District VI takes over National Western Stock Show

By Lacey Mann, CSU 4-H Extension Agent, Bent & Prowers Counties

Southeast Area—The dust from National Western Stock Show has finally settled and District VI 4-H members took the annual show by storm.  4-H members competed in market goat, market swine and Catch-A-Calf (CAC) and placed well throughout the course of the show.

            The first weekend of NWSS had Lakota Roberson, Kiowa County, showing her CAC that she caught at the 2013 contest.  She was sponsored by the Flying Diamond Ranch throughout the course of her project year.  The CAC program begins by catching a calf during a PRCA rodeo performance at NWSS.  The CAC members then gather in May for a sponsor breakfast at the NWSS grounds where they meet their calf sponsors and pick up a market steer or heifer.  Over the next seven months the exhibitors write their sponsors monthly about the daily care and progress of their market calf.  The exhibitors also complete a record book which will be judged when they bring their calf to show at NWSS.  This year we had two new CAC members, Alex Hishinuma, Kiowa County and Angelina Downing, Prowers County.  Both members caught and will begin the CAC program in May with the sponsor breakfast and the selection of their market steer.  “The best part so far was being able to catch a calf in front of so many people,” Downing said. 

            “The National Western Stock Show Catch-a-Calf Program is great for exposing youth to the beef industry. They are able to experience raising a steer from weaning to finish. They also learn about different facets that go into beef production, including managing growth, making feed decisions, and keeping records. I would recommend the program to all youth with an interest in beef production,” Amy Kelley, Cheyenne County 4-H agent said.

            District VI had eight market goat exhibitors; Rod Hall, Crowley County; Cassidy Jagers, Kiowa County; Jakob Juul, Otero County; Lexy Koehn, Leandra Melgoza, Makendra, Makayla and Makenzie Torres, Prowers County.  All the exhibitors had animals place throughout the classes and in showmanship. 

Amber Comer, Prowers County, was the lone market swine exhibitor and she placed with one of her hogs.

“The Southeast Area was well represented at that NWSS. It was great to see so many youth from the area showing at the national level,” Kelley said.     

If your child is interested in joining 4-H or you would like further information on the 4-H program, please contact your local CSU Extension Office; Baca County 719-523-6971, Bent County 719-456-0764, Cheyenne County 719-767-5716, Crowley County 719-267-5243, Kiowa County 719-438-5321, Otero County 719-254-7608, Prowers County 719-336-7734. 4-H is a cooperative effort between CSU Extension and the County.