4-H Meats Team takes first in nation


The 4-H meats judging team placed first at the Western National Roundup competition in Denver for the first time since 1996. The team beat 10 other teams from across the United States during the first weekend in January.
The team was coached by Phil Berg and its members were Sam Bobendrier, junior; Reid Homann, junior; Issac Berg, sophomore; and Colton Raatz, sophomore.

Pictured (l-to-r): Coach Philip Berg, Colton Raatz, Reid Homan, Sam Bobendrier and Issac Berg pose for a photo after winning first place at the Western National Roundup contest in Denver, Colorado.

The same team placed fourth at the National FFA Convention in October 2017.
All four members placed in the top 10 for individual competition with Bobendrier placing second, Raatz placing third, Homann placing seventh and Berg placing 10th.
“We were hoping we would do well,” Bobendrier said. “We weren’t necessarily expecting it, but we had it in mind the whole time.”
“It’s pretty exciting knowing we can have four people in the top 10 for a national contest,” Issac Berg said.
“The kid that won actually tied with me, but he beat me with the tie breaker by three points,” Bobendrier said.
Issac Berg was surprised because he didn’t think he was going to make the top 10.
“I felt so proud of myself,” Issac Berg said. “It was my best contest.”
The group has been practicing a couple of times a week, including at several college campuses like South Dakota State University, North Dakota State University, Iowa State, Kansas State and others. They practice at colleges because they provide meat products the team can evaluate, while also being exposed to researchers, agricultural programs and career opportunities.
Philip Berg has been coaching the meats team since 1996 and his father coached the team for about 30 years prior to that. His goal as coach, he said, was to make it very educational for the team members. Berg focuses on developing speaking skills for the contest, while also teaching them about food safety, and how to place meats, make retail and muscle identifications and convey why they made their decisions.
“That’s a good life skill to be able to communicate their thoughts to somebody in a rational format to justify what they did,” Philip Berg said.
Berg said consistency and a good day helped the boys all place in the top 10.
“This group really got along well,” he said. “They pushed each other and helped each other be successful.”
Berg finds the national competitions help the students meet people from all over the United States and build relationships with them. It also shows participants all of the potential opportunities there are.
Both Philip Berg and the boys expressed thanks for financial support from the Pipestone agriculture chamber and the support from the parents and community.
“I’m very proud of the boys,” he said.
The team plans to compete one more time in meat judging at the American Royal in Manhattan, Kans. in the fall. They will take a break from practicing until this summer.
Issac Berg, Bobendrier and Raatz will be competing together again this spring on the livestock judging team.