Livestock show features 200 youth compete in animal showmanship

More than 200 youth competed in the 61st Annual Stephens County Junior Livestock Show and Sale this weekend at the Ag Barn in Breckenridge.

The event took place from Thursday to Saturday, Jan. 10-12, and featured several types of livestock, such as rabbits, chickens, pigs, goats, heifer/steer. There was also a competition for floral designs and an ag mechanical project competition. After all the judging events were completed, which included competitions for showmanship, there was the Pee Wee show and the sale of the animals. The participants also helped with the mandatory cleanup Saturday afternoon.

Winners were announced as the competition went on except for the floral design competition, which will be announced at the award ceremony at 6 p.m., Jan. 24.

Some of the bigger awards, including the Fifth Jacob Jackson Master Showmanship Award, was presented to Kason Knight, a freshman at Breckenridge High School. Knight had already won the sheep showmanship award earlier in the competition. He received a belt buckle honoring the late Jackson, as well as $1,000 prize and a hand tooled leather frame made by Miranda McIntire. The competition included five children who competed, and had them demonstrate their showmanship ability with five separate animals. Each of the other four competitors had won a showmanship award in a respective livestock category.

The Breckenridge American will cover the award ceremony and will have a feature spread announcing all the winners in our Jan. 30 edition.