After a year of hard work, 4-H clubs from across the district had the opportunity to celebrate their achievements.
Members loaded up their steers, heifers, and cows and brought them to the Bonnyville Rodeo Grounds to showcase their efforts as part of the Bonnyville and District 4-H Show and Sale on Monday, May 27.
They competed in junior, intermediate, and senior age groups in various categories, from showmanship and grooming to steer and heifer, among others.
It was Bonnyville 4-H Beef Club member Maddie Janz who took centre stage this year when it was time to hand out the first place ribbons. She walked away with awards for grand champion heifer and grand champion steer.
She saw the awards as proof her hard work paid off.
"It's definitely a lot of time and effort, a lot of crying and tears, but it all works out in the end."
While she was proud of everything she accomplished, the young 4-H member still hopes to improve at next year's show.
Janz said her favourite part about participating in 4-H is their achievement day.
“It feels good to show off all of your hard work,” she exclaimed.
Lily Brundige, who claimed grand champion in the two-year-old cow/calf category, agreed. While she’s learned a lot being part of the Beaver River Beef Club, showing her animals during 4-H events is what she looks forward to the most.
She believes one aspect that attributed to her success this year was attending shows last fall and learning from how others showed their animals, along with practice.
Brundige noted, “We worked with (the animals) throughout the week. Usually, we try and get in about two times a week, but usually it doesn’t end up being that. We just work with them, put the halter on them, scratch them with the show stick, and stuff like that.”
When it came to members bringing their animals forward to be judged, Bonnyville Beef Club general leader Crystal Dechaine thought they were all able to display their skill sets well throughout the day.
"It brings all of the members from our different beef clubs together," explained Sandra Somers, Bonnyville 4-H District president and leader of the Ardmore 4-H Beef Club. "They participate and compete against each other for showmanship, grooming, and the confirmation classes."
The beef clubs weren't the only ones with their projects on display. Various groups from the local district came to participate, including the Ardmore Wolves and Scruffy Puppies.
A consumer decision-making event was added to the show this year. Members from the Longriders and Ardmore Wolves, as well as multi-club members, judged four different cellphone cases to demonstrate their decision-making skills, and apply knowledge and experience in consumer education by examining the products. They ranked the items based on standards, qualities, likes, and dislikes.
Other events offered throughout the day included archery demonstrations by the Ardmore Wolves and lawnmower races held by the Ardmore Beef Club.
Ensuring every member was able to participate was important for Somers.
"A lot of work gets put into the district show, and a lot of money gets put into it, so everybody in our entire district, if they want to come and help out, we want to promote everything that's available."
Dechaine believes there’s valuable lessons to be learned for members by participating in the event.
"As a past 4-H member of 13 years, I can tell you there's a lot of skill building that you do at each of these days, as well as the camaraderie that you're spending time with your fellow 4-H members, learning to do by doing, and the memories that you're making are really cherished lifelong," she detailed. "The skill sets are skills that you will take away. It's an enduring and long day, they have to be up early, they have to manage an animal that doesn't always want to cooperate, so they've got to be resilient, flexible, and they've got to be willing to push through."
