The back barns on the Mississippi Fairgrounds are almost empty. Still, there’s a flurry of activity. These are the last ones standing, the champions from the 2024 Dixie National Junior Round Up Livestock Shows. Students are preparing for one last show the Junior Sale of Champions.
With MSU Extension Service, Mississippi State University and several others, Mississippi Farm Bureau supports this event each year to spotlight some of the hardest working students in our state.
“I’ve been talking to 4H’ers, FFA students, and just seeing the leadership skills they have, the sense of responsibility that they’ve gained from raising animals, showing animals,” said Angus Catchot, Director, MSU Extension Service. “It has been an unbelievable experience for me and I think it will definitely carry on.”
“It’s a lot of talk around Mississippi legislators about workforce development. I don’t think you can get a better workforce development than what these kids are going through all on their own learning how to do all the tough chores, put in the goals, put in the work that they need to accomplish their goals to get in this sale,” said Mike McCormick, president, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation. “I can’t think of any better example of workforce development and we just want to reward those kids for their hard work.
This 55th event is no different. Exhibitors are awarded scholarships and crowned supreme and grand champions in there different classes based on the livestock they show. Madison County’s Hannah Jones is a two time supreme champion for her heifer DoJo and goat Martina.
“I like to be able to make memories with them and to learn more about the agriculture industry, and to be able to how to work hard and be more responsible,” said Jones.
Jones County’s Tripp McGee is a grand champion with his steer.
“Get up early. My mom usually helps feed him and bring him in and then get home from school after baseball practice and, you know, rinse him and wash him and work his hair and keep his hide clean and all that so, and take him out and practice setting him up and all that,” said Jones.
But winning isn’t everything, for these students and their parents, it’s the journey to this show ring that is worth more than all the trophies they carry home. Kade Lott was introduced to the farm way of life by his grandfather.
“I’d go out with him, milking cows with him. He showed me how to do hay and all that, and it’s just been a huge part of my life ever since I was a child,” said Kade Lott, Forrest County student. “It just builds a huge part of your day. You know, your life revolves around it and I really don’t how to explain it. It’s just a part of life.
Kade wants to own his own farm one day after studying petroleum engineering in college. For MSU’s head of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Dr. Christy Batcher, hard-working students like Hannah, Tripp and Kade are exactly who she wants at Mississippi State.
“It takes a lot of work to get these animals to this point and it’s a real pleasure to see these kids work so hard and get here, and then, yeah, that’s one of the things we look for is students that want to work hard. College is not easy,” said Dr. Christy Batcher, MSU Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences. “So, it’s great to see these kids that already have a background and already have some exposure to animals, because we want to get their hands on animals and teach them even more.”
It’s a long road to becoming a champion, but the benefits are worth all their hard work whether it’s funding college, developing high personal standards that will serve them throughout their lives or the friendships they make in the competition. For Farm Bureau President Mike McCormick, he sees a bright future for Mississippi agriculture with these students as its leaders.
“I can’t think of anything better to represent what we do than what these kids have accomplished by being in this sale today. So, it’s just a little small part of us giving back,” said McCormick.