The School Newspaper of Vista Ridge High School

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The School Newspaper of Vista Ridge High School

The Word

The School Newspaper of Vista Ridge High School

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FFA Begins Show Season

The Cedar Park Livestock Show on Nov. 9 was FFA’s first chance to show their livestock this season. It was the first of four scheduled shows this year.

Days start early and end late for competitors who are responsible for everything prep to showcasing their animal.

“You get up at 3:30 in the morning and then you go to the barn and prepare your animal from washing to clipping until they meet grooming standards,” sophomore Mackenzie Morgan said. “And when you finally get to the show you have to wait another 12 hours because the pigs take forever to score.”

When the time comes for the students to show their animals, a strict routine is followed.

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“Goats wear chains so you can walk them around the arena,” sophomore Jenna Anderson said. “Then you stand them up. Legs go back to get the muscles flexing and set for the judges to judge.”

The animals are graded by multiple judges on a series of features.

“Muscle is key,” Anderson said. “You don’t want to have too little. And you want a layer of body fat on top to keep everything together, and be able to set your animal and walk them on a chain because if you can’t you get last place and you lose.”

At the Cedar Park Livestock Show on Nov. 9 Anderson placed third overall. The next show is at Liberty Hill, and Morgan said they feel confident with how they will perform.

“I think Vistas doing pretty well in the different shows we go to,” Morgan said. “I think I’ll do well because I got third overall at other shows, so I’m feeling pretty good.”

The expenses for FFA range however costs for supplies and the animal can go well into the hundreds.

“I got my goat at an auction for $250,” Morgan said. “You can either buy them from a seller or at an auction. Most freshmen buy their animals from a dealer for $350. At the barn the tools that go into raising and training include rubber boots, halters, harnesses, scoops, and hot shots which are these little electric beams because if your animal ain’t moving you got to shock it.”

Competition isn’t just about winning, it’s the chance for the students to challenge themselves and requires a lot of effort to be able to do a good job.

“You got to put all your effort into it and not slack off,” Morgan said. “I just think to myself I’m going to do well, I don’t care what place I get and just have fun.”

 

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