Albany County 4

Two Albany County 4-Hers recently corralled top honors at the catch-a-calf show at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo (NWSS) in Denver.

Hailey Anderson won the show, and Joanna “Joey” Harris was grand champion. Harris’s calf is only one of two catch-a-calf steers eligible for the NWSS junior livestock auction.

Other Wyoming 4-Hers participating were Clayton and Wyatt Atkinson of Casper.

4-Hers from Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska each catch a calf during a rodeo performance at the NWSS. They receive calves in May to raise the next eight months. 4-Hers must maintain record books, write monthly letters to their sponsors (who provide NWSS money to purchase the calves) and raise the animals. They return to Denver with their finished market steers to exhibit at the NWSS.

By winning the overall production phase, Anderson won the show. By being the junior livestock show qualifier, Harris was named grand champion.

Wyoming 4-Her placings were:

-- Showmanship: Harris, first; Anderson, second; W. Atkinson, eighth; C. Atkinson, eighth (same placing but different division).

-- Live placing: Harris, first; Anderson, second; C. Atkinson, third; W. Atkinson, fourth.

-- Sponsor relations: Anderson, first; Harris, third; W. Atkinson, fourth; C. Atkinson, eighth.

-- Record book: W. Atkinson, second; C. Atkinson, fifth; Anderson, sixth; Harris, 10th.

-- Interviews: Anderson, fourth; Harris, fifth; C. Atkinson, eighth.

-- Overall production phase (includes industry index, sponsor relations, record books and interview): Anderson, first; Harris, third; C. Atkinson, ninth; W. Atkinson, 12th.

-- Junior livestock sale qualifiers (combines overall production with scores from showmanship and live placing): Harris, first.