The Pontiac 4H Club hosted their annual award banquet at the Jack Graham Centre in Bristol on Dec. 4 to celebrate the year’s accomplishments as young farmers and showpersons in 2021.

The club currently has about 40 members, according to senior club member, Alex Mayhew, who has been a member for 11 years. Typically club members are . . .

between the ages of seven to 25, “but we have a young group currently, with approximately 75 percent of our members being under the age of 12,” said Mayhew.

When asked about some of the positive aspects of being a member and how they’ve benefited him, Mayhew said, “I’ve made a lot of friends, and it’s helped me with public speaking. I’m great at speaking in front of a classroom of people now. I’m not nervous anymore, because I’ve been showing my animals, I’m used to having people look at me and call my name on a microphone.”

Mayhew says he has also learned how to judge in different categories of fair expositions, such as judging the best to worst cattle and other things like tomatoes. “But I think the weirdest thing we’ve judged was toilet paper,” said Mayhew.

When The Equity asked how one would judge toilet paper, Mayhew answered whimsically, “I just picked the softest.”

Judging, he added, helps them think about prices and the quality of products.

The earliest recorded date that the Pontiac 4H Club has been in existence is 1939, according to Mayhew who adds it may have originated before that date.

As a senior member Mayhew said he gets to help the younger members learn how to properly get their animals ready for show, he teaches them techniques and tries to help out along their way depending on what animal they show.

“I’m a dairy farmer, so for the dairy kids, I try to teach them how to properly show your calves, how to wash them, I teach them about proper nutrition, how to get them to care for their animals and get them ready to go in the show ring,” Mayhew explained.

Typically the 4H Club members compete in a provincial rally held at the end of July, [with the exception of the past two summers] where all the different counties of Quebec compete.

“This year it will be held in Shawville,” said Mayhew.

“The rally is about showing different livestock, whether that’s beef, goat, dairy, horses, and we also get to judge different products too. Members could do a public speech and there is a life skills competition[these are optional] where we get to make different things like decorating cookies or building birdhouses or making a scrapbook,” Mayhew explained.

“Everything awards you some points and whoever gets the most points will get ribbons and trophies and bragging rights,” he added.

Mayhew said being in the 4H Club also helps members integrate into the community. For example some members took a cow, some baby sheep, some rabbits and chickens to the senior’s home in Campbell’s Bay this past September.

“I wasn’t there but I heard they really enjoyed that,” said Mayhew, “and if it puts a smile on their faces it puts a smile on our faces.”

Some of the member achievements that were recognized at the banquet are listed below.

In the dairy division, the showmanship trophy class winners included:

Beckcrest Farms, Pre Junior Dairy Showperson: Mackenzie St-Pierre.

Harvest Dream Holsteins, Junior Dairy Showperson: Kaleb Ingalls.

Jimmy Russell Memorial, Intermediate Dairy Showperson: Liam Dowe.

George Coles, Senior Dairy Showperson: Alex Mayhew.

Louis Judd Memorial, Champion Dairy Showperson: Alex Mayhew

Reserve Champion, Dairy Showperson: Laura Mayhew.

Confirmation trophy class winners:

Brown Swiss, Pre-Junior Calf: Lily Drummond.

Brown Swiss, Junior Calf: Keira Drummond.

Brown Swiss, Senior Calf: Riley Drummond.

Brown Swiss, Summer Yearling: Khloe Drummond.

Champion Brown Swiss, Heifer: Lily Drummond.

Reserve Champion, Brown Swiss: Keira Drummond.

Holstein, Junior Calf: Gibson Lang.

Glad Crest, Holstein Intermediate Calf: Laura Mayhew.

Blatchford Feeds, Holstein Senior Calf: Alexander Mayhew.

Holstein Summer, Yearling: Liam Dowe.

Dannan Holsteins, Champion Holstein Heifer: Alex Mayhew.

Reserve Champion, Holstein: Gibson Lang.

Jersey Intermediate, Calf: Keagan Ingalls.

Jersey Senior, Calf: Kaleb Ingalls.

Champion Jersey, Heifer: Kaleb Ingalls.

Reserve Champion Jersey, Heifer: Keagan Ingalls.

Walter Kilgour Memorial, Champion Dairy Heifer: Alex Mayhew.

Reserve Champion, Dairy Heifer: Kaleb Ingalls.

In the beef division, the showmanship trophy class winners were:

Philip, Gayle & Tim Dumouchel, Pre-Junior Beef Showperson: Rayburn McCann,

H.I. Hobbs & Sons Ltd., Junior Beef Showperson: Ben Judd.

Ritchie Feed and Seed, Intermediate Beef Showperson: Reese Rusenstrom,

Senior Beef Showperson: Rebecca Hamilton.

Keven & Lynn Knox, Champion Beef Showperson: Reese Rusenstrom.

Reserve Champion, Beef Showperson: Rebecca Hamilton

Confirmation trophy class winners:

Tuc-A-Way Farms, Hereford Senior Yearling: Rebecca Hamilton.

