For months now, kids from all over the county have been diligently working with and caring for a variety of animals with 4-H. They’ve had to take on the responsibility and challenge of making sure the animals have plenty of feed and water, washing the animals, and working with them to train them to go and stand where they need them. Their hard work pays off and is shown at its fullest when they take the animals to show. With the upcoming Clarke County 4-H Show and Sale on January 14, some members have given a brief glimpse of what animals they plan to show and why they enjoy doing it.
Jake Bentley
Jake Bentley started out showing animals in peewee and has been showing officially as part of 4-H for two years now.
While he will be showing cattle and a goat, he also enjoys other things about participating in the livestock show. He has been able to meet new people and make new friends.
“My favorite thing is to meet new people,” declared Jake. “I like doing the shows because I get to meet new people and learn more about it.”
Jake also enjoys showing the cattle the most.
“I like showing the steers the most because you don’t have to do a lot of stuff with them,” said Jake. “You have to put a lot of work into it, though. The hardest part is to set the animals up.”
After only a couple of years officially showing the animals, Jake believes that he can already see where he has learned new things.
“At first, I didn’t know how to do anything,” recalled Jake. “As the years have gone by, I’ve learned how to do stuff.”
His knowledge of how to take care of and show the animals has paid off.
“I won Grand Champion steer at a jackpot show this year,” proclaimed Jake.
Now, he is just focused on working more with his steer and continuing to practice.
