By Stephanie Johns
Staff Writer

The Piedmont Area Livestock Show brought people from 24 counties to the Morgan County Agricultural Center last Saturday.
Counties represented included: Banks, Barrow, Butts, Elbert, Franklin, Greene, Gwinnett, Hall, Hart, Jackson, Jasper, Jones, Lincoln, Madison, Monroe, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Putnam, Stephens, Taliaferro, Walton, and Wilkes.
They had 85 exhibitors, each with two or three people, according to 4-H Agent Janet Woodard.
“It was fantastic,” she said. “It was good to be able to host it here and have so many come.”
She added that it was one of the biggest events at the center in her time in Morgan County, which is about five years.
Concessions brought in about $900, which will benefit 4-H program enhancement / project achievement.
Woodward noted that all concessions were donated by Matt and Charlie Conner and Madison Walmart. She said that 4-H only had to spend about $100 so all the rest was profit.
“This was probably the best we have ever done,” she said, reiterating that it was also the largest.
Shannon Cagle, 4-H program assistant, agreed.
“It’s been the biggest show out there,” she said.
Students age 9 through 12th grade in 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) showed livestock in eight heifer breed categories while steers were shown by weight, she said.
Eleventh grader Claire Woodard with Morgan County FFA took first in Charolais Class 2, third in Simmental Class 1, and fourth in Showmanship Class 5 – 11th and 12th.
Tenth grader Will Porter with Morgan County 4-H took third in Hereford Class 1.
Tenth grader Liam Tweksbury with Morgan County 4-H took fourth in the Commercial Heifer Show Class 1.
Sixth grader Will Woodard with Morgan County Middle FFA took second in Simmental Class 2 and fourth in Showmanship Class 2 – 5th and 6th.
Fourth grader Dru Hunt with Morgan County 4-H took first in Showmanship Class 1 – 4th and Under and second in Hereford Class 1.

Printed in the January 31, 2013 edition