BLINN CELEBRATES 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF AG MECHANICS SHOW

  

The Blinn College District Agricultural Sciences Program marked a major milestone with the 25th anniversary of its annual Ag Mechanics Show, welcoming nearly 300 entries and introducing a new award recognizing student excellence in showmanship.

Held for the first time at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Brenham due to inclement weather, the anniversary event drew participants from across Texas and celebrated the program’s longstanding impact on agricultural education and hands-on learning.

Emily Felty, a senior at the Ag Science and Technology Academy near San Antonio, earned the grand champion award for her custom-built hay hauler, which she constructed for a local rancher. Felty, who spent over 220 hours on the project, also placed second in the cutting contest. The cutting contest was won by Colt Steele of Blooming Grove FFA, with Chandler White of Rudder FFA placing third.

The reserve grand champion title went to Luke Brown of Washington County 4-H for his restored 1960 Ford 861 Power Master tractor—a labor of love that took 18 months and over 1,000 hours to complete. Brown also earned first place in the welding contest. Second place in welding went to Braden Perkins of West Hardin FFA, and third to Landon Flisowski of Brenham FFA.

In celebration of the 25th anniversary, organizers introduced the Johnnie Schroeder Showmanship Award, named after longtime show co-founder and retired Blinn Agricultural Sciences instructor Johnnie Schroeder, who taught at Blinn for 46 years and continues to support the show as a volunteer. The inaugural award was presented to Breanna Muller of Harris County 4-H.

“They’re our future,” Schroeder told the crowd at the awards ceremony. “The majority of people don’t know what you do. They could not do what you do. What you’ve done here is unbelievable.”

Complete class and division winners are listed below.

Blinn’s Agricultural Sciences Program is approximately four times the size of any other two-year agricultural program in the state and is based at the W.J. “Bill” Rankin Agricultural Complex on the Blinn-Brenham Campus. To learn more, visit www.blinn.edu/agricultural-sciences.

Class winners were:

● Class 1 – First, Flatonia FFA; second, Tidehaven FFA; third, Crowley FFA.

● Class 2 – First, Navasota FFA.

● Class 3 – First, Rudder FFA; second, Needville FFA; third, Ganado FFA.

● Class 4 – First, Bremond FFA; second, Wall FFA; third, Hallettsville FFA.

● Class 5 – First, Holland FFA; second, Austin County 4-H; third, Diboll FFA.

● Class 6 – First, Van Vleck FFA; second, Fairfield FFA; third, Prairie Hill 4-H.

● Class 7 – First, Early FFA; second, Sealy FFA; third, Sealy FFA.

● Class 8 – First, Snook FFA.

● Class 9 – First, Littlefield FFA; second, Navasota FFA; third, Sherman FFA.

● Class 10 – First, New Summerfield FFA; second, Magnolia FFA.

● Class 11 – First, Agriculture Science & Technology Academy FFA; second, Georgetown FFA; third, Normangee FFA.

● Class 12 – First, Diboll FFA; second, Blooming Grove FFA; third, West Hardin FFA.

● Class 13 – First, West Hardin FFA; second, West Hardin FFA; third, Anahuac FFA.

● Class 14 – First, Buffalo FFA; second, Cooper FFA; third, A&M Consolidated FFA.

● Class 15 – First, Agriculture Science & Technology Academy FFA; second, Navasota FFA; third, Snook FFA.

● Class 16 – First, Kaufman FFA; second, Bryan FFA; third, Zapata FFA.

● Class 17 – First, Henderson FFA; second, San Isidro FFA; third, Wimberly FFA.

● Class 18 – First, New Summerfield FFA; second, Aquila FFA.

● Class 19 – First, Harris County 4-H; second, Early FFA; third, Jarrell FFA.

● Class 20 – First, New Summerfield FFA; second, Lometa FFA; third, Burton FFA.

● Class 21 – First, Goliad FFA; second, Rudder FFA; third, Van Vleck FFA.

● Class 22 – First, Tomball FFA; second, Cooper FFA; third, Franklin FFA.

● Class 26 – First, Washington County 4-H; second, Cuero FFA; third, Harris County 4-H.

● Class 27 – First, Wall FFA; second, Dripping Springs FFA.

Division winners were:

Division 1

First, Holland FFA, shop table; second, Flatonia FFA, single bale hay hauler.

Division 2

Early FFA; second, College Station FFA, cemetery gate; second, Littlefield, aluminum pig popper box.

Division 3

First, Diboll FFA, bumper-pull utility trailer; second, Blooming Grove FFA, welding trailer.

Division 4

First, Ag Science & Technology FFA, hay trailer; second, West Hardin FFA, deckover trailer.

Division 5

First, Tomball FFA, aluminum deer stand; second, Henderson FFA, trailer smoker.

Division 6

First, Washington County 4-H, 1960 Ford 861 tractor; second, Cuero FFA, 1960 John Deere 830.

Winner of the welding contest was Luke Brown, Washington County 4-H. Second was Braden Perkins, West Hardin FFA; and third was Landon Flisowski, Brenham FFA.

The cutting contest winner was Colt Steele, Blooming Grove FFA. Second was Emily Felty, Ag Science & Technology Academy. Third was Chandler White, Rudder FFA.

Blinn’s Agricultural Sciences Program is approximately four times the size of any other two-year agricultural program in the state and is based at the W.J. “Bill” Rankin Agricultural Complex on the Blinn-Brenham Campus. For more information, visit www.blinn.edu/agricultural-sciences.

(Story courtesy Blinn Information)