Winning tradition
Arlee 4-H club performs well in beef categories
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MISSOULA — Crouched outside of the arena, camera in hand, Danielle Schulz could not be more proud of her eleven-year-old daughter Lilly. Using a pig cane, Lilly guides her pig Dill Pickle away from other presenters and their pigs. Lilly looks over at her mother and smiles.
Lilly and Dill Pickle were just awarded a blue ribbon at the Western Montana Fair and Rodeo in Missoula.
“It’s very exciting,” Danielle said. “All summer long she worked on her project.”
Danielle returns to her seat next to Jana North, a mother with three 4-H members also from the Jocko Ranger 4-H Club in Arlee.
Organizational Leader Lorri O’Neill said according to the Montana 4-H Foundation in Bozeman, the Arlee club is one of the oldest 4-H clubs in the state. Though the Jocko Ranger 4-H club’s original charter was destroyed years ago, O’Neill said they are still recognized as the oldest in the state. Next year 4-H will celebrate its 100th anniversary in Montana.
The arena this morning is filled with former 4-H members, like Jana, and others who were not involved in 4-H but sit in the stands watching the next generation of 4-H.
Danielle was not a member of 4-H as a child but her husband was and now she watches her daughter alongside Jana.
For months they have supported and helped their children with their 4-H projects and are now watching all that hard work pay off.
Jana watched as her son Cody and daughter Ali earned blue ribbons and Amelia was awarded a purple.
“This was Amelia’s first purple and we are happy,” Jana said. “She is a hard worker.”
“I’m really happy because I get to sell my pig,” Amelia said. “In the past my last two pigs were underweight and I wasn’t able to sell them,” she said and added that the money will go into her savings account.
Ali also won two blue ribbons for her two sewing projects, a pair of pajamas and a pillowcase. In addition she also won two blue ribbons for her muffins and cookies, as well as purple for her gluten free oatmeal cake that also won a special award.
With a number of ribbons already won, Ali was especially pleased with her blue ribbon for her pig Cinnamon.
“I thought I was going to get a red,” Ali said because she thought her pig needed more body fat. “Next year I need to work it (pig) more and walk it more.”
“You need to work hard to win,” Cody explained. The North siblings often let their pigs exercise in the horse pastures outside their house. They also had to make sure the pigs had fresh water and food and responded to the pig cane.
During competition, the occasional high squeal would pierce the normal soft snorting, as two pigs would begin to fight. With their mouths open and snouts flared, the pig cane offered little incentive to end a feud and boards had to be used to separate fighting pigs.
“When they are here (home) and in the ring they are two completely different pigs,” Cody said explaining the reason why pigs often fight. “They have a pecking order.”
After the sawdust settled and the long morning turned into the afternoon, another year of work has paid off for families like the Norths.
“We all know what we are going through at fair,” Cody said. “Everyone is tired from getting up early.”
O’Neill said the club currently has 22 members, which is small, because in years past they have had up to 50 members.
She went on to explain that despite the smaller number, this year’s club did exceptionally well, especially in the beef division. Taylor Bolin won senior showmanship for beef, Webb O’Neill was second in junior showmanship for beef and grand champion for breeding beef, Alexis Schick won grand champion for beef in the open class and Karleigh Bolin won reserve champion for market beef.
“This year’s 4-H members did an excellent job,” Organizational Leader Lorri O’Neill said. “The members work together well, the families work together well.”
Jocko Rangers 4-H Club Fair Results
Karleigh Bolin Purple Reserve Champion Market Steer
Blue/Red Vet Science
Taylor Bolin Purple Market Steer
Champion Senior Beef Showman
Alexis Shick Red Market Steer
Grand Champion Open Breeding Beef
Fair Beef Herdsman Award
Purple Quilting—Deer Country Quilt Award
Blue Photography
Webb O’Neill Purple Market Steer
Purple Breeding Heifer
Grand Champion 4-H Breeding Beef
Reserve Champion Junior Beef Showman
Megan Shick Red Market Lamb
Red Home Environment
Purple Quilting---Missoula Quilters Guild Award
George Shick Red Lamb
Eden Morin Blue Lamb
Modiah Morin Purple Lamb
Reserve Champion Junior Sheep Showman
Kori McVicker Purple Lamb
Blue Sewing
Halle McVicker Purple Lamb
Amelia North Purple Market Hog
Cody North Blue Market Hog
Alice North Blue Market Hog
Purple/Blue Foods
Blue Sewing
Lilly Schulz Blue Market Hog
Blue Cake Decorating
Mason Good Blue Market Hog
Purple Woodworking
Melody Burnett Blue Market Hog
Dalton Marks Red Market Hog
Derek Marks Blue Market Hog
Daren Marks Blue Theater Arts
Kaylee Samsel Purple Photography---Judges Choice Award
Jocko Rangers Club Second Place Barn Herdsmanship ---Beef
Third Place Barn Herdsmanship --- Hog
