With dirt on their boots and animals by their side, local kids turned the Mesa County Fair into a stage of sweat, skill, and serious pride.
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The livestock barns at the Mesa County Fair were buzzing this week — not just with the bleats, moos, and clucks of animals but with the electric energy of kids who had worked for months to get here. These weren’t just pets they led into the ring. They were projects, partners, and in many cases, paths to bigger futures.
From rabbits to cattle, goats to sheep, the county’s youth — aged six through eighteen — showed up with more than animals. They brought nerves of steel, grit in their step, and a quiet kind of confidence that comes from feeding, grooming, and bonding with a creature every single day for months on end.
Not Just a Fair — It’s a Lifestyle
For these kids, the fair isn’t just a yearly event. It’s the culmination of long mornings and even longer evenings spent mucking stalls, training animals, and learning more than most people realize.
Lisa Scott, whose two daughters raise and show cattle, gets a front-row seat to that kind of discipline.
“When you show up at fair, it is that day-in, day-out, hard work that shows through,” she said, watching from behind the arena fence. “Whether they come out with a ribbon or not, the pride on their face — it’s everything.”
Her daughter Lainey, just 12, walked away from the Mesa County Cattlemen’s Association Catch a Heifer Program with the title of Grand Champion in her class.
One Girl, One Cow, and a Whole Lot of Heart
Lainey’s cow, Anne — donated by the Weaver family — didn’t exactly start off show-ready. Neither did Lainey. But that’s kind of the point. The Catch a Heifer program is designed to challenge kids to raise and train a young cow over time.
“You put in the hours, you put in the time, and this is your reward,” Lainey said after winning her class, a mix of shock and pride written across her face.
That reward isn’t just a trophy or ribbon. It’s something harder to define but easier to spot — that moment where months of effort turn into something real.
Behind Every Showman Is a Routine of Sacrifice
Showing livestock isn’t just about walking animals in a ring. It’s a full-time responsibility stacked on top of school, chores, and everything else that comes with growing up. Most of these kids work with their animals every single day — in snow, rain, or triple-digit heat.
And they do it for more than a pat on the back.
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Daily feedings at 6am, before school
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Grooming, brushing, and walking animals to get them used to people and noise
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Logging expenses and keeping records for judging
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Attending workshops, weigh-ins, and sometimes veterinary visits
“Most of my friends don’t really get it,” said 14-year-old Jake M., who showed a goat named Radar. “But I like it. It’s my thing.”
Table: What They Show, Who Can Enter, and Why It Matters
| Animal | Age Range to Show | Key Skills Learned | Average Project Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rabbits | 6 – 18 | Animal care, breeding, basic biology | 3–6 months |
| Goats | 8 – 18 | Feeding, training, grooming | 4–6 months |
| Sheep | 8 – 18 | Handling, muscle development, show prep | 4–6 months |
| Cattle | 10 – 18 | Long-term planning, budgeting, training | 9–12 months |
These aren’t just skills for the fairgrounds — they’re life skills. Discipline. Time management. Communication. And above all, responsibility.
Community, Not Competition
Yes, there’s competition. But even more than that, there’s camaraderie.
Kids cheer each other on from the bleachers, lend grooming brushes when one goes missing, and help each other calm down animals having a rough day. For many, this isn’t just their first taste of agriculture. It’s their first time understanding what it means to be part of something bigger than themselves.
One parent put it best: “They’re learning how to win. But more importantly, they’re learning how to lose with grace — and then keep going.”
Roots That Run Deeper Than the Arena
For Mesa County, agriculture isn’t some abstract industry. It’s woven into the culture. And the fair brings it to life.
These programs — from 4-H to FFA and the Catch a Heifer initiative — don’t just build better livestock. They build stronger kids. And those kids, in turn, help keep rural values alive in a world that often forgets where food actually comes from.
Not every child who enters the ring this week will become a rancher or a farmer. But every single one will leave with something they didn’t have before: a clearer sense of who they are and what they’re capable of.
A Ribbon Today, Maybe a Future Tomorrow
Whether it’s a six-year-old holding a twitchy bunny or a teenager guiding a 1,200-pound steer, the Mesa County Fair is full of moments that look small but mean everything.
For Lainey, Jake, and dozens of others, this week wasn’t just about winning.
It was about showing up.
