Members of 4-H clubs in the Estevan area continue to work hard with their steers despite the cancellation of the Estevan Rotary 4-H Regional Show and Sale, which was slated to happen July 7-9 at the Estevan Exhibition Grounds.
Brandice Petterson, who is a spokesperson for the sale, said they wouldn’t be able to hold the event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Estevan Exhibition Association’s grounds, which are where they hold the show and sale, will be closed until Phase 4 of the provincial government’s Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan, and a date for Phase 4 hasn’t been established yet.
Also, due to regulations for social distancing and crowd sizes, they wouldn’t have been able to do the achievement days, judging, awards presentations and sale, which run over the course of three days.
There have been some virtual sales around the province, including one in Alameda, but Petterson said the five clubs in the Estevan area have decided to leave it up to the individual clubs for how they will proceed. The five clubs in the Estevan sale are Outram-Madigan, Benson, Browning, Crossroads and Steelman.
Due to the cost of having an online sale, and since some members had already talked about selling their steer individually, the Benson club, which Petterson is part of, won’t be having an online sale.
Each club has been given options for how they would like to proceed.
In the case of the Benson 4-H Club, the kids are continuing to work with the 4-H steers at home until the end of June, and then they will finish their record books, like they always do.
“Then they will submit either a video demonstration or picture demonstrations, basically showing them grooming their steers, all of the things that they would do at the show, they will show little clips or pictures of them do it, and they will submit it,” said Petterson.
Judging won’t take place for the video submissions.
The club members are marketing their steers individually, and people are encouraged to step forward and support kids by purchasing a steer.
The steers are in pretty good shape, because the kids are doing the same thing they normally would.
“They’re still getting fed nicely and are finishing nicely,” she said.
If people are interested in purchasing a steer, they can contact any of the clubs, who will be able to put them in contact with a member, either from their club or another club who would possibly have a steer available.
