Steers, pigs and calves — oh my! Area 4H student competes in state, county fairs
WOOSTER – Owen Bailey is like a lot of other 12-year-old boys.
He spends time with his friends at school and attends football practice in the afternoon, but what makes him unique is the things he does back home.
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Bailey gets up around 5 a.m. every day to feed and wash his steer before going to school and does the same thing again when he gets home from practice.
He has been raising steers for the past five years and has competed in several 4H competitions and shows. Over that time, he has won several awards including being named one of the top 10 showmen of his age group in state for the past two years.
As Bailey prepares for this year’s Wayne County Fair, he shared how he prepares for shows and the kinds of skills 4H programs can teach young adults.
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What is 4H? How does it work?
Originating from a youth program in Clark County, 4H clubs have been around since the early 1900s with roughly 6 million children and teens that participate each year, according to the 4H national history page.
Through the program, kids can learn about various topics such as science, agriculture, health and civic engagement through projects that are led by adult mentors. Some of these projects include things like raising an animal for a fair, which is what Bailey does.
He has shown several types of animals — including pigs and feeder calves — but the main animal he enjoys working with is steers, also known as young male cattle.
Over the years Bailey has shown a total of six steers, each one having its own unique habits and quirks that he gets to see as he works with them.
“They all have way different personalities,” Bailey said. “Like my steer last year, you’d be best friends and then he would hate you and then you’d be best friends. Where my steer this year just moseyed around.”
Making bonds with animals and people
Bailey usually starts the process of finding a new steer right after the Wayne County Fair and usually finds one by the end of October. After finding it, Bailey immediately begins raising and bonding with the animal by taking care of it.
Washing, feeding, walking and spending time with the steers are just some of the main ways that Bailey not only gets them ready for shows but also gets them to trust him.
Outside of bonding with the animal, Bailey also has other things he must prepare for the 4H competition each year. Informational project books, overall animal knowledge and presentation skills can all factor into how well someone places in shows.
While there is a lot that must be done before the fair, Bailey said having people — like his mom, dad and animal specialists — helping him has been a game changer and something he recommends others keep in mind.
“Don't do it all on your own, there's tons of people that are willing to help if you just ask them,” Bailey said. “... Everyone's competing against each other, but everyone still wants everybody to do well.”
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'More than just showing animals’
Volunteer work is another big part of the 4H program so Bailey and his family help locally through volunteering at the Salvation Army and by participating in charity shows.
Most recently, Bailey helped raise a total of $68,000 for the Ronald McDonald House Charities during Dean’s Charity Steer Show at the Ohio State Fair.
There is countless other skills Bailey has learned through 4H — like responsibility, finances and public speaking — but one of the biggest skills he has learned is how to market themselves and their animals to possible bidders.
With the Wayne County Fair slowly approaching, Bailey plans to focus on fine tuning the details of his steers looks and presentation so he can get the best bid for his steer.
Reach Rachel Karas at rkaras@gannett.com
On Twitter: @RachelKaras3
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Area 4H student prepares for Wayne County Fair
