COLUMBUS, Ind. — Over its six day run, the first-ever Bartholomew County Youth Livestock Expo attracted about 171 exhibitors to the fairgrounds south of Garden City.
That is approaching one-third of the 687 active 4-H members in the county.
“To have this many kids get this opportunity to exhibit is the really neat thing,” co-organizer Cathy Jackson said. “We have families that don’t do open circuit livestock shows, so this is the one and only opportunity this year for their kid to be in a show ring.”
Another important attribute of traditional livestock shows is that it allows young exhibitors to socialize with friends that they only get to see during fair time, Jackson said.
“They need those friendships and relationships,” she said. “It gives the kids the feeling that life goes on.”
For more on this story, see Friday’s Republic.
