Incoming Big Sandy HS Senior Lance Rutledge picked up second place in class with his heifer at this year's Chouteau County Fair 4-H competition. After 13 years of competing in 4-H events, Lance has grown as a person through his participation in various competitions and activities. The Montana 4-H website identifies the organization as aiming to help young people learn leadership, citizenship, and life skills. During my conversation with Lance at the 4-H barn on Sunday, he spent far more time telling me about the accomplishments of his fellow Big Sandy competitors than he did speaking of his own work. Though he took the time to suggest, with a mischievous grin, that I might enjoy a quick trip into the watering tank before the interview finished, apparently a running tradition for competitions. I declined.
Lance entered two cows into competition, a heifer (which placed reserve champion in his class) and a steer. Lance said he knew the steer was under-finished coming into the competition, which refers to the amount of fat the animal carries, resulting in better marbling and a higher backlit moisture. "It's a lot of responsibility. There's a lot of people that think you turn animals out, and then you're done with them. But especially for my beef, it's about an hour of work every day... you've got to feed them every day. Once it gets in the summer, you got to get them in, wash them, clip them..." I was surprised as he described all of the care that goes into competition cattle. It's a lot for a young man who is already active in school, sports, church, choir, and other activities.
In the area of leadership projects, Lance excelled. We walked over to the leadership displays to see the various entries and again, he spent far more time telling me about the other Sunshine Snippers students' projects and successes than he did speaking of his own work. In fact, he forgot to tell me that he had received Best in Show for his leadership project. He did an interactive workshop using a glass jar, rocks, gravel, and sand to represent the different aspects of life. "It was time management. It was taking a jar and then replicating your day, and then how you fill up your day. This reflects a degree of humility and pride in his fellow students' effort. It is inspiring to encounter in a young person. Lance described his experience with the one-on-one presentations verses the prepared speech competitions, both of which he has participated in. "They're similar concepts. But the difference is in Ag Sales, you sit & interact with the judge, you listen to him, you talk to him, and you build a rapport. It's more of that interactive back and forth. The speech, you're just up there. And for me, when I talk I like a little bit of feedback. When you're giving a speech, it's just them looking at you..." He went on to point out that with speeches, you are explaining your points, whereas with the interactive type events, "You're talking to someone, they already might know this piece, but they have questions about another part. I really enjoyed sitting down and walking them through what's going on."
With all of the enjoyment Lance has gained through the various competitions, he identifies one of his favorite experiences as one where he didn't compete at all. Last year, he traveled to the N.I.L.E. (Northern Invitational Livestock
Expositional). "This is my 13th year. And through those 13 years, there was a set of kids who were the ones that led what was going on. They knew what was going on, they helped others. Being able to see how they worked with others helped me, because this year I went down to the Nile with Jayton Ophus. I didn't take my own animal, but I I spent the whole week down there just helping him get ready. Because that was his first event outside of the county fair... he got there both he and his mom were very worried because this is a big event. There are competitors from all over, from Montana, Washington, Idaho, down to Colorado, Nevada, the Dakotas, even some from Nebraska. They all come to this show. It is a very big show. It's a 10 day long event. The first time I was there, my sister did that for me. Helping him see how he changed from the first day to when we left, I really enjoyed it and it helped me understand that you learn just as much when you learn something as when you teach something."
I spoke briefly with Mr. Taylor, the Big Sandy Ag Teacher, regarding Lance as a student and leader in FFA. "He's just been an awesome kid. He's been my FFA chapter president now for three years. Lance is totally 100% dependable in terms of being there whenever there's something that needs to be done. He shows up every day with a great smile on his face and he's just a happy kid and super smart. I can't believe he's going to be a senior. I'm not sure where my program is gonna go without Lance Rutledge. All these kids are just an awesome group of seniors this year. Lance particularly has spent a lot of time with my program. He has a big leadership role and the kids don't come any nicer than Lance does. He's a super great kid."
Lance is just one of many outstanding young people in this year's senior class who performed well in this year's Chouteau County Fair 4-H competitions. In the coming weeks, watch for more incoming senior highlights.
