by Lee Venegas: Marietta FFA Chapter Treasurer
On February 29, the Love County Junior Ag Mechanics Show was held. The contest is designed to show off the hard work and skill students have acquired through building projects in the shop.
This event has been part of the Love County Junior Livestock Show since 2020, and Superintendent Randy Glascock helps to ensure the contest gets better every year. Through generous sponsors, show winners are awarded more than $18,000 in prizes.
This year the show consisted of 6 divisions: trailers, outdoor and wildlife, shop and machinery, livestock, decorative, and the newest division, the junior division.
The Junior Division was added to give 9 year olds through high school freshman an opportunity to acquire skills and showcase what they learned through fabrication.
The rules for their division were to fabricate a project that fits in a two-foot cube. The project also had to include a minimum of one horseshoe. This division allowed students to showcase their creativity as they learned to weld.
Top placings in the show were Brody Bazor, grand champion winner; Jackson Voyles, reserve grand champion; Leo Venegas, third overall; Axel Pierce, fourth overall; Camilla Ochoa, fifth overall; Brody Bazor, senior showmanship grand champion; and Axel Pierce, senior showmanship reserve grand champion.