Youth Showcase Agricultural Expertise at the 27th Annual PEI Mutual 4-H Judging Competition

Over three consecutive Friday evenings in May, 51 dedicated 4-H members from across Prince Edward Island gathered to sharpen their analytical skills at the 2026 PEI Mutual 4-H Judging Competition. Now in its 27th year, this prestigious event challenges youth to evaluate livestock and crops, fostering the next generation of agricultural leaders.
 
The competition spanned three distinct locations, with members tasked with placing two classes of livestock or crops each night:

  • May 8 (Stratford): Hosted by Amanda and Scott Tweedy at GiddyUp Acres, members judged horses and rabbits under the expertise of judges Anne Wallace and Brandon Malone.
  • May 15 (Kensington): At Deanna and Rob Doctor’s Redview Jerseys Dairy Farm, participants evaluated dairy cattle and forages with judges Jon Raymond Dykstra and Les Halliday.
  • May 22 (Hunter River): The finale took place at Grant McCaffrey’s Hunter Acres, where members judged beef and poultry classes with judges Chloe Loane and Trevor MacDonald.
 
2026 Competition Results
 
Following a rigorous evaluation of scores from all three nights, the following members earned top honors in their respective divisions:
 
Junior Division:
1st Place—Emily Harenga, Millview Vernon River 4-H Club
2nd Place—Meredith MacKay, Cherrycliffe 4-H Club
3rd Place—Charley Howlett, Wheatley River 4-H Club
 
Intermediate Division:
1st Place—Lyla Brown, Cherrycliffe 4-H Club
2nd Place—Konor Younker, North River 4-H Club
3rd Place—Alyvia Rossiter, North River 4-H Club
 
Senior Division:
1st Place—Parker Smith, North River 4-H Club
2nd Place—Brandon Thompson, Misty Marsh 4-H Club
3rd Place—Grace Hierlihy, Misty Marsh 4-H Club
 
The Grand Prize
 
The highest honor of the competition was awarded to Parker Smith of the North River 4-H Club. As the Grand Prize winner, Parker will represent Prince Edward Island on the 2026 Maritime 4-H Judging Team. The team is set to compete on the national stage at the Canadian National 4-H & Youth Judging Competition during Agribition in Regina this November
 
Community Gratitude
 
The success of this event is made possible through the unwavering support of the agricultural community. 4-H PEI extends a special thank you to:
  • Title Sponsor: PEI Mutual Insurance Company, represented by Alyssa MacLean.
  • Hospitality: 4-H leader Yvette Arsenault for providing catering and snacks.
  • Volunteers: The dedicated team of organizers, parents, and judges, including Lorna Thompson, Alex Dixon, Sherri Pineau, Molly Loane, Patty Jo Hickey, Amber Brown, Antje van Breugel, Sally Drake, and Emily Younker.
 
It is only due to the dedication and enthusiasm of our volunteers and hosts that we are able to provide these invaluable learning experiences for our youth each year.
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Junior Division Winner, Emily Harenga, receiving her award from the PEI Mutual representative, Alyssa MacLean.
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Intermediate Division Winner, Lyla Brown, receiving her award from the PEI Mutual representative, Alyssa MacLean.
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Senior Division Winner & Grand Prize Winner, Parker Smith, receiving his awards from the PEI Mutual representative, Alyssa MacLean.

The PEI Mutual Insurance Company
4-H PEI Livestock Judging Competition 2026

The competition will be held over 3 dates at 3 different farms!
Members can choose to attend 1, 2, or all 3 of the farms!
Registration Fee: FREE!      
Deadline to Register: Closed on Monday, April 20
*Please read all the details below before registering for this event*
  • To be eligible to place in their division the member must participate at 2 of the 3 farms.
  • If a member participates at all 3 farms then their 2 lowest scores will be dropped when tabulating the results.
  • Members are very welcome to participate in only 1 farm but then will not be eligible for awards. 
Farm #1 - Horse & Rabbit - Friday, May 8 - 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
GiddyUp Acres, 860 Pownal Rd, Stratford
​Judges: Anne Wallace (Horse) & Brandon Malone (Rabbit)
 
Farm #2 - Dairy & Forages - Friday, May 15 - 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Redview Jerseys Dairy Farm Inc., 594 Irishtown Road, Kensington
​Judges: Jon Raymond Dykstra (Dairy) & Les Halliday (Forages)

Farm #3 - Beef & Poultry - Friday, May 22, 6:30 p.m. to 9:00  p.m.
Hunter Acres, 1474 Bungay Road, Hunter River
​​Judges: Chloe Loane (Beef) & Trevor MacDonald (Poultry)

Online Beef Class (Market Steer): To be eligible for awards the senior members must also complete one online Market Steer judging class that will be available via the link below between the dates of Friday, May 8th and Monday, May 18th.
Who is eligible?  
  • PEI 4-H members of age 9 to 21 (as of January 1, 2026).
  • No experience necessary—beginners encouraged to participate!
 
Prizes:
  • The competition has three age categories > Junior, Intermediate and Senior.
  • For each division > 1st Place $50, 2nd Place $35, 3rd Place $25.
  • Other fun prizes to be won each evening!
  • The highest scoring member age 17 – 22 years (as of December 31, 2026) will win a trip to Regina, Saskatchewan in November, to compete with other Maritime delegates at the International Judging Competition at Agribition! 
* The trip will be awarded to the highest ranking eligible member in the competition who has never been on the team. However, if there are no other eligible members competing for the spot, then it can go to a member who has been on the trip previously.
 
Travel Subsidies?
Members participating in each competition will receive the following travel subsidies based on the region to which they belong:
  • Hunter Acres – Western ($10), Central ($0), Eastern ($10)
  • Redview Jerseys Dairy Farm Inc. – Western ($0), Central ($10), Eastern ($20)
  • GiddyUp Acres - Western ($20), Central ($10), Eastern ($0)
 
What is a judging competition?                   
Judging is the evaluation of an exhibit and making a comparison to other exhibits in the class. Each class offers 10 minutes of instruction by the judge, and 10 minutes for judging by the members. After evaluating each exhibit individually, a ranking is assigned to the entire class by both the members and the judge for that class. The goal of the members is to have their rankings match that of the judges. Judging is a fun way to hone your critical thinking skills and learn about what is involved in judging 4-H livestock classes.
 
4-H Judging Guides can be obtained online here > Judging Resources
 
Oral Reasons:
  • Junior members are required to give oral reasons on one class of their choice, but can choose to do more if they want (highest score will be counted for awards).
  • Intermediate members are required to give oral reasons on two classes of their choice, but can choose to do more if they want (highest two scores will be counted for awards).
  • Senior members will give oral reasons for 4 classes of their choice, but can choose to do more if they want (highest four scores will be counted for awards).
 
Note: With the permission of your project leader participation in this event can count to fulfill the judging requirement of your livestock project.
 
Minimum Participation: To run this competition we require a minimum of 15 participants registered for each evening.
 
HELP! If any parents are able to help out at any of the evenings either by being screened chaperones, or doing any of the tasks such as emcee, score runners, or help serve refreshments table please let Jackie know! 

Any Questions?
Contact Jackie Harlow, Email: [email protected], Cell: 902-626-8282

This event is brought to you by the 4-H PEI Judging Competition Committee.
  • Alex Dixon
  • Sheri Pineau
  • Patrick Holland
  • Brittany Pollock
  • Lorna Thompson
  • Molly Loane
  • Morgan Ings
  • Jackie Harlow (4-H PEI Staff)

If you are interested in being on this committee or being added to our list of volunteers for this event please contact Jackie for more information: Email: [email protected]