Growing up around animals, specifically horses, Elli Vest found a passion for raising and training animals. With her family having been raising animals for over 30 years, Elli had never seen the aspect of agriculture that is FFA so once she joined high school her interest peaked.
“My biggest inspiration is my grandma,” Elli said. “She is the reason my family is so heavily rooted in agriculture and there’s no way I would have been able to raise any of my animals or get to where I am without her continued love and support of my goals.”
Elli has been participating in wildlife, advocacy, and horse judging teams ever since freshman year as part of the FFA program as well as that she has been competing in the agriculture public speaking contest. The Ag Advocacy has been area qualifying as well as the Horse Judging and Wildlife teams. The wildlife team has gone to state for the past two years.
Her choice in sheep began when her brother had done it in his time as part of the FFA. Along with the lambs, she raised chickens her sophomore year. During her that same year she raised lambs to show at the Houston Rodeo named Bonnie and Clyde. Along with raising and exhibiting a lamb at the Austin Rodeo her junior year.
This year she is one of the officers and serves as the Chaplain. This year her lamb was named Missy and earned second in her weight class as well as third overall. Wanting to have her career and hobbies centered around agriculture she plans on joining a rodeo association to continue to be active in agriculture and keep horses a part of her life while she is away from home at college. To either study at A&M or Blinn-Bryan with a major in Ag Business and minor in Ag Economics to pursue a career in agriculture pharmaceutical sales.
“My favorite moment that I’ve had while raising and showing animals is this last show,” Elli said. “I was able to show right next to one of my closest friends as I have every year and be right there with her when she won Grand Champion.”
