October 9, 2025 • 30 mins
Some students choose to play sports, others get involved in the arts - and those are both pretty common. On this episode of Georgia Focus, we're spotlighting the students who choose to get involved in livestock competitions. The Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter in Perry is hosting junior livestock shows for market goats, market beef, and market hogs, as well as a dairy heifer show. These events are a major part of the annual Georgia National Fair in Perry and offer opportunities for 4-H and FFA members to compete in a range of shows and showmanship competitions. Rebecca Hughes is your guest host as we learn more from Kate Peacock, Grand and Reserve Champion Breeding Gilt 2024 and Aubrey Welch, Grand and Reserve Championship Market Wether and Reserve Championship Wether Dam 2024
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to Georgia Focus. I'm Rebecca Hughes with the Georgia
News Network. Some students choose to play sports, others get
involved in the arts, and those are both pretty common.
On this episode of Georgia Focus, we're spotlining the students
who choose to get involved in livestock competitions. The Georgia
National Fairgrounds in Agricenter and Perry is hosting junior livestock
shows for market goats, market beef and market hoggs, as
(00:28):
well as a Dari heifer show. These events are a
major part of the annual Georgia National Fair and Perry
and they offer opportunities for four H and FFA members
to compete in a range of shows and showmanship competitions.
Let's learn more from Kate Peacock Grand and Reserve Champion
Breeding Guilt In twenty twenty four and all rewlch Grand
and Reserve Champion Market Weather and Reserve Champion Weather Damn
(00:50):
twenty twenty four. So thank you ladies for talking with me.
I'm going to start with the dumbest question ever. I
heard what you said you want, I don't know what
that means. Yes, can you explain?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Yeah? So a breeding guilt is a pig.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
It's a girl pig that essentially will go back and
get bread and have babies. So the whole purpose of
the breeding guilt show is to exhibit an animal that
looks like a mama pig with pig that could just
lay down and easily have babies, Okay. And then the
market weathers those are a castrated male goat and so
basically you judge those by hot muscle and structure. And
(01:26):
then the weather dam is basically like a breeding guilt,
and you just it's a dough that will soon go
and be a mama.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Okay, So how in the world did you just get
into this?
Speaker 3 (01:37):
So when I started middle school, because I'm from Perry, Georgia,
i went to middle school at Perry Middle School and
I joined an AD class. It was a year long
AD class, and we got to go out to the
school farm every day and I got to watch the
older kids do their pigs. And I went home and said, Mom,
We're getting a pig. And that's just kind of how
it started. And ever since then, I've had tons of
animals in the farm.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
And then when I was in second gray, we built
a new house and we just wanted some animals to
have around the house, and so we got too retired
show goats from a family that some family friends that
had shown goats, and me and my sister absolutely loved
walking them around, and so then the next year we
just decided to get our own and we never stopped.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Okay, so not your first year. Probably not your first
year either. Okay, So for the little girls who are
in their urban dwelling playing with a barbies or or whatever,
can you share with us what it's like to grow
up so differently?
Speaker 3 (02:33):
I would say that growing up having animals instead of
barbie dolls, is it really that different? We get to
go and pamper our animals instead of going and brushing.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
A doll's hair.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
We get to go and love an animal or a
pig or a goat almost like it's a dog. So
we get to have all these different types of pets
that aren't your typical household animals. So it is a
really cool experience to get to grow up having animals. Okay,
And I think you grow up with the little bit
different morals. Maybe we learn how to work hard at
a very young age. We learn that we have another
(03:08):
life to take care of and that is our responsibility
to take care of that. So we learn the importance
of hard work, and we learn our other qualities, like
how to give a good handshake. At the age of
eight years old, we know how to shake somebody's hand,
and so just certain things like that. That qualities of leadership,
I would say, at a young age.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Okay, and.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Like you said, you still did the little girly typical
things too. As I understand that this is kind of
like a science project, right, so talk about I mean,
I've never done anything like this before. So if I
was going to start tomorrow, how does that work? Where
do I need to start? Walk me through that process,
what that looks like through the years.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Well, in the pig barn, you get started by finding
a good breeder. Once you find your breeder, you'll find
your people. So you go and you find your animal
and you pick out the one that you want to
start with, and then you learn the science behind the
feed bucket and what feed you need to feed your
animal to essentially win the show. And so there is
a whole science around the skincare and the feeding and
how you're gonna take care of your animal to end
(04:11):
up where you want to end up and that should
be the backdrop.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
And the goats are very similar.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
I would say it's probably it's similar with every species.
How you get started, but you can't expect to get
to the backdrop your first year. It takes years and
years of learning, and the only way to learn is
my experience.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
The more years you have, the more you learn.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
I didn't win a single show until I was six
years in my livestock showing career. Now that's not everybody,
but it took years and years of just learning what
not to do and trying this and try and.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
See what works for you. So it's really just works.
What works for you is how you would get started.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
And to add to that, I would say that both
of us have probably lost more in the show ring
than we've ever once.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
I would agree.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
And so the more losing you do turns you into
a better winner in the end. Yet, because you've put
more work into it, the worse you do in the beginning,
and it makes you crave that success a little bit more.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Okay, so it's not a deterrent. Then, Oh I'm a perfectionist.
I didn't win. It's I'm done. Do you show the
same animal over and over and over or do you
pick different animals.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
Get you get new ones every year every year.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
So for the goats, we start shopping or like buying
in March April May, because our market goats season here
in Georgia runs until the fair, so the market goats
that the fair will be done in Georgia and then
we also we show breeding dose throughout the winter. But
you start and then you'll get a new one every spring,
so it's kind you have to get new ones every year.
(05:37):
And it's the same way with the pigs here in Georgia.
We have two different pig seasons. So for our fair
set of pigs, you start looking around May April somewhere
and get your baby pigs and then right after the
fair in October you'll get your next set of pigs
that will show in February.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Okay, how much of this did you learn from your parents?
