NEO Livestock Judging team crowned Reserve Champions at American Royal

Miami, Oklahoma — The Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College Livestock Judging Team was crowned the Reserve Champion Team at the 2024 American Royal held in Kansas City on Monday, October 21.

A group of people posing for a photo

The American Royal is known for providing livestock unrivaled in quality and Tyeson Gravenhof of Roundup, Montana was named the High Individual Overall by an incredible 12-point margin.

Gravenhof is the first student from NEO to win the American Royal since 2000, breaking a 24-year drought. Gravenhof was also named 2nd High Individual Cattle, 6th High Individual Reasons, and 7th High Individual Sheep and Goats. Brighton Lane, also from Montana, was named the 4th High Individual in Reasons.

Additionally, NEO earned the following awards at the American Royal:

2nd High Team Sheep and Goats
3rd High Team Cattle
4th High Team Reasons
7th High Team Swine

Earlier this season, a team consisting of sophomores Tyeson Gravenhof, Brighton Lane, Jacey Smith, Avery Kimble, Dustee Hollenback, Cooper Frazier, and Chloe Mabry attended the following contests with the respective winnings:

Top Notch — Paragould, Arkansas

Champion Team
Tyeson Gravenhof — High Individual
Prof Livdall Memorial — Cookeville, Tennessee
Champion Team
Brighton Lane — High Individual
AKSARBEN — Grand Island, Nebraska
Reserve Champion Team
Tulsa State Fair — Tulsa, Oklahoma
5th High Team
Cimarron Classic — Stillwater, Oklahoma
3rd High Team

“The history of the NEO Livestock Judging team is rich, and watching these students couple their talent with unparalleled grit and determination to represent our college at the highest level is remarkable,” said NEO Livestock Judging coach Mattie Haynes. “I am humbled to coach students who make me a better person every day.”