News flash! The drought is over in South Carolina! The drought is over for both lack of rain and lack of cow shows. Over this last week we had about 4-5 inches of rain. Some got caught with good hay down but not yet baled. But we are not complaining. This is still a better problem compared to a drought and no pastures for our Angus.
School is officially out freeing up more time for our youth to work with their cows. Our juniors had their first Angus show of the summer season. Our South Carolina juniors met Saturday, June 6 at the Cattle Complex at Clemson, South Carolina to be judged by Lance Leachman from Virginia Tech. Showmanship began at 9:30 with the beginners (9-12). Breann Steadman from Greenwood took that ribbon. In the Intermediate division (13-16) Casey Evans from Abbeville won. Sally Yon won the senior division for the 17-21 year olds. A special showmanship class competition was conducted to determine the contestants to compete from South Carolina for the National Junior Showmanship at the National Junior Angus Show in Perry, Georgia from July 19-25. South Carolina is allowed two contestants and two alternates. Our SC show contestants are Sally Yon and John Petty. Savannah Groce will serve as the alternate. Once you compete at this level you are not allowed to compete again.
The show went on with Ann Blumer our American Junior Angus director from South Carolina serving as the announcer. The first class was the bull class. Yon Matrix W241 shown by Drake Yon won first with JP Expectation Legend 808 shown by John Petty as second. These bulls were also the bull champion and reserve champion. The Cow-Calf Class was won by Yon Burgess T343 with her bull calf Yon Matrix W241 owned and shown by Drake Yon.
In the junior heifer class Breann Steadman won with Cedar Creek Blackcap 2903. Yon Blackcap W270 with Caleb Miller at the halter got the blue in the Late Senior Heifer Calves. Then Yon Hazel W100 owned by Drake Yon took the Early Senior Heifer Class A. Early Senior Heifer Class B had Savannah Groce at the top with Savannah’s Sugar of Rice Farm. Savannah and her calf won Calf Champion. Drake Yon won Reserve Calf Champion with his Yon Hazel W105.
Lauren McGill won the Early Summer Yearlings and Intermediate Champion with AE Miss Karen 5780. Reserve Champion was Chisholm Clark with Dameron Burgess 8144.
Breann Steadman won again in the Class for April heifers. Palmetto Daisey owned by Garrett Metz claimed the blue ribbon in the Late Junior Yearlings. In the Early Junior Yearling class John Petty won with Petty’s Erica Eileen Lass 208. He went on to win the Junior Champion. Garrett Metz‘s Palmettos Daisey followed as the Reserve Junior Champion.
Senior Yearlings were divided into two classes A and B. Tanner Rhodes won A with CWF Elba 878 T116. Garrett Metz won B and also Senior Champion and the very top honor Grand Champion with Rosewood Erica 780T. Tanner took the Reserve Senior Champion rosette. John Petty had the Reserve Champion heifer with his Junior Champion, Petty’s Erica Eileen Lass 208.
For the Angus shows the American Angus Association gives assistance with premiums and classifications. One of the classifications is bred and owned. This means the junior owned the cow when she was bred and when the calf was born. In the Bred and Owned class John Petty won Champion again with his Erica Eileen Lass 208. Garrett Metz won Reserve Bred and Owned with Daisy his March heifer, the Reserve Junior Champion.
Several of our South Carolina regular showmen and women were unable to compete due to graduations and other school related duties. Noticeably missing were Katie Pruitt, Cory Watt and Teddi Steadman. At the same time some new faces appeared in the showring… always a welcoming sight.
After the dust died down from the show, the juniors met to discuss their trips this summer. This year since the National Junior Angus show is nearby in Perry, Georgia, many more of our SC juniors will be able to attend. Plans are that they will compete in many of the contests in addition to the cow classes. All of the events are fun and will add to their memories of growing up with Angus.
Sally Yon, as the South Carolina Junior Angus (SCJAA) president, conducted the SCJAA elections. The newly elected officers are as follows: president-Cory Watt, vice-president-Drake Yon, secretary/treasurer-Mary Hall, reporter-Savannah Groce, queen-Sally Yon, princess-Carly Watt, delegates to the NJAA meeting and election -John Petty and Sally Yon, advisors-Lydia Yon, Jesse Adkins, and Ted Bourne.
The Eastern Regional Junior Angus Show this year is in Columbus, Ohio on June 25-27 with the theme, “Lights, Action…Angus”. South Carolina will be sending Teddi and Breann Steadman with their advisor and grandfather, Ted Bourne and others from the Cedar Creek Angus Farm in Donalds, SC. Following in July 19-25 is the National show in Perry, Georgia with the theme “Sweet Southern Showdown.”
Now back to our senior association. Along with the hay this summer in SC we need to bale up our directory…that is we need to gather our facts together for our new SCAA Directory. Those who want to be included need to get ads and ad fees or dues in to Windy Bartee, SCAA, 1717 St. Paul Church Road, Clover, SC 29710. Our directory will include our paid up members and junior members as well as some facts from the past of our association. Our dues are only $20 per year. We also have a web site at www.scangus.org. Also Ernie Bingham will gladly send our SCAA members a copy of Angus Topics.
Summer will be busy for all. We hope your grass will get blessed often with a just the right amount of rain to keep your Angus in lush grazing.
If you have news items for South Carolina Angus, please send them to Windy Bartee at 803-222-7533 or tumblet8@bellsouth.net.
