The show still goes on

Even though she was forced to wear a mask during the 4-H Dairy Show, Kylie Kruckeberg of Owatonna is glad the show still went on.
The livestock shows took on an entirely different look last week at the Steele County Fairgrounds as 4-Hers paraded their animals while wearing face masks to help reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The shows were closed to the public and absent of the usual hustle and bustle of the fair going on in the background.
For 4-Hers like Kruckeberg, they weren’t about to let the coronavirus get in the way of showing animals.
“I didn’t want to do a virtual show,” Kruckeberg said. “It would be a shame if I didn’t get to show. I’m glad I’m able to do it.”
Kruckeberg, 18, showed two Brown Swiss cows in the Dairy Show. She leases the animals from Clover Glen Farms of rural Claremont. She got the cows ready for show by washing and clipping them.
Besides showing in 4-H, Kruckeberg is also a Steele County Dairy Princess. Despite growing up in the city, Kruckeberg got interested in dairy after participating in Cow Camp as a second grader at Clover Glen Farms. “The first year I really hated it,” she related. “For some reason I told my mom to sigh me up for another year and then I really enjoyed it and have kept with it every year since.”
Kruckeberg joined the Pratt Commandoes 4-H Club six years ago at the urging of another dairy princess, Lillie Zollner. Kruckeberg is continuing a family tradition of 4-H as both her father and grandfather were in 4-H.
Colin Schultz, 9, also took part in the 4-H Dairy Show. He also lives in the city, but goes out to Clover Glen Farms at least twice a week to take care of the animals. He said he spent several hours getting his cows ready for show.
Asked what he thought about showing during COVID-19, Schultz responded, “It's kind of different, but at least we get to show our cows.”
Parent Gail Zollner of Owatonna was busy helping her daughter and others get ready for show. “My fair heart is happy,” Zollner said pointing out the kids got to do some showing and fair food would be offered on the weekend.
Tracy Ignaszewski, 4-H program coordinator for Steele County, said the 4-H shows ran at about 50% participation of what it is in a normal year. For example, the hog show featured 150 hogs when there are about 230 in a normal year.
“We haven’t lost 4-Hers,” Ignaszewski said. “They just haven’t showed as many animals.”
While most 4-Hers showed in person, there were 40 virtual entries for livestock, according to Ignaszewski. Support staff had a laptop computer at the shows for judges to view the virtual entries.
Ignaszewski said this year has been a “whole roller coaster of emotions” for the 4-H program trying to adapt to COVID-19 guidelines. “It has been excitement, disappointment, gratitude and appreciation,” she said. “There has been a whole realm of emotions,” she added.
Many 4-H members and their parents have expressed their appreciation for 4-H leaders like Ignaszewski who pushed to have face-to-face judging even without a fair.
While COVID-19 has brought its share of problems, Ignaszewski is quick to point out that it has taught character, flexibility and change for 4-Hers. Pivot is a word that Ignaszewski has grown to describe the past several months. “To be able to pivot quickly made it challenging,” she said.
She said the most difficult part of the past few months for 4-H has been not knowing which direction they would be going. “We were planning two fairs,” Ignaszewski said, noting they had been looking at a virtual show to start and ended up with an in-person show.
As 4-H members showed their animals, they all wore face masks in the show rings. While it wasn’t ideal for many, they also understood the importance of wearing them.
“It’s the only thing that’s putting a halt to the spread (of COVID-19),” reasoned Kruckeberg. “It’s obviously very different this year.”