Twins share love of raising, exhibiting animals
Adelyn and Brooklyn Grigsby are 11-year-old twin girls who attend Wilson Intermediate School and spend every free moment raising and exhibiting animals at assorted livestock shows, as part of the Ouachita Youth 4-H Club.
Both girls are avid animal lovers who have really put every ounce of energy into caring for their 4-H animal “projects”, and that effort paid off recently as they both took honors and had a lot of fun at the 82nd annual Arkansas State Fair and Livestock Show in Little Rock.
Most fairgoers focus on the Ferris wheel, the carousel, and the traditional fair food and attractions, but there’s a whole other world at the fair, as any respectable 4-H member knows. Being as the whole production is sponsored by the Arkansas Livestock Show Association, it’s no wonder that 4-H’ers and Agri- enthusiasts from around the Natural State flock to the State Fair to compete in numerous livestock exhibition categories, broken down according to breed and variety of animal.
Adelyn and her sister first competed at the HSC Fair in early September by showing several animals. Adelyn got top honors for her one-yearold registered Shorthorn Bull named Rudy, and Brooklyn won Jr. Showmanship Award with her commercial Heifer named Rosie. Both animals are right at about a year old and have spent the better part of that year with the girls, who’ve been caring for Rudy and Rosie in preparation for these livestock shows. They feed and groom daily, and they have abundant love and concern for the friendly beasts’ well-being and physical development.
The love and care the Grigsby twins have poured into these animals was apparent to everyone, including the judges, when the family took Rudy and Rosie to the 2022 Arkansas State Fair that commenced Oct. 8.
Rudy took the title of Grand Champion Short Horn Bull in the Junior Division, then the duo went on to win the Arkansas Grand Champion title in the Open Division, which pitted Adelyn against competitors of all ages, including adults. Brooklyn and Rosie placed fifth in their field full of stiff competition.
Parents Heather and John Grigsby could not be more proud of the girls and little brother Lane, who got his feet wet this year showing his beloved goat named Rowdy at the county level. The fairs are hard work and commitment all week long, but the whole family gets in on the action and enjoys the wholesome tradition together.
Heather said she did not do a lot of this type of agriculture fun growing up herself, but John did and is excited to pass that love and appreciation for Arkansas agriculture on to his kids.
“He was a big encourager of them to do this, and it’s been great…they’re responsible for their animals, and of course we help them, they don’t drive the truck,” Heather joked. “Every afternoon they go out and they feed them, they brush them, they give them baths, they blow dry them, you know, it’s a big deal.”
Grant Golden was Rudy’s original owner and the man who gave Adelyn the opportunity to care for and exhibit the bull. Rudy may be returning to Golden’s farm to be the bull-in-residence there, now that his exhibition stint has ended.
If so, Rosie and the family will surely miss him. Heather said the two animals have a strong bond that is evident when they are separated. But if Rudy has to go, the Grigsby twins will be there with plenty of special attention and tender loving care to give Rosie, like nobody else can.
“They don’t like me as much as they like the girls,” Heather said. “I can walk them around and do stuff, but not like the girls can.”
The Grigsby twins are already preparing for a fun fair season next year. For more information about this year’s event, visit @Arkstatefair on Twitter or Facebook. And for more about HSC 4-H programs, call the County Extension Office at 501332-5368 or check out the UADA Hot Spring County 4-H Facebook page.