Clarabelle's Last Time to Show as a Heifer

On Friday morning Benjamin brought Clarabelle, our two year old Jersey heifer, to the Parish Fair Barn.  She was going to be showing in the Jefferson Davis Parish Fair on Friday and then again on Saturday Morning as part of an FFA Fall Classic Livestock Show.  Clarabelle is showing as a heifer, but she will be calving at the end of October.  After that, she'll show as a Dairy Cow.  She is getting pretty wide in girth and she is just barely starting to bag up.

Out of all of our show cows over the years, Clarabelle has the gentlest, most easy-going temperament of all.  She stood perfectly still while Benjamin clipped her, and she never gets in a rush when walking in the show ring.  Now, sometimes that changes once they calve and they are nervous looking for their calf, but for now, she is a really good show cow. 

Saturday morning Benjamin got to the barn early to feed and water Clarabelle and get her cleaned up.  He had washed her the day before, so it should have just been a touch-up spot cleaning, but ol' girl laid down in her poop overnight and Benjamin really had to give her a good scrubbing.  The fair was still going on right outside the show barn and the barn filled up with the smoke and aroma of the "fair food" being cooked by the FFA, Lion's Club, and all the other booths selling food.  That's why the photos below are a little hazy.

The judge was from Alexandria and she did a real good job, explaining what she was looking for from both the exhibitor and the animal.  She asked the exhibitors different questions about their project.  She asked Benjamin, "How much does a gallon of milk weigh?"  Answer: About 8 1/2 pounds.  She also asked, "What is the milk of Jersey cows known for?" Answer: Jerseys have a high amount of butterfat compared to other breeds.  Whereas a Holstein is known for volume, a Jersey is known for the richness (the cream).

There are two different shows that go on.  The first judges the animal and how well the animal looks.  the second is showmanship which judges how well the exhibitor shows the animal.  The judge makes the exhibitors walk around with their animals, judging how they handle the animal and set it up. 

It is crucial to keep your eyes on the judge.

The way you show a heifer as opposed to a cow (once they have a calf, they are no longer heifers, but are cows) is different.  With a heifer, the back leg closest to the judge must be positioned back like shown in the photo below.  Conversely, when showing a cow, the back leg of the cow closest to the judge should be positioned forward, so that the judge can see the udder and teat placement.

Benjamin won Reserve Champion Jersey and in Showmanship, he was the Champion Showman.  We are proud of Benjamin and Clarabelle.  They did a great job.

Benjamin won some nice looking ribbons to hang in his room.

The next time he shows Clarabelle, it will be in the Spring Livestock Shows in January.  Lots of things will have changed by then.  It will be cold, instead of hot.  Clarabelle will have a calf by her side with an udder full of milk, and she'll be shown as a cow instead of a heifer.