'Showtime' for Oklahoma Agriculture Students

Months of preparation, practice, and hard work are on display this week, but no sports are involved.

Wednesday, February 15th 2012, 7:16 pm

By: News 9


Months of preparation, practice, and hard work are on display this week, but no sports are involved.

The Southwest District Youth Livestock Show started Wednesday and runs the rest of the week at the Grady County Fairgrounds in Chickasha.

Thirteen-year-old Jennifer Kennedy and her parents traveled from Amber, Oklahoma for this week's show.  She's been showing livestock as long as she can remember. 

"Ever since I was born I've been around showing sheep and showing pretty much all the animals," said Kennedy.

Kennedy's sheep won some prizes on Wednesday, but she still has more to do. 

"We feed 'em morning and night, and if sometimes we need to feed 'em at noon we do that," Kennedy said.  "Then every other day we work on showmanship."

Union City's Tanner Allread also won with his doe goat named Carla.  The eighteen-year-old won his class, but figures he'll have more work to do once he gets back home.

"'Cause I have to be here on actually a school day," Allread said.  "And then make up for that homework that I'm missing today." 

That juggling act is something that Oklahoma 4H and FFA organizations focus on with their members.  The organizations are agriculture-based, but spend considerable time teaching life skills such as time management and instilling a strong work ethic in students.

Jim Yokum, the show's chairman, even made the rounds as a youngster.

"Started when I was thirteen years old and I'm seventy," said Yokum.  "So I've been at it awhile."

The  show began Wednesday with goat judging, and will continue through the weekend with cattle on Thursday and hogs on Friday and Saturday.

"It gets in your blood," said Yokum.  "It's part of your life." 

 

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