Hannah Styles
hstyles@thesmokymountaintimes.com
Swain County 4-H livestock club held a three-county livestock clinic on Thursday evening to help youngsters get ready for the Swain Agricultural Fair show. Participants from Swain, Jackson and Macon counties got to practice with their lambs in the newly built arena at Great Smoky Mountains Event Park, as Macon County Livestock Agent, Joe Deal gave them feedback and pointers.
It was an adorable sight, all the kiddos prancing around with their lambs.
Students in the program raise their lambs and take care of them at their homes and practice with them to get ready for the shows.
As the kids entered the arena, Deal reminded them to keep a “lamb’s length between each one” and asked the kids what letter they wanted their lamb to look like while showing. “An L!” he kids chimed in unison.
During the show, participants lead their lambs in a circle around the arena, following one another, and wait for instructions from the judge. Deal explained that each judge from each show is different and to listen to their specific directions. Once the judge tells the participants to stop, they must stand still with their lamb and get them into an “L” pose, facing their head up and toward the judge. The kids looked confident with their lambs as Deal gave them advice and reminded them to “turn out” their lamb if they began misbehaving, which means walk them in a circle and bring them back to the original position.
This event featured kids from 6-13 but kids 5-18 can get involved with the livestock club, 4-H Swain County 4-H Youth Development, Extension Agent Kyla-Jo Farmer explained. Only ages 8 and up will be judged in the shows.
Six-year-old Emma was practicing with her lamb, “Emnight” and is a Cloverbud in the 4-H Club. Her lamb is 12 weeks old, her mom Ashley Gibson told me.
“When we first got him, he was 18 pounds, now he is about 58 pounds now,” Gibson said. “He eats a lot,” she laughed. “About three 50-pound bags in a month and a half.”
Emma keeps Emnight at home and takes care of him, feeding him, cleaning up after him, and spending time with him, as the other participants in the club do.
“We are learning responsibility, sportsmanship, and motivation,” clinic instructor Joe Deal said. “You want to be happy for whoever wins and not get frustrated, just work to do better next time.”
Shows are a lot of fun, but also require concentration and patience.
“You want your lamb to look the best it can look at all times,” Deal said. “I want you to have fun, but when you come into the arena, you’ve got to mean business, be serious while showing your lamb.”
At the end of participants' time in the arena, five competitors are pulled to the front to be judged for the first five places.
“If you don’t win, be good sports and be appreciative,” Deal reminded the kids.
What to wear to a show:
Participants in a livestock show are encouraged to wear blue jeans, boots, and a collared button-down shirt for show etiquette.
“Look your best, don’t look like you just rolled out of bed,” Deal said.
Not only is making sure your lamb does well in the show important, making them look their best is also what participants will be judged on.
Most participants shear their sheep and leave their lamb’s legs longer, to make them look nice. Deal even sheared a sheep for the kids to watch and learn.
There were 14 kids who attended the clinic, but there are more in the club from Swain that weren’t present.
Kyla-Jo Farmer said that kids can sign up at any time for the livestock club but there is a deadline to register for each show.
“If kids are interested but don’t have an animal yet, they can join the club and we can work with them on getting their animal,” Farmer said.
Participants can show sheep, cows, and sometimes pigs. Usually, younger kids show sheep and older groups show cattle.
The Swain County Agricultural Fair is coming up in a few weeks on Saturday, Aug 20, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and will hold livestock shows throughout the day. Participants can win ribbons and grand champion banners.