Young handlers steer toward success in beef cattle judging at fair

It was a hot August morning during the beef cattle judging at the Northwest Montana Fair on Wednesday, but young competitors with 4-H and Future Farmers of America barely broke a sweat as they showed off their hard work to fairgoers and judges alike.

What makes a good beef cow? According to Beef Barn Superintendent Kaitlyn Bennett, judges are looking for “a nice large frame steer who's going to have a good yield and some good quality market meat.”

But for young people to walk away from the ring with a blue ribbon, they have to have more than just a good-looking steer. For showmanship, the handler is judged on the training of animals, as well as their own appearance and behavior while they lead their animal around the ring.

If the steer isn’t used to a crowd, it can really throw off their game.

Sixteen-year-old Alexis Johnson has been showing steers for three years. Sometimes, steers aren’t cooperative and it’s the handler's job to keep their cool.

“The best thing to do is just stay calm because the animals react to how you are. So, if you freak out the animal will freak out. I just like to stay calm and try to reset us, go in a little circle,” Johnson said.

Luckily, her steer named Harvey was easy to manage in the ring on Wednesday morning, she won a blue ribbon and got called back to participate in the finals. Johnson said she enjoys getting to know her steers while in her care.

“He loves to lick everything, like literally everything. He loves scratches, lots of love, he’s pretty good,” Johnson said.

Washed, brushed and ready to go, steers and their handlers line up to promenade around the ring before Judge Mari Morris. Carson Parish, 15, got Morris’ attention during his first round. He was awarded a blue ribbon and invited back for finals. He’s been bringing steers to competition for four years and previously raised hogs for two years.

His favorite part of the process is seeing his hard work pay off at the competition.

“I like the end result. The butterflies in the beginning get me worried and all those go away after I get done,” Parish said. “I get the steer in September usually and I have them until August, so I have them for almost a year.”

Parish’s family watched from the stands as he competed. With his cousin Raya Gonley being Round Robin, it’s safe to say the Northwest Montana Fair is something the group enjoys taking part in.

“It’s been a tradition since I was 8 or 9 years old, I’ve been out here showing horses and now my kids are doing it. So, it’s just generations of being involved with livestock and enjoying the fair,” Parish’s aunt Kara Gonley said.

Gonley said the experience teaches young people responsibility, cooperation and other important life skills.

Ione Plummer, 15, also won a blue ribbon on Wednesday and was invited back for finals. A veteran to the competition with eight years under her belt, this year she brought a steer she raised all the way from birth.

“I started a breeding project, probably two years ago, and I bought two bred heifers from Montana Ranch. This is the first year I decided to take one of my own to the fair and it's just really exciting to be here. I've had him since he was little,” Plummer said.

The process of raising a steer for market really shows young people the ins and outs of the beef industry, according to Bennett. She said they get to see it play out, and competitors get the benefit of being near industry experts as they learn animal husbandry.

“They get to see from the producer standpoint, like buying their cattle from a producer. But, they also are becoming producers themselves by following a feed program and producing cattle that then will be sold in an auction. So, they get to see every aspect, even from calves being born all the way to cattle being processed and butchered,” Bennett said.

Plummer said she loves animals but hasn’t quite decided whether or not to pursue agriculture as a career. But, as her steer Cannon continually moos throughout her trying to speak, it sends home the fact that her time handling has taught her a lot of patience.

“It's not something you can get away with just doing a lazy job. Because it shows in the end and you have to put in all the work. I've learned through the years just to always put in the best and that's what you'll get back,” Plummer said.

Reporter Taylor Inman can be reached at 406-758-4433 or by emailing tinman@dailyinterlake.com.