Ashland’s Southern Boone FFA chapter came home from the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis this past week with two national champions and a long list of other honors, according to the Boone County Journal.
Who Won National Titles?
Tyler Fleming, a 2026 Southern Boone High School graduate, won the National Proficiency Award in Agricultural Mechanics Repair and Maintenance — on top of the Missouri FFA award in the same category. Fleming built his experience through an apprenticeship at Roland Machinery, giving him what the Journal described as a strong foundation in agricultural equipment repair and maintenance.
Fellow 2026 graduate Hunter Skouby was named national champion in Equine Science Placement, after also winning the Missouri FFA Proficiency Award in Equine Science. Skouby has worked for a professional quarter horse trainer and told the Journal he plans to become one himself.
How Did the Chapter’s Teams Do?
Ashland’s floriculture team placed third overall nationally. Blake Cossey finished ninth individually and Grace Helland placed seventh, with Gannon Seyer and Braxton Winfrey rounding out the team.
The chapter’s horse evaluation team earned a gold rating, with Jaymie Collins, Mia Schlotzhauer, Ashley Wright and Ayla Yung combining for three individual gold scores and one silver. Schlotzhauer, Wright and Yung also received certificates from the National Horse Judging Team Coaches Association.
Who Earned Their American Degree?
Bryson Slinker and Wyatt Cunningham received their American Degrees in person at the convention — FFA’s highest degree, awarded to fewer than half of members nationwide based on years of supervised agricultural experience, leadership and community involvement. Aubrey Quinn, Anna Sappington, Moravia Satterfield and Zach Warren also earned American Degrees but weren’t able to attend.
The convention wins come during a busy fall for the Southern Boone district, which has also been working through new door-security measures at its schools and cheering on its football team under second-year coach Tyler Tanner.
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