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By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

Thorsby High School is sending their first dairy evaluation team to the National FFA Convention & Expo since 2018 to compete after five students clinched the Alabama state title in the division on Oct. 8. The Class 3A school continues its long tradition of sending its FFA students to compete against some of the biggest and most renowned FFA programs across the country in Indianapolis, Indiana.

“I have been lucky with some really good kids,” Brian Lucas, Thorsby FFA Advisor, said. “You have got to have four kids that really want to win, really want to outwork (their opponents) and who believe they can win.”

The dairy evaluation competition is a judging contest, and the students look to see which animal will work the best throughout its life. In cows, students focus on the utters to see how much they will milk. In heifers, they are judged based on their structure. The dairy evaluation team of Mary Alice Johnson, Paisley Kendrick, Ava Robinson, Claire Smith and Lilly Smith brought home the state title with a keen eye, and did so with a ruthless pursuit of perfection they hold themselves to every day.

“We are a team that is all very competitive, and we go (compete) with the want to win,” Claire Smith said. “We fight for it, and we came in here every day and practiced, practiced, practiced. It pushes you to be your best.”

Claire Smith will be attending the National Convention for the first time as a competitor next October when the dairy evaluation team goes to Indianapolis. Not competing until 2025 will give the five students on the team over a year to prepare for the competition. Claire Smith, along with Kendrick, are just seventh graders, and became just the second and third seventh graders to win a state title for Thorsby’s FFA program. Along with the two seventh graders, Johnson is a freshman, Lilly Smith is a sophomore and Robinson is a junior, the eldest member of the group.

Robinson not only brings older leadership to the team, but experience as well, returning to Indianapolis for the third time as a competitor. She said just being able to go again and experience the whole convention is something she is looking forward to still on her third trip.

“We study a lot, and I know other people do not take it as seriously, but we take it very seriously here and we want to win,” Robinson said. “Mr. Lucas is a great advisor and is a big reason why we do so well. He invests a lot of his time into this, and it pays off in the end.”

Lucas is the only FFA teacher for Thorsby, and he tries to offer enough teams so the students that are interested in competing can do so. As one person, he can only do so much, but has established Thorsby in the Alabama FFA scene for many years.

“You pick and choose, and sometimes you’ll have a lapse and then pick back up and go again,” Lucas said.

He described this dairy evaluation team as true competitors who want to win and do not mind putting in the work to win — the type of attitude needed at nationals to compete against some of the biggest FFA programs in the country. When Lucas and the Rebels show up to Indianapolis, they are recognized by many throughout the convention after appearing there for many years.

While each student plays a huge role on the team, Lilly Smith anchors the team. The sophomore was the highest scoring individual at the state dairy evaluation competition, and her deep background in livestock judging has played a huge role in her success.

“Some of things carry over (from other judging) like the reasons and questions into dairy,” Lilly Smith said. “I am a very competitive person, and I love winning. I show cows and get the ag background, and I have always loved winning with those things.”

Smith has gone to Indianapolis once before and was a part of the Thorsby dairy evaluation team that won the state title two years ago. But due to only being able to compete for one team at the national competition, chose the meat evaluation team to compete on that year. This will be her second trip to nationals, and her first competing in dairy.

Lucas and the five students will compete at the 98th National FFA Convention & Expo in October 2025.