Elk Point 4-H Beef Club’s grand champion steer has now become the St. Paul District’s Grand Champion. Conformation judge Lance Leachman chose Kailey Wirsta’s 1,467-pound steer was chosen from a field of 14 finalists in Monday’s Parade of Champions, to win the Master Feeds banner and the St. Paul District 4-H Council trophy. The steer later sold to North Park Collision and Frame for $3.60 per pound.
Leachman’s second pick, for the Reserve Champion title, went to Alyssa Jodoin of St. Lina, who accepted the Caouette and Sons Implements banner and the County of St. Paul No. 19 trophy, and who sold her steer to RPM Contracting for $3.10 per pound.
Other steers in the Parade of Champions were shown by Jayci Marcoux of Elk Point, Kale Seguin, Keagan Locke, Brooke Corbiere, Alexa Locke, Brett Seguin and Tyler Jodoin of St. Lina, Megan Kotowich, Kristina Kotowich and Jamie Kuzma of St. Paul and Haley Dechaine and Carson Dechaine of Boscombe, which were chosen from seven weight classes of nine steers each.
Earlier in the day, 4-H members from across the district competed in judging, both as individuals and teams, showmanship and grooming, and brought out carefully chosen pens of five steers for the judge’s consideration.
This year’s Pen of Five trophy, from TD Canada Trust, St. Paul, went to St. Lina, with the Elk Point five qualifying for the second place ribbon.
The show’s Daily Gain win also went to St. Lina, with Kale Seguin receiving the Master Feeds trophy for his steer, which gained 3.90 pounds per day.
Grooming and Showmanship were judged by Doug Roxbrough, who chose Heidi Tymko of Elk Point for first place in the Senior division of both categories, for the Smyl Motors and Servus Credit Union awards, with St. Paul members Jamie Kuzma and Megan Kotowich placing second for the St. Paul 4-H District Council and ATB Financial awards.
Kailey Wirsta topped both categories in the Intermediate group to take home the Lakeland Family Eyecare and Terry Holmgren awards, with Kyle Yaremko of St. Paul second in both for the Fountain Tire and TD Canada Trust awards.
Lexi Wirsta of Elk Point took first place in Junior Grooming and accepted the Tri-Ag Implements award, while Mercedes Trefanenko of St. Paul placed second for the Century 21 Poirier Realty award and went on to place first in Junior Showmanship for the Agland award, with Emily Yaremko, St. Paul, second for the ATB Financial award.
Although Judging was the first event on the day’s agenda, the 4-Hers had to wait until the very end for the results. First place, for the St. Paul Municipal Seed Cleaning trophy and the AGSI award in Club Judging, went to Boscombe, with second and the Wozniak Bulk Fuels award going to St. Lina.
In the individual judging, Lexi Wirsta was first and Ryan Fodchuk, St. Paul, second in the Junior category for prizes from Grace Gardens Funeral Chapel and St. Paul District 4-H Council. Macey Ann Marcoux of Elk Point was first and Alyssa Jodoin second in the Intermediates, their prizes sponsored by AGSI, while in the Seniors, Jazlyn Beaudin of St. Paul took top honors for the St. Paul Seed Cleaning Association prize and Meagan Wirsta of Boscombe was second for a prize sponsored by Ron Wirsta.
The Stall Display winners also had to wait until the end of the show to learn the good news, with the Hi Pro Feeds Ltd. Trophy going to Goodridge 4-H Beef Club and the second place ribbon to St. Lina.
MCSNet sponsored all ribbons for the show.
Senior members from each club came forward to present thank you cards to emcee Spencer Graling, the judges, the stall display judge from the County of St. Paul, ringmasters Edith Fontaine, Guy Brousseau and Marc Caouette, weigh masters Ron Wirsta, Guy Brousseau and Real Corbiere. Auctioneers Mark and Andy Jubinville were presented with leather jackets with the 4-H District logo in recognition of 20 years as the auctioneers for the annual steer sale.
Then it was on with the sale, where the average price for the 63 steers was $2.75 per pound. The final steer to enter the ring was accompanied by the entire St. Paul club, and was sold for a total price of $6.30 per pound, with almost $9,000 in proceeds going to the breakfast programs in schools that the St. Paul Beef members attend. Purchasers from Agland paid $3.50 per pound on the full weight of the 1,392-pound animal, although they would receive only half the beef and Lewis Farms and Everett Trucking shared the cost of the other half, paying $2.80 per pound. St. Paul’s Robertson Group also sponsored the charity calf.
