Teen has ‘09 fair on mind

By Trisha Marczak (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Friday, July 18, 2008

Photo by Trisha Marczak

Jenna Seidel provides her heifer, Grace, with some water after Grace’s big win in the breeding beef heifer category Thursday at the Otter Tail West County Fair.

Jenna Seidel is already thinking about next year’s county fair.

Seidel’s breeding beef heifer, Grace, was awarded the purple ribbon championship prize Thursday at the county fair. And while she’s excited about the accomplishment, her eyes are set on next year’s prize. That’s when Seidel, a student at Underwood, will have the chance to enter, not only Grace, but Grace’s soon to be baby in the cow-calf pair category.

Seidel’s family purchased Grace in February. Since then, Grace has lived on Seidel’s family hobby farm just outside of Fergus Falls. Seidel acknowledges that caring for Grace, in addition to her many other animals, can be demanding.

“It can be a lot when you have so many animals, like pigs and chicken,” she said.

But when it leads to victories like this, she admits it’s worth all the dirty work.

Seidel has been training Grace to walk in good fashion up and down her family’s long driveway. She regularly takes the hose to Grace to make sure that her coat stays clean and shiny.

“I scrub her up good,” she said.

Grace was awarded the champion title because judges felt she met criteria in a number of categories. They generally look at how big the animal is, in conjunction with the straightness of the legs, the tightness of the back end and the showmanship, she said.

Now Grace can return to the fair with her calf next year as an award winning heifer. Grace’s due date is set for March 15. That’ll give the little calf — whether it be a boy or girl — a few months to get into the swing of things.

Initially Grace was nervous to enter the show ring, but after she showed her first animal, the nerves disappeared and she felt at home, she said.

That could also be because it’s her ninth year in 4-H.

All together, Seidel showed five cows in four divisions; market steer, cow-calf pair, dairy feeder and breeding beef heifer. She’ll take Grace down to the State Fair, but will have to say good-bye to some of her animals at the county fair auction.

“I try not to get attached, but it’s hard not to,” she said.