If showing a cow is like being in a dance, then Brent Kent's partner Baby Girl has four left feet and
no rhythm.
Kent was among a handful of Middle Georgia students participating in an annual cattle show Tuesday at
the Georgia State Fair. Baby Girl, a year-old Holstein heifer, came in last place after refusing to
cooperate each time she stood in front of a judge.
"I don't think I was working her, she was working me," said Kent, a senior at Jones County High
School. "She's just going to be the devil. But if I work with her more, she'll learn to walk."
Most of the students participating in the state fair Tuesday were in their first competition of the
year. They anticipate joining in a handful more before the end of the year, including the Georgia
National Fair early next month in Perry.
"This is a lot of fun, but it's also a lot of work," Kent said. "I have to work with her every day,
and she still acts up sometimes."
Each year, Middle Georgia Future Farmers of America groups bring their cattle and swine to the fair
to compete for money and prizes. The competition can be stiff, with students hoping to take home the
prizes and the prestige of having their school win the competition.
"That's the smell of money," said Jones County High teacher Mark Smith, who works with the FFA
students. "Competition is like a dance if you watch it closely. It's all in how you move and present
yourself. Showmanship is the most important things these kids are trying to show."
The cattle and swine shows are just two of the events held each year at the Georgia State Fair, said
Harold Carlisle, executive director. Fair officials spend almost $80,000 in premiums and prizes for the
agricultural shows, Carlisle said.
"But most of this money goes right back in the community," Carlisle said. "That's the great thing
about this: It stays right here."
The livestock shows will continue throughout the week, Carlisle said. The competition is a great
learning experience and gives students feedback on how they can improve for the next competition.
"They learn a little about cows, but more about themselves," Smith said. "It's a lot of hard work to
do this. The students really work hard, and it shows. "
