More than 300 Edgecombe, Nash and Halifax County residents came out Tuesday for the 72nd annual Eastern Carolina 4-H Meat Animal Show and Sale at the East Carolina Agriculture and Education Center on Kingsboro Road.
There were two competitions Tuesday, the livestock judging contest and the lamb show, with age 5-8 4-H participants displaying goats they spent around a month helping to raise.
Edgecombe County Extension Agent Lesa Walton, the Youth Developer for the county's 4-H program, said the Animal Show and Sale "gives boys and girls (in 4-H) an opportunity to see if they want to be involved with animal projects" as they grow older.
"It helps build some self-confidence" that they can be responsible for a long-term project, like taking care of an animal, Walton added. She also said that it can develop verbal and written skills in children, because of having to record in a skill book what they do to take care of their animals, Walton said.
For the 4-H'ers to succeed, it also takes a supportive family to see them through, she added. "It couldn't happen unless their family supported them" as they take care of their goat, pig, lamb or cow, Walton said.
As Lisa Hobbs watched her 7-year-old daughter Riki Contino handle her goat Chewy in the Cloverbud goat show Monday, she said the Animal Show gives children confidence to handle projects on their own.
Hobbs is the 4-H leader of the Giddy-Up Clover Club in Macclesfield and said that having the Animal Show also teaches children "self-reliance (and) responsibility."
Edgecombe County Extension Director Art Bradley said he thinks the Animal Show "is a great experience for kids," and that he's glad that so many choose to participate. As his 7-year-old son Steven entered his goat, Rapunzel, into the Cloverbud contest, Bradley said he is glad to see 4-H'ers taking care of their chosen projects, and participating in one where they are "seeing them through from start to finish."
The Animal Show continues today with the Hog Show at 1 p.m., the Pig Pickin' for buyers and exhibitors at 5 p.m. and the Livestock Sale at 6 p.m., along with the Goat Meat and Steer shows earlier.
Winners will be presented their awards on April 28 at the East Carolina Agriculture and Education Center.
