Year-round, 4-H and FFA members Maggie Allen, Kenzie Davidson, and Madyson Hartman show cattle to prepare for the county fair.
Multiple times a year, these ladies go all around the state to compete in showmanship and market. Showmanship is a class that focuses on the pristineness of the animals and how well they are shown. On the other hand, market classes look at the meat quality of the animal. All judges are different, so consistently coming out as a class winner is a hard feat to accomplish. Both of these classes take great lengths of time to prepare for. The cattle have to be clipped and fit for showmanship and feed combinations have to be created to give the animal the best market quality.
Allen is an avid year-round cattle shower, and she has kept up with the hobby for eight years. She stated, “I began my passion for showing cattle when I was five years old and got to show for the first time. Sometimes it is stressful but I love almost every second of it. I pretty much have a show animal 12 months out of the year because we raise our own animals from babies to get ready to have babies or get sold for beef production. A lot of time and money goes into preparing for shows, but it’s all worth it to have the fun and memories with my family and friends!”
Hartman has acquired many accolades over the years of showing cattle. She has taken home multiple runner-up places for showmanship, and she also frequently takes high places in her classes. This past year she took first place in her class at the Scott Acker Classic, which was held at the Gratiot County Fairgrounds. She remarked, “I really enjoy show season because it is fun and exciting. I have a group of people I show with that I refer to as my ‘show family.’” They have helped me feel welcomed, and they always push me to do my best. Also, they help keep me calm and get my steer ready for the show.”
Just remember, county fairs are much more than deep-fried food and rides. Many kids spend hours upon hours working with their animals to prepare them for their favorite week of the year.
