Posted: April 26, 2024
Penn State’s Block and Bridle Club captured first place for their Chapter Web Page and first place for Chapter Activities at the 103rd National Block and Bridle Convention, Jefferson City, MO, April 11-14, hosted by the Mizzou Block and Bridle Club.
Penn States Block and Bridle students with awards from national convention: From left: Jamie Batey, Rebecca Kugler, Megan Durandetta, Caleb Antram, Nina Coolidge and Tehya Hall.
The Penn State Club also captured second place for their scrapbook and third place for Chapter Yearbook.
Six students represented Penn State at the convention, joining 250 students from Block and Bridle chapters across the country. They included: Nina Coolidge, Caleb Antram, Megan Durandetta, Rebecca Kugler, Jamie Batey, and Tehya Hall.
Morgan Brumbaugh, beef and sheep assistant manager and a chapter adviser, said, “These recognitions affirm the hard work and dedication of our students and demonstrates their desire for excellence. They are leaders throughout the College and we are appreciative of their efforts.” Other club advisers are Dr. Dan Kniffen, assistant professor of animal science, Chris Grant, Assistant Manager at the Horse Unit, and Dr. Ed Mills, Associate Professor of Meat Science.
Tehya Hall, Butler County, said, “The Block and Bridle National Convention was a very successful and enriching experience. As a club, we all have such love and passion for Block and Bridle and this industry, so it was extremely rewarding to receive an award and recognition for our club activities, scrapbook, and yearbook. Going on these trips is also a great bonding experience and starts a lot of those college friendships and memories you hear about that last a lifetime.”
During the convention, students participated in a variety of industry tours with one group visiting Cattle Vision, Sydenstriker Genetics, Chinn Feed Mill and Missouri University Horse Farm. Another group visited Warm Springs Ranch, the official breeding facility of the Budweiser Clydesdales and Shatto Milk Company, and third group visited Purina Research Farms, Oak Creek Whitetail Ranch and Hermann Wurst Haus.
An important part of the convention was the opportunity to attend multiple educational sessions led by industry professionals and providing time for networking. A wide range of timely topics were presented, including the use of data for animal selection, changes in the dairy industry, global animal disease surveillance, mental health in veterinary medicine, maternal nutrition in beef cattle and feed logistics in North America, among others.
The National Block and Bridle Club is a collegiate organization with 92 chapters across the United States with the purpose of promoting animal agriculture and developing professional and leadership skills in members.
The trip was made possible with partial funding provided by the Office of Undergraduate Education and the College of Agricultural Sciences.
