REGINA – Agribition’s Extreme junior beef show was a severe case of sibling rivalry.
The all breeds youth show at Canadian Western Agribition’s final day had brothers and sisters vying for a total of $5,000.
The youth show invites young people from ages nine to 21 to show cattle according to breed. There is also a commercial division.
Cattle are selected through the process of elimination with a showdown among the breeds until a grand and reserve champions are selected.
This year’s winner, 13-year-old Jaelayne Wilson of Bashaw, Alta., took the overall prize with her home-raised Black Angus heifer. She earlier won the Angus division championship against her 15-year-old sister, Dakota, who took the reserve.
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The reserve champion overall went to Chance Jackson of Sedley, Sask., with a Red Angus heifer. His sister won grand champion at this event last year.
In the Simmental division, Riley and Cody-Ray LaFrentz of Bienfait, Sask., won grand and reserve champions respectively.
The show ring is old hat for Jaelayne, who has been exhibiting since she was three. Winning this show means a $3,000 cheque, which is her biggest cash prize yet and she promises to split it with her sister.
“We always share our winnings,” she said.
As the daughters of Angus breeders Lee and Dawn Wilson, their lives revolve around the cattle business. Both are home schooled to give them extra time for farm work and the show circuit. Being on the road has given them confidence and maturity so they are able to work well with others, groom and show their own cattle.
“We don’t really need help. We can fit by ourselves,” Jaelayne said.
Independence is also important for 12-year-old Chance Jackson, son of Levi and Carmen Jackson. He is also home schooled because he wants extra time for his other interests of working with cattle, tending his small flock of sheep, roping and high school rodeo.
“I’m done (school) by noon and I get to rope all day,” he said.
Jackson has been coming to Agribition all his life and showed his first champion prospect steer at the age of six. For him, there is more to this week-long event than fitting and showing livestock. It is a week for socializing with friends and looking for fun.
“I’m always running around at Agribition, getting into trouble and trying to find all the secret passages,” he said.
