NEWS

Local youth compete at state, world championships

Andy Barrand Twitter: @abarrandHDN
Kade Shiery, Tyler Neukom and Karlee Shiery, members of the Roughriders 4-H Club, have spent the summer competing at the world level and state level. ANDY BARRAND PHOTO

CAMDEN — Karlee Shiery, 11, Kade Shiery, 15, and Tyler Neukom, 15, members of the Roughriders 4-H Club have had a busy summer working with their animals and competing at the state and world level.

Karlee kicked the summer off by competing at the Pinto World Championship Show in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She came home with two reserve world championships — one in English Showmanship (11 and under) and the other in English Novice (18 and under).

Karlee also brought home several other awards and ribbons in numerous classes.

The three most-recently competed at the Michigan Livestock Expo in East Lansing. All three made the prestigious Sale of Champions.

Karlee took third overall with her market goat; Kade seventh overall with his market lamb; and Tyler took seventh overall with his steer. His steer also earned Champion Michigan Breed honors. Karlee and Kade finished second in their respected showmanship categories. Tyler took third in showmanship.

Only months before the Pinto World Championship Show, Karlee had to break in a new horse, “TC Catalac Sensation,” after her primary horse “TC Hummer” got hurt.

“She was a really good horse,” Karlee said.

Karlee began showing horses competitively at the age of 7.

She said her favorite part about the show, other than winning reserve champion was meeting a lot of new friends.

Most recently, at the Michigan Livestock Expo, the three said they were totally surprised to make the Sale of Champions.

“The expo was awesome,” Kade said.

At the show there were 28 lambs, 85 goats and 110 head of steer. Only eight steer, eight lambs and five goats make the Sale of Champions.

Tyler said competing at the state level gets them in the mind set for fair.

Kade said what he learned from showing at the state level will definitely help him, come fair time.

“What I learned will help me to present my animal at fair,” he said.

Kade said the best part of the event was the opportunity to hang out with kids he only sees once a year.

The most challenging part of the expo is the actual showing of the animals in the show ring.

“The biggest challenge is keeping composed through the final drive, while people tell me to change things,” Tyler said.

Come fair time in September, Karlee will be showing her horse and swine; Kade, lambs, swine and a steer; and Tyler shows steers.