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Well, my parents had nothing to do with livestock growing up,
so honestly this my parents have been a really big
I set in my sharing career, but they were.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Just as lost as I was when we started.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
So well, my dad, he grew up showing cows and
always being around lives sob So that definitely helped when
it came to taking care of our goats and taking
care of the animals because he grew up around livestock,
knowing kind of what it looks like when the animal's
sick and things like that, and how to take care
of them. But when it came to the goat deal,
the first year, we were completely blind. It was a
(06:27):
new species. He had nothing, he knew nothing about. But
so like every year, it was a family project for us,
and we all learned, and my family was a huge.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
Part of my success.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
We always considered showing livestock a family project. It wasn't
something that I did. It wasn't something that I want,
It was something that we want. Nice.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Nice. How do you have siblings, either of you? I do.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
I have two younger brothers who will be showing here
next week at the fair.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
Okay, And I have an older sister who's four years
older than me.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
So I love that you both, you know, say that
you kind of started almost from scratch, because the idea
from people who don't know, who haven't done it, is
that generations and generation kind of like farming in general,
it's just something that you know you grew up. You
don't know any different. This is just what you do
for you guys, to share that you started, like you know,
oh my gosh, starting from scratch.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
That's great.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
So if somebody in a suburban area, because obviously urban's
gonna be a little rough, but if somebody in the
suburban area wanted to do something like this, how could
they get started.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
I think that you could get started very easily anywhere,
as long as you go online and look up show pigs.
I mean, there's a showpig sel every night and you
just have to look for it. And I think the
resources are there if it's really something you want to do.
Everyone always has their cell phone in their hand anyway,
So if you really want to get into it, I
would say to look it up and find some people,
because I'm telling you it's life changing getting in the
(07:51):
pig barn and the FFA programs in high school are
growing so rapidly that a lot of schools have school barns.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
Like Kate has a school bar. I don't know the Kate.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Has a school board and she lives in a neighborhood
and she's able to keep her pigs at the school barn.
And I kept them at my house. But that is
also a way for people to get involved, So it
doesn't matter.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
Where you live. If your school has a school born,
you can keep them there, Okay, which is a great school.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
I love going and visiting her school Born because it's
such a cool environment to me that all the kids
are working together, working at their pigs.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
So you put as much into this or maybe more,
you tell me, as an athlete would into their sport,
or an artist into their art or whatever. Right, this
is the same thing for you.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Yeah, it's our sport, and I wouldn't say we put
more into it than they do, because athletes do work
hard to be good at their sport. But you have
to consider that we are taking care of another life.
We have something that depends on us every single day,
and if we fail at our part, then they're gonna fall.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
And they're into and like.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Sports, they have scheduled practices like you have.
Speaker 4 (09:02):
You show up a practice at this time, you.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
End at this time, you play the game at this time.
How hard you work your animals is how good you're
going to do in the show ring. So it's your
time to time manage how much you want to work
your animals, like if it means going before school or
after school, staying late at night, waking up early in
the morning, is.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
All your decision.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
So it's not like a coach is that they are
telling you, Hey, we have practice at this time, we
end at this time. It's how hard you want to
put the effort in. It's how well you'll do in
the show ring.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Now, is it like kind of like having a baby
where it's all hours.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Day or night.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Yeah, it is essentially like having a baby and the
thought of your animals are in your mind.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
You get pictures and stuff you show people.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Oh yeah, yeah, okay.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
So it's just like wondering like if they're okay, if
they're eating, if they sick, if they ate their whole meal,
like if they're out there even just breathing, or if
they're too hot, too cold the weather. These animals are
pampered for sure, but you have to worry about those
little things.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
Okay, So what is the but which says the most
unique thing that's happened that you don't know anybody else has.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
Dealt with them? So actually, idea, the pig that I
won live reserves for lest she was blind, so she
was completely blind, and you can see it in dogs
when they're blind and their eyes fogged over, and my
pig had the same the same thing. So in order
to train her, it took so much longer than it
took the other pigs that could see me because she
couldn't see me and she couldn't trust me. So in
(10:36):
order to get this pig shore ready, it took so
much longer than it probably should have. But even after
winning and telling the judge, he was like, what's wrong
with her eyes? And I had I got to sit
down and explain, like, she's blind, she can't see like
you could go up and touch her face, and she
had no idea and so she That was a really
learning moment for me patience, because it's easier to work
(10:57):
with an animal that can see you, and she couldn't
see me, and she couldn't see.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
What was around her, So she took a lot of patience.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
But going from having a blind pig that I could
barely touch to winning the fair was such a cool moment.
That's a really good word of something else that we
learned growing up early on, as patience, because you have
to be patient with these animals because like in showmanship,
I would say patience is the key. You have to
be calm, you have to be patient with your animal,
(11:24):
and it's like a teamwork during showmanship. And so that's
another point. That's just a great word you said. I
love that.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
So what about as far as the failures, I mean,
like you said, you have to fail more than your
That's just that's the way it is for anything, really,
anything worth doing. What would you say would be the
failure that taught you the most?
Speaker 3 (11:45):
I would say it wasn't really a failure in the
show ring, but the most expensive animal I ever had
did die a month out from our state show in February,
and at that point it's too late in the game
to get a new one and start over. So when
you have your pigs die to or you can't show anymore,
you feel like, what did I do wrong? What could
I have done to keep this pig alive so that
(12:05):
I could have shown with my friends? And this was
my junior year in high school, and all I could
think was I only have one year left, and now
I'm missing out on a show because my animal has died.
And so I think that moment did teach me that
everything that happens with my animal, obviously I have something
to do with it, but overall I am in no
control here, Like everything that happens in this world is
(12:26):
not in my control.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
And I think that is what that lesson taught me.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
And so after losing my animals, I learned more to
put my trust in my faith and to pray with
my animals and pray over my animals, and that it
just taught me to trust God a.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Little bit more and know that He's gonna take care
of my animals.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Love that. What about you, well, I would probably say
my freshman year of high school, I had this one goat.
His name was Cowboy, and he was a beautiful paint goat,
so that means he was brown and white and then
brown again on the back. And he was what I
thought was one of the best goats I had ever shown.
And I took them to jackpot Season, and jackpot season
(13:02):
is kind of like smaller shows during the summer before
we get to our big state show here at the fair,
and so I took them to little jack Potts and
he won almost every little jackpott. So when I got
to the fair, I was like, Okay, I have a
really good chance. I've never won the fair before. I
had gotten third overall, but I had never placed in
the top two, and I was like.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
This is my chance.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
I was very very confident, a little too overly confident maybe, and.
Speaker 4 (13:26):
We get in there and he gets.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Second in class, and it was just kind of like, Okay,
this is I've been told this is the best goat
I've ever had.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
And then you just get second, which is still good.
That's still good to anybody. Second. It's a great place
to get. But like having that high of an expectation, So.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
That kinda just taught me not to have high expectations
and just think it's gonna be handed to you, like
you have to constantly work at it. And so the
next year I work even harder to get in the
top two and up getting a reserved with my dope.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
So it's just it's all about.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
Coming back, not letting one loss get you down. It's
all about coming back and what you can learn from
it for sure, And nothing's ever going to be handed
to you in life. It's all about hard work and
how hard you, like I keep saying it is, how
hard you work at showing and with your animals, Is
it will show, it will.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
Come out in the ring. I promise how hard you work?
