Times of Change

A Little Bit of Background

The University of Wyoming has had a livestock judging program almost every year since the 1920’s, and every team since 2015 has been coached by the same impressive and talented coach.

 Imagine taking over a program that has spanned over a 100 years, and essentially rebuilding it from the ground up. That is exactly what head livestock judging coach Caleb Boardman did. 

Goals For the Program

“Coming in I had a lot of goals set for this program. Seeing as Wyoming is my home state, I wanted to make this a nationally respected program again, and I feel like we certainly accomplished that,” Caleb began. 

“Not only did I want to have members named to the All-American team, which for the first time in UW history we accomplished in 2016 and 2017, but I also had the goal of not only winning a national contest, but also a national championship. Unfortunately, although we have won many contests, we have yet to win one of the four big national contests or a national championship,” Caleb said. 

Nonetheless, he says that there are still many things that he is incredibly proud of, including having a team member in the top 10 at every contest in 2019, and winning his first Arizona National Contest with the 2019 team. But more humbly, simply making long lasting and meaningful friendships with the team members was a big deal to him.. 

“They have become a part of my family, my wife Kylie, my son Cash, and I are close with many of the past team members, and that is something that I appreciate so much,” Caleb said. 

Tides of Change

Yet, there are still tides of change rolling in for this team and their coach this next year. In November Caleb was offered the head coach and livestock judging team coordinator for his alma mater, Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. He is set to finish up his position here in December, and officially take over the Texas program soon after. 

“When I got the offer, it was certainly the most challenging and bittersweet decision I have ever had to make. Everyone in this program has been nothing but fantastic to me, and we have loved our time here. However, the challenge of a new program was something that I just could not pass up,” Caleb said. 

However, there are a lot of emotions running high for Caleb right now, not only in his professional life, but also in his personal one. 

“It is extremely stressful right now as I am doing two jobs at one time. I am traveling back and forth between here and Texas to recruit kids down there, as well as try and get a plan in place for when we finally make the move,” Caleb started. 

“Nonetheless, to add to the hectic nature of the situation right now, my wife and I are expecting twin daughters in June, and not knowing when exactly to sell our house here or when to buy a house down there, certainly adds a lot of stress to the situation,” he finished. 

Still, Caleb has no doubt that the hard work he has put in here will pay off for the new coach coming in, and has a few pieces of advice for them.

“Just don’t mess up my program,” he said through a grin.

“No, I’m joking obviously, I would tell them to immerse themselves in the University and dive as deep into the Poke Pride that is so special to our school. The community is tight knit and the staff really do support all of the extracurricular activities on campus, so take advantage of every single opportunity you can get, because you will not be disappointed,” Caleb said. 

Moving Forward in a New Direction

Even still, there are still many questions that potential team members and students have, but Caleb assured that he is fully committed to this team and any potential students that may come here. He is still putting together class schedules for the incoming members, as well as being as open and transparent of this whole process as possible. 

“ I want to make sure that this transition is as smooth as possible, and I am still encouraging kids from the region to come here, as it is a wonderful opportunity for them to excel,” he said. 

Dr. Warrie Means, and interim Associate Dean for the Animal Science department was quick to say that he and the rest of the hiring committee are doing the very best they can to find the perfect candidate for the job in a swift and timely manner, as to ensure that the transition for every party involved is as swift as possible.

“We know that almost all of the students that Caleb has coached have come to the University to specifically judge for Caleb, which makes the job that much harder on us, as he leaves behind enormous shoes to fill,” Warrie said. 

For more information about the team and Caleb, please check out their Facebook (University of Wyoming Livestock Judging), as well as the team website.

http://www.uwyo.edu/anisci/students/judging-teams/livestock-judging/index.html