The Young Women of 4-H and Their Show Cattle
For these kids, cattle are a way to connect with their family roots and their community.
Brianne Abramovitz, 20, guides four show steers into the barn at 7 AM every morning for feeding and grooming on a farm south of Columbia. Abramovitz has been showing cattle through the FFA and 4-H since she was 10 years-old. Her family specializes in Herefords. She participates in fairs all around the state including the Boone County Fair and even travels out of state to show.
Every morning, Brianne and other individuals who help at the farm feed the cattle. Each show animal receives a special mix of ingredients tailored to their individual needs. The various mixtures help the animals gain the appropriate amount of weight for showing.
It takes a lot of work to prepare a steer for showing. Months of daily baths are part of the routine in order to encourage hair growth to create the “fluffy” look that is considered ideal in a show cow. Brianne bathes and dries each show cow twice a day.
Taylor Fredrick, a friend and fellow FFA member with Brianne, combs the wet hair on her show steer, Mator. Mator is a Hereford steer that comes from the Abramovitz family’s stock. Fredrick got involved in cattle showing the summer of 2012.
Bailey Peters, 16, feeds her show steer Renegade at the Boone Country Fair after participating in the showmanship class. Bailey keeps Renegade on Brianne’s farm and helps with several of the show cattle.
Prior to showing her Hereford steer, Little Red, Brianne bathes him to make sure he is perfectly clean. Not only must he be cleaned but also dried, clipped, and hair sprayed in order to show off his ideal conformation. This also includes hair spraying his tail into a puffy ball.
Little Red is groomed by owner Brianne Abramovitz at the Boone County Fair prior to competition in the meat market show. Little Red took first in his class at the county fair. Judges look at quality coats, filled out ribs, and overall quality of the animal when selecting the winners.
Brianne competes with Little Red in the Hereford class during the Boone County Fair. Her family has been raising Hereford cattle for three generations and is Brianne’s breed of choice.
Bailey shakes hands with the Boone County Fair cattle showmanship and meet market judge after the showmanship class. This is Bailey’s second time showing. She received 3rd in Senior Showmanship and 5th in her breed class. She went on to do extremely well at the Missouri State Fair the following month.
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