We caught up with Mr. Ryan Watje after he judged the Team Purebred Gilts at The 2022 Exposition. Check out his thoughts below…

What class was the deepest?
The team purebred show was overall a deep set of high quality gilts. In my opinion the spots and polands were extremely deep all the way through.

Toughest placing/call of the day?
The toughest call was the champion and reserve Chester. There was bits and pieces from so many which gave me options.

Did any breeds/divisions surprise you?
The top end of the Tamworths were really pretty good and fun to judge. That breed is making a big jump from where they use to be.

For you, what was the most memorable moment of the show?
The most memorable moment of judging the show for me was the supreme drive. It was a pleasure to work with the other judges.

Best part about The Exposition returning to Des Moines?
I didn’t get a chance to attend the Expo last year in Indianapolis but I obviously like having the show in Des Moines for travel purposes – it’s about a day of driving closer for me.