Western National 4-H Roundup
Transcript:
Announcer: Farm and Family is a production of the Mississippi State University Extension Service.
Amy Myers: Today we're talking about the Western National 4H Roundup. Hello, I'm Amy Myers and welcome to Farm and Family. Today we're speaking with Dr. Dean Jousan, Mississippi State University Extension 4H Livestock Specialist. Dean, when does Western National 4H Roundup occur and what is this event all about?
Dr. Dean Jousan: Well Amy, the Western National 4H Roundup will take place in Denver, Colorado from January the 8th through January the 12th. The Western National Roundup is an opportunity for our Mississippi youth to compete in national contests that focus on the 4H mission mandates. While they're competing in Denver, they'll be able to be recognized at awards breakfasts or ceremonies. They'll have a bunch of built up pride and encouragement from working so hard to try to meet the goals of the contest that they're working hard for. While there in Denver, they get to start new friendships, whether it's from youth from Mississippi or from all over the United States. There'll be opportunities for them to go to workshops and learn about personal growth and development and leadership and it's just a great experience for our youth to be able to participate in.
Amy Myers: Mississippi will have youth compete at the Western National Roundup. How were they selected and which individuals or teams compete there?
Dr. Dean Jousan: So we've got a variety of teams and individuals that we take on this trip. A couple of contests I don't really supervise at the state level, but we take the Consumer Decisions Making Team and the individual in prepared public speaking and those are contests that are held during 4H Congress typically in late May. If we turn our attention more to some of the contests that I supervise at the state level and run, on that 4H Congress we send our Champion Meats Judging Team as well as Livestock Quizbowl Team. Usually in the late spring, early summer we have our livestock judging contest and we'll send that team to Denver as well. Then we have a variety of horse education contests that this year will take place in the spring, one in February and the rest in March and those contests would include hippology, horse judging, horse quiz bowl, horse public speaking, horse individual demonstration and horse team demonstration. So we've got about 11 or 12 contests that represent Mississippi at the Western National Roundup.
Amy Myers: And what other opportunities do youth have to interact with other competitors while at the Roundup?
Dr. Dean Jousan: There are a lot of social events in the evenings, some different dances and and mixers. Our youth are encouraged to get out and interact with other youth. They've got pin swaps so people can go out and exchange Mississippi pins with pins from other states. As I mentioned earlier, there are some educational workshops to learn more about how to improve themself and to interact with other youth. And then there are tours and trips out to the stock show. So there's lots of opportunities.
Amy Myers: So while our Mississippi 4Hers are in Denver, do they have an opportunity to do some fun activities?
Dr. Dean Jousan: They sure do and if you think about Colorado and Denver in January, you think of mountains and snow. So a lot of our youth and their teams will opt to go out into the mountains one day maybe to go on a snow tubing trip, or a snowmobile trip, or just to get out in the snow and throw snowballs at each other. So there's lots of fun things like that to do. While we're in Denver, the stock show opens and we get tickets and passes to go out to the stock show to see lots of high quality livestock being exhibited and also to go through the trade show.
Amy Myers: Sounds like this trip is fun for the youth, but I imagine it can be costly. Tell me about some sponsorships you have secured for youth competing in Denver.
Dr. Dean Jousan: So a few of these sponsors conclude the Mississippi Beef Council, the Mississippi Pork Producers Association, the Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture, the Mississippi Paint Horse Club, the Mississippi 4H Endowment, Mr. and Ms. Hopson Waits and the 4H Livestock Show Fund and some others also. These youth, they work hard themselves. They do a lot of fundraising. So all that support is greatly appreciated.
Amy Myers: How would current Mississippi 4Hers learn more about how they can qualify as an individual or a team member to compete at national contests?
Dr. Dean Jousan: Open your favorite web browser and search for Mississippi 4H Livestock Program. You should find the link to our website and when you click on that, just click on the link for youth livestock and there you can find all kinds of information about all the contests and events and shows that we offer.
Amy Myers: Today we've been speaking with Dr. Dean Jousan, 4H Livestock Specialist. I'm Amy Myers and this has been Farm and Family, have a great day.
Announcer: Farm and Family is a production of the Mississippi State University Extension Service.