One hundred five animals were slated to be featured in the La Plata County Fair Junior Livestock Auction Saturday at La Plata County Fairgrounds in Durango.
Fifteen sheep, 33 swine, 22 goats, 11 poultry, and 24 cows were scheduled for the sale Saturday evening.
Young participants in the auction were excited.
Lauren Harwood said she raised two cows, a 3-year-old brown Jersey dairy cow and a black calf that were shown in the dairy showmanship and production categories and the calf show, respectively, on Friday.
“I feel very proud of myself. I'm the only dairy exhibitor,” she said, clarifying she means in the dairy cattle category. “And because I won my showmanship class, I got to represent the dairy in the round robin,” she said.
In the past, Harwood has raised sheep and horses, but Susy, the brown Jersey dairy cow, was her first cattle project, she said.
Participants in cattle shows tend to carry a big ego, she said.
“Everyone has the right to take pride in their livestock and an animal, but … it's kind of a high and mighty thing to show a cow,” she said.
She said showing sheep previously was a different experience. Sheep aren’t very intelligent and one must herd them during showings. Steers are just too big for Harwood, who has a tiny frame.
“Where we live, it is functional to have a dairy cow around. So I thought, well, we just make ourselves a little more self-sufficient and get the dairy cow and then I can present her at the fair and not really have to worry about being slammed and beaten around,” she said.
Harwood said she’s earned ribbons and trophies in previous showings, but that’s not why she raises livestock.
“I much prefer just the self confidence that it gives me to say I worked hard to present an animal to the public, and I know that I treat at home, I treated that animal with respect and kindness, and because of that, I have a healthy and happy animal that also will give me happy and healthy products,” she said.
She said all the participating kids and livestock raisers work hard and all deserve an equal chance at awards and acknowledgments.
“It’s great that these kids come together to spend a week and cheer each other on and lift each other up, despite the differences and whatever species you decide to show if you do a general project instead of a livestock project,” she said.
Moriah Ashley was raising two cows and a calf. She highlighted her market steer, which weighs in a 1,156 pounds.
She raised the steer and watched it grow from a calf over a year and a half. Cows and steers don’t grow as fast if they aren’t on a grain diet, she said.
Ashley said she intends to sell her animals at the auction to raise money for college. She’s been in 4-H for about 10 years. All of her siblings have also participated to one extent or another.
She said she won sixth best in class, adding it’s not the greatest position but something she’s still proud of. She also said raising and showing livestock becomes the centerpiece of some people’s lives, instead of sports or other activities.
“I learned how to establish a routine and just to work hard and value it,” she said.
Ashley said 4-H taught her how to care for another living thing. She never had to learn how to raise a dog, for example. But her experiences raising livestock taught her how to appreciate the hard work she’d put in.
cburney@durangoherald.com
