Judging Showmanship at Eckville & District 4-H Female Show

Today the mighty winds blew me up to the Eckville and District 4-H Female Show held in the Dickson Arena! It was another excellent show with exceptionally dedicated 4-H members, many of which had not only yearling heifer projects, but also 2 year old and/or 3 year old cow/calf pairs. I was once again thoroughly impressed with the high caliber of livestock and showman that entered the ring today! I got to share the ring with the conformation judge and my friend, Lindsey Douglas, the winner of the 2010 Agribition Judging Competition! As I had mentioned in my last blog post, it is so awesome that the committees of these shows are choosing current and recent past 4-H members to judge! It is a great honour to be asked to judge no matter what your age or experience, but it is especially rewarding when you are just an up and coming "newbie"! I look forward to having the opportunity to judge again in the near future!


 Yesterday I missed the Canada's Richest Youth Steer and Heifer Show, due to my judging commitment, however I heard that it was a very successful show! If only I could be in two (or maybe three - because I could also have been working May Queen!) places at once! That sure would make life a lot simpler... being able to be everywhere at once! I guess that's when you have to prioritize and look at your values - something farmers and ranchers have to do everyday!

The next couple weeks are going to be jam packed! May needs to slow down a little - I don't think there are enough hours in the day to get everything done... but I also can't wait for the upcoming events this month!

Judging Showmanship at Crossfield/Madden Achievement Day

Well it seems a wonderful cold has momentarily hindered my ability to speak without sounding like a croaking frog... however me and my croaky voice still made it to the Crossfield/Madden Achievement Day today held in Haven's Arena just outside of the metropolis of Madden, Alberta! I was asked to be their showmanship judge for the day, and what a great day it was! I got to work alongside Aaron Grant once again, as he was their conformation judge. All of the members did an exceptional job and displayed some top quality cattle! I would also like to commend the leaders, parents, and volunteers for organizing an easy to follow, fast moving show. I really enjoy judging showmanship because it's all about what you can do yourself and how much effort you've put into making yourself and your animal shine - regardless of your animal's conformation!



Tomorrow I am off to Dickson to judge showmanship once again! I am very honoured that these clubs have looked back into the 4-H program to find their judge - it really means a lot to me to have been asked to judge another club's members... when I am still a member myself! We all need to get our start somewhere, and I am thankful that these clubs have given me the opportunity to start what I hope will be a lifetime of giving back to the 4-H program, which has given so much to me!