Dairy Heifer Program Participants Prepare for Fair Time

July 29, 2021

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With the Morrow County Fair on the horizon, 4-H’ers are gearing up for show time, and the Threemile Canyon Farms Dairy Heifer Program participants are no exception. For the last few months, the participants have been learning all about their animals and how to care for them, and now their attention turns toward the show.

During a recent dairy heifer check-in, guest fair judge Hayden Bush provided some tips and tricks for three key areas of showing heifers:

Clipping Demonstration: 4-H’ers need to ensure their heifer’s hair is trimmed and has a clean look when entering the ring. Judge Bush provided a clipping clinic to show each 4-H’er how to properly trim their heifer for the best results, which was a good refresher for returning participants and new information for first-year kids.
Conformation: Conformation is a rating of a cow’s body type. Since the 4-H’ers are in the dairy class, heifers are evaluated for dairy production. Judge Bush explained how each heifer will be assessed on its udder, teats, top line and overall body composition. At the fair, dairy classes are ranked by the judge and a conformation class winner is selected based on appearance.
Showmanship: Showmanship is based on the 4-H’er’s ability to present the animal in the show ring. Judges evaluate the appearance of the animal, appearance of exhibitor and how heifers respond to being in the ring (leading, standing, poise). Just like the conformation class, the judge will select the best showman and awards will be given.

Our Threemile 4-H’ers have been working hard all year long, and we are very excited for their debut at the Morrow County Fair. If you are interested in attending, the fair runs from August 30 – September 6; the dairy show is Saturday, September 4. More information can be found at the Morrow County Fair website.

We can’t wait to cheer everyone on; we hope to see you there!

“I’m excited to have my first fair experience this year. Due to COVID last year, I couldn’t show at the fair, so this year I’m super excited to show my heifer. My favorite part about this program is waking up and having a responsibility, feeding my heifer, then working with her to get ready for the fair.”
Alexis
Second-year 4-H’er