Speaker 1 (14:26):
So what's the competition like, like, is it a really
super people?
Speaker 3 (14:33):
But I think with it being so competitive and it's
like this in the pig Barn, I'm not sure about
the goats. With it being so competitive and all of
us wanting to win, at the end of the day,
we're able to come back and be supportive of each other. Yes,
so even if I don't win and another family wins,
it's okay because that family won and we're all one
big tight circle. And so it's just really nice knowing
(14:54):
that if I'm not winning, my friends are. So it's
just really cool to watch the whole thing go down.
We're so aggressive in the ring and we want to
beat each other and we want to win, but out
of it, we're able to sit there and congratulate each other. Yeah,
my best friend from showing his family and was probably
my biggest competition, or our families were the biggest competition.
(15:15):
But where our families are so close, we are like
we are best friends, and so that's so great to
see that our friendship can go outside of the show ring.
And yes, we get competitive in the show ring. We
were the same age, so we got competitive showmanship, but
we were still so proud of each other. I've always
used the analogy that your biggest competition, or the person
(15:35):
you want to beat most in the show ring is
the person who's helping you get your goat to the ring.
If your goat want walk, that's the person behind helping
you get there. So that's just how the livestock industry is. Yes,
we're so competitive and we want to win. Everybody wants
to win, obviously, but we also just are so happy
for the people who do win because we know how
hard it took to get them there. Nice.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Nice, Thank you both have graduated.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
Now, yes, what's the plan next?
Speaker 2 (16:02):
Do you want to go?
Speaker 3 (16:03):
Well, I am going to school actually to do I
want to do sales for an AGG business. So hopefully
if the plan works out, I'll be doing pharmaceutical sales
for veterinary medicine.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
Okay, if it works out to stay within the AGG
industry and accepted. I did.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
I was accepted into the University of Georgia, so I'll
start in January of their studying.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
Nice and I'm currently a freshman at the University of.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
Georgia and I'm majoring in agriculture education, and I just
have a passion for agriculture, always have, so I always
knew it was going to be something in the agriculture industry.
And then the summer before my senior year, I just
really fell in love with the idea of passing down
all of the knowledge and wisdom that people within the
livestock community has instilled in me. And I think it's
(16:46):
only my right, because of how much they have given me,
is to pass that along. And I just feel like
I owe everything to the agriculture industry, and so I
think I need to grow as future leaders of agriculturalists.
And so that's why church agriculture education, and I'm doing
a double dog program, which is where you get two
degrees in four years at the University of Georgia, and
(17:08):
I'm getting my master's in agriculture leadership to maybe one
day have a higher position in agriculture education.
Speaker 4 (17:15):
So that's the plan as of now.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Now has that been shocking for either of your families?
Speaker 2 (17:19):
No, not at all.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Now are your siblings also interested in going into ag careers?
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Well, mine are still little.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
I have a brother that's a junior in high school
and then the youngest brother is in third grade, so
I'm not quite sure if they haven't figured out yet,
but I'm sure.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
They will sick within some type of agriculture career. Okay.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
And my older sister actually graduated from the University of
Georgia this May with a degree in agriculture communications and
a minor in elementary.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
School ad education.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
And so she is currently a four age educator at
our extension office in Lincoln County and she loves it.
Speaker 4 (17:55):
She's completely taken over the four.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
H program in Lincoln County and she's pretty much built
it from scratch because we did not have a good one,
and so she's really forcing in Lincoln County right now.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
Okay, So are you guys familiar with the homesteading movement
that we're seeing.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
I'm not really familiar with it, but I know of it.
Here in Houston County, we do have a canning plant, Okay.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
So I got to work there with all of our
egg teachers over the summer and watch people bring in
their farm family grown produce and bring it in and
we'd can it and they get to take it home.
And so I did get to kind of witness it firsthand,
which was really cool getting to watch people bring in
vegetables and fruits that they grew at home with their family,
and we got to pack it up for them and
(18:39):
just kind of preserve it so it would last a
little bit longer. And it is really cool, the whole
homesteading process. But it's just not something that is super
popular right here right now, but I'm sure it will
be eventually.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Okay, all right, I'm trying to thing. What else I
want to ask you guys? Have you this is this
may be weird, but just out of curiosity? Have you
ever been made fun of for being Oh?
Speaker 3 (19:07):
For sure? Yeah, yeah, I had kids, and I was
the only person in my school who showed livestock, and
so like I was for sure made fun of, or
not made fun of to the point of like bullian,
but like because people thought it was funny.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
But it's not.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
They thought it was funny because they didn't understand it right,
and they didn't understand its importance.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
So it's not that I was considered made fun of.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
It was just people who were unaware of the importance
and unaware of what we were actually doing here. But
also I would say that, but then also at my school,
I was celebrated by my teachers and stuff because.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
It went I mean, when they call your name, they
call your county.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
So yeah, yeah, And I would say it does look differently,
especially at the high school age, because we're girls who
play with animals and we're not out there cheerleading and
playing softball or something like that. We'd spend our time
in barns, and so it is harder for some people
to understand why we would want to go spend all
this time with animals when we could be doing something
that should that sounds more girly. But a lot of
(20:10):
people that do show animals are girls, and I think
that is the coolest part of the livestock industry that
it has kind of been taken over by females. And
even like now, I just I'm a freshman at EGA,
and I just got through with sorority recruitment, and I
rush to sorority, and it's very hard to it because
that's a big part of who I am, is agriculture
(20:30):
in the livestock industry, and so it was very hard
to advocate to them and to let them know that
side of me because they had never heard about it before.
And definitely like today when I left all my friends
cause I came from Athens here to the fairgrounds, and
I was like telling them where I was going. They
thought it was so crazy that I was taking a
(20:51):
day off of school for the livestock show. But this
is like, this is my super Bowl, this is my
biggest event of the whole entire year. And although I'm
not showing, I don't think I will ever another Georgia
National Fair in my lifetime because this place has just
meant so much to me and this show means a
lot to me.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
Wow, that's awesome. I love that. I love that y'all
think y'all for sharing all this? Of course, is there
anything else that the audience, which is varied and wide
and fast, that they would need to know about showing
animals the fair in general? Things like that that I
just don't know to ask you about.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Well, you know, the fair I would say, is the
best time if you are interested in showed an animal
to come and watch. You can get in the fair,
walk through the barn, see the animals, watch the show,
and if it's something that interests you, I would say,
find someone ask the questions anyone in the barn. I
know the pig barn, the cow barn. If you ask
the question, anyone will be willing to help you. And
(21:45):
there's breeders everywhere. There's so many people here who raise animals,
who want your kids to show their animals. So if
it's something that you're interested in and like you really
want to do, the fair is the best pay the
best place to come and get the information. And we
are so fortunate to have such amazing facilities at the
george National Fairgrounds. I have traveled to other states to
(22:09):
show livestock, and our facilities are next to none, really like,
they are so incredibly nice, and we are so incredibly
fortunate to have such a well run show that we
get to call our state show and our state fair.
