Stewart sisters really know how to show their animals

HARTINGTON — The Stewart sisters took the Cedar County 4-H livestock showmanship competitions by storm this year.

Ava and Calley Stewart were Senior and Junior Showmanship Champions, respectfully, in poultry, swine, and beef. Ava won the Round Robin showing a variety of livestock including swine, beef, dairy, and equine. This was the first year Ava was allegeable for the Round Robin and she was the youngest competitor.

“My sister Calley and I have been showing livestock through 4-H since we were eight,” Ava said. “We work hard each summer, and each year we build on our skills by training our animals and building a relationship with our livestock. Our routine is especially important, and it is our hard work and consistency at home that allows us to excel in the show ring.”

It takes a lot of time to perfect their showmanship skills. The sister duo starts working with their heifers in October, their swine in February, and their poultry in early spring. They compete at the Charolais Jr. Nationals and Nebraska State Fair with their heifers. Ava and Calley show their swine and poultry at the county level but hope to take poultry to the State Fair this year.

“The biggest challenge with showing livestock is consistency. Being willing to sacrifice downtime for washing heifers takes dedication. Perfecting your routine and working on time management becomes challenging as we get further into high school,” said Ava, “The older we get, the busier we get. With sports and other summer activities, time management becomes extremely important. We walk and wash our cattle and pigs each day, and are constantly practicing our chicken showmanship.” Although they already show multiple species, they have always thought about trying new things. The sisters hope to someday try showing sheep or goats. “Some things that I learned through 4-H this year were to put forth my best effort and gain knowledge about livestock species, as well as other project areas all while being a good example for future leaders and young 4-H members,” Calley said. It’s fun to see the animals respond well, Ava said.

“Our favorite part of showing is seeing your hard work pay off,” Ava said. “Spending an immense amount of time on a 1,100 pounds animal and seeing it succeed is especially rewarding.”