STRATHMORE, Alta., – When the 50 young people from the Young Canadian Simmental Association parade their cattle before the judge, they do so entirely on their own.
Learning to do for themselves is one skill members of the youth organization encourage when provincial or national events are held for young Simmental enthusiasts.
“As far as the cattle go, there is no parent participation,” said Stacy Young, president of the national youth organization, which started 28 years ago.
“That way if a kid can’t do something, they have to ask another member or develop their skills and do it themselves,” she said at the national show held in Strathmore July 24-27.
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“The parents are good about it because they want their kids to learn,” she said.
About 70 Simmental females and 50 young people between the ages of four and 24 from across Canada entered the event that offered hands-on experience at grooming, judging and showing, as well as speakers and tours of local cattle operations.
“Our program is designed to be more of a transition period between being a junior and an established breeder,” said Young, whose family runs Simmentals at Breton.
Many of the females entered at the 17th annual show were members’ 4-H projects.
“4-H can teach them skills and we try and teach them more at our own provincial shows,” she said.
This year’s show was a large female event displaying purebreds and commercial Simmentals. The grand champion award went to Marissa Kemp of Carseland, Alta., and reserve was Cooper Snider of Viking, Alta.
