Blinn College District Agricultural Mechanics Project Show draws 173 entries

18th annual showcase draws students from 80 high school FFA chapters and 4-H clubs

April 30, 2018

Richard Lee Schilling of Fayetteville FFA was crowned grand champion of the 2018 Blinn College District Agricultural Mechanics Project Show for his 1960 John Deere 435 tractor.

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The 18th annual Blinn College District Agricultural Mechanics Project Show drew 173 entries from 80 schools around the state Wednesday at the W.J. “Bill” Rankin Agricultural Complex.

Richard Lee Schilling of Fayetteville FFA was crowned grand champion for his 1960 John Deere 435 tractor.

“I am really proud to be named grand champion and I am going to try even harder next year,” Schilling said. “I really enjoy these projects. You have to work hard to come out on top. I try to do everything I can to the best of my ability, and I am constantly working to get better each contest.”

Schilling worked on the project for a total of 1,300 hours for seven days each week.

Nicko Chairez, Cesar Lopez, Miguel Aguilar, Victor Mendoza, Payden Duggins, and Jordan Lee from Kerens FFA were named reserve grand champions for their 24 by 6.8-foot cattle trailer.

“Hard work always pays off, and we put a lot of hard work into this,” Lopez said. “It felt really good to know that we actually accomplished something and we got our seniors scholarships.”

Projects are judged on workmanship, design, degree of difficulty, showmanship, and documentation, including photos of each step. Projects include agricultural machinery and equipment, livestock equipment, trailers, barbecue pits, picnic tables, metal and wood furniture, entrance gates, deer blinds, animal traps and horticulture products, engines, and reconditioned tractors and restored equipment. The show also included welding and cutting torch contests.

Sponsors included Appel Ford, Brenham Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram, Robs Run Center, Woodson Lumber Company, La Roche Chevrolet, Washington Country Tractor, The Christian Counseling Center, Gajeske Inc., Miller Welding Supply, Prax-Air, Granger, and the Blinn College Alumni and Friends Association.

The Agricultural Sciences Program is roughly four times the size of any other two-year agricultural program in the state and offers agriculture classes on all of its campuses, with the Rankin Agricultural Complex serving as the program’s hub.

In addition to its excellence in the classroom, Blinn offers extracurricular educational activities in the areas of livestock judging, agriculture club, wildlife, agriculture mechanics, horticulture and agriculture sciences.

Blinn College Ag Mechanics Project Show Results:

Welding contest winners:

1st place	Joel Arias	Lanier
2nd place	Matthew Hancock	Caldwell
3rd place	Hector Guzman	Cy-Fair

Cutting Torch contest winners:

1st place	Logan Nichols	Trinity
2nd place	Colton Ward	Trinity

Ag Machinery & Equipment Classes:

1st place	Matthew Hancock and Thomas Berry	Caldwell	Oxy Acetylene Cylinder Cart
2nd place	Lane Balcar	LaVernia	2002 Ford F-150 Headache Rack
3rd place	Julio Castellon and Nathan Nava	Klein Forest	Wrap Around Bumper for Dodge Ram

Livestock & Equipment Classes:

1st place	Hunter Chambless, Will Thompson and Tristan Wells	Van Vleck	30-foot Portable Cattle Chute with Hydraulic Jacks
2nd place	Aiden Davis and Connor Payne	Bell County	18-foot Forged Entry Gate
3rd place	Colby Swift, Cameron Vacek, Bobby Brune, Reece Kneble and Seth Steele	Tidehaven	28-foot Cattle Chute

Trailer Classes:

1st place	Nicko Chairez, Cesar Lopez, Miguel Aguilar, Victor Mendoza, Payden Duggins and Jordan Lee	Kerens	24 by 6.8-foot Cattle Trailer
2nd place	Alex Baker, Chris Carpenter and Dylan Chilantt	Peaster	20-foot Bumper Pull Utility Trailer
3rd place	Brendan Smith	Cypress Woods	24-foot Gooseneck Stock Trailer

Recreation Classes:

1st place	Aiden Davis and Connor Payne	Bell County	Forged Meta Bench
2nd place	Sarah Stanley	Columbia-Brazoria	Bar with Fish Tank
3rd place	Victoria Smith	Thorndale	Metal Swing with a Cedar Bench

Restored Tractor Classes:

1st place	Richard Lee Schilling	Fayetteville	1960 John Deere 435
2nd place	Keaton Glass	Gonzales	1967 International 1206 Wheatland
3rd place	Austin Chavez	Cuero	1965 John Deere 420

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