MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT) Hundreds of young people from all over Tennessee are here in the mid-state this week to participate in the 40th annual 4H Junior Livestock Exposition.
The event is being held at the Livestock Center on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University.
The UT extension service says that more than 30,000 Tennesseans have competed in the expo over the years. Some of those showing livestock this week are third generation competitors..
At 15 years of age, Fayettville High School sophomore Colten Dotson is a competition veteran. He started showing animals at the expo in the fourth grade. He says getting his heifers ready to compete is lot more work than most people might expect.
“I’d say the most fun is getting to bond with the animals and bond with the other people who show with you. I’d say least would be when you first break the heifers and their kinda’ on the wild side a little bit and they don’t want to cooperate."
Event Chairman Jim Neal says the expo really isn’t about the livestock, but about teaching young people responsibility.
Among today’s scheduled events is what expo organizers call a “skillathon.” Participants are quizzed on their knowledge of animal husbandry and other farming best practices.