This summer, seven students from the University of Arizona Meat Judging Team traveled to Australia to compete in the 2026 Australian National Meat Judging Contest. The team found great success finishing in the top 5 across five different categories including a team 2nd in both pork and beef judging.

“The Tucson Rodeo Foundation is thrilled about their team’s success,” says Tucson Rodeo Foundation President Butch Krietemeyer. “We are proud to have played a small role through a donation toward their travel expenses.”

The Tucson Rodeo Foundation’s mission is to invest in future generations while keeping in mind the heritage of Southern Arizona and promoting youth and community development through livestock and equestrian education, innovation, entertainment and competition.

“These students represent our future professionals in the livestock and agriculture industries. They have bright futures ahead of them,” says Krietemeyer.

Hear more about the experience direct from The University of Arizona Meat Judging Team:

This year, the University of Arizona was invited to compete in the 2026 Australian National Meat Judging Contest. Through several rounds of fundraising, the UofA Meat Judging team raised enough funds to attend, and it was well worth the effort. The Australian trip was full of learning, networking, and adventure. From sitting in on lectures about the extensive lamb industry to encountering wild kangaroos just outside the dorm, the seven students—Erin Anderson, Emilee Bluhm, Aislee Drake, Anika Gates, Hailey Harmon, Karlee Larzalere, and Melina Leonard—and coach Megan Richardson were amazed by the experience and are incredibly grateful to everyone who supported the trip. The team did well, placing 2nd in pork and beef judging. Additionally, Aislee Drake placed third in commercial beef and fourth in questions, and Hailey Harmon placed 5th in pork judging. Here are a few words from the students about their personal experiences.

Erin Anderson: During my time in Australia with the University of Arizona Meat Judging Team, I was able to experience an array of agricultural products and practices as well as learn about the Australian meat industry. Each seminar and workshop included in the ICMJ conference taught me something different, from raising lamb, beef, and pork, to the way each meat is prepared. Furthermore, industry tours gave me a sneak peek into the differences in meat processing between Australia and the States. We were also given the opportunity to tour a feedlot and Angus seedstock producers. The feedlot gave me insight into how differently Australian beef is finished compared to the United States because of what grains are available. Touring the seedstock producer’s ranch was an interesting experience, and the technologies they are using are very similar to ones we are currently working on developing further in the United States. Overall, this trip was an experience of a lifetime. I learned so much about the lamb, beef, and pork industry during my time there and made so many amazing connections!

Emilee Bluhm: Going to Australia was the true definition of a trip of a lifetime. Not only were we able to immerse ourselves in the culture, but also in the meat and livestock industries. Starting the trip with the conference, we had the unique opportunity to learn about genetics and how that is the key starting component that affects all the animal industries. Later in the week, we kept in mind the genetic foundation laid for us as we took an industry tour of Rennylea, a family business where their goal is to breed for genetics that improve meat quality. As we continued the conference and the tours, we heard from local Australian butchers who work to add value to retail cuts that most consumers may not have gravitated towards. Additionally, a local professor taught us how meat acts when exposed to oxygen and how that affects what the consumers think about different meat products. Both topics really interested me and got me thinking about how we can improve the ways we market meat to consumers in the Wildcat Country Market.

Aislee Drake: Traveling to Australia with the University of Arizona’s meat judging team was a life-changing and deeply educational experience. It was also incredibly rewarding to see the passion that exists for the meat industry across the globe. Comparing the agricultural industries of America and Australia offered incredible insights into how both nations can learn and grow from their unique practices to benefit global agriculture. In addition to competing, we participated in several industry tours, ranging from lamb processing plants to feedlots. These tours were some of the highlights for me as we got to engage directly with some of Australia’s largest agricultural supporters. Building international connections and gaining firsthand industry knowledge made this a truly wonderful opportunity that I am incredibly grateful to have been a part of. I can’t wait to use these new perspectives for my own work back home!

Anika Gates: The opportunity to travel to Australia to represent the United States in the Australian National Meat Judging Contest was incredible and an experience that opened my eyes to just how big the global meat and livestock industry is. We were able to tour a beef processing plant, a lamb processing plant, a cattle feedlot, and an Angus cattle genetics operation, providing a new understanding of the production chain from genetics to processing. Comparing Australia’s meat and livestock industry to the United States’ systems gave me a new perspective, and I noticed how the different production approaches are tailored to conditions and consumer preferences in each country. Both countries, however, still have common goals of focusing on animal welfare, efficiency, and producing the best high-quality meat. In addition to industry tours, the conference component of the trip also provided valuable insight into the meat and livestock industry. We heard from industry leaders, producers, researchers, and business professionals across the agriculture field. They spoke about current challenges, emerging technologies, and global trade. This expanded my understanding of the processes of meeting production demands and the direction of the industry in the future. Competing with students from universities across Australia, as well as a team from Japan, was a great opportunity alone. One that challenged me to apply my critical thinking, evaluation, and communication skills. I was able to meet many other students with similar interests and learn more about the industry through some of their experiences. Overall, this experience expanded my knowledge of the agriculture sector and the many different paths that I had not ever considered. It deepened my appreciation for the meat and livestock industry and is an opportunity I will cherish for the rest of my life.

