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Beef Shows

The Ohio Valley Junior Beef Association 2009 Show scheduled is:

Today: Beef Weekend, Wood County 4-H Campgrounds, Mineral Wells, show starts at noon.

July 5: "Stars and Stripes Junior Show," Jackson County Junior Fairgrounds, Cottageville, show starts at noon.

Aug. 1: "Summer Classic Junior Show," Ritchie County Fairgrounds, Harrisville, show starts at 1 p.m.

Sept. 20: "Fall Round-Up Junior Show," at the Pleasants County Vocational Agricultural Fairgrounds, St. Marys, show starts at 1 p.m.

Oct. 4: "Fall Harvest Junior Show," Tyler County Fairgrounds, Middlebourne, with the show starting at 1 p.m.

Oct. 10: "Fall Finale Junior Show," Wood County 4-H Campgrounds, Mineral Wells, show starts at 1 p.m.

For more information on the Junior Beef Association or the shows, contact Don Fleming at 304-464-4261.

VALLEY MILLS Youth will exhibit their prized cattle beginning this weekend at the 17th annual Ohio Valley Beef Spectacular today and Sunday at the Wood County 4-H Campgrounds, Butcher Bend Road, Mineral Wells.

The Ohio Valley 4-H and Future Farmers of America Heifer-Steer Review Saturday begins at 10 a.m. with check-in. The Ohio Valley Junior Limousin Show and Showmanship begins at noon to be immediately followed by the Angus, Charolais, Maine, Simmental and all other breed shows. At 3 p.m. prizes will be awarded, and at 6 p.m. there will be a fundraising auction. At 7:30 p.m., there will be a 4-H and FFA Heifer-Steer review with prizes awarded.

On Sunday the Ohio Valley Limousin Association Medal of Excellence Point Show will be held with the show at 10 a.m.

"There is a lot of work that goes into these cows," said Don Fleming, chairman of the advisers.

"We set up these one day shows on Saturdays and Sundays so more of the parents could attend that might not be able to get out for the whole week at the fair. Last year we had about 78 kids that showed at the six different shows," Fleming said. Fleming is a founder of the junior association.

Twenty-year-old Dirk Williams of Valley Mills is a former Future Farmers of America club president. After being involved with the program, he recruited his brother B.J. and his sister Lauren as well.

"This will be our sixth summer showing," said Dirk Williams. "It's usually crunch time right before the show. We have three heifers and two steers to show this time."

The youth show is one of many Ohio Valley Junior Beef Association shows scheduled throughout the year.

"H.R. Scott (former West Virginia University Extension Agent) and I kind of started the beef weekend show as a preview a month before the fair, so they can bring their calves there and have them get used to being at the barn and showing them before the fair," Fleming said.

The goals of the Ohio Valley Junior Beef Association are to promote beef animal care, nutrition and health; to educate youth about correct and ethical management practices; help insure the future of the beef animal industry, and set up one day shows.

"We have workshops and speakers for the youth. We have had speakers talk on animal health, feed, nutrition and marketing of the animals. We had a workshop on hoof trimming and we are planning more events for the near future," Fleming said.

At the Interstate Fair and Exposition, the FFA and 4-H sale will be around 1 p.m. July 18.