One for the Books- Trinity Neches Livestock Show 2017

"I believe that to live and work on a good farm, or to be engaged in other agricultural pursuits, is pleasant as well as challenging; for I know the joys and discomforts of agricultural life and hold an inborn fondness for those associations which, even in hours of discouragement, I cannot deny." -E.M. Tiffany, FFA Creed

For 72 years, students from schools all across polk county, those schools located between the Trinity & Neches Rivers, have come together each spring to exhibit their livestock and other projects. This year, Broilers, rabbits, goats, lambs, steers, pigs, and heifers were all exhibited throughout the week. There was also a washer-pitching contest, BBQ cook off, ag mechanics show, art, photography, craft and baking contest, and a rodeo.

Organized and hosted by local schools and countless volunteers, Trinity Neches Livestock Show (TNLS) is a labor of love. Polk County Farm Bureau, the Polk County Go Texan Committee, and Broken Arrow Pest control donate belt buckles, premiums, and scholarships for winning exhibitors. The sale Friday night is also funded by hundreds of local businesses, without whom TNLS could not continue. The TNLS Committee and countless volunteers do all of the bookwork and record keeping throughout the week. Axley & Rhode also provide services during the billing process.

For the students of Polk County, this is the highlight of the year. Most exhibitors work nearly year-round with their projects to get them properly raised and trained for the show. Countless hours are spent bathing cattle, walking pigs, setting up goats/lambs and selecting the right rabbits or broilers to be shown. Students must hold a real dedication to their projects, wether it be a swine in the backyard, a painted watercolor, or a fully functioning hay trailer welded by hand.

The real gain of this show is not the money or prizes awarded. It is the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice learned and given by students. Raising an agricultural product teaches young people so much about the world and about themselves that its importance really cannot be overstated. Exhibitors learn to care for another being, to be responsible for its welfare, to be accountable to that animal in all their decisions, and how to let it go when the time comes. Having a project encourages leadership and fosters camaraderie between students. Most of all, it teaches them that they can have an impact on something bigger than themselves.

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This year, the Trinity Neches Livestock Show Sale earned local students a total of around $347,000. But the money was just the icing on top of this week full of hard work, lots of fun, and memories made that will last for generations.

Grand and Reserve Champion Winners Were as Follows:

Grand Champion Broilers- Haley Houston

Reserve Grand Champion Broilers- Garren Toler

Grand Champion Market Lamb- Cole Stanford

Reserve Champion Market Lamb- Carsyn Whitworth

Grand Champion Meat Pen Rabbit-Madison Moffett

Reserve Champion Meat Pen Rabbit- Landon Sandoval

Grand Champion Market Swine- Halle Hawkins

Reserve Champion Market Swine- Jarett Smith

Grand Champion Market Goat- Heath Davis

Reserve Champion Market Goat- Gray King

Grand Champion Commercial Heifer- Haley Bower