RANDALL COUNTY, Texas (KVII) — Since 1948, the Randall County Junior Livestock Show has helped steer kids into the Agriculture industry. This year’s show returned to its home county after moving to Armstrong County due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

For the more than 200 students who entered an animal, they’re learning an important life skill.

“You really get to learn a lot about them and how they work how you work well with them,” said Hadlee Cook, junior livestock participant.

“Showing animals is a really good way to learn responsibility,” said Alex Wilson, junior livestock participant.

Helping to develop life skills and learning to build a strong work ethic is helping kids who raise animals. For many of the kids who grow up around livestock, they build a solid foundation of family values.

That’s the hope for parents and kids alike as the Randall County Junior Livestock Show kicks off this week.

“My parents also try to equate it with raising children they eat before we do and we have to take care of them every day before ourselves,” said Barrett Bradshaw, junior livestock participant.

“It builds a lot of connection it exposes you to people and experiences it teaches you a lot of responsibility and life skills it can also help you build up finances to pay your way through college there are just many different benefits to being in a show barn,” said Wilson.

“We pride ourselves on the care we take for our animals so that carries out into college or whenever we enter the workforce,” said Cook.

Showing animals provides intangible benefits but the responsibility the kids learn competes for time invested in other interests. That’s why 4H and FFA are looking at other methods to attract the interest of more kids who turn to technology and sports.

“Livestock projects aren’t for every kiddo but those that are interested it’s a great opportunity,” said J.D. Ragland, Randall Co. Extension Agent. “Our species include cattle sheep swine and goats and rabbits and also broilers so were very active and very blessed in Randall County.”

For the next generation that has spent many months and hundreds of dollars preparing their animals, there is a premium auction sale that will be taking place this Saturday on the campus of West Texas A&M University in Canyon.

The Premium Auction Sale is at 6 p.m. there is a buyer social and steak dinner at 5 p.m.

Written by Drew Powell