Exhibitors get ready for livestock show
Posted on Saturday, April 12, 2008
Autumn Gregg's two lambs bleated, their baths consisting of soap and sprayed water.
Two months old, the lambs, Pepper, a male, and Alexis, a ewe, were being prepared for shearing on the eve of the 2008 Northwest Arkansas District Junior Spring Livestock and Poultry Show set for today at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Fayetteville.
"It gets you ready for the fair," Gregg, 10, of the Viney Grove 4-H Club said of the show. "It sort of gets you kicked off for the year."
She will spend future weekends showing her lambs at jackpot shows, allowing her to earn Arkansas Junior Sheep Association points. It all leads up to the Washing- ton County Fair and then the chance to show at the Arkansas-Oklahoma District Fair in Fort Smith.
Gregg said the junior livestock show is not necessarily about winning places, but improving. She has been showing hogs for four years and lambs for five years.
Last year at the county fair, her lambs took first, second, fourth and seventh in their class. Greg was one of several youth preparing their animals Friday night for the Northwest Arkansas District Junior Spring Livestock and Poultry Show today. Exhibitors are members of 4-H and the Future Farmers of America who have not graduated from high school.
Categories are dairy and beef cattle (commercial and registered ), sheep, dairy goats, rabbits and poultry in a variety of classes and showmanship.
Johnny Gunsaulis, Washington County Extension agent, said that ribbons won at the show translate into dollar amounts, and the show prepares exhibitors for the county fair. He said the show helps "you get more mileage out of your project investment."
On Sunday, the Elkins 4-H Club will present The Boot Scootin' Cattle Battle, which is a jackpot show that helps exhibitors earn points through the Arkansas Junior Cattlemen's Association.
The Marley sisters, Morgan, 14, and Kara, 17, of the Elkins 4-H Club have been showing their steers in jackpot shows this season and prepared them Friday for competition in the junior livestock show today. They keep the steers at their farm, feeding them each about 20 pounds of special feed a day, bathing them, blow-drying them, leading them.
The Marleys, too, said the junior livestock show prepares them for the Washington County Fair. Morgan's steer won first in his class at a jackpot show in Bentonville and third at the King of the Ring show at the Washington County Fair Grounds, among other placings this year.
"He's pretty fat," she said of her steer, adding that he hogs the feed.
The exhibitor plays a role in showing off the animal's attributes.
"I have to get him set up and make him look good," she said.
Her steer last year won Born and Bred Champion Steer at the Washington County Fair and first in his class at the Arkansas-Oklahoma State Fair in Fort Smith.
She is not showing her heifer at the junior livestock show this year because the heifer is pregnant, but she plans to show her at the county fair. She won second in her class last year.
Kara's steer this year won third in his class at King of the Ring and third in Bentonville. Her cow-calf pair won first place at the Washington County Fair last year. Both girls' steers were sold in Fort Smith last year at the fair, which Kara admitted, was emotional. "You get close to them," she said. "I spend more time with my cows than I do my friends. "Morgan said she enjoys showing cows. "It's a lot of fun. You meet a lot of people."
Calf scramble The Ozark Cattlemen's Association calf scramble is set for 8 a.m. today in conjunction with the spring livestock show.
The contest is open to Washington County 4-H and FFA members who have not completed the 10 th grade. A release form signed by parents is required to participate. Those winning heifers will be obligated to keep and show the heifer for the next two years at the county fairs.
Youngsters are broken up into different age groups, calves are turned lose in the arena and they must catch them and bring them to the middle of the arena. The first youth that does this from each age bracket wins the heifer. Halters are provided.
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