Why youth livestock shows are important: Take a look at the 2023 Youth Sheep Show
RAPID CITY, S.D. – The Youth Sheep Show took place at the Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo on Saturday, February 4. The Youth Sheep Show is all about teaching kids the ins and outs of showmanship and how to present livestock.
Part of going through the experience is learning to have a good work ethic.
Why are youth livestock shows important?
Youth livestock shows like these are important because they teach younger generations about everything that goes into raising, presenting and caring for livestock.
“These kids are the future. And they are what’s going to be the future on the other side of everything,” said Casey Huckfeldt, show coordinator at the Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo.
In order for the kids to do well in the show, they need to know a lot about the industry so that they can answer questions from judges or from the public.
Check out these photos from the Youth Sheep Show:
How does it work?
The sheep show is split into two categories: showmanship and market. The showmanship category is judged based on how the exhibitors interact with their sheep.
The market category is evaluated based on the quality and appearance of the lamb.
“You have to try and make them look the best that they can be. So you present them to the best of your ability and to the best way possible to help them show off their muscularity,” said 11-year-old Piper Hickey.
For both categories, it can be difficult to know exactly how the judging will go because the criteria that each judge has can vary from show to show. At the end of the day, the kids like taking part in shows like this because of the animals.
“It’s mostly just the animals I get to be around. I think they’re really fun to be around just because sometimes they’re nice and sometimes they’re not,” said 10-year-old Bentley Hickey.
