Clay Aylesworth has another good day at the Logan County 4-H livestock shows

[August 10, 2022]  On Thursday morning the last two 4-H livestock shows of the 2022 Logan County Fair were going on at approximately the same time. The 4-H and Junior Sheep show was taking place in the sheep arena while the 4-H beef show was underway in the large livestock barn.

For those who may not know, the sheep are kept separate from the other animals because they have sensitivities that other animals do not. Therefore it is important to keep the species away from others to keep it healthy.

With the conclusion of these two shows, the hard work for the 4-h livestock producers was ultimately over, though there would be other responsibilities that they have after the shows, such as deciding on an animal for the 4-H auction to be held on Sunday or making a decision about entering the Junior carcass show that will be next week. They also still have animals to care for, and if they are headed to the state fair, it starts on Thursday, August 11th and then they are thrown into another week of very hard work maintaining and showing their animals.

But nonetheless, they are ready to take a breath. They have accomplished their Logan County Fair mission and can let their hair down just a little bit for the remainder of the fair.

With that to look forward to, the youth put on their show faces, gathered up their animal leads and sticks, and went to work Thursday morning showing their steers.

Thursday was a cooler day than Wednesday, and some of the young animals were a bit “feisty.”

To say that there was one bullheaded steer in the show ring on Thursday is an oxymoron, but we’re going to say it anyway. A little more education for those unaware. A bull is a male cow with the ability to reproduce. A Steer is a male market animal that has been neutered so that it may not reproduce. It’s sole purpose in life is to become steaks and hamburgers, and do well in the Logan County Fair 4-H Steer Show, of course. Thus the oxymoron.

The little lady showing this steer could not have been more than 10 or 11 and probably weighed less than 75 pounds. That 1,100 pound bull was tossing her around like a rag doll. Even when the helpers in the ring had their hands on him he was being contrary and whipping his head trying to get free. None the less, he was a good steer and went on to win a reserve champion in his breed class.



Other steers in the show were also a bit stubborn, but the young men and women handled them and kept them in line long enough to collect a number of blue ribbons as rewards for all their hard work.

Like the swine judging on Wednesday, the steers are judged by breed categories and then weight sub-categories of light, medium and heavy.

In the Black Angus breed there were entries in the second two sub-classes but there were no light Black Angus steers shown.

Phillip Osborn had steers in both the medium and heavy and competed against Kennadie Finchum in the medium weight. As the only entry in the heavy, Osborn took the first place position there, and also edged out Finchum in the medium weight class.

Consequently, Osborn competed against himself for the Black Angus Champion and of course, he won.

In the Herford class the situation was flipped, no heavy animals were shown, only light and medium.

Porter Schwantz was the sole showman in the ring in the light class. In the medium class, Phillip Osborn returned and provided competition for Wyatt Leinenbach.
 

For this breed the Champion went to Porter Schwantz with Leinenbach taking Reserve.

In the Shorthorn breed there was only one animal shown. Grayson Foran took top shorthorn with an animal he had entered in the heavy weight class.

There was one group in the Simmental class. Emma Eeten, Paige Finchum and Porter Schwantz, all three showed their animals in the medium weight class.

The class went to the ladies with Finchum winning Champion Simmental and Eeten taking the Reserve.

Among all the breed classes, the largest showing came in the AOB or All Other Breeds with a total of 13 animals being shown across the three weight classes.

Sophia Goodman was the sole exhibitor in the light weight class.

The medium weight class was the largest individual show of the day with eight exhibitors including Callie Carlton, Jayce Coers, Nate Davis, Phillip Osborn, Anna Parr, Haylee Werts, Aden Wurth, and Brenden Wurth.

In the heavy class of the AOB breed there were four competitors including Clay Aylesworth, Rylee Davison, Paige Finchum, and Jacob Lawrence.

Outside of the final selection for a grand champion, the AOB was the toughest judgment call of the day. The animals were all excellent and well matched in their weight classes. No one animal stood out to the trained eye.

The judge picked the best of the breed from the three classes and announced that the Champion AOB would go to Clay Aylesworth. Nate Davis took the Reserve award.

With all the steers judged, the Commercial Heifers were called into the ring. The announcer explained that the Commercial Heifers are judged with the steers because like their male counterparts, they are destined for the market and will not be bred like the heifers that would compete later in the day in the - H cow and calf categories.
 

The winners of the Commercial Heifer class were Sophia Goodman taking Champion and Joy Werts earning Reserve.

The final round-up pitted the winners of each breed class nose to tail in competition for the Grand Champion of all Steers in the 2022 4-H Steer Show.

After much contemplation, Clay Aylesworth was chosen to hold that title, with Grayson Foran taking the Reserve.

This was the second big win day for Aylesworth, who on Wednesday took the Grand Champion Barrow at the 4-H Swine Show.

Congratulations to all the exhibitors for jobs very well done. All the animals in the arena were top-notch, impressing the judge and earned blue ribbons all around.

[Nila Smith]