All in a Day’s work

The Day family have been showing livestock for the past six years and are shearing up for the 85th Annual Webster County Fair.

The family of six, husband, Jeremy, wife, Joni, and their four children all work together to get their animals competition-ready. 

“The kids are usually at the barn washing the animals. A couple times a week the kids wash their sheep and their cows,” explained Joni. “Breaking the animals to lead is a big part too. And feeding them twice a day. Their chores are a big part of getting ready for competition and making sure they have the nutrition that they need to be ready for the show ring.”

All four siblings show Dorper sheep and have earned numerous accolades over the years for their showmanship. As the Day siblings have gotten older, their ambition and determination grows with them. This year, the three oldest Day siblings will be showing Simmental cattle. 

Heston, 6, is gearing up for his first year of showing. Following in his brother and sisters’ footsteps, Heston is ready for his showing career to begin.

“I like walking around with the sheep and washing them,” smiled Heston. “ Also going to shows.”

When asking Heston what it takes to do well in the show ring, he shared “you only have to be kinda confident.”

Harper, 8, is way more than just “kinda confident”. She even enjoys the hardest part of showing: the judge’s questions.

“My favorite part is having the judge ask me questions, like ‘how old my sheep is?’ and ‘when is their birthday?’,” beamed Harper. Harper knew both answers by heart. 

Hadley, 10, likes working with the animals and the preparation leading up to the competition.

“My favorite sheep is Honey and I am going to show her at the Webster County Fair,” added Hadley.

“Trying to break the sheep to the halter is always fun… I am also excited about showing cattle, it’s my first year, so I am excited to see how they do.”

Hollis, 11, has shown livestock the longest; having already found success in the cattle category.

“In Fair Grove this year, I won Grand Champion. I was pretty excited,” commented Hollis. “Showing my heifer at the Webster County Fair should be fun.”

Hollis also commented he may enjoy the funnel cakes just as much as the competition. 

For Jeremy and Joni, the Webster County Fair holds a special place in their hearts.

“Jeremy and I, we both showed cattle growing up. That's actually where we started dating,” laughed Joni. “The Webster County Fair is pretty special. It's nice to just be in your hometown.”