It was time to show off a year’s worth of hard work.
Members of local 4-H clubs spent the better part of Monday, May 28 carting around heifers and steers, as they showed off their hardwork and dedication.
This year, the Bonnyville and District 4-H Show and Sale took on an even bigger role, by inviting more clubs to join in on celebrating their successes.
“It’s great to have all of the clubs here for the very first time,” expressed Reeve Greg Sawchuk. “It has been talked about by our district for a little while, and it’s great to finally have it come together in this new location.”
The event included the Ardmore Wolves 4-H Club, the Lakeland Longriders, and the Scruffy Puppies club this time around.
Although beef was the main focus of the day, the Longriders and Scruffy Puppies still had a chance to show off.
They performed demonstrations throughout the day, to give the community an idea of what their clubs are all about.
Another first for the event, was hosting it at the Bonnyville Rodeo Grounds, which gave the clubs the space they needed in order to open it up to even more groups.
This year, it was Lily Brundige who took the title of Grand Champion Steer, and Grand Champion Heifer.
The young Beaver River 4-H member smiled as she accepted first place in the category for her prize-winning animals.
District leader Bailey May Hobbs also showed well in this year’s event. She participated in the cow/calf conformation, and was happy to see her hard work paid off.
As her only project, Hobbs was able to dedicate her energy into training her calf and keeping her cow in tip-top shape.
“It’s a two-year program rather than a steer, which is just one-year,” described Hobbs. “It’s a little bit of extra work the second year, because you have a baby to try and train too, but the cow is usually halter-broken and calm.”
In this category, members train and raise their cow before moving on to the calf.
Regardless of which project members chose, Hobbs knows the kids are proud to be able to show them off during the Achievement Day.
It’s a lot of work and it’s nice for the kids to be able to show it off to people who understand the work,” she added.
Acting as emcee for the event, Kristie Knudsen was a 10-year member of 4-H.
She talked about the benefits of being a member of the Beaver River 4-H Club.
“To me, 4-H has always been very important. It has taught me many skills over the years,” described Knudsen. “Public speaking, responsibilities, and about learning, training, and feeding cattle, but most of all, about community service.”
As a previous member, Knudsen knows first hand the pride and struggle many members face during their big day.
“To all of the members, I know exactly how all of you may be feeling today - nervous, sad, frustrated, excited – I have been there before numerous times,” she expressed. “You should be proud of your accomplishments this year.”
Mayor Gene Sobolewski agreed that all members should be proud of their accomplishments.
“You’re all winners, have a great time, and enjoy yourselves.”
