Granbury FFA student named grand champion at Blinn Agricultural Mechanics contest

Landree Harrington showcases her welding, design skills with 20-foot cook trailer

April 27, 2026

Landree Harrington wanted to challenge her skills. She ended up building the grand champion at this year’s Blinn College Agricultural Mechanics contest.

Harrington, a member of the Granbury High School FFA, won the top prize at the recent contest with her 20-foot cook trailer. The trailer took more than 800 hours to complete.

“I chose this project because last year I built a six-foot smoker on golf cart tires,” she said. “It got so much attention for the welds and my attention to detail that I wanted to build something that could showcase those same items on a bigger scale.”

Harrington’s prize-winning project, which she plans to sell, includes details ranging from a sink to intricate patterns cut out of steel.

“I am ecstatic to be selected as grand champion at the Blinn Ag Mechanics contest,” said Harrington. “I am very grateful for the honor.”

The reserve grand champion was a 38-foot gooseneck trailer manufactured by the West Hardin High School FFA.

This year’s show at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Brenham featured approximately 200 projects, 450 exhibitors, 70 welding contestants, 65 cutting contestants, and 80 judges.

“The level of craftsmanship this year was awe-inspiring,” said Ben Burroughs, Ag Mechanics Professor and superintendent of the event since 2019. “The attention to detail and eagerness to explain all the time and effort that went into the projects is what sets the students apart from their peers.

“Some projects had over 800 individual hours in them. It is reassuring to know that there are young people out there that have the drive, will, and determination to build outstanding projects and put them on display at the Blinn Ag Mechanics Show.”

Class winners were (some classes had no entries or limited entries):

• Class 2 (spray equipment) – First, Rosebud-Lott FFA.
• Class 3 (tractor equipment, mounted and pull type) – First, Frost FFA.
• Class 5 (shop equipment) – First, Flatonia FFA; second, Hallettsville FFA; third, Littlefield FFA.
• Class 6 (equipment accessories, tractors/trucks) – First, Van Vleck FFA; second, Abbott FFA; third, Austin County 4-H.
• Class 7 (livestock panels/entrance gates) – First, Agriculture Science and Technology Academy; second, Tomball FFA; third, Salado FFA.
• Class 8 (restraining equipment/squeeze chutes/cattle guards) – First, Ganado FFA; second, Van Alstyne FFA; third, Klein Cain FFA.
• Class 9 (livestock crates/trim chutes/head gates/cattleguards) – First, Van Vleck FFA; second, Magnolia FFA; third, Brenham FFA.
• Class 10 (feeders) – First, Columbus FFA; second, Needville FFA; third, New Summerfield FFA.
• Class 11 (small utility trailers) – First, Georgetown FFA; second, Sherman FFA; third, Wimberley FFA.
• Class 12 (bumper-pull utility and implement trailers) – First, Van Alstyne FFA; second, Hallsville FFA; third, Bell County 4-H.
• Class 13 (Gooseneck stock trailers and multi-bale movers) – First, West Hardin FFA; second, West Hardin FFA; third, Bremond FFA.
• Class 14 (stock trailers) – First, Sulphur Springs FFA; second, A&M Consolidated FFA; third, Grapeland FFA.
• Class 15 (multi-bale trailers for round bales) – First, Blanco FFA; second, Harlingen FFA; third, Rudder FFA.
• Class 16 (barbecue pits) – First, Davenport FFA; second, Jarrell FFA; third, A&M Consolidated FFA.
• Class 17 (barbecue pit trailers) – First, Granbury FFA; second, San Isidro FFA; third, Rudder FFA.
• Class 18 (picnic tables) – First, Northside FFA; second, Aquilla FFA; third, Buckholts FFA.
• Class 19 (metal furniture) – First, La Vernia FFA; second, Georgetown FFA; third, Brenham FFA.
• Class 20 (wood furniture) – First, McLennan County 4-H; second, Van Alstyne FFA; third, New Summerfield FFA.
• Class 21 (other projects) – First, Harris County 4-H; second, Aledo FFA; third, New Summerfield FFA.
• Class 22 (deer blinds, feeders, animal traps) – First, Austin County 4-H; second, La Vernia FFA; third, Sherman FFA.
• Class 26 (reconditioned tractors) – First, Harris County 4-H; second, Cuero Jr. FFA; third, Floresville FFA.
• Class 27 (lawn and garden tractors) – First, Wall FFA.

Division winners were:

Division One

First, Van Vleck FFA; second, Flatonia FFA.

Division Two

First, Van Vleck FFA; second, Agriculture Science and Technology Academy.

Division Three

First, Van Alstyne FFA; second, Hallsville FFA.

Division Four

First, West Hardin FFA; second, West Hardin FFA.

Division Five

First, Granbury FFA; second, Harris County 4-H.

Division Six

First, Harris County 4-H; second, Cuero Junior FFA.

Angel Martinez of Kaufman FFA won the welding contest and Juan Gutierrez of Rudder FFA won the cutting contest. Noah Hight, who exhibited a modular outdoor kitchen, won the Johnny Schroeder Showmanship Award.

Blinn’s Agricultural Sciences Program is approximately four times the size of any other two-year agricultural program in the state and is based at the W.J. “Bill” Rankin Agricultural Complex on the Blinn-Brenham Campus. For more information, visit www.blinn.edu/agricultural-sciences.