Great Bend Post
A pair of area graduates recently travelled to Normal, Ill. to compete in the 2026 North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Judging Conference. James Seeman of Larned, and Layne Soukup of Great Bend represented Fort Hays State University’s Block and Bridle club at the annual spring event in which 2-year and 4-year agricultural students compete in a variety of skill-based contests. The FHSU team competed in Livestock Management and Veterinary Science, and also had members represent FHSU Ag in the Knowledge Bowl.
Seeman was part of the Reserve Champion Team in Livestock Management. He was joined by Ava Zerger, Hannah Donley, and Brent Cantrell. Soukup was part of the Veterinary Science team that placed third, alongside Donley, Mary Caenen (CAY-nen), and Sidney Shears.
The Fort Hays State University Block and Bridle Club is a student-run organization dedicated to promoting agriculture, particularly animal science, to all FHSU students. It is a chapter of the national Block & Bridle organization, offering members opportunities in livestock, leadership development, professional networking, and social functions.