A dozen sheep. Five minutes spent with each one. Every day. All summer long.
Fourth grader Jacquelyn Heldberg and her eighth-grade brother Marshall Heldberg (above) logged tons of hours on their farm north of Cleveland preparing for the 4H Sheep Show, which was held at the Le Sueur County Fair on Friday.
But their hard work paid off as the siblings won their respective age class in showmanship, a competition where they and their animal are pitted with other tandems in a show ring. Participants are judged on how well they control and show off their animal.
“You have to make sure they don’t jump around,” said the younger Heldberg, whose parents, Rachel and Frank Heldberg, taught her the finer points of displaying her lambs. “You have to brace them and set them up. You make sure their feet are apart and aligned well. You put your knee into them, and then their back will be nice and flat and stiff.”
Being in a show ring with an audience watching and a judge nearby is nerve racking, she said, but she takes deep breaths, and then participating becomes enjoyable.
“It’s fun to lead them around…and winning.”
Besides taking first in the intermediate (grades 6-8) showmanship contest, Marshall Heldberg was the intermediate interview champion in a competition that is held off stage and requires lots of knowledge about the animal type. He and several other members of the Cleveland Pioneers also participated in the beef show, including his classmates Taylor Wolf and Kaitlyn Flowers, fifth grader Amelia Baker and her freshman sister Samantha Baker.
While she keeps her beef cattle on her uncle’s farm near Le Sueur, Wolf raises her goats on her grandfather Myron Wolf’s farm just south of Cleveland. She was the intermediate showmanship reserve champion at the fair for that species. Her first-grade sister Jasmine Wolf, a “Cloverbud” (grades K-2), also showed goats.
The Baker sisters as well as Flowers and her two sisters: Natalie Flowers (fifth grade) and Julia Flowers (first grade) were in the ring with their pigs at the swine show on Saturday. Natalie Flowers was the champion in beginner (grades 3-5) swine showmanship and won the interview competition too.
Amelia Baker also had a horse at the fair.
Raising livestock is unique among 4H projects because participants not only have to show off their animals but themselves too, all in front of an audience.
Natalie Flowers was the champion in beginner swine showmanship.
Jasmine and Taylor Wolf pose with their goats. Taylor was intermediate reserve champion in the showmanship category.
Jacquelyn Heldberg poses with one of her lambs.
Marshall Heldberg poses with his lamb after winning the showmanship competition.
Samantha Baker poses with her heifer beef calf.
Kaitlyn Flowers and Taylor Wolf in the beef show.
Marshall Heldberg leads his yearling beef heifer through the show ring.
Amelia Baker guides her yearling beef calf through the ring.
Cloverbud Julia Flowers drives her pig around the show ring.
Kaitlyn Flowers guides her crossbred gilt around the show ring.
Natalie Flowers and her market barrow.
Amelia Baker guides her pig around the ring.
Samantha Baker looks to the judge in the swine show ring.