Published: March 06, 2009 09:59 am      

Big show means a big time at annual junior livestock show

Sometimes a youngster’s achievement can make the whole family proud.

Sophie Bullard is a fifth grade 4-H Club student from Haileyville Elementary School. She stood surrounded by family members outside a show barn Thursday at the Pittsburg County Junior Livestock Show.

Bullard hoisted a Breed Champion trophy in one hand and a cell phone in the other. A short time earlier, she had won the award for the best spot gilt at the show.

Bullard didn’t have much time to rest after she finished her phone conversation. She still had two more hogs to show.

That was fine with Bullard, who enjoys bringing her animals to the Livestock Show.

“I like pretty much everything about it,” she said.

Bullard’s achievement seemed especially sweet for another relative, Cherish Timmons, a former Haileyville 4-H Club member who is currently attending a college nursing program.

“She started showing animals under me when she was 5,” Timmons said. “I’m happy for her.”

Her grandmother, Cathy Smith, expressed a similar sentiment. What did she do when her granddaughter won the trophy?

“I jumped up and down,” she said.

With the livestock show continuing with today’s cattle show and other activities through Saturday night, there will no doubt be more happy families at the Pittsburg County Fairgrounds.

On Saturday morning, a champion showman will be chosen from among the individual winners in the cattle, swine, sheep and goat divisions.

The culmination of the event is the awards show and premium sale set to begin at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Students who participate in the premium sale can keep both the money and the animal — giving them an opportunity to show it in a future competition.

Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.