MONROE - For 12 years, Haley Reeson of New Glarus has been showing Holsteins and Brown Swiss at the Green County Fair and has not regretted a single second of the time-consuming activity.
"All I've ever known is this," the 18-year-old said. "It's like a family here. People in life come and they go, but farm kids, they're always here for you."
Reeson has competed in dairy showing most of her life. She said care includes feeding, walking and washing the cow, but that bonding is an important part of a showman's routine as well. Each day, she has walked with her show animal and kept them clean, making sure they are familiar with her. Even being involved in other activities such as Green County Dairy Princess and the high school swim team, she has always taken time for her show cow.
"They're not just animals," Reeson said. "They're pets."
Dairy showing competitions are judged contests between caretakers for different animals, such as chickens, rabbits, pigs, lambs and dairy and beef cattle. In showing, paperwork has to be kept on breed registration, health records, benchmarks for growth and budgeted items like veterinary care and other supply purchases. Housing with sanitary and ideal temperature conditions is also a piece of the animal's care, and nutritional needs must be met. Reeson has spent each summer for more than a decade taking part in the Green County Fair showing contests, and roughly four more fairs as well as district shows and during the Wisconsin State Fair.
Showing dairy cattle runs in the Reeson blood. Haley's father, Dean, showed the animals when he was young, and her now 24-year-old brother spent his entire adolescence showing as well. Her mother, Rae, said she could see how much the siblings connected through showing dairy cattle.
"I just knew it was an instant bond," Rae said.
On Wednesday, Reeson achieved a life-long goal; she was chosen to take part in the Master Showmanship competition and will be a part of the Dairy Youth Auction.
"It's been a whirlwind of a day, an exciting day," Rae Reeson said. "This has been a goal of hers since she was 5 or 6 years old."
Haley was all smiles as she talked about her achievement and said it was good to reach a goal she has had for years. Especially because Reeson will only have next summer to compete before she is no longer eligible as a junior.
Master Showman are chosen to show their strength not just with their animal of choice but with all categories of show animals. Rae said the only piece of the contest that may trip up her daughter is the chicken, which she does not have much experience with and may feel uneasy trying to show one. The contest is scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday. The auction Sunday will allow bidders to purchase Haley's accomplishment of becoming a master showman and will be split evenly between her and the fair, which will distribute the funds as scholarships for junior dairy show kids.
Haley said her biggest hope for showing and fair life in general is to see what has become a waning interest surge again in upcoming years.
"I would love to see more kids involved," she said. "This is a good skill, it builds character. It used to be more than 100 competitors in a class, and it was a thrill to win your class. But I've seen less and less over the years than when I was a kid showing."
Rae Reeson said the problem has been partly due to the decline of small family farms. With less families managing animals, fewer children want to engage in the program. She said parental interest is also a significant piece to success in keeping a child in showing because of how vital their involvement is, either for transportation or encouragement.
Despite being in one of the last years of her showing career as a junior, Haley Reeson said she wants to continue being a vital part of agriculture. She has plans to attend the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh for marketing and graphic design, which she hopes to use within the agriculture industry. She also said she may take part in showing as an adult but doesn't have any definite plans just yet.
"All I've ever known is this," the 18-year-old said. "It's like a family here. People in life come and they go, but farm kids, they're always here for you."
Reeson has competed in dairy showing most of her life. She said care includes feeding, walking and washing the cow, but that bonding is an important part of a showman's routine as well. Each day, she has walked with her show animal and kept them clean, making sure they are familiar with her. Even being involved in other activities such as Green County Dairy Princess and the high school swim team, she has always taken time for her show cow.
"They're not just animals," Reeson said. "They're pets."
Dairy showing competitions are judged contests between caretakers for different animals, such as chickens, rabbits, pigs, lambs and dairy and beef cattle. In showing, paperwork has to be kept on breed registration, health records, benchmarks for growth and budgeted items like veterinary care and other supply purchases. Housing with sanitary and ideal temperature conditions is also a piece of the animal's care, and nutritional needs must be met. Reeson has spent each summer for more than a decade taking part in the Green County Fair showing contests, and roughly four more fairs as well as district shows and during the Wisconsin State Fair.
Showing dairy cattle runs in the Reeson blood. Haley's father, Dean, showed the animals when he was young, and her now 24-year-old brother spent his entire adolescence showing as well. Her mother, Rae, said she could see how much the siblings connected through showing dairy cattle.
"I just knew it was an instant bond," Rae said.
On Wednesday, Reeson achieved a life-long goal; she was chosen to take part in the Master Showmanship competition and will be a part of the Dairy Youth Auction.
"It's been a whirlwind of a day, an exciting day," Rae Reeson said. "This has been a goal of hers since she was 5 or 6 years old."
Haley was all smiles as she talked about her achievement and said it was good to reach a goal she has had for years. Especially because Reeson will only have next summer to compete before she is no longer eligible as a junior.
Master Showman are chosen to show their strength not just with their animal of choice but with all categories of show animals. Rae said the only piece of the contest that may trip up her daughter is the chicken, which she does not have much experience with and may feel uneasy trying to show one. The contest is scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday. The auction Sunday will allow bidders to purchase Haley's accomplishment of becoming a master showman and will be split evenly between her and the fair, which will distribute the funds as scholarships for junior dairy show kids.
Haley said her biggest hope for showing and fair life in general is to see what has become a waning interest surge again in upcoming years.
"I would love to see more kids involved," she said. "This is a good skill, it builds character. It used to be more than 100 competitors in a class, and it was a thrill to win your class. But I've seen less and less over the years than when I was a kid showing."
Rae Reeson said the problem has been partly due to the decline of small family farms. With less families managing animals, fewer children want to engage in the program. She said parental interest is also a significant piece to success in keeping a child in showing because of how vital their involvement is, either for transportation or encouragement.
Despite being in one of the last years of her showing career as a junior, Haley Reeson said she wants to continue being a vital part of agriculture. She has plans to attend the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh for marketing and graphic design, which she hopes to use within the agriculture industry. She also said she may take part in showing as an adult but doesn't have any definite plans just yet.