Steer Takes Lead at the Farm Show

HIS OWNER LEARNS TO PICK HIMSELF UP AFTER A FALL.

EVERY DAY FOR MONTHS, I fed, brushed and combed Scotty, a Black Angus steer. Scotty was my 4-H club project in 1947, and it’s hard to describe the close ties that we formed through the daily routine on our farm in Landis Store, Pennsylvania.

At the end of that summer, Scotty and I entered the Reading Fair in Berks County, Pennsylvania. We won third place and so we were invited to the district livestock show in Lancaster. Again, we placed near the top of the show, which entitled us to participate in the big one, the Pennsylvania Farm Show, in January 1948. The show is still held today in the state capital, Harrisburg.

Everything went smoothly as we arrived at the farm show. Scotty and I prepared for the parade in the arena. He was all washed and brushed and I was dressed in 4-H show garb, which consisted of a white shirt and white pants. As a 14-year-old, I was mindful of the many young ladies who were all around. I wrapped Scotty’s halter strap around my arm and we lined up to walk into the arena. Suddenly Scotty took off, pulling me off my feet and dragging me.

Talk about embarrassment—this rates as No. 1! My red face was a contrast with the white uniform covered in black and brown from the arena.

That day ended with the auctioning of the animals. One of the top meat companies in the U.S. at that time bought Scotty.

Though the tears flowed freely on that day over 70 years ago, I believe my experience in 4-H helped me build a strong base, which led to my many successful years as an elementary school principal.