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934-3122 794-2327
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522-0608
Howson & Howson Ltd.
Blyth
1-800-663-3653/523-9624
Listowel Farm Supply
Listowel
291-2501
Milverton Farm Supplies Inc.
Milverton
595-2048
McPhail's Feed Services
St. Marys
1-800-774-9758/284-4000
Springbank Farm Supply
R.R. 3, Walkerton
881-4492/1-800-724-3850
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22 THE RURAL VOICE
and the Perth and Huron County's
show for Jerseys.
As their experience and confidence
grew, the youngsters helped at the
Royal as well.
"Once you get started (showing) it
is hard to stop" said Armstrong. "We
enjoy it and we meet people from all
over the world, thanks to a little
Jersey cow. That is why we do it."
Showing involves considerable
work as the training of the selected
animals begins months in advance.
"It takes extra people to train them
on the lead and do the washing and
clipping just before the show," said
Armstrong.
The selection process is also key
to entering potential prize
winners. "We look for good
dairy qualities such as good fat and
good leg size. We look at the
breeding behind her even if
something doesn't look right at the
time of choosing."
Armstrong said they often use
smaller fairs prior to the Royal to
compare the cattle and work to
improve show qualities.
He pointed out that the small fairs
play a very important role in
developing not only the
showperson's abilities, but allows
local breeders to scrutinize other
stock.
Armstrong said he begins by
showing a group of cattle in Clinton,
then moves on to Seaforth and
Stratford in the fall.
"If they are in the top four or five
in Stratford, then they are good
enough for the Royal."
The Stratford show, with 130-160
head on display, is second only to the
Royal in the number of animals. (It is
often held in conjunction with the
Holstein show.)
Armstrong said attending the Royal
regularly and networking with
exhibitors is a great source of
advertisement for the livestock.
"We can compare with others and
see if we are on the right track (with
the breeding)," he said.
It also can bring international
attention to a breeding line.
"We got a lot of attention for a
two-year-old that won second this
year," he said. "We had calls from
Oklahoma and Texas."
However, as the cropping portion