Youth Involvement in Livestock Shows

Around the region, many spring junior livestock shows are happening. For those of us who grew up participating in these shows —- we realize the powerful lessons that are gained through the process. Colorado State University Animal Scientist Dr. Temple Grandin says it is so important to expose students to livestock.
Grandin: “I think it is good for young people to be involved in showing livestock. I was in 4-H and show horses and I think showing animals is a great thing. I also do a lot of talks on the Autism field. I know kids that are socially awkward or geeky and they go out and win the county fair and get grand champion steer or grand champion lamb. It’s the best thing that ever happened to them. See a lot of kids today haven’t ever touch cattle. In my livestock handling class — most of the students in there are pre-vet. Why are they pre-vet? Because it is the only animal ag that they have been exposed to. That is why we have so many pre-vet majors. I am finding in my cattle handling class — a third of my class have never touched cattle. So we put an animal in the squeeze chute and let them touch it and get up close to it. Then maybe some of those students might want to go into large animal veterinary medicine. Then we have all those students that don’t get in —- there are other great careers in animal agriculture. But they are not getting exposed. This is the kind we have got to get kids exposed to agriculture. Out there in the real world, doing it.”