And so I would just tell other Georgia exhibitors if
they're listening, that be grateful for where we get to
(22:30):
show every day, and the Georgia National Fairgrounds. I will
always say it is one of my favorite places in
the whole entire world. I mean, these were for my
goals were achieved, so many of my memories were made,
and like my memories spent here impacted my decision on
what I wanted to do in the future.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
For sure.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
So okay, so I would say.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
So, have you ever played the high low game? Do
you know what I'm talking about? Do you take the
high point, your most favorite whatever, and then you pick
your least favorite? When it comes to doing this, what
is your most favorite part of the whole thing and
what is your least favorite part?
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Well, I would say, I mean, my favorite part obviously
is you know, winning, because winning feels great. But really
my favorite part, honestly would be the people that I've met.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Through doing this.
Speaker 3 (23:14):
Like Aubrey, I would have never met her if we
didn't meet through the fairgrounds because we both worked here
this past year as livestock ambassadors, So I would have
never met her and her family.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
And I would have never met the.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
People that I show picks with if it wasn't for
this program. So just getting to meet so many people
and get so many opportunities through showing pigs is just incredible.
Like we got to be we got to sit through
board meetings, We've met government officials.
Speaker 4 (23:41):
Just from doing things.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
Yeah, like people who know us just because we are
these two crazy girls that show animals like it's She's crazy.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
My least favorite probably would be losing the animals like it.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
I know Aubrey was very fortunate she never lost an animal,
but I went through a rough patch where I would
lose animal after animal from sickness. Pigs pick up an
illness and it is do or die, like they're going
to get better or they're going to die. And unfortunately
I did have several back to back cissaway and it
is very devastating and it makes you feel.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Like what am I doing wrong?
Speaker 3 (24:16):
But I do think that coming back from a season
of loss and then winning, it's just really great knowing
that it's okay, like losing animals is okay.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Love it.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
So my high would for sure be the people. The
people really make the place, I think, and like when
you find your group of people that you love, enjoy,
or you love going to jo, you love going to
shows to see, they.
Speaker 4 (24:39):
Make the whole experience.
Speaker 3 (24:40):
Like once we found our group, it really changed the
way I looked at shows.
Speaker 4 (24:45):
And last year I won my senior year, I won
Grand Champion market Goat.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
Or market Weather and I reserved it and then also
that day I had one showmanship and so just it
wasn't the winning, it was the people who came up
to me and hugged me and congratulated me, and the
people who were just as excited as I was, or
maybe even more for me and like to see that
it's really something special. And I have met people all
(25:14):
over the country really like I have so many friends
out in Texas. I've gotten the opportunity to go out
to Texas this past summer and work a showmanship camp
to teach young showmen, like just little tips and tricks
about showing. And I got to meet so many showmen
from Texas who were counselors with me, and that was
(25:34):
so awesome. And now I keep in contact with them,
and just like the connections you make, like even going
to college, some of my closest friends that I've made
at college have been involved in the ag industry, and
so it's just so nice to share that common passion
as well. And then my low would for sure be
like washing them care not even the boob, it's just washing.
(26:00):
I was not the biggest fan of washing. And when
my dad listens to this, he's gonna completely agree. I
would gripe and complain about having to wash them and
clean pins, especially in the winter washing and the cold
is not that fun. And so yeah, there's definitely highs
and lows, but the highs definitely outweigh I'm for sure.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
Okay, Okay, So I'm gonna ask this and then whatever
the answer is, it may lead us to more, it
may not. But again, is there anything else that we
need to tell people that I just don't know? I
need to ask you about it.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
It's a great industry to get into.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
This It really changes your life and it changes your
perspective on things like you have such a respect for
our farmers and ranchers, and you have such a respect
for the agriculture industry, and like just going to college
really like it has opened my eyes how I was
raised differently because I was raised in that eg industry,
and I have a different respect and a different out,
(26:59):
a different view on our life and.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
So I would for sure say it's an amazing industry
to get your kids involved in, because not to say
that we're pretty good kids, but you get some pretty
good kids out of it. And like she said earlier,
from a young age, we knew how to shake the hands,
and we know how to go up to someone and
have a conversation, and just from showing livestock, it taught
us these little leadership skills that will help.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
Us in future careers.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
How to talk to an adult, yeah, and just how
to go up and have a random conversation with a stranger.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
I mean, we're good at it because we've had.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
To do it. It's taught us respect, a ton of
respect for adults, especially because they're the whole reason.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
We're able to come and do this. So getting involved
in a livestock industry I think does prepare you for
your future.
Speaker 3 (27:41):
When you say it's helped you with mental health, because
you know, you know, I wouldn't say so honestly, because
we have to have thick skin.
Speaker 4 (27:48):
Yeah, we have to get you like. You may lose,
but you have to. That has to roll on out
and you have to go to the next show.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
And I do think having animals of this type and
being able to go spend so much time with animals
does really helped because I know, being in school and
having so many animals school stresses you out. But I
was able to go and work animals and it was
just kind of like a calming place for me every day. Okay,
all right, so you'd recommend that too, Oh yeah, yeah, today,
I'd recommend showing animals any day to any Yeah, I
(28:16):
think every parent would recommend getting their kids involved in
showing as well.
Speaker 4 (28:21):
Okay, I love that.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
I know.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
I lived suburbia with my kids when they were young,
and they struggled with anxiety and things like that, and
we didn't have the ability to go show animals, but
we did go to the shelter we pet hans, So yeah,
about places I could get to them. Do you think
you will continue to have animals as adults once you
get your own place and you're out of school.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
I hope so, I really hope so.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
And then I hope in the future that my own
personal kids are interested in it, because I really don't
think they're gonna have a choice and I have to
be interested in it. But I do hope it is
something that continues to grow throughout my family the future.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
I would agree.
Speaker 3 (29:01):
I really hope my kids love it, because they sure
are going to be putting in But yeah, I.
