American Royal
National 4-H Meat Judging Contest
Registration Deadline: September 1, 2026
The 2026 National 4-H Meat Evaluation & Identification Contest will be held on October 20, 2026 as part of the American Royal Livestock Show. The contest will be hosted by University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska. The awards breakfast for contestants will be held on Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at 7:30am in the Nebraska Union- City Campus Union (Centennial Room).
Eligibility
This contest is open to a team of four (4) 4-H members from a state to be selected by the State 4-H Leader. The three (3) high scoring members of a team shall constitute the official team for the contest, the fourth ranking automatically being the alternate. The four (4) members, including alternate, shall not be eligible to participate in future National 4-H Meat Identification and Judging Contests.
All members, including alternates, shall meet the eligibility requirements found in the “Policies and Guidelines for National 4-H Competitive Events”. Specifically, contestants:
- Must be 14-18 years of as of January 1 in the year they compete.
- Must be a 4-H member during the year they compete.
- Must not have participated in official post-secondary (university, college, junior college, or technical school) competitive events of similar nature in the same subject matter area, nor be a member of a post-secondary team undergoing training in preparation for such event.
Contestants shall not have competed in an intercollegiate meat contest or a National 4-H Meat contest previously.
Each participating state shall certify its own contestants and adjudge their eligibility accordance with these rules and regulations.
A registration fee of $500.00 per team will be charged to offset a part of contest costs.
No contestant will be eligible to compete in any judging contest at the American Royal if they have any sanctions or disciplinary action taken against them by the North American Livestock Show & Rodeo Managers Association, The International Association of Fairs and Expositions, 4-H, FFA, and/or breed association(s).
Contest Details
General Information
- Contest Chair: Tom Carr
- Contest Committee: Travis O'Quinn, Bo Garcia, and Mark Miller
- Location: Animal Science Complex, 3940 Fair St., Lincoln, NE 68583
- 6:45-7:15am - Contestant check-in - Animal Science Complex
- 8:00am - Contest Begins
- To follow the contest- Review of Contest/Official Placings
Divisions
The contest shall be divided into two divisions – meat identification and meat judging. There will be three (3) sets of oral reasons.
Identification
A total of 30 retail meat cuts (beef, pork, and lamb; fresh processed or variety) shall be identified as to:
- Species
- Primal cut
- Retail cut
- Type of cut
- Cookery
A maximum individual score of 300 is possible on identification. There shall be a 24-minute time limit for the identification. There shall be a 24-minute time limit for the identification division.
Judging
Contestants shall place the following judging classes:
- Two retail classes
- Two beef classes
- Carcasses and/or wholesale cuts
- Two pork classes
- Carcasses and/or wholesale cuts
Twelve minutes to be allowed to place each class of four (4) items. A maximum of 450 points possible. Class selection will be conducted by the committee and will be dependent on the product quality and availability to ensure a high quality educational and competitive experience.
Reasons
There will be three (3) reasons classes selected from beef, pork, and retail classes. Each contestant will give three (3) sets of oral reasons. The reasons classes will be chosen by the judges and announced to the contestants at the start of the contest. The contestant may not use notes while giving reasons, but will be provided reason cards to take notes during the contest to study before being called upon to recite. A set of reasons should be given to the judges in the order the contestant placed the class. Included in the reasons should be both criticism and grants for placing each class.
Selection and securing of contest facilities, product and contest personnel shall be by the contest superintendent.
Awards Presentation
The awards breakfast for contestants will be held on Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at 7:30am in the City Campus Union (Centennial Room). Event parking and additional information coming soon!
Sponsors & Other Information
- Virtual Meat Judging Opportunities - AMSA will be hosting 3 virtual meat judging contests for interested 4-H and FFA students
- 4-H Meat Judging Supporters
The National 4-H Meat Judging program is made possible through the support of several donors. - Scholarship Awards
- Previous Contest Results
- National 4-H Guidelines for Competitive Events
Rules and Scorecard Information
Meat Identification and Judging Contest Rules
Meat Judging & Retail Cut Resources
- 2010 RMC Meat Judging Clinic, Bone Maturities and Quality Grading
- Review the Retail Identification cuts from the 2004 National Contest.
- Visit Texas A&M University's web page for pictures of retail cuts used in the National 4-H Contest.
- Visit the University of Kentucky's web page for their meat id web site.
- University of Nebraska 4-H/FFA resource page
- University of Florida: http://www.animal.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/meat/youth/judging-classes.shtml.
Other Meat Judging Resources
Meat Judging Materials, including cards and the Meat Evaluation Handbook, that are available from the AMSA.
iCEV 4H Meat Judging Resources
CEV Multimedia has been developing multimedia classroom curriculum for over 30 years. Their resources include interactive videos and practice classes. They have offered a reduced subscription fee for 4H groups. For more info see the flier in the link above.