FFA, 4-H youth prepare for junior livestock show

For decades, even generations, the Churchill County Junior Livestock Show and Sale has been a showcase of local 4-H and FFA students to present their market and breeding project livestock for decades.

In fact, Amanda Allegre remembers a time when she was a young mascot for an event that returns to the Churchill County Fairgrounds today and Saturday.

“It is special to see the families come back every year,” said Allegre, community-based instructor/4-H with the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension office. “These are families I grew up and showed with.”

For local youth, the show and sale traditionally serves as an opportunity to showcase their beef, sheep, swine, goat, rabbit and poultry breeding and market project animals to the community. This represents the culmination of months of work that includes feeding and caring for their animals.

“This is a very important weekend for these kids,” said Gloria Montero, the event’s publicist. “This is when they get to put all their work on display ... and they love to talk about their animals. It’s great when the community gets to see what the kids are doing, and I think everyone will really be impressed with what they are doing.”

Just consider that 39 market hogs, 10 lambs, 11 goats and six steers (in addition to rabbits, dairy cows and dairy goats) will participate in the show, according to Allegre.

Judging of Quality Class animals today takes place starting at 10 a.m., followed by Showmanship class. On Saturday, the Round Robin gets under way at 8:30 a.m. The weekend activities conclude with the 2 p.m. sale, at which time market project animals will be put up for auction.

Allegre noted the auction was added in 1985, however, Churchill County has had a junior livestock show much longer than that.

“I’m not sure exactly how far back it goes, but I do have black and white photos that go back to the ‘30s when the old fairgrounds were over by (what is now) Safeway.”

The junior livestock show began on Thursday with the livestock check-in followed by the Best Dressed Animal contest.

Parents, volunteers, sponsors and buyers annually support and help youth achieve their goals.

“We have some amazing parents involved with their kids,” she said. “It is a lot of work, but it’s well worthwhile when you see the smiles on the kids’ faces.”