Tyler Branch, junior at MSMS, beamed as he walked out onto the exhibition floor at the Dixie Sale of Champions in Jackson, Mississippi, on Feb. 8, to show off his goat, Cosmo. And rightly so. The duo went home with a grand prize.

The Dixie Sale of Champions is the state portion of the Premier Exhibitor Program sponsored by Mississippi State 4-H Extension.  This program is a scholarship program held during the Dixie National Junior Round-up.  In this scholarship program, students have to be between the ages of 14 and 18 and participate in a branch of 4-H.  This program is a gathering of buyers of livestock who come together to pay generous prices for livestock raised by promising Mississippi livestock raisers.

Tyler Branch, 17, chose the livestock branch of 4-H and has been showing off goats in shows since he was 8 years old.  “I started showing goats because my 4-H agent knew I loved animals, and she just asked me if i wanted to try something new so I tried it,” he said.

The hard-work and dedication that Branch showed in his exhibition provided him the opportunity to show his goats in the Sale of Champions along with 43 others. With Branch’s help, his goat Cosmo won Reserve Champion Lightweight Goat and other Mississippi Bred Champion Lightweight Goat titles.  Also with the help of Cosmo, Branch won the Meat Goat Premier Exhibitor contest and he will receive a $2,000 scholarship.

“Showing goats has given me the best years of my life. I’ll never forget all of the fun I’ve had but also the life lessons I’ve gained from showing goats in the 4-H,” Branch said.

Other than showing off his goats at exhibitions, Branch enjoys riding four-wheelers at his home and playing with his cousins.  At MSMS, Branch is a member of Black Student Alliance, Wags and Whiskers, Voices in Harmony, Blue Knights and BETA Club.  With this many clubs, Branch also manages to keep up his schoolwork and hang out with his friends.  Although Branch does enjoy joking around sometimes, he always knows when it is time to get down to business and get his work done.  He is a great influence on his family and his new friends at MSMS.  

“Tyler inspires me to be more open to the opinions of others and to always remain true to yourself by not being a follower. He’s extremely supportive and his laid-back nature teaches me that not everything deserves a reaction,” his friend Kiera Monroe said. I knew of Tyler at first because we’re both from the Delta and applied to MSMS with the help of Mrs. Emily O’Bryant. It didn’t happen immediately, but eventually, we had a bond that will forever exist. I’ve watched Tyler become more outgoing and positive. He’s taking more risks and leading in a way that’s subtle yet still effective. From the countless of disagreements to the creepiest inside jokes we share, Tyler Branch is the epitome of a true friend. I adore the friendship we have and I always will.”

Branch continues to develop as a young leader at MSMS and a great inspiration for younger 4-H participants. Winning this award is giving other participants a positive role model to look up to and shining a light on MSMS’s best and brightest.