INNISFAIL – It was quite a championship day in the corral for young Colby Hollman.
On May 29 at the Innisfail Auction Market the 14-year-old intermediate-level member of the Kneehill Valley 4-H Beef Club scored huge at the annual Kneehill Valley 4-H Beef Club Show and Sale.
His work with stock enabled Colby to take home grand champion steer, with reserve going to Kaydee Gibson and her steer, Buck.
Colby’s stock also claimed grand champion female, grand champion three-year-old cow/calf and reserve champion heifer.
“There was a whole lot of preparation. Since November last year I've been working with all my animals hoping to get them to this day and have them prepared,” said Colby, who is moving up to the senior level next year. “You got to work with them by halter breaking them. You’ve got to clip them, and build trust with them.
“This is definitely a reassuring point where it shows that all of the hard work actually does pay off.”
Colby is definitely a winning veteran for the club but there is certainly new talent moving up from the younger cleaver level.
Alice Hoar is an eight-year-old cleaver member, and is a fifth generation family member to be in 4-H.
This year Alice is the Kneehill club’s champion cleaver showman for raising Buddy. The reserve went to Paisley Douglas.
“I worked with him almost every day, and kept on brushing him. My hard work paid off,” said Alice, who is moving up to the club’s junior level next year. “I'm looking forward to raising a steer next year because I won't be in cleavers.”
The Kneehill Valley 4-H Beef Club has been serving Innisfail and area for 74 years.
With its 29 regular members from the ages of nine to 21 and 16 cleaver members from six to eight years old, the club’s annual show and sale event is proof of its long and bountiful history, as well as the community support it still receives and gives back.
“Every year we have a steer that somebody has donated, and then one of our club members raises it and we donate all of the proceeds back to the community,” said Nicole Hollman, Colby’s mother and a leader with the club.
This year’s donated steer from Lennor Farms raised $15,000 through a draw at this year’s show and sale. That money will go toward supporting Innisfail’s ongoing Diamond #7 project behind the Innisfail Twin Arena.
Last year the club raised $20,000; split between Innisfail’s heliport upgrade project and a cardiac monitor for the Innisfail Health Centre.
Below is the full list of Kneehill Valley 4-H Beef Club winners from the show and sale on May 29.
• Grand champion heifer- Wacey Hollman
• Reserve champion heifer - Colby Hollman
• Grand champion 2-yr-old - Kaden Hollman
• Reserve champion 2-yr-old - Aubrey Fraser
• Grand champion 3-yr-old - Colby Hollman
• Reserve champion 3-yr-old - Lincoln Hollman
Showmanship at the show and sale was judged throughout the steer classes, and the club moved into champion showmanship classes with a group of young talent.
Champion junior showman went to Aubrey Fraser, and reserve to Lincoln Hollman.
Intermediate champion showman was Keston Hollman and reserve went to Chayse Hollman.
Senior champion showman was Wacey Hollman and reserve went to Zane Lutz-Winter.
The Kneehill Valley 4-H Beef Club will be hosting its year-end banquet on June 25 at the Kneehill Valley Community Hall.
