Livestock Clinic Prepares Youth for Upcoming Shows

By Joel Frady

The scene was perfect at the Ashe Ag Expo Center in West Jefferson on Saturday, May 16: the skies were

blue, a slight breeze whisked through one's hair and horses, sheep and goats were ready for the big moment.

Or, in this case, a replication of that moment as local volunteers from the North Carolina Cooperative Extension and Ashe Friends of Agriculture held a free livestock showmanship clinic for local youth.

Charles Young, area agent for the N.C. Cooperative Extension, said that the clinic went "quite well" and that it helped prepare a handful of Ashe County youth for their upcoming Open Horse Show on Saturday, May 30, and their annual livestock show on July 4.

The animals for the youth to present were provided by two local businesses: Bob Hale of B&L Enterprises in Jefferson provided sheep and goats, while Danny Lambert of Burnt Hill Stables in Laurel Springs provided the horses.

Both men said that they provided their services to help the children.

"I just love to watch the kids show," said Lambert. "I don't care if they're showing cattle or if they're showing sheep or goats, as long as they're showing something." He noted that, when it comes to learning to show, it's better for the children to get started at a young age.

"We start them at six, because they have no fear at that age," Lambert said with a grin. "They just want to ride."

Lambert said that he hand-picked the horses he brought - mostly barrel horses - because "you can't go out and buy any horse - they're temperamental and everything is different on every horse. It's a job to get a kid's horse."

Hale said that he helps because he wants to provide youth the opportunity to "see if they want to show, and they can go where they want to from that point." He added that the event is "good for the Ag department and the future of Ashe County.

"If someone doesn't grow something to eat, we won't have anything to eat when I get old," he said.

Young said the clinic helped prepare the children for the May 30 show.

"It's an open horse show, which means there are classes for everybody all the way from halter up through barrel racing," said Young. The classes are split into both youth classes and adult classes, approximately 30, and the show will start at approximately 10 a.m.

He noted that the point of the show is "mainly to have fun," but they will be offering ribbons to all the class winners. Adults participating in the game classes will, however, have the chance to compete for monetary prizes - "the top three places split the entry fees," according to Young.

Hale noted that "if any of the children in the county are interested in showing livestock - sheep, goats, cattle or horses - if they would contact the extension office by the end of May and let us know, we would be able to appropriate some animals for them to show."

The rain date for the Open Horse Show is Sunday, May 31.

To find out more, contact the N.C. Cooperative Extension Office, Ashe Center, at (336) 846-5850 or click to ashe.ces.ncsu.edu.