Cumby FFA member, Kobie Hodgdon, proudly displays his market goat, that he looks
forward to taking to the Market Show, next week, at the Hopkins Co. Regional Civic Center.
Cumby FFA Increases County Show
Participation 1400%
by: Bobby McDonald
Last year, the Cumby FFA only had one student show in the 2005 Hopkins County Market Show. However, this year, fourteen students are entered in the upcoming show, February 23, 24, & 25th. "We have two steers, one pig, three pens of chickens, and eight goats entered," stated Dwight Clifton, Cumby Vocational Agriculture Teacher. "We just had a number of students wishing to show animals this year, and I'm extremely proud of their work and participation."
Clifton hosted a "warm-up" show session at the Cumby High School, on Thursday, February 16th, where students were encouraged to bring their animals to the school and practice showing them, as well as taking care of some of the grooming techniques that needed to be done, before the show next week. Clifton had a small show ring assembled, so that students who had never shown before, could practice the proper showing methods and ask questions, in a trial effort.
Michael Tucker and Kaylee Giles are the two steer participants from the Cumby Chapter. Kaylee's steer weighs approximately 1300 pounds and is feeding her steer about 25 pounds of grain and hay, in anticipation of the upcoming show. This is nine year old Kaylee's first year to show a project. Her steer's name is "Cinch."
Nine year old Kaylee Giles and her steer, "Cinch" are looking forward to making the trip to the
Hopkins County Civic Center for the Market Show, next week.
"I think my steer weighs somewhere around 1250 pounds," stated Michael Tucker. "I showed a steer last year and made it into the sale, but I think my steer this year is even better!" Michael got his steer from a beef cattle breeder near Wolf City, and hopes to do well with it being his senior year and last year to show.
Cumby Senior, Michael Tucker, and his market steer, that plan to make the trip to
Sulphur Springs, next week, to participate in the 2006 NETLA Market Show.
Amber Hammons, a Cumby FFA member, is the only member of her chapter showing a pig in the show, but nonetheless, hopes to do well with her entry. Then, there are eight individuals who have purchased market goats for the show. They are: Travis Furguson, Zack Steward, Chis Oneal, Micke Morris, Andy Cline, Ryan Vaughn, Jake Elliott, and Kobie Hodgdon. The goat exhibitors were on hand Thursday afternoon to participate in a practice show at the school, learning the proper showing techniques, from Ag Teacher, Dwight Clifton.
Cumby Ag Teacher, Dwight Clifton, gives goat exhibitors pointers on the "fine art" of showing, at the
practice show held Thursday afternoon, at the Cumby School.
Students lined their goats up just like they will at the Market Show, to be held in the Hopkins County
Civic Center.
Students led their goats around the ring, just as they will be expected to do for the "main event," at
showtime.
And, one student, Mike Morris, found his goat wanting to lead him around the ring!
Three members of the Cumby FFA will be exhibiting pens of broilers in the show. They each received 25 baby chicks and have fed them to market weight. They will then select the most uniform three individuals and bring them as a "pen" to the show. Students from Cumby entering poultry projects are: Andy Cline, Alex Hammons, and Paige Massey.
Cumby FFA student, Alex Hammons, proudly displays one of his twenty-five chicks that he has reared
to market weight. He will be selecting three of them to bring to the show for competition, with hopes of
doing well in the Market Show.
"Showing livestock projects is a great way to teach your students responsibility and the concept of working together with other individuals," states Dwight Clifton. "The students learn to help each other and the ability to start a project and see it through to completion."
The schedule for the NETLA Market Show will be the exhibition of Goats and Lambs, on Thursday night, February 23rd. Then, Friday night classes will be devoted to Market Swine, with Saturday reserved for the Steer Show and the Broiler Show. The Sale of Champions will be conducted at 6:00 p.m., on Saturday, February 25th.
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Congratulations and Best of Luck
To The Cumby FFA Students
And Their Projects!
