $2,750

Market pigs

Clayton Gunderson – 8th place Hampshire – qualified for sale and sold for $800 (picture in attachment)

Noted participants who didn’t place high enough to qualify for sale were Stetson Duke, Jack Butcher, Kyleigh Duke, Nathan Huston, Matthew Huston, Dalton Metzler, Colton Rains and Garrett Martin.

Huston also reported that Matthew Huston and Dalton Metzler from Lindsay FFA competed at the Rodeo Calf Scramble performance on March 14, and both caught a calf. Alex Harrell also competed in the calf scramble held on March 8, but did not catch a calf.

More about the Rodeo Calf Scramble

Since the addition of the event in 1942, the Rodeo Calf Scramble has been one of the more popular events during the actual rodeo. The nightly event features 14 calves and 28 students who must try to capture one of the calves, put a halter on it and bring it back into the “winners square” in order to claim the win. One of the rules is that as long as a contestant is actually in the act of holding the calf (such as holding it by the tail) to get the halter on, no other participant may interfere unless the calf wriggles itself free.

Each of the students who catch a calf is awarded a $1,250 certificate to purchase a registered beef heifer or market steer. Raising and showing this animal becomes a yearlong project as the scrambler sees to the grooming, feeding and care of the animal. The students are required to submit monthly reports to their donor sponsor and to maintain a detailed record book that is submitted to the livestock show at the end of the year. Exhibitors are also required to submit two essays, one explaining why they chose the breed of animal they purchased with their certificate and another essay describing their year experience in the calf scramble program. The exhibitor returns to the Houston Livestock Show the following year for a special competition. Rodeo Calf Scramble exhibitors receive a $250 bonus when they return to compete with their heifer or steer, totaling their certificate to $1,500.

The money for the certificates awarded to the scramblers comes from donors. They are present at the performances and then meet the student that they will be sponsoring and corresponding with over the course of the next year.