Tis the season for livestock shows, and that means busy weekends for FFA students throughout the Comal Independent School District. Back to back stock shows include the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, the Comal County Junior Livestock Show, the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, Feb. 25-March 17, and the Austin Rodeo’s Junior Livestock Show, March 16-30.
Comal ISD FFA students spend hours working with their animals for the chance to showcase them at these and other livestock shows. Judges inspect the animals for how healthy they appear, their size, their shape and other specific criteria. At the end of each show, prizes are given to the students who raised the best animals in each category. The animals are then either sold to breeders or farmers or students take them back home.
Beyond prizes earned, showing livestock teaches students leadership skills above what they may learn in a classroom such as earning trust, gaining time management tools and keeping and balancing financial records. By working with their animals on a daily basis, students must earn that animal’s trust, so that when they lead it into a show ring, it follows their lead. Time management becomes essential when students must juggle homework and the daily tasks necessary to keep an animal in top shape.
Because of their hard work and dedication, Comal ISD students across the district earned honors at various stock shows throughout the year. These are just a few of the major awards given recently.
San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, Feb. 7-24
- Super Tour Guide Award – Elizabeth Haegelin and McKenzie Hehs, Smithson Valley FFA
- Champion Heavyweight Division Duroc Swine – Emerie Cantrell, Canyon FFA
- 2nd place Dark Crossbreed Swine – Claire McCormick, Canyon FFA
- 2nd place Southdown Lamb – Landon Krippendorf, Canyon FFA
- 3rd place Southdown Lamb – Thomas Egbert, Canyon FFA
- 2nd place Fine Wool Lamb – Hannah Wittig, Smithson Valley FFA
- Champion and Reserve Grand Champion Market Lamb, Fine Wool Cross Lamb – Brayden Dunlap, Canyon FFA
- 1st place Fine Wool Cross Lamb – Dylan Wunderlich, Canyon Lake FFA
- 2nd place Fine Wool Cross Lamb – Clayton Eckhardt, Smithson Valley FFA
- 3rd place Fine Wool Cross Lamb – Brooklyn Wiley, Canyon FFA
- 3rd place Limousin Steer – Brenlea Broyles, Smithson Valley FFA
- Champion Charolais Steer – Claire McCormick, Canyon FFA
- 3rd place Other Cross Steer – Blake Pellerin, Smithson Valley FFA
51st Annual Comal County Junior Livestock Show, Feb. 27-March 1
Steers
- Grand Champion – Macie Goodson, Canyon FFA
- Senior Showmanship – Morgan Elsworth, Smithson Valley FFA
- Reserve Senior Showmanship – Cody Gilbreath, Smithson Valley FFA
- Intermediate Showmanship – Brooklyn Wiley, Canyon FFA
- Reserve Intermediate Showmanship – Brenlea Broyles, Smithson Valley FFA
- Helen and Wilton Steubing Honorary Trophy – Morgan Elsworth, Smithson Valley FFA
- Charlie and Delma Pfluger Memorial Trophy – Macie Goodson, Canyon FFA
- Reserve Grand Champion – Reagan Dreibrodt, Smithson Valley FFA
Lambs
- Reserve Grand Champion – Landon Krippendorf, Canyon FFA
- Senior Showmanship – Clayton Eckhart, Smithson Valley FFA
- Reserve Senior Showmanship – Brayden Dunlap, Canyon FFA
- Intermediate Showmanship – Shelby Leonard, Smithson Valley FFA
Swine
- Grand Champion – Kayla Wunderlich, Canyon Lake FFA
- Reserve Grand Champion – Matthew Campbell, Canyon Lake FFA
- Senior Showmanship – Kamryn VanAusdall, Canyon Lake FFA
- Reserve Senior Showmanship – McKenzie Hehs, Smithson Valley FFA
- Intermediate Showmanship – Blake Pellerin, Smithson Valley FFA
- Reserve Intermediate Showmanship – Callie Silco, Canyon FFA
Goats
- Grand Champion – Hannah Wittig, Smithson Valley FFA
- Reserve Grand Champion – Kenzy Hoffmann, Comal County 4-H
- Senior Showmanship – Trey Hoffmann, Comal County 4-H
- Reserve Senior Showmanship – Kenzy Hoffmann, Comal County 4-H
Poultry
- Grand Champion Turkey – Katherine Metz, Canyon FFA
- Reserve Grand Champion Turkey – Peyton Wirebaugh, Canyon FFA
- Reserve Senior Showmanship Poultry – Presley Wirebaugh, Canyon FFA
- Reserve Intermediate Showmanship Poultry – Peyton Wirebaugh, Canyon FFA