Cold weather heralds stock show season
Lambs await shearing Monday afternoon, Jan. 5, as FFA students get their livestock ready for the Burnet County Livestock Show this weekend.
By James Walker
The Burnet County FFA and 4H Livestock Show annually serves as the no-turning-back start of winter in the Hill Country.
The event, always on the second weekend of January, is actually much more than that and a large number of the county’s kids, from third grade up to high school, are much the better for it.
The 2015 version of the livestock show opened yesterday, Thurdsay, Jan. 8, with weigh-ins, while rounds of juding are scheduled primarily today, Friday, Jan 9, when some 649 animals and projects will be exhibited by some 290 youths of Burnet County.
Planned for tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 10, will be the premium sale during which individuals and businesses alike are encouraged to show up to show their support for the winning youths.
“We’re set up to have a good show and everything is falling into place,” said Steve Ebeling, the president of the livestock show association’s board of directors. “The numbers of entries and exhibitors are going to be up from last year and the way everyone is responding, it looks good.”
FFA students at Marble Falls High School have been busy preparing for the show after school, clipping goats and pigs, walking the steer Ruger, and working on the posture of their lambs.
Just spending time with their animals is important, and evident in the show ring, as any ag teacher knows.
The barn and stalls at the Burnet County rodeo grounds open at 10 a.m. Thursday, followed by the opening ceremony at 1:30 p.m.
Rounds of judging will start at 8 a.m. Friday with the breeding sheep, followed by the market lambs. Also, from 8-10 a.m. will be the rabbit show and showmanship rounds.
Intermittently throughout the day, judges will continue to eye, sift and deem champions and reserve champions the various swine, goats, chickens, turkeys, hogs and other animal entries.
The steer show is set for 5:30 p.m. Friday, followed by the heifer show.
The premium sale will cap this year's show starting at 1 p.m. Saturday.
For more, see Friday's Highlander.
