It was a full house at the 60th Annual Williams Lake and District 4-H Sale held Monday evening at the Williams Lake Stockyards, with both the Lone Butte and Canim Valley 4-H clubs in attendance.
Looking out into the crowd, 100 Mile House rancher Bill Hadden gave the opening words and said as a former 4-H leader he’d attended the show and sale many times, and later as a buyer.
“You think of 60 years of history and that works out to about 120,000 kids who have gone through this sale,” Hadden said. “That is a significant number.”
4-H is a lot of things, he added.
“For the parents it’s a lot of work and for the leaders it’s a lot of work. For those of you that do it — kudos — you have a lot of intestinal fortitude.”
Addressing the youth, Hadden told them they will gain skills through 4-H that will carry them through their entire lives.
“You might think it’s tedious and not that much fun but when you are 40 and trying to balance a bank account, you will remember this.”
Hadden also said many young people meet their future wives and husbands in 4-H.
“We have a couple of kids in 4-H that did and they have four and five kids of their own now.”
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When she presented the Rayel MacDonald Memorial Swine Award to Ella Carson from Chimney Valley 4-H Club, long-time MacDonald family friend Sam Purdy said she and her husband John created the award in 2012 in memory of Rayel.
“She was an active 4-H member who was awarded the most enthusiastic member within this district in her very first year with 4-H. In 2009, she won the Grand Champion Market Swine,” Purdy said. “Our family attributes the 4-H motto and the philosophy in giving the Rayel the confidence and leadership qualities that she displayed within 4-H, on the rugby fields and in her day-to-day life as she was becoming a registered nurse.”
As he thanked the buyers for attending the sale, Hadden told a story about attending his very first sale and being told by his daughter he would have to buy her ewe lamb back because it was a market lamb but she wanted to keep it.
“I paid Grand Champion prices for a grade ewe lamb,” Hadden said, which sparked laughter from the audience.
The clubs that attended this year were Big Lake, Boitanio Lake, Canim Valley, Chimney Valley, Horsefly, Lone Butte, Rose Lake/Miocene and Springhouse.
South Cariboo Results
SWINE: Runner Up Market Swim: Kelley Meier (Lone Butte)
SHEEP:
• Grand Champion Ewe Lamb: Hannah Meier (Lone Butte)
• Grand Champion Ewe with Lambs: Hannah Meier (Lone Butte)
• Reserve Champion Ewe Lamb: Karli-Rae Ross (Lone Butte)
• Grand Champion Dry Yearling Ewe: Karli-Rae Ross (Lone Butte)
• Runner Up Champion Ewe Lamb: Kelly Meier (Lone Butte)
• Grand Champion Sr. Sheep Showman: Camryn Brennan (Lone Butte)
• Interclub Market Lambs: Canim Valley 4-H and Rose Lake 4-H
• Interclub Ewe Lambs: Lone Butte 4-H
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