Speaker 4 (29:08):
Hope they love it as much as I do. So, yeah,
I would definitely see a lot of animals in my future.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
And my little brothers still shows, so we still have pigs.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
So nice, nice, all right, Well, thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
Thank you for asking us.
Speaker 5 (29:22):
If you have questions your comments on today's show, you
can email me, John Clark at georgiusnetwork dot com. Thanks
for listening. I'll talk to you next week right here
in your favorite local radio station on Georgia Focus
Welcome to Georgia Focus. I'm Rebecca Hughes with the Georgia
News Network. Some students choose to play sports, others get
involved in the arts, and those are both pretty common.
On this episode of Georgia Focus, we're spotlining the students
who choose to get involved in livestock competitions. The Georgia
National Fairgrounds in Agricenter and Perry is hosting junior livestock
shows for market goats, market beef and market hoggs, as
(00:28):
well as a Dari heifer show. These events are a
major part of the annual Georgia National Fair and Perry
and they offer opportunities for four H and FFA members
to compete in a range of shows and showmanship competitions.
Let's learn more from Kate Peacock Grand and Reserve Champion
Breeding Guilt In twenty twenty four and all rewlch Grand
and Reserve Champion Market Weather and Reserve Champion Weather Damn
(00:50):
twenty twenty four. So thank you ladies for talking with me.
I'm going to start with the dumbest question ever. I
heard what you said you want, I don't know what
that means. Yes, can you explain?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Yeah? So a breeding guilt is a pig.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
It's a girl pig that essentially will go back and
get bread and have babies. So the whole purpose of
the breeding guilt show is to exhibit an animal that
looks like a mama pig with pig that could just
lay down and easily have babies, Okay. And then the
market weathers those are a castrated male goat and so
basically you judge those by hot muscle and structure. And
(01:26):
then the weather dam is basically like a breeding guilt,
and you just it's a dough that will soon go
and be a mama.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Okay, So how in the world did you just get
into this?
Speaker 3 (01:37):
So when I started middle school, because I'm from Perry, Georgia,
i went to middle school at Perry Middle School and
I joined an AD class. It was a year long
AD class, and we got to go out to the
school farm every day and I got to watch the
older kids do their pigs. And I went home and said, Mom,
We're getting a pig. And that's just kind of how
it started. And ever since then, I've had tons of
animals in the farm.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
And then when I was in second gray, we built
a new house and we just wanted some animals to
have around the house, and so we got too retired
show goats from a family that some family friends that
had shown goats, and me and my sister absolutely loved
walking them around, and so then the next year we
just decided to get our own and we never stopped.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Okay, so not your first year. Probably not your first
year either. Okay, So for the little girls who are
in their urban dwelling playing with a barbies or or whatever,
can you share with us what it's like to grow
up so differently?
Speaker 3 (02:33):
I would say that growing up having animals instead of
barbie dolls, is it really that different? We get to
go and pamper our animals instead of going and brushing.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
A doll's hair.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
We get to go and love an animal or a
pig or a goat almost like it's a dog. So
we get to have all these different types of pets
that aren't your typical household animals. So it is a
really cool experience to get to grow up having animals. Okay,
And I think you grow up with the little bit
different morals. Maybe we learn how to work hard at
a very young age. We learn that we have another
(03:08):
life to take care of and that is our responsibility
to take care of that. So we learn the importance
of hard work, and we learn our other qualities, like
how to give a good handshake. At the age of
eight years old, we know how to shake somebody's hand,
and so just certain things like that. That qualities of leadership,
I would say, at a young age.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Okay, and.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Like you said, you still did the little girly typical
things too. As I understand that this is kind of
like a science project, right, so talk about I mean,
I've never done anything like this before. So if I
was going to start tomorrow, how does that work? Where
do I need to start? Walk me through that process,
what that looks like through the years.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Well, in the pig barn, you get started by finding
a good breeder. Once you find your breeder, you'll find
your people. So you go and you find your animal
and you pick out the one that you want to
start with, and then you learn the science behind the
feed bucket and what feed you need to feed your
animal to essentially win the show. And so there is
a whole science around the skincare and the feeding and
how you're gonna take care of your animal to end
(04:11):
up where you want to end up and that should
be the backdrop.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
And the goats are very similar.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
I would say it's probably it's similar with every species.
How you get started, but you can't expect to get
to the backdrop your first year. It takes years and
years of learning, and the only way to learn is
my experience.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
The more years you have, the more you learn.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
I didn't win a single show until I was six
years in my livestock showing career. Now that's not everybody,
but it took years and years of just learning what
not to do and trying this and try and.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
See what works for you. So it's really just works.
What works for you is how you would get started.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
And to add to that, I would say that both
of us have probably lost more in the show ring
than we've ever once.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
I would agree.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
And so the more losing you do turns you into
a better winner in the end. Yet, because you've put
more work into it, the worse you do in the beginning,
and it makes you crave that success a little bit more.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Okay, so it's not a deterrent. Then, Oh I'm a perfectionist.
I didn't win. It's I'm done. Do you show the
same animal over and over and over or do you
pick different animals.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
Get you get new ones every year every year.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
So for the goats, we start shopping or like buying
in March April May, because our market goats season here
in Georgia runs until the fair, so the market goats
that the fair will be done in Georgia and then
we also we show breeding dose throughout the winter. But
you start and then you'll get a new one every spring,
so it's kind you have to get new ones every year.
(05:37):
And it's the same way with the pigs here in Georgia.
We have two different pig seasons. So for our fair
set of pigs, you start looking around May April somewhere
and get your baby pigs and then right after the
fair in October you'll get your next set of pigs
that will show in February.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Okay, how much of this did you learn from your parents?
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Well, my parents had nothing to do with livestock growing up,
so honestly this my parents have been a really big
I set in my sharing career, but they were.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Just as lost as I was when we started.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
So well, my dad, he grew up showing cows and
always being around lives sob So that definitely helped when
it came to taking care of our goats and taking
care of the animals because he grew up around livestock,
knowing kind of what it looks like when the animal's
sick and things like that, and how to take care
of them. But when it came to the goat deal,
the first year, we were completely blind. It was a
(06:27):
new species. He had nothing, he knew nothing about. But
so like every year, it was a family project for us,
and we all learned, and my family was a huge.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
Part of my success.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
We always considered showing livestock a family project. It wasn't
something that I did. It wasn't something that I want,
It was something that we want. Nice.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Nice. How do you have siblings, either of you? I do.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
I have two younger brothers who will be showing here
next week at the fair.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
Okay, And I have an older sister who's four years
older than me.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
So I love that you both, you know, say that
you kind of started almost from scratch, because the idea
from people who don't know, who haven't done it, is
that generations and generation kind of like farming in general,
it's just something that you know you grew up. You
don't know any different. This is just what you do
for you guys, to share that you started, like you know,
oh my gosh, starting from scratch.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
That's great.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
So if somebody in a suburban area, because obviously urban's
gonna be a little rough, but if somebody in the
suburban area wanted to do something like this, how could
they get started.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
I think that you could get started very easily anywhere,
as long as you go online and look up show pigs.
