The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo™ Junior Market Lamb and Goat Champion Selection

The Junior Market Lamb and Goat Champions of The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo were chosen Thursday, March 7, at the NRG Center with Shepard Silvers as Lamb of Show Grand Champion and Blaze Mock as Market Goat Grand Champion.

2024 Junior Market Lamb and Goat Winners:

• Lamb of Show
  o Grand – Shepard Silvers, Junction FFA
  o Reserve – Stratley Strube, Tom Green County 4-H

• Market Goat
  o Grand – Blaze Mock, Erath County 4-H
  o Reserve – Madden Wise, Brown County 4-H

On Thursday evening, Judges Dr. Jeff Ripley and Brandon Callis gave insight into what they were looking for in an overall champion. Dr. Ripley has judged livestock for 30 years and has experience showing lambs and pigs. The Texas A&M professor said he was looking for lambs that were structured properly from a skeletal standpoint.

A piece of advice Ripley gave to those who are interested in showing market lambs was, “Kids who want to show, set goals that are realistic. Be a student and learn every year, and then you’ll have success.”

For those who plan to be a livestock judge, “Judges need to get out and spend time with livestock, spend time with people and with people who know and can teach you as your learning,” Riley said. “[You] gotta make those connections with people who will help and train you.”

Callis from Minco, OK, has been judging goats for 20 years. The former HLSR Grand Champion said he was glad to come back and judge this year.

“Honestly, letting the kids down that don’t make the sale. That’s the hardest part,” Callis said when discussing what was the most difficult when judging from such a large stock. “Watching them go out with their heads down. They’ve worked hard as well, but that’s definitely the hardest part.”

Since judging shows in 2004, Callis said he looks for goats with great muscle, width, and great movement. He added that small details in the goat’s structure set them all apart from each other, especially with classes that are 20 to 30 exhibitors deep. However, one goat checked all of Callis’ boxes to take it all, and that lucky winner was Blaze Mock.

Mock was “speechless” after his win and shared his gratitude for his support system after his intense competition. “My family has helped me get the goat ready every step of the way.”

Mock has been showing at jackpots and all the majors for the past five years. These experiences allowed him to prepare for showing his goat, Apollo Creed, at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

The champions will head to the NRG Arena at 11 a.m. on Friday, March 8, to be auctioned off.