Local 4-Hers compete in San Antonio contests

By Sam Waller

Nine members of the Shackelford County 4-H Club participated in a variety of events at the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo.

The team of Jordan Fikes, Brook and Cayla Green, and Faith and Grace Fry competed in horse judging. Faith Fry was third-high individual in the senior contest with Grace Fry 10th in the junior contest.

The Fry sisters also competed in the Horse Skillathon. Faith placed seventh in the senior division with Grace sixth in the intermediate division.

Luke Smith exhibited a Poland barrow and Connor Smith exhibited a Hampshire barrow in the swine show.

Gage Burton showed a pen of two commercial steers and was named that competition’s top rookie speaker.

“Part of what the judges are looking for is uniformity of animals,” Shackelford County extension agent Kelsey Bell said. “The contest is pretty unique.”

In addition to raising the livestock, Bell said, contestants must keep a record book, complete a “beef IQ test,” and give a speech on a topic relating to the beef cattle industry.

“They sell the animals at market price, it doesn’t matter if you’re first place or last place,” Bell said. “The goal is to make money like in the real market.”

The speaking portion of the contest pitted all contestants regardless of age.

“Gage did an overview of what he learned through this project and how he went about it,” Bell said. “Some of the older ones get into really specific subject areas. It was a pretty big deal that he won that division.”