TORONTO, Ont. (January 29, 2015) – Three young 4-H members from Ontario and Quebec will represent Canada at the prestigious Young Show Stars beef competition in the United Kingdom in April.
The three competitors were selected to Team Canada 2015 after winning their classes in the National Junior Beef Heifer Show at The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, which ran from November 7-16, 2014.
Team Canada includes Jack Oates of Brome County, Que., Grand Champion Showman; Hailie Conley of Northumberland County, Ont., Reserve Grand Champion Showman; and Courtney Walker, North Simcoe County, Ont.; Reserve Champion Intermediate Showman.
“We’re extremely proud of these young 4-H members and wish them all the best at this competition,” said Peter Hohenadel, Director of Agriculture and Food at The Royal. “Canada has the only team from outside the UK to be invited to the event. This speaks volumes about the high quality of The Royal’s 4-H competitions and the knowledge and skill these young people have developed.”
This international opportunity that developed out of The Royal’s 4-H beef competition is due to the hard work of the volunteer committee of the National Junior Beef Heifer Show and their year-round support of the 4-H members who participate.
The Young Show Stars competition involves youth ages 14-23 from across the United Kingdom. Scoring is on a team basis in several categories, including stock judging, cattle and sponsorship displays, cattle fitting and preparation, teamwork and knowledge, public speaking, cattle parading and ring etiquette.
The two-day event is unique with teams sponsored by various beef breed associations and industry partners, which gives young beef cattle enthusiasts the opportunity to participate in an intense and demanding competition.
The UK winning team will travel to Canada in November to participate in The Royal’s National Junior Beef Heifer Show, along with more than 300 4-H Beef Club Members from across Canada.
Previous sponsors of Team Canada include The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Pallister Farms, Tullamore Farms, Flightpath Shorthorns, Beef Farmers of Ontario, Ontario Junior Charolais Association and Tupling Farms Ltd.
Funding support for The Royal has been provided by the City of Toronto and Government of Ontario.
About The Royal:
The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is the world’s largest combined indoor agricultural and equestrian show. This year, The 93rd Royal Agricultural Winter Fair runs November 6-15, 2015 in the Direct Energy Centre and Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto. For more information, please visit www.royalfair.org.