Youth from across Alberta brought their beef and sheep projects to Stettler this week for the 49th Annual 4-H Alberta Beef Heifer Show, which ran July 1 to 4 at the Stettler Agriplex. The four-day event marked the second year the provincial competition has been held in Stettler after moving from Olds, where it was hosted for many years.
Members aged 9 to 21 competed in marketing, conformation, showmanship, multi-species judging, and team grooming. Last year’s show drew 80 participants, and organizers expected a similar turnout. Registration closed June 8 at a cost of $80 per member.
The Stettler District Agricultural Society operates the Agriplex, which provides 18,000 square feet of event space, plus an indoor arena, outdoor arena, and multiple barns. The society says hosting the show fits with the community’s deep roots in beef production—more than half of the farms in Stettler County focus on beef cattle.
Competitions are designed to test skills members have worked on for months. In showmanship, participants are judged on how they present and handle their animals. Conformation focuses on the animal’s physical structure, while marketing challenges members to promote their projects. Multi-species judging and team grooming round out the events, giving youth a broad range of hands-on experience.
Spectators were welcome to attend and watch the events at the Agriplex. The show provided a chance for the public to see the next generation of Alberta’s agricultural leaders in action, highlighting the strong local support for 4-H programs in central Alberta.
