The Clemson Spring Dairy Show and Junior Dairy Weekend were held April 22-25, 2021, at the T. Ed Garrison Livestock Arena. The hope of the show committee, composed of local dairymen, Clemson Extension personnel, 4-H Dairy Club leaders, and dairy industry representatives, when re-organizing the event was to make this weekend a cornerstone for our dairy youth programs across the state and a standout youth event across the Southeast. With hard work and dedication from the committee, the event surpassed all expectations. The first show in 2018 had a total of 248 head from five different states and 72 youth competing in showmanship alone. The show has continued to grow and our 2021 show encompassed 316 head from nine different states and 108 youth competing in showmanship. Our show was seen on a larger scale this year thanks to live feeds sponsored by Dairy Agenda Today. Through this addition, we were able to highlight our show, our youth, and our South Carolina Youth Dairy Heifer Project.
In addition to exceptional dairy breed shows, the showmanship classes provided our South Carolina youth the opportunity to compete with some of the best youth showmen in the Southeast. The focus of the eight showmanship classes went beyond just the placings. Providing a learning opportunity and enhancing the skills these youth had in the showring was a priority. Other learning opportunities for the weekend included our judging and showmanship clinics. Because of the success of the show, we were able to provide 8 exceptional classes of cattle to be judged by over 30 youth in a dairy judging clinic. Forty-five youth also participated in our showmanship clinic led by several of the top adult showmen in the region.
This committee strives to provide opportunities for our youth with a dairy interest to show and learn throughout the year. They are currently hard at work on a Summer Heifer Show and Showmanship Clinic to be held in conjunction with the SC Dairy Heifer Project Kick-Off. This event will allow youth that are new to the project to learn how to prepare and present their animals for the show from their peers and very knowledgeable adult volunteers. It will also give more experienced youth the opportunity to gain more skills and experience and highlight what they have learned. The Kick-Off and Clinic will be held at the Union County Fairgrounds on July 23, 2021.
Submitted by: Tina Horn and the South Carolina Spring Dairy Show Committee
