Members of Gilroy 4-H and Future Farmers of America channeled
their inner cowboys as they showed off dozens of steer, sheep,
goats and other livestock at the county fair.
Members of Gilroy 4-H and Future Farmers of America channeled their inner cowboys as they showed off dozens of steer, sheep, goats and other livestock at the county fair.
Flashy belt buckles, cowboy boots and Wranglers were ubiquitous during the hours of cleaning, clipping, shearing and combing animals prior to the big show. When the time came to walk their animals into the limelight, the human contestants swapped out their work clothes for sharp, all-white ensembles complete with crisp green neckties or navy jackets. The girls coaxed their unruly hair into sleek braids and boys slicked their hair back to match the polished appearance of their animals.
“It’s all about taking whatever animal you have and making it look as good as you can,” said Caitlyn Doyle, 13, a Gilroy member of Adams 4-H, as she expertly clipped her sheep’s hooves.
In her fourth year with 4-H, Doyle has a busy schedule at this year’s fair. She’s showing a black Labrador, a chicken, two turkeys and three goats in addition to her sheep.
Having spent so much time around animals, Doyle boasts a few skills not many other 13-year-olds can – such as milking a goat or castrating a sheep. An expensive undertaking, raising animals and participating in 4-H teaches her skills like public speaking, leadership and responsibility. All the money she makes from selling her animals at market – last year her goat went for $400 – goes right back into her 4-H projects or into a college fund. She hopes to become a veterinarian or join the military when she’s older, she said.
“There’s so much they get out of 4-H,” said Theresa Doyle, Caitlyn’s mother and the club’s goat leader.
“I knew nothing about goats when I started,” she laughed. With a few years experience under her belt, you’d never know. The county fair has become a bit of a family affair for the Doyles, who camp at the fairgrounds all week. Even 6-year-old Sara Doyle will show a couple chickens and rabbits.
City dwellers, the Doyle children learn how book work applies to the real world through 4-H, Theresa Doyle said.
While Caitlyn Doyle put the finishing touches on her sheep, the competition – Tyler De Carlo, 13, a member of Pacheco Pass 4-H – walked his lamb, Sparky, around the grounds. Freshly sheared, Sparky will go to auction Sunday and De Carlo expects him to sell for about $475, he said.
“It’s a little nerve wracking because I want to beat everyone,” De Carlo said. Last year, he had the biggest pig at the fair – HB, short for Hams and Bacon, weighed in at 320 pounds.
De Carlo’s profits go straight to his college fund, he said.
College wasn’t in Justin Paige’s sights before he enrolled in Heather Nolan’s veterinary science class at Gilroy High School. An 18-year-old GHS graduate and member of the Future Farmers of America, Paige wasn’t into school “at all,” he said.
“Those classes kept me in school,” he said, brushing off his goat, Friendo, before the competition. “I didn’t know what I was doing before that. Because of FFA and my ag classes, I ended up graduating with the best grades I’ve ever had.”
Paige plans to attend Gavilan College next year then transfer to Reedley College to study agriculture. The hands-on nature of FFA taught Paige skills he will take with him long after high school, such as being able to adjust quickly and public speaking, he said.
Remembering back to her earlier years in 4-H and FFA, Nolan agreed.
“It was one of the best experiences for me growing up,” she said.
Unlike many adults who think their food comes from the shelves of their local grocery store, Nolan’s students know the many steps in between, from breeding and raising animals to the sale and distribution stages, Nolan said.
“They’re ahead of the game,” she said.
Another GHS graduate, Magen Stone, 18, has been a proud member of 4-H and FFA for 15 years. Like Paige, she plans to study agriculture in college. Sitting in the shade crafting boutonnieres of fresh flowers – FFA students have to submit “still,” or non-animal, entries in order to show their animals – Stone remembered back to her early years when she was still a greenhorn.
“I fell in love right away,” she said. “It’s like a sport for me.”
To see a list of winners, visit gilroydispatch.com next week.
Red, white and moo
What: Santa Clara County Fair
When: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., today through Sunday
Where: Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, 344 Tully Road, San Jose
Cost: Free entry, free parking
Special events: Pet parade, 11 a.m. Saturday; Stroller parade, 11 a.m. Sunday; Livestock auction, 11 a.m. Sunday.
Details: thefair.org