I mean, there's a showpig sel every night and you
just have to look for it. And I think the
resources are there if it's really something you want to do.
Everyone always has their cell phone in their hand anyway,
So if you really want to get into it, I
would say to look it up and find some people,
because I'm telling you it's life changing getting in the
(07:51):
pig barn and the FFA programs in high school are
growing so rapidly that a lot of schools have school barns.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
Like Kate has a school bar. I don't know the Kate.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Has a school board and she lives in a neighborhood
and she's able to keep her pigs at the school barn.
And I kept them at my house. But that is
also a way for people to get involved, So it
doesn't matter.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
Where you live. If your school has a school born,
you can keep them there, Okay, which is a great school.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
I love going and visiting her school Born because it's
such a cool environment to me that all the kids
are working together, working at their pigs.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
So you put as much into this or maybe more,
you tell me, as an athlete would into their sport,
or an artist into their art or whatever. Right, this
is the same thing for you.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Yeah, it's our sport, and I wouldn't say we put
more into it than they do, because athletes do work
hard to be good at their sport. But you have
to consider that we are taking care of another life.
We have something that depends on us every single day,
and if we fail at our part, then they're gonna fall.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
And they're into and like.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Sports, they have scheduled practices like you have.
Speaker 4 (09:02):
You show up a practice at this time, you.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
End at this time, you play the game at this time.
How hard you work your animals is how good you're
going to do in the show ring. So it's your
time to time manage how much you want to work
your animals, like if it means going before school or
after school, staying late at night, waking up early in
the morning, is.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
All your decision.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
So it's not like a coach is that they are
telling you, Hey, we have practice at this time, we
end at this time. It's how hard you want to
put the effort in. It's how well you'll do in
the show ring.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Now, is it like kind of like having a baby
where it's all hours.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Day or night.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Yeah, it is essentially like having a baby and the
thought of your animals are in your mind.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
You get pictures and stuff you show people.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Oh yeah, yeah, okay.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
So it's just like wondering like if they're okay, if
they're eating, if they sick, if they ate their whole meal,
like if they're out there even just breathing, or if
they're too hot, too cold the weather. These animals are
pampered for sure, but you have to worry about those
little things.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
Okay, So what is the but which says the most
unique thing that's happened that you don't know anybody else has.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
Dealt with them? So actually, idea, the pig that I
won live reserves for lest she was blind, so she
was completely blind, and you can see it in dogs
when they're blind and their eyes fogged over, and my
pig had the same the same thing. So in order
to train her, it took so much longer than it
took the other pigs that could see me because she
couldn't see me and she couldn't trust me. So in
(10:36):
order to get this pig shore ready, it took so
much longer than it probably should have. But even after
winning and telling the judge, he was like, what's wrong
with her eyes? And I had I got to sit
down and explain, like, she's blind, she can't see like
you could go up and touch her face, and she
had no idea and so she That was a really
learning moment for me patience, because it's easier to work
(10:57):
with an animal that can see you, and she couldn't
see me, and she couldn't see.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
What was around her, So she took a lot of patience.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
But going from having a blind pig that I could
barely touch to winning the fair was such a cool moment.
That's a really good word of something else that we
learned growing up early on, as patience, because you have
to be patient with these animals because like in showmanship,
I would say patience is the key. You have to
be calm, you have to be patient with your animal,
(11:24):
and it's like a teamwork during showmanship. And so that's
another point. That's just a great word you said. I
love that.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
So what about as far as the failures, I mean,
like you said, you have to fail more than your
That's just that's the way it is for anything, really,
anything worth doing. What would you say would be the
failure that taught you the most?
Speaker 3 (11:45):
I would say it wasn't really a failure in the
show ring, but the most expensive animal I ever had
did die a month out from our state show in February,
and at that point it's too late in the game
to get a new one and start over. So when
you have your pigs die to or you can't show anymore,
you feel like, what did I do wrong? What could
I have done to keep this pig alive so that
(12:05):
I could have shown with my friends? And this was
my junior year in high school, and all I could
think was I only have one year left, and now
I'm missing out on a show because my animal has died.
And so I think that moment did teach me that
everything that happens with my animal, obviously I have something
to do with it, but overall I am in no
control here, Like everything that happens in this world is
(12:26):
not in my control.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
And I think that is what that lesson taught me.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
And so after losing my animals, I learned more to
put my trust in my faith and to pray with
my animals and pray over my animals, and that it
just taught me to trust God a.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Little bit more and know that He's gonna take care
of my animals.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Love that. What about you, well, I would probably say
my freshman year of high school, I had this one goat.
His name was Cowboy, and he was a beautiful paint goat,
so that means he was brown and white and then
brown again on the back. And he was what I
thought was one of the best goats I had ever shown.
And I took them to jackpot Season, and jackpot season
(13:02):
is kind of like smaller shows during the summer before
we get to our big state show here at the fair,
and so I took them to little jack Potts and
he won almost every little jackpott. So when I got
to the fair, I was like, Okay, I have a
really good chance. I've never won the fair before. I
had gotten third overall, but I had never placed in
the top two, and I was like.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
This is my chance.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
I was very very confident, a little too overly confident maybe, and.
Speaker 4 (13:26):
We get in there and he gets.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Second in class, and it was just kind of like, Okay,
this is I've been told this is the best goat
I've ever had.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
And then you just get second, which is still good.
That's still good to anybody. Second. It's a great place
to get. But like having that high of an expectation, So.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
That kinda just taught me not to have high expectations
and just think it's gonna be handed to you, like
you have to constantly work at it. And so the
next year I work even harder to get in the
top two and up getting a reserved with my dope.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
So it's just it's all about.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
Coming back, not letting one loss get you down. It's
all about coming back and what you can learn from
it for sure, And nothing's ever going to be handed
to you in life. It's all about hard work and
how hard you, like I keep saying it is, how
hard you work at showing and with your animals, Is
it will show, it will.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
Come out in the ring. I promise how hard you work?
Speaker 1 (14:26):
So what's the competition like, like, is it a really
super people?
