Contact: Cary Sims 936.634 .6414 cw-sims@tamu.edu
Student prepares for new and old competitions at the Angelina County Fair
There’s less than three weeks left until the Angelina County Fair. One student from Central High School is gearing up to compete in four competitions at the Fair.
Hayley Eldridge is a freshman at Central, and active in FFA and 4-H. Her parents are Christi and Trey Grandgeorge and she has one brother, Clayton Roberts.
Looking ahead to the Fair, Hayley will be competing in four areas: market goat show, heifer show, woodworking, and, a new competition, public speaking.
In FFA she is on the Ag Sales Team, the Heifer Show Team, Public Speaking, and qualified for the State FFA Sr. Skills Team. This is no small feat for a freshman. Earlier this spring, she participated in the Houston Livestock Show Calf Scramble.
The public speaking competition is open to Angelina County students, ages 8 (and in the 3rd grade) to 18 years of age, and are enrolled in, and attending, public or private elementary or secondary schools in Angelina County (including home school). Contestants must be members of 4-H, FCCLA and/or FFA.
There are two age divisions: Juniors age 8 to 13 and Seniors age 14-18. Prior to the competition, each contestant must submit a statement of originality on their speech and a manuscript complete with bibliography. Each speech shall be a minimum of 6 minutes in length and a maximum of 8 minutes.
Contestants will enter their speech in only one of the following areas: Western Heritage, Natural Resources, Animal Science, Agronomy, Agribusiness, Agricultural Policy, Agricultural Technology, Agriculture Communication, or Livestock Show Ethics.
Hayley’s chosen the topic, “The physical effects of domestication in animals.” She came about this from recent ag-science classes at Central High where she learned about Cortisol, a natural hormone induced by stress, which lead her to do research where she found several studies that caught her eye and peaked her interest.
Outside of public speaking, Hayley truly enjoys anything to do with showing animals, especially her heifer, MaryAnn and her goat, Morton. She says, “I really enjoy assisting others with their show projects including fitting and showmanship. I spend my time outside of class at the barn/shows, with my Ag teacher and mentor Mr. Williford. Lately, I’ve really enjoyed working on wood projects with my stepdad.”
Hayley first participated in the Fair when she was four years old in the Pee-Wee Division, showing goats. Her entire family has participated in the County Fair and she wants to continue that tradition. This will be her sixth year competing as a Jr/Sr showman in the Market Goat Division and her first year at County in the Beef Heifer Division.
Hayley feels the showmanship competition is her strongest area. In both Beef Heifers and Market Goats, she says, “I have steadily developed in a positive fashion over the last several years which helps make me a strong adversary in the show ring. This is something I take great pride in, as showmanship is the skill of showing your animal to the best of my ability.”
Hayley states the hardest part of having a livestock project is the sale. Says Hayley, “Every kid creates a bond with their livestock project which is part of the beauty of the industry, but in the end we must understand the animal is a market animal.”
Her mom hopes Hayley will continue to develop leadership skills through the ambassador program, increase her knowledge of animal science and grow as a person through the social interaction she has had with her fellow “county show team” friends.
Reminiscing on competing in the livestock show Hayley states, “Every year I have shown I feel I have absorbed more knowledge about livestock and the market industry and I feel it has helped me grow as a person.”
Looking ahead, Hayley is very excited to be selected to participate in a leadership camp this summer in Alaska. This is the 1st time that Texas has been asked to join in this program and only 50 students (14 from Alaska and 36 from Texas) have been accepted. Hayley will join other students and their Ag Science instructor, Stephen Peikert, for a week long adventure in June.
To see Hayley’s projects competing with hundreds of other students, come to the Angelina County Fair this April 17-21 at the George H. Henderson Expo Arena in Lufkin.
