LAKELAND - With boots on the ground and animals in tow, young farmers from across the region filled the Cold Lake Agricultural Society grounds on May 26 for the Bonnyville 4-H District 2025 Show and Sale, marking the grand finale of a year’s worth of hard work, responsibility, and rural pride.
The annual event, featuring members from the Ardmore, Bonnyville, and Beaver River Beef Clubs, began with a show at 10 a.m., followed by an awards ceremony at 6 p.m. and the livestock sale at 7 p.m.
“This is the big achievement day at the end of the year,” said Steph McMann, general leader of the Ardmore Beef Club, the group in charge of hosting this year’s event.
The show featured a range of projects including heifer, first and second-year cow-calf, herd, and market steer entries. The latter were auctioned off in the evening, following a buyer’s dinner hosted by the Ardmore club.
“We supply a dinner before the auction for all the buyers that are interested,” McMann said.
This marked the second time in recent years the event returned to Cold Lake.
“Three years ago, when Ardmore hosted, was the first year that it had come back to Cold Lake for quite a few years,” McMann explained, adding that the choice of venue made sense. “They have a nice facility . . . it's sort of our home base.”
The Ardmore club currently includes 14 members between the ages of eight and 16.
“We have Cleavers, which are little guys that don't show but are still included in the club . . . and then we have juniors, intermediates and seniors,” said McMann.
Beyond raising livestock, members also engage in public speaking, community projects like Sparkle in the Park, and do charity work for the food bank. “We're helping in all different kinds of areas, anybody within the community,” McMann said.
Awards were handed out for various classes such as showmanship, grooming, and conformation. “The awards are done based on the show during the day,” said McMann. Prizes ranged from ribbons and belt buckles to piggy banks and custom 4-H water bottles.
One of the day’s top honors was the Rate of Gain Award, given to the market steer with the highest daily weight gain.
“That calf was gaining in weight every single day since the day that they weighed in . . . it’s a huge accomplishment,” said McMann. The winning steer was selected from a field of 54 and gained over four pounds per day. Rate of Gain Champion Market Steer was Jaycee Babb whose steer gained 4.15 lbs/day.
Reflecting on the overall experience, McMann highlighted how the program fosters personal growth. “It's a really big learning opportunity for the kids . . . They grow and learn so much respect for themselves, respect for their community.”
Those interested in joining 4-H can explore clubs focused on arts, small engines, and horse projects. Newcomers are welcome to attend meetings to learn more about the clubs.
Bonnyville 4-H District Beef Show results
Pen of Five
1st – Ardmore 4-H Beef
2nd – Beaver River Beef 4-H
3rd – Bonnyville Beef 4-H
Cleaver Kids
Rosalyn Martindale
Tessa Lee
Ryley Kardash
Ezra Beriault
William Thiessen
Fia Vasseur
Heath Williams
Junior judging
1st – Colton Mathes
2nd – Ellen Livingston
3rd – Ollie Schoch
Intermediate judging
1st – Luke Brundige
2nd – Vanessa Vasseur
3rd – Arielle Theisse
Senior judging
1st – Mason Tetreau
2nd – Lily Brundige
3rd – Carson Thiessen
Junior grooming
1st – Sara Pardell
2nd- Ellen Livingston
Intermediate grooming
1st – Luke Brundige
2nd- Melody Brundige
Senior grooming
1st – Lily Brundige
2nd- Zach Thiessen
Junior showmanship
1st – Ollie Schoch
2nd- Jesse Thiessen
Intermediate showmanship
1st – Katie Thomson
2nd- Luke Brundige
Senior showmanship
1st – Ashlyn Tkachuk
2nd- Lily Brundige
Heifer Class
1st – Luke Brundige
2nd- Lily Brundige
2-Year Cow/Calf
1st – Luke Brundige
2nd – Lily Brundige
3-Year Cow/Calf
1st – Lily Brundige
2nd - Hudson Martindale
Supreme Female
1st - Luke Brundige heifer 2nd
2nd- Luke Brundige 2 yr old
Market Steer
Grand Champion Market Steer – Lily Brundige
Reserve Champion Market Steer - Isabella Duguid
