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Young farmers shine at Bonnyville 4-H district show and sale in Cold Lake

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.

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 




Chantel Downes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

About the Author: Chantel Downes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Chantel Downes is a graduate of The King's University, with a passion for writing and storytelling. Originally from Edmonton, she received her degree in English and has a minor in communications.
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