Hailey Harmon: Being selected to compete in meat judging in Australia was a once-in-a-lifetime school experience that I will never forget. One of the things I learned from the trip was the differences in cattle production compared to the United States. In Australia, most cattle are grassfed rather than grain-fed because of the large supply of available land and feed and strong customer demand. The United States is the opposite, where most of our cattle are grain-fed because we have more arid lands and not as much rainfall. We also raise most of our cattle in feedlots, whereas in Australia it is rare. Another huge difference between the United States and Australia is the amount of lamb they consume and produce. We were blessed to be able to tour a lamb plant, Gundagai, after our competition and see how some of Australia’s sheep are processed and marketed based on the amount of intramuscular fat. Another amazing thing I was able to learn from this conference was the importance of biosecurity and how careful they must be as an island and in maintaining their herd’s health. It was interesting to hear about techniques they use to prevent this, such as never importing cattle from outside of the country. This was different from the United States, as we are seeing right now that we are being faced with the threat of the New World Screwworm that came across the Mexican border at the beginning of June. This has also impacted their cattle numbers and is quite the opposite compared to the United States. They are in the section of the cattle cycle where they are seeing their cattle numbers grow, and more farmers and ranches are retaining calves for longer periods of time due to available feed and expanding their herd. This is interesting to compare to the United States, as we are at an all-time low when it comes to our herd size, and the price of beef is very high due to rising feed prices and drought in the country. These are just two impactful takeaways I gained from this trip, and will never forget the industry tours we were able to see and the conference connections we made in Australia.

Karlee Larzalere: My trip to Australia with The University of Arizona Meat Judging team was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I learned a great deal about Australian food production, livestock management, and the country’s agricultural industry. Throughout my time, I learned how farmers and ranchers run their operations and compared them to our practices in the United States. I was also able to experience the lively Australian culture. This trip helped me grow professionally by expanding my knowledge of global agriculture and livestock. I am grateful for the experience this opportunity provided and will continue to carry the knowledge I gained into my career.

Melina Leonard: The University of Arizona Meat Judging Team’s trip to Australia was a unique and amazing experience that will remain one of my fondest memories for the rest of my lifetime. I was amazed by the amount of support we received, even from complete strangers, so we could go on this trip and represent the University of Arizona in another country. One of the most difficult adjustments I had to make to the Australian meat judging system was learning saleable items and retail cut identification. We are not required to judge these in meat judging contests for our division, so it was tough to memorize all of the different cuts. For me, the most fun part of contest day was probably the beef carcass (or as they spell it in Australia, carcase) pricing and the questions classes, since questions took place directly after the placings. The most unexpected part of the contest was the class of goat carcasses, which shocked even the other Australian students. Outside of the contest, I was fascinated by the guest speakers’ presentations at the conference, my favorites being Linton Black’s from Black Label Berkshire, where he discussed his premium Berkshire pork brand and show pigs. In the United States, raising and consuming sheep and goat isn’t as popular as it once was decades ago, so I also found the presentations about sheep and goat meat interesting. Peter McGilchrist’s speech outlined the genetic prowess of Australia’s feral goat population and how they may prove to be superior to purebred goats. The landscape of Australia itself was beautiful, with its open, seemingly endless expanses of grass, complete with a sizable population of kangaroos and parrots. On one of our last days in Australia, we stayed in Sydney to see the sights until night began to fall. The picturesque sunset settling behind the Sydney Bridge and Opera House was a perfect thing to experience to end our trip before heading home the next day. I am blessed to have gone to Australia alongside my teammates, and I do believe that it is ultimately God’s will that allowed us to succeed, travel safely, and have a great time in doing so. I am so grateful for Him, my teammates, the strangers, and my family members who so kindly donated their hard-earned money to our cause, our coach Megan, and the Australians for inviting and hosting us in Wagga Wagga. It’s something that I think about all the time, along with all the new happy memories that we made together, along with the accomplishments that we made at the contest!