MdCV FFA members at Churchill Downs, front from left, Tristen Duncan, Wyatt Lingenfelter, Braden Reed, Sadie McGowin, Brice Marsh, back, Chisolm Woodson, Frank Warner, Bayleigh Lacey, Kaelin Criqui, Koby Vanderpool, Izzy Toman, and Cole Lacey. Courtesy photo.

Some of the Marais des Cygnes FFA members had the privilege to attend the National FFA Convention and Expo, Oct. 27-30, 2019, in Indianapolis, Ind. Members selected to attend were Koby Vanderpool, Frank Warner, Tristen Duncan, Kaelin Criqui, Bayleigh Lacey, Chisolm Woodson, Braden Reed, Brice Marsh, Cole Lacey, Izzy Toman, Wyatt Lingenfelter, and Sadie McGowin, with advisor Danny Rice and Terry Rice.

The students went through an application process and earn points to be able to attend.

Throughout the trip, they enjoyed many restaurants that were special to the areas they stopped. The trip started early Sunday morning when they began their journey to St. Louis, Mo, where they visited the Gateway Arch and Museum. They then traveled on to Louisville, Ky. On Monday, they visited Louisville Slugger, the home of the Louisville Slugger Baseball Bat, and Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby.

Heading out the next day from Louisville to Indianapolis, they stopped at Blue Springs Caverns, billed as the largest underground navigable river in North America, taking a boat tour down in the cavern.

On the last leg of the journey, they finally made it to Indianapolis, where they visited the Indianapolis 500 track and museum.

On Wednesday, members attended the opening session of the 92nd National FFA Convention and Expo and Career Show. There were more than 65,000 members and guests in attendance at the conference.

MdCV FFA member Brice Marsh said, ¨The number of people was breathtaking and indescribable.

“The tours we took were impressive and educational while still being interesting,” said Frank Warner, MdCV FFA vice president. “The National Convention will allow me to be a better FFA member because it showed me how massive and diverse the FFA really is.”

The group had to cut the convention trip short to make it back for a MdCV football game Thursday night.

The MdCV FFA members would like to thank all involved that made this trip happen.

MdCV FFA members pause between sessions at the 2019 national convention, Chisolm Woodson, Brice Marsh, Sadie McGowin, Tristen Duncan, Bayleigh Lacey, Kaelin Criqui, Frank Warner, Braden Reed, Cole Lacey, Wyatt Lingenfelter, Koby Vanderpool.

Information and photos thanks to Danny Rice, MdCV FFA advisor.