Hawkins FFA takes home 19 blue ribbons

HAWKINS, Texas (KLTV) - An FFA team from a small East Texas town has won big at the largest livestock show in the world.

The Hawkins FFA team attended the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and the 2-A school came away with a blue ribbon in every category they entered.

Hawkins took 48 students to the Houston livestock show and rodeo for the Ag-mechanics show. Going up against big 6-a schools, hopeful but never imaging what was about to happen.

“We knew going into it, that’s just part of it , that’s what we do. They don’t break it by division or size of school,” said Hawkins Ag teacher Matt Byrd.

The 2-A school carried 19 projects and received blue ribbons for all 19 projects.

“19 projects, 19 blue ribbons,” said Byrd.

“It felt great because honestly I didn’t expect to get one this year, since it was my first major project,” said blue ribbon winner and 10th grader Gavin McCormick.

“Actually a pretty good feeling, being my senior year and getting a blue ribbon means a lot, just like finishing out my senior year, going out strong,” said blue ribbon winner Cheyanne Turner.

“The judges came back a few hours later an I got it. I was nervous the whole time. But I’m proud,” said winner Aaron Lambert.

Having to complete their regular school studies, the kids worked countless hours for months to prepare.

But the payoff was worth it.

“It felt really nice, because I was super nervous the entire time,” said freshman blue ribbon winner Lou Berry.

“This is my junior year, and I’ve gotten a blue ribbon every time in Houston. That was my goal and we got that,” said Cort Gambino.

“Well it’s just really exciting that something we put so much time into really pays off in the end,” said blue ribbon winner Bailey Brown.

Hawkins FFA also had a fourth place finish with the goose-neck trailer and fourth place finish in showmanship.

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