Judge Vicky Wilmes, who has over 20 years of experience with the show, was impressed with what she saw.

“For the size of the fair, of Brown county, the quality was super high,” she said. “From last year to this year, I think it doubled. The kids really showcased their calves. They do a great job with them. They’re high quality, highly presented calves and the kids are great to work with.”

Wilmes said, “A lot of people don’t realize how much work goes into it and how it develops the kids. It teaches them teamwork. It teaches them collaboration, not only with their friends, but with their animal. It teaches them a work ethic. So all the way around, these young kids in this 4H program come out of it with all the ethics that they need to go into the workforce that people are looking for when they’re hiring employees.”

Top honors in the FFA Beef Show and the 4-H Beef Show went to Kate Schmidt and her heifer, Mabel. 

Cloverbuds, the youngest category in the show, line up their cattle for judging.

“She’s kind of moody right now,” Kate said of Mabel, who was just crowned champion breeding heifer.

The secret to her success, Kate said, “is a lot of consistency and hard work. Working with their hair, how they look, feeding. You pour a lot of time into it so it feels good when you do win.”

Kate, who is going to be a junior at New Ulm High School, has been in FFA for three years. She said she is also looking forward to showing pigs later this week with her sisters at the fair.

Other top finishers in the show included Mady Drake in the Prospect Calves category, Cooper Evers in Spring Heifers and Ethan Feucht in Prospect Calves.

Alex Confer urging her reluctant Spring Calf in line in the Breeding Heifer category of the 4-H Beef show.

The upper division in the Showmanship category of the State Fair Line Up

From left: Jaxon Steffl, Ethan Feucht and Kate Schmidt display their award-winning animals in the FFA Beef show