ST. PAUL – Sixteen well finished beef steers filled the show ring at the St. Paul Ag Corral last Monday evening as conformation and showmanship judges Kelly and Jenna Waltz made their final decisions at the St. Paul 4-H District Show and Sale.
“There are a lot of ways I could go here,” Kelly Waltz said before the pair headed out to give the 2024 Grand and Reserve Champions the ceremonial slap. “They all came to the top of their class.”
Five steers from the Elk Point 4-H Beef Club, three each from the St. Paul, St. Lina and Boscombe 4-H clubs and two from the Goodridge 4-H Club had been chosen from eight classes that afternoon, those classes declared “interesting to sort through” by the judges, with those classes divided at random and including “all sorts and sizes” of steers, their finished weights ranging from 767 to 1,622 pounds.
The Grand Champion slap went to Elk Point 4-H senior member Tyson Kotowich’s 1,622-pound steer, which had been declared that club’s champion a week earlier, while the 1,480-pound steer shown by Boscombe 4-H junior member Lennox St. Arnault was named the Reserve Champion.
The Parade of Champions followed the presentation of awards from the day’s lineup of competitions following a very special presentation to lifelong 4-H supporter and former St. Paul 4-H Beef leader Edith Fontaine, with former club member Megan Kotowich outlining Fontaine’s long involvement with the club, from a member to a leader to her most recent participation as a ringmaster at the club level show.
Grooming was judged by Matthew Trefiak, who placed seniors Courtney Werstiuk, St. Paul, first, Tyson Kotowich, Elk Point, second and Maddison Wirsta, Boscombe, third. Top intermediates were Shyanne Klatt, Elk Point, first, Kale Lavoie, St. Paul, second and Kurt Yaremko, St. Paul, third, while top juniors were Payslee Trefenanko, St. Paul first, Alivia Michaud, St. Lina, second and Hudson Brousseau, Elk Point, third.
Showmanship winners were junior members Lennox St. Arnault, Boscombe, first, Payslee Trefenanko, St. Paul, second and Hjordis St. Arnault, Boscombe, third; intermediates Kurt Yaremko, St. Paul, first, Alexis Danyluk, Elk Point, second and Zack Germain, Elk Point, third; seniors Ethan Yaremko, St. Paul, first, Cloey Germain, Elk Point, second and Alysa Jean, Elk Point third. Judge Jenna Waltz said there were “some really awesome showmen in this class. A lot of work goes into it at home, and you’ve all done great.”
Card judging winners were tabulated by Jason Boorse, with top honors going to juniors Lennox St. Arnault, first, Payslee Trefanenko, second and Josee Lavoie, St. Paul, third; intermediates Kurt Yaremko, first, Hailey Danyluk, Elk Point, second and Morris Amyotte, St. Lina, third; and seniors Lexee Smith, Elk Point, first, Dagne St. Arnault, Boscombe, second and Cloey Germain, Elk Point, third.
The St. Paul team placed first in Club Judging and Elk Point second.
Two Boscombe steers tied for the Rate of Gain award, steers shown by Naya Janz and Caleb Hofer both gaining a whopping 3.83 pounds per day on feed.
Earlier in the show, Elk Point placed first in the Pen of Five competition, with St. Lina coming second.
Penny Fox of Community Futures St. Paul – Smoky Lake was on hand to announce the Stall Display winners, commenting that she could “see some great entrepreneurs in the future” coming out of the clubs. Judging the displays on teamwork and friendliness, cleanliness, overall appearance, parent involvement and promotion and information sharing, she gave Elk Point third place and urged the club, “Keep telling your own story,” second place to Goodridge for their teamwork and first to St. Lina for their good housekeeping, hard work and learning ability.
Mistress of ceremonies for the show was former Elk Point 4-H member Shaylyn Klatt, ringmasters were Cole Dodgsson, Brooke Kotowich, Luke Germain and Ry-Anne Dechaine. With Guy and Ian Brousseau as the show’s weigh masters. Beef project leaders this year are Andrew Yaremko, St. Paul, Denis Kotowich, Elk Point, Shawn Robinson, Goodridge, Dave Dechaine, St. Lina and Ron Wirsta, Boscombe.
Sale time
Then it was time for the sale, with Auctioneer Miles Wowk taking the stand to sell Tyson Kotowich’s Grand Champion for $7.50 per pound to Diamond 7 Meats and Lennox St. Arnault’s Reserve Champion for $6.75 per pound to Xtreme Oilfield Services. The remaining 65 steers sold at prices ranging from $4.00 to $7.90, with a charity calf donated by the St. Paul Feeders Association going for $10 per pound to Upper Mann Construction, and the proceeds going to the Stollery Children’s Hospital.
Another fundraiser, this time for the St. Paul 4-H District, saw a pair of Oilers playoff tickets from Trinity Express sold twice, the first buyer paying $4,800 and donating them back to be sold for $4,500.