Speaker 3 (14:33):
But I think with it being so competitive and it's
like this in the pig Barn, I'm not sure about
the goats. With it being so competitive and all of
us wanting to win, at the end of the day,
we're able to come back and be supportive of each other. Yes,
so even if I don't win and another family wins,
it's okay because that family won and we're all one
big tight circle. And so it's just really nice knowing
(14:54):
that if I'm not winning, my friends are. So it's
just really cool to watch the whole thing go down.
We're so aggressive in the ring and we want to
beat each other and we want to win, but out
of it, we're able to sit there and congratulate each other. Yeah,
my best friend from showing his family and was probably
my biggest competition, or our families were the biggest competition.
(15:15):
But where our families are so close, we are like
we are best friends, and so that's so great to
see that our friendship can go outside of the show ring.
And yes, we get competitive in the show ring. We
were the same age, so we got competitive showmanship, but
we were still so proud of each other. I've always
used the analogy that your biggest competition, or the person
(15:35):
you want to beat most in the show ring is
the person who's helping you get your goat to the ring.
If your goat want walk, that's the person behind helping
you get there. So that's just how the livestock industry is. Yes,
we're so competitive and we want to win. Everybody wants
to win, obviously, but we also just are so happy
for the people who do win because we know how
hard it took to get them there. Nice.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Nice, Thank you both have graduated.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
Now, yes, what's the plan next?
Speaker 2 (16:02):
Do you want to go?
Speaker 3 (16:03):
Well, I am going to school actually to do I
want to do sales for an AGG business. So hopefully
if the plan works out, I'll be doing pharmaceutical sales
for veterinary medicine.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
Okay, if it works out to stay within the AGG
industry and accepted. I did.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
I was accepted into the University of Georgia, so I'll
start in January of their studying.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
Nice and I'm currently a freshman at the University of.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
Georgia and I'm majoring in agriculture education, and I just
have a passion for agriculture, always have, so I always
knew it was going to be something in the agriculture industry.
And then the summer before my senior year, I just
really fell in love with the idea of passing down
all of the knowledge and wisdom that people within the
livestock community has instilled in me. And I think it's
(16:46):
only my right, because of how much they have given me,
is to pass that along. And I just feel like
I owe everything to the agriculture industry, and so I
think I need to grow as future leaders of agriculturalists.
And so that's why church agriculture education, and I'm doing
a double dog program, which is where you get two
degrees in four years at the University of Georgia, and
(17:08):
I'm getting my master's in agriculture leadership to maybe one
day have a higher position in agriculture education.
Speaker 4 (17:15):
So that's the plan as of now.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Now has that been shocking for either of your families?
Speaker 2 (17:19):
No, not at all.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Now are your siblings also interested in going into ag careers?
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Well, mine are still little.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
I have a brother that's a junior in high school
and then the youngest brother is in third grade, so
I'm not quite sure if they haven't figured out yet,
but I'm sure.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
They will sick within some type of agriculture career. Okay.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
And my older sister actually graduated from the University of
Georgia this May with a degree in agriculture communications and
a minor in elementary.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
School ad education.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
And so she is currently a four age educator at
our extension office in Lincoln County and she loves it.
Speaker 4 (17:55):
She's completely taken over the four.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
H program in Lincoln County and she's pretty much built
it from scratch because we did not have a good one,
and so she's really forcing in Lincoln County right now.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
Okay, So are you guys familiar with the homesteading movement
that we're seeing.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
I'm not really familiar with it, but I know of it.
Here in Houston County, we do have a canning plant, Okay.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
So I got to work there with all of our
egg teachers over the summer and watch people bring in
their farm family grown produce and bring it in and
we'd can it and they get to take it home.
And so I did get to kind of witness it firsthand,
which was really cool getting to watch people bring in
vegetables and fruits that they grew at home with their family,
and we got to pack it up for them and
(18:39):
just kind of preserve it so it would last a
little bit longer. And it is really cool, the whole
homesteading process. But it's just not something that is super
popular right here right now, but I'm sure it will
be eventually.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Okay, all right, I'm trying to thing. What else I
want to ask you guys? Have you this is this
may be weird, but just out of curiosity? Have you
ever been made fun of for being Oh?
Speaker 3 (19:07):
For sure? Yeah, yeah, I had kids, and I was
the only person in my school who showed livestock, and
so like I was for sure made fun of, or
not made fun of to the point of like bullian,
but like because people thought it was funny.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
But it's not.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
They thought it was funny because they didn't understand it right,
and they didn't understand its importance.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
So it's not that I was considered made fun of.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
It was just people who were unaware of the importance
and unaware of what we were actually doing here. But
also I would say that, but then also at my school,
I was celebrated by my teachers and stuff because.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
It went I mean, when they call your name, they
call your county.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
So yeah, yeah, And I would say it does look differently,
especially at the high school age, because we're girls who
play with animals and we're not out there cheerleading and
playing softball or something like that. We'd spend our time
in barns, and so it is harder for some people
to understand why we would want to go spend all
this time with animals when we could be doing something
that should that sounds more girly. But a lot of
(20:10):
people that do show animals are girls, and I think
that is the coolest part of the livestock industry that
it has kind of been taken over by females. And
even like now, I just I'm a freshman at EGA,
and I just got through with sorority recruitment, and I
rush to sorority, and it's very hard to it because
that's a big part of who I am, is agriculture
(20:30):
in the livestock industry, and so it was very hard
to advocate to them and to let them know that
side of me because they had never heard about it before.
And definitely like today when I left all my friends
cause I came from Athens here to the fairgrounds, and
I was like telling them where I was going. They
thought it was so crazy that I was taking a
(20:51):
day off of school for the livestock show. But this
is like, this is my super Bowl, this is my
biggest event of the whole entire year. And although I'm
not showing, I don't think I will ever another Georgia
National Fair in my lifetime because this place has just
meant so much to me and this show means a
lot to me.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
Wow, that's awesome. I love that. I love that y'all
think y'all for sharing all this? Of course, is there
anything else that the audience, which is varied and wide
and fast, that they would need to know about showing
animals the fair in general? Things like that that I
just don't know to ask you about.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Well, you know, the fair I would say, is the
best time if you are interested in showed an animal
to come and watch. You can get in the fair,
walk through the barn, see the animals, watch the show,
and if it's something that interests you, I would say,
find someone ask the questions anyone in the barn. I
know the pig barn, the cow barn. If you ask
the question, anyone will be willing to help you. And
(21:45):
there's breeders everywhere. There's so many people here who raise animals,
who want your kids to show their animals. So if
it's something that you're interested in and like you really
want to do, the fair is the best pay the
best place to come and get the information. And we
are so fortunate to have such amazing facilities at the
george National Fairgrounds. I have traveled to other states to
(22:09):
show livestock, and our facilities are next to none, really like,
they are so incredibly nice, and we are so incredibly
fortunate to have such a well run show that we
get to call our state show and our state fair.
