Meet Austin Ross, a hardworking exhibitor from Sierra 4-H!
"Hi, my name is Austin Ross. I have been involved in 4-H
since I was five years old. I started by helping my mom with the beef projects
and have also been a part of arts and crafts, and baking. One of my biggest
goals this year was to start projects of my own that I could exhibit at the
fair, and I did it! I have 2 market lambs Billy and Bob, one show bunny named
Champion and a Ewe named Charlene.
For the past five years, I have participated
in Pee Wee sheep showmanship. I also tried Pee Wee hog showmanship one year and
have been to many cattle shows, where I helped my mom clip and prepare cattle.
I have learned so much from friends and family who have let me use their
animals for Pee Wee showmanship. It has been a lot of work with my own animals,
but I have really enjoyed it so far.
4-H is important to me because it teaches me much more
than how to care for and show an animal. It has taught me responsibility,
patience, commitment, and how to work toward a goal. 4-H has also taught me the
importance of giving back to my community. I have learned that success takes
practice and that you have to be willing to keep learning and improving.
One of my favorite parts of 4-H is the people I have met.
My fellow members, leaders, parents, and siblings encourage me, help me learn,
and celebrate my accomplishments with me. We practice together, help each other
at meetings, and share what we have learned. I always look forward to my next
meeting or practice. I am excited to continue learning, growing, and having fun
through 4-H for many years to come.
This year, I have had the opportunity to work with several animals, and each one has a very different personality! Billy is my Natural wether. He is a little silly, but he is also super sweet and has been a lot of fun to work with.
Bob is my Southdown wether. He is super chill, maybe even a little lazy! He would much rather take a nap than be disturbed, but I really enjoy working with him and watching his personality come out.
Charlene is my new-to-me breeding ewe. She is known for being a great mama, and I am excited to see what the future holds for her. My hope is that she will produce lambs that I can raise and exhibit at the fair next year.
Champion is my Dwarf Hotot rabbit. He is very soft and fluffy and can definitely be a little temperamental at times! When the weather gets colder, though, I really enjoy snuggling with him.
Each of my animals has taught me something different about responsibility, patience, and animal care, and I have really enjoyed getting to know their individual personalities.
My market wethers will be perfectly finished, and I hope that whoever ends up purchasing my project, would maybe have me over for dinner? I am very curious to sample what I have raised. It’s a lot of hard work!"