The Prince Albert Legion Regional 4-H Show and Sale returned to the Prince Albert Exhibition grounds on June 9 and June 10.
This year’s Show and Sale was not without challenges as a large cattle barn burned on the grounds on May 25. However, Regional 4-H Chair Aaron Hansen said the fire just caused them to return to their old ways.
“It’s actually worked out pretty good because we have enough space in the in the old original barn,” Hansen said. “That’s where we all began, and then they had built this one later on, but that was a terrible thing that had to happen because that was the nicest barn of on the grounds.
“We were sad to hear about it because the quality of that barn was second to none, really,” he added.
All the clubs packed into one barn behind the main ring for the Show and Sale.
Hansen explained that there were close to 90 participants entered from four clubs. The list included the Weldon 4-H Beef Club, Wild Rose 4-H Beef Club, Canwood 4-H Beef Club and the West PA Beef Club.
Hansen was happy to partner with the Prince Albert Exhibition Association for the Show and Sale.
“We like it here in PA we like it and like to be working with the exhibition. This is a great facility,” Hansen said.
The Prince Albert Regional Show and Sale has been raising a Charity steer for the past 20 years. This year they’ll raise steer number 21. Weldon 4-H Beef Club is caring for the steer and has chosen the Ronald McDonald House in Prince Albert as the 2024 charity recipient. The Charity Sale was made by Dutch Auction on June 10.
“The clubs themselves picked the charity and a lot of the times it’s a family that’s been affected or had had help by a charitable organization or something like where the Ronald McDonald House has helped a family in our club,” Hansen explained. “It’s always nice to give back when you can and when you have the opportunity.
“It’s the clubs themselves that pick the charity and they always go to something that they feel that’s locally beneficial.”
JGL livestock has sponsored the initial value of the steer and the Lake Country Co-op has sponsored the steer’s feed.’
The 4-H Program is about more than just raising and showing animals. Hansen said another major aspect is public speaking.
“Kids they have to perform a speech and it’s in front of family members or club members and then they can go on to compete at regional level and then the district level, the provincial level and go on and compete nationally,” he said. “It’s quite a deal like. There’s a lot more to 4-H than just showing up here with an animal.”
4-H members also must keep Record Books for their work, which Hansen said can be intense. He said the goal is to help participants learn by doing.
“There’s a lot of work that must be done in the record books. There are a lot of pages, a lot of things to go through.”
Hansen himself, who is with the Weldon 4-H Beef Club and was in 4-H for the entire program until he was 21-years-old. The Weldon Club is celebrating 40 years this year.
“It’s a good program for our kids to be involved with to learn what’s all involved in raising animals and showing animals,” he said. “It’s tough and you always learn something every show, (and) every year.
“It can be in the speeches or the record book, it’s all always something there in the background. What we’re going to learn from 4-H, you just never know.”
Michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
