Judges

Steve Austin of Mt. Vernon, Illinois, brings nearly four decades of experience in livestock evaluation and youth development to our show. He has judged shows and coached livestock judging teams for 38 years, backed by a lifetime of hands-on work with sheep, swine, cattle, and meat goats.

Austin attended Lake Land College and Western Illinois University before spending 20 years as a grade school teacher and principal in southern Illinois. He later served five years with the University of Kentucky, overseeing youth livestock programs statewide, and now teaches agriculture part-time at Mt. Vernon Township High School.

Steve and his wife of 37 years raised two children who both work in the livestock judging arena, with Kane previously coaching the Hutchinson Community College team and Adrian and her husband coaching at Blinn College in Texas. Throughout his career, he has coached teams to major wins from Keystone and Stockman to Kansas City, Denver, and the National 4‑H Contest with the Kentucky All‑Star team in 2019.

We are excited to have Steve Austin on our judging panel this year and look forward to the knowledge, fairness, and enthusiasm he will bring to the show ring.