Howard Family, Champion Hereford: Rebecca Hamilton.

Shorthorn, Pre-Junior Calf: James Stephens.

Shorthorn, Junior Calf: William Stephens.

Shorthorn, Senior Yearling: Bradley Dubeau.

Clover Leaf Farms, Champion Shorthorn Heifer: William Stephens.

Reserve Champion, Shorthorn Heifer: James Stephens.

Simmental, Calf: Ben Judd.

Apple Hill Simmentals, Simmental Senior Yearling: Reese Rusenstrom.

Tom Tubman, Champion Simmental: Reese Rusenstrom.

Reserve Champion, Simmental: Ben Judd.

Gary Hodgins & Family, Champion Beef Heifer: Reese Rusenstrom.

Reserve Champion, Beef Heifer: Ben Judd.

In the small animal poultry division the trophy class winner were:

Willis & Dalton Egan, Champion Poultry Showperson: Felix Vereyken.

Champion Poultry: Felix Vereyken.

Trophy winners in the goat division were:

Champion Goat Showperson: Roslyn McCann.

Reserve Champion, Goat Showperson: Eloise Thompson.

Champion Goat: Eloise Thompson.

Reserve Champion Goat: Roslyn McCann.

Trophy class winners in the rabbit division were:

Mayhew Family Farm, Trophy Champion Rabbit Showperson: Laura Mayhew.

Reserve Champion, Rabbit Showperson: Molly Dowe.

RM Lang Farms, Champion Rabbit: Mason Vereyken.

Reserve Champion Rabbit: Laura Mayhew.

Trophy class winners in the sheep division were:

Cégep Heritage College, Champion Sheep Showperson: Mason Vereyken.

Cégep Heritage College, Champion Sheep: Mason Vereyken.

Market animal steer division trophy winners were:

Butson, Showmanship 10-15 Years: Reese Rusenstrom.

Lell Hodgins, Showmanship 16-25 Years: Sheena Tubman.

Stanhow Farms, Champion Steer Showperson: Reese Rusenstrom.

Reserve Champion, Steer Showperson: Sheena Tubman.

W.A. Hodgins Store, Champion Light Steer: Nicholas Tubman.

Royal Bank of Shawville, Champion Heavy Steer: Ben Judd.

Laird Mary Hamilton, Champion Steer: Ben Judd.

Harolyn Farms, Reserve Champion Steer: Nicholas Tubman.

In the market lamb the trophy class winners were:

Clover Leaf Farms, Champion Market Lamb: Felix Vereyken.

Clover Leaf Farms, Reserve Champion Market Lamb: Mason Vereyken.

Clover Leaf Farms, Champion Market Lamb Showperson: Felix Vereyken.

Clover Leaf Farms, Reserve Market Lamb Showperson: Mason Vereyken.

Champion Showpersons were awarded as follows:

Champion Beef Showperson: Reese Rusenstrom.

Champion Dairy Showperson: Alex Mayhew.

Champion Goat Showperson: Roslyn McCann.

Champion Market Lamb Showperson: Felix Vereyken.

Champion Poultry Showperson: Felix Vereyken.

Champion Steer Showperson: Reese Rusenstrom.

Champion Sheep Showperson: Mason Vereyken.

Champion Rabbit Showperson: Laura Mayhew.

Judging awards are as follows:

Dalton Hodgins, Dairy Judging: Bradley Dubeau

H.I. Hobbs & Sons, Beef Judging:

5 – Alex Mayhew

4 – Rebecca Nugent

3 – William Stephens

2 – Rebecca Hamilton

Rosbern Farms, Special Prize for Top Judge 1:

Bradley Dubeau

Aggregate awards are as follows:

John Grant Family Award, First Year Member High Aggregate: Eloise Thompson.

Shawville Milling Junior High Aggregate: Willian Stephens. Special awards are as follows:

5 – Reese Rusenstrom

4 – William Stephens

3 – Alex Mayhew

2 – Bradley Dubeau

1 – Rebecca Hamilton

Frank Nyveld, Most Improved Member: Laura Mayhew

Katie Leigh Gagnon, Spirit Award: Reese Rusenstrom

Cindy Coles Smiley, Dedication Award (6 -12 year olds): Mason Vereyken

The Smiley/Bretzlaff Families, Dedication Award (13- 25 year olds): Alex Mayhew

The Eric Labine Memorial Award bursary recipient: Amy Sheppard.

First Year Membership awards went to:

Keira Drummond

Lily Drummond

Olivia Judd

Rayburn McCann

Mackenzie St-Pierre

James Stephens

Eloise Thompson

Morgan Tracy

Graham Vereyken

Leah Cote

Gabrielle Keller

Champion showman were presented with a Shawville 4-H belt buckle. Left to right: Laura Mayhew, champion Rabbit showperson, Mason Vereyken champion lamb showperson, Reese Rusenstrom champion beef showperson, Alex Mayhew champion dairy showperson, Roslyn McCann champion goat showperson and Felix Vereyken with champion poultry showperson.

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