And so I would just tell other Georgia exhibitors if
they're listening, that be grateful for where we get to
(22:30):
show every day, and the Georgia National Fairgrounds. I will
always say it is one of my favorite places in
the whole entire world. I mean, these were for my
goals were achieved, so many of my memories were made,
and like my memories spent here impacted my decision on
what I wanted to do in the future.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
For sure.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
So okay, so I would say.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
So, have you ever played the high low game? Do
you know what I'm talking about? Do you take the
high point, your most favorite whatever, and then you pick
your least favorite? When it comes to doing this, what
is your most favorite part of the whole thing and
what is your least favorite part?
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Well, I would say, I mean, my favorite part obviously
is you know, winning, because winning feels great. But really
my favorite part, honestly would be the people that I've met.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Through doing this.
Speaker 3 (23:14):
Like Aubrey, I would have never met her if we
didn't meet through the fairgrounds because we both worked here
this past year as livestock ambassadors, So I would have
never met her and her family.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
And I would have never met the.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
People that I show picks with if it wasn't for
this program. So just getting to meet so many people
and get so many opportunities through showing pigs is just incredible.
Like we got to be we got to sit through
board meetings, We've met government officials.
Speaker 4 (23:41):
Just from doing things.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
Yeah, like people who know us just because we are
these two crazy girls that show animals like it's She's crazy.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
My least favorite probably would be losing the animals like it.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
I know Aubrey was very fortunate she never lost an animal,
but I went through a rough patch where I would
lose animal after animal from sickness. Pigs pick up an
illness and it is do or die, like they're going
to get better or they're going to die. And unfortunately
I did have several back to back cissaway and it
is very devastating and it makes you feel.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Like what am I doing wrong?
Speaker 3 (24:16):
But I do think that coming back from a season
of loss and then winning, it's just really great knowing
that it's okay, like losing animals is okay.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Love it.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
So my high would for sure be the people. The
people really make the place, I think, and like when
you find your group of people that you love, enjoy,
or you love going to jo, you love going to
shows to see, they.
Speaker 4 (24:39):
Make the whole experience.
Speaker 3 (24:40):
Like once we found our group, it really changed the
way I looked at shows.
Speaker 4 (24:45):
And last year I won my senior year, I won
Grand Champion market Goat.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
Or market Weather and I reserved it and then also
that day I had one showmanship and so just it
wasn't the winning, it was the people who came up
to me and hugged me and congratulated me, and the
people who were just as excited as I was, or
maybe even more for me and like to see that
it's really something special. And I have met people all
(25:14):
over the country really like I have so many friends
out in Texas. I've gotten the opportunity to go out
to Texas this past summer and work a showmanship camp
to teach young showmen, like just little tips and tricks
about showing. And I got to meet so many showmen
from Texas who were counselors with me, and that was
(25:34):
so awesome. And now I keep in contact with them,
and just like the connections you make, like even going
to college, some of my closest friends that I've made
at college have been involved in the ag industry, and
so it's just so nice to share that common passion
as well. And then my low would for sure be
like washing them care not even the boob, it's just washing.
(26:00):
I was not the biggest fan of washing. And when
my dad listens to this, he's gonna completely agree. I
would gripe and complain about having to wash them and
clean pins, especially in the winter washing and the cold
is not that fun. And so yeah, there's definitely highs
and lows, but the highs definitely outweigh I'm for sure.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
Okay, Okay, So I'm gonna ask this and then whatever
the answer is, it may lead us to more, it
may not. But again, is there anything else that we
need to tell people that I just don't know? I
need to ask you about it.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
It's a great industry to get into.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
This It really changes your life and it changes your
perspective on things like you have such a respect for
our farmers and ranchers, and you have such a respect
for the agriculture industry, and like just going to college
really like it has opened my eyes how I was
raised differently because I was raised in that eg industry,
and I have a different respect and a different out,
(26:59):
a different view on our life and.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
So I would for sure say it's an amazing industry
to get your kids involved in, because not to say
that we're pretty good kids, but you get some pretty
good kids out of it. And like she said earlier,
from a young age, we knew how to shake the hands,
and we know how to go up to someone and
have a conversation, and just from showing livestock, it taught
us these little leadership skills that will help.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
Us in future careers.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
How to talk to an adult, yeah, and just how
to go up and have a random conversation with a stranger.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
I mean, we're good at it because we've had.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
To do it. It's taught us respect, a ton of
respect for adults, especially because they're the whole reason.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
We're able to come and do this. So getting involved
in a livestock industry I think does prepare you for
your future.
Speaker 3 (27:41):
When you say it's helped you with mental health, because
you know, you know, I wouldn't say so honestly, because
we have to have thick skin.
Speaker 4 (27:48):
Yeah, we have to get you like. You may lose,
but you have to. That has to roll on out
and you have to go to the next show.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
And I do think having animals of this type and
being able to go spend so much time with animals
does really helped because I know, being in school and
having so many animals school stresses you out. But I
was able to go and work animals and it was
just kind of like a calming place for me every day. Okay,
all right, so you'd recommend that too, Oh yeah, yeah, today,
I'd recommend showing animals any day to any Yeah, I
(28:16):
think every parent would recommend getting their kids involved in
showing as well.
Speaker 4 (28:21):
Okay, I love that.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
I know.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
I lived suburbia with my kids when they were young,
and they struggled with anxiety and things like that, and
we didn't have the ability to go show animals, but
we did go to the shelter we pet hans, So yeah,
about places I could get to them. Do you think
you will continue to have animals as adults once you
get your own place and you're out of school.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
I hope so, I really hope so.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
And then I hope in the future that my own
personal kids are interested in it, because I really don't
think they're gonna have a choice and I have to
be interested in it. But I do hope it is
something that continues to grow throughout my family the future.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
I would agree.
Speaker 3 (29:01):
I really hope my kids love it, because they sure
are going to be putting in But yeah, I.
Speaker 4 (29:08):
Hope they love it as much as I do. So, yeah,
I would definitely see a lot of animals in my future.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
And my little brothers still shows, so we still have pigs.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
So nice, nice, all right, Well, thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
Thank you for asking us.
Speaker 5 (29:22):
If you have questions your comments on today's show, you
can email me, John Clark at georgiusnetwork dot com. Thanks
for listening. I'll talk to you next week right here
in your favorite local radio station on Georgia Focus
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