4-H Dog Show kicks off fair festivities
Emma Gillis and her dog, Rooster, pose for a photo with their champion ribbon. The duo competed and succeeded in the obedience and showmanship divisions. PHOTO COURTESY KELSEY ERF – UMN EXTENSION STEELE COUNTY 4-H
The 4-H Dog Show opened pre-fair festivities at the Foundation Building last week with its annual obedience and showmanship competitions.
Owners and their furry friends took to center stage with the obedience competition first.
Four different categories competed in the event: obedience foundation, obedience beginner, obedience graduate beginner, and obedience novice.
Following the obedience competition was the showmanship division, where two classes (novice and open) took the stage.
Every class featured an abundance of smiles – both human and canine alike – but one supporter was watching intently on every technique and command.
4-H volunteer dog trainer Liz Kasper was venturing all around the venue, keeping up with her students and their dogs making sure everyone was succeeding and having fun.
“It’s really tremendous. I feel like a mother hen. My kids are finally out and they’re having fun showing off their skills that we’ve been working on for these past few months,” said Kasper.
Each competitor was recognized by the crowd for their efforts, while plenty of treats were also sprinkled in for the hard-working dogs.
“It’s a really wild day. Being my second year, it’s really fun seeing all of these kids return and then working with the first timers as well. All of these dogs come in a bit crazy with so much energy, so it’s so fun to watch them build their skills slowly over time. It’s a great culmination to the end of the summer,” said Kasper.