08/12/2026
This picture says so much about why we keep showing up.
It’s the excitement on a child’s face. The pride of walking into that ring. The hours of feeding, fitting, practicing, learning, and loving an animal. It’s the friendships made along the way and the families who stand behind these kids every step of the way.
Livestock shows are competitive. There are banners, trophies, champions, and days when everything goes exactly the way you hoped. There are also days when it doesn’t.
But somewhere along the way, I hope we never lose sight of what truly matters.
The kids in the ring are the champions.
They are champions when they walk into the ring nervous but determined.
They are champions when they help a fellow exhibitor.
They are champions when they congratulate someone else after a class.
They are champions when they learn from a loss and come back the next day.
They are champions when they choose kindness, sportsmanship, and hard work.
Our fairs should be places where kids can laugh, compete, learn, make memories, and feel supported. Places where we celebrate not only the animals in the ring, but the young people standing beside them.
Because this industry is so much bigger than a purple banner.
It’s agriculture.
It’s family.
It’s tradition.
It’s mentorship.
It’s responsibility.
It’s friendships that last a lifetime.
It’s teaching the next generation what it means to work hard, lose gracefully, win humbly, and always cheer for the person standing beside you.
So let’s keep making the fair a place where kids WANT to be.
Let’s cheer a little louder.
Help a little more.
Celebrate someone else’s success.
Teach our kids that competition and kindness can exist in the same ring.
Because years from now, they may not remember exactly what color ribbon they won…
but they will remember how this industry made them feel.
And if we do this right, they’ll grow up loving it enough to bring the next generation back with them. ❤️
Here’s to the kids, the livestock, the families, the mentors, and a tradition worth protecting.
The future of this industry is standing right there in the ring. Let’s make sure they know just how proud we are of them. 🐐❤️🌾