Beef heifer show nets three winners
By Joey Pitchford
Published in News on October 3, 2016 9:57 AM
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News-Argus/SETH COMBS
Caleb Heath, right, winner of a first-place award for showmanship, stands with his heifer during the beef heifer show at the Wayne County Fairgrounds on Sunday.
Beef heifers can stand 4 or 5 feet high at the shoulders and weigh hundreds of pounds.
Those numbers didn't intimidate the showmen at the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair Beef Heifer Show, who had few issues in putting up a tough competition Sunday.
The show was split into three categories by age and experience. The senior division, the oldest, took to the pen first, with eight competitors looking to convince the judge that they were the best at manipulating their animal in a way that would best show it off.
Livestock shows like the beef heifer show rate competitors, not just the animals themselves, focusing on the technique with which the competitors show their animals.
Keeping the animal's head elevated, maintaining a good gait and making sure its legs are in proper position while idle are all part of what makes a good performance.
Meanwhile, the competitor must maintain eye contact with the judge as much as possible and carry out all actions smoothly and decisively to show command of the animal.
The event judge, who stands inside the competition space with the entrants, periodically gives instructions to see how well competitors will be able to carry out specific tasks.
The judge also asks questions about specific animals and looks for their owners to be knowledgeable and thorough in their answers.
The senior division was a tight race, and no single competitor blew the others out of the water.
In the end, Caleb Heath, 15, was declared the winner. He said it was a "relief" to have won against such a talented field.
"It's definitely an honor, it takes a lot of money and hard work," he said. "I've been preparing since last year. Everyone out there is just as good as me, nobody really ran away with the points this year."
The intermediate division was next, split into first and second cuts of five and six, respectively. The competition was just as fierce despite the larger field, with each cut being narrowed down to two or three competitors who then joined to form the final cut. By the time the dust had settled, Victoria Ward, 14, had won first place.
Shane Kendall, 12, took home the first place prize in the junior division.