Clarendon, Hedley youth represent county well

Donley County youth have had been very busy over the last several weeks participating in livestock shows across Texas and in Colorado.

The kids who participated were from both Clarendon and Hedley schools and were members of the Donley County 4-H or their school’s FFA chapter.

On January 19, Hannah and Tres Hommel and Lilly Carr Exhibited Market swine projects at the National Western Livestock show in Denver with Hannah’s Duroc Barrow Placing 9th and Tres’ Hampshire Barrow Placing 11th.

Local youth began exhibiting at the Fort Worth Livestock Show on January 20 with open Junior Heifers. Jacob and Kay Hewitt of Clarendon exhibited their Braunvieh heifer projects, and Kay placed 8th place. The Junior Market show began on January 30 with Brendon Hough of Hedley exhibiting his lamb project.

Also from Hedley were Seth Ruthardt, Caden Farris, and Austin Adams who exhibited Market Steer projects with Seth placing 2nd with his light weight exotic calf. Brittney and Kelsey McAnear, Jayson and John Pigg, Tres and Hannah Hommel, Kaden Bennett, Trevor Cobb, Annie Patten and Kylie Phillips of Clarendon also exhibited steer projects, and Brittney McAnear placed 8th with her Shorthorn steer. Also from Clarendon exhibiting market Swine projects were Lilly Carr, Kelsey McAnear, and Seth Greer.

At the San Antonio Livestock show Kati Adams and Austin Adams of Hedley exhibited Market Swine projects with Kati receiving 12th place with a Spot. Chris Blackburn of Hedley and Trevor Cobb and Annie Patten from Clarendon also exhibited Market Steer projects with Chris exhibiting 5th place Angus, Trevor placing 7th in the Chi’s, and Annie 10th with her ABC Steer.

Twelve local youth participated at the San Angelo Livestock show on February 24 and 25. Exhibiting Market Swine projects from Hedley were Kati and Austin Adams, Reid Copelin, Collin and Caylor Monroe, and Payton and Grayson Morris with Austin exhibiting a 1st place Spot, Kati showing 4th place Cross and 5th place Hampshire, Reid exhibiting 8th place Hampshire, and Grayson Morris exhibited a 4th place Yorkshire. Participating in the Market Swine division from Clarendon were Trent White, David Johnson, and Dalton Benson. Tres and Hannah Hommel also exhibited market steer projects.

Wrapping up the winter and spring major livestock show season in Houston this month, a total of 20 youth exhibited projects in the Market Steer and Swine divisions.

From Clarendon Jayson and Jacob Pigg, Tres Hommel, Charleston Harris, Trevor Cobb, Kaden Bennett, Brittney and Kelsey McAnear, Annie Patten, and Joseph Russell exhibited Market Steer projects with Tres Placing 8th with his Limousine Steer and Brittney Placing 12th with her Chi steer. Also participating in the Market steer show from Hedley were Chris Blackburn, Austin Adams, Seth Ruthardt, and Caden Farris with Chris placing 7th in the Angus division.

Swine exhibitors included Austin and Kati Adams, Kallie and Kyle Lindsey, Coltin Kingston, Colby Ford and Reid Copelin of Hedley with Reed placing 6th place with his Duroc Barrow.

Hedley and Clarendon Ag Science teachers Lon Adams and Don Hillis and Donley County Extension Agent Leonard Haynes are very proud of all of these local youth and their families for spending countless hours working with their livestock projects and learning responsibility, the value of hard work and the importance of family support in preparing these projects for major show competition.