For hundreds of Mississippi 4-H and FFA students, exhibiting their livestock at the Dixie National Livestock Show is the culmination of months, if not years, of hard work. And, that hard work pays off for those who earn a spot in the coveted Sale of Junior Champions, which showcases the best-of-the-best from the show.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to showcase the work and dedication that our youth have put in all season,” says Lincoln County Extension Agent Jennifer Williams. “It’s the opportunity for them to walk out and have the buyers invest in their future. We’re so excited for this to roll around every year.”
Making it to the Sale of Junior Champions is like making it to a state sports championship for the students who show livestock. They invest hundreds of hours of hard work to get here.
“My cattle come first, and then I get everything else done. But, I’m an all A student. You have to be devoted and learn time management. It takes a lot of time, but if it’s something you love, you will make it work,” says Grant Goree, a Pisgah High School senior.
Grant Goree lives on a 12-house poultry farm in Rankin County, so he knows what hard work looks like.
“You will get out of it what you put into it,” he says of livestock showing. “You can spend as much money as you like, but if you don’t put the work and the time into it, you’re not going to get anything out of it. I’d say work ethic and time efficiency really are the best things I gained from this.”
For many of the students who participate in the Dixie National Livestock Show, it is a stepping stone to a promising future, but also a time they enjoy with family and friends.
“This was something that everybody in my family could really get involved in,” says Hope White, a West Jones High School freshman. “My sister is 8 years older, so she’s actually aged out, but she’s still so involved and comes to all the shows. It’s just an activity that the whole family is a part of and has a role in.”
“I do love the animals, but I love the memories that we’ve made and the people that I’ve met,” adds Tippah County senior Leighton Horton.
“My dad showed pigs when he was younger, so he got me into it. I fell in love with it. I’ve gained friendships and a show family. Nothing else compares to it,” says Preston Aust, a Humphreys Academy senior.
Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation supports youth agricultural events, like the Dixie National Livestock Show and Sale of Junior Champions, in hopes of helping develop the future leaders of Mississippi. Agriculture will always be an important industry to the state and its residents, so MFBF strives to invest in those who will help sustain it in the future.
“We are developing the future of our industry, the future leaders of our state through this livestock show. All the skills that they learn from these projects gives them a good foundation,” says B.J. McClinton, a Clay County beef cattle farmer and a member of the Sale of Junior Champions Promotion Committee.
MFBF, along with the Mississippi Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company and Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company, purchased five animals from the 2023 Sale of Junior Champions.
“Our members understand that this is the best way you can teach a kid responsibilities early in life,” MFBF President Mike McCormick says. “They’re out working with their show animals before they go to school, after they come home from school, and just learning how to take care of animals and be good stewards of our land.”
This year 1,257 4-H and FFA members from across Mississippi participated in the Dixie National Junior Round-Up Livestock Show, showing 2,153 head of various livestock including pigs, sheep, cattle and goats. The animals sold for top dollar in the Sale of Champions. In addition, scholarships totaling $61,500 were awarded to 39 students.
“The Dixie National Junior Livestock Show and the Sale of Champions is one of the biggest highlights of our 4-H program throughout the year. Over 1,200 youth participated this year in this event,” says Mississippi State University Extension Service Interim Director Dr. Steve Martin. “At the heart of this is leadership, and what we are teaching through our program develops young leaders for the state of Mississippi.”