Booneville High School junior Adisyn Hill will participate in a first of its kind cattle show this weekend, when she shows her Simbrah, “Stella” at the inaugural American Royal spring show in Kansas City.
“Once upon a time the Royal was connected with the national convention and that’s how the FFA convention started,” said Booneville Schools agri instructor Rhianna Wagner. “It was the first big livestock show and they are trying to build it up again, so they’re doing spring shows.”
According to its website, “the American Royal is the nation’s highest caliber livestock show providing a premier experience for exhibitors. Rooted in our legacy, which began in 1899, we are committed to providing a platform for competition, scholarships and education.”
Hill said she is excited, “because it is a national thing.”
Stella, who Hill is showing, is a registered cross between a Simmenal and a Brahma, she explains.
Hill will be attending the show with exhibitors from County Line.
Hill has been throwing cattle for five years and this year alone has hit both county level fairs, the Arkansas-Oklahoma and Arkansas state fairs, and even showed in events over both weekends of Thanksgiving break.
“It never ends,” said Wagner. “It’s becoming year round.”
With all those shows Hill finds herself away from the classroom, a lot.
“I do my work in my free time at shows or I wait until I get home that weekend and do it all in that one day,” said Hill. “I’ll just tie (the cattle) up and feed them and leave them tied all day while I work.”
This weekend’s event will include only Stella so she may have time to get to the work that will need completed for her teachers.
“In the past I’ve had four or five (animals) and it gets really stressful,” said Hill.
With the junior year winding down Hill already has a senior year show schedule planned that includes another junior national event and with commitments including Nebraska and Fort Worth, Texas, in addition to the local and state level shows in Arkansas.
“It’s the senior year, so we’ll hit the big stuff,” said Wagner.
Besides Stella the Sibrah, Hill said she shows a Red Brahma and a Braford, a cross between a Brahma and a Hereford.
In addition to hanging out in the Agri Building as much as possible – she has a study hall, flex period and animal science – Hill’s schedule includes economics, honors anatomy and physiology, algebra II, English, and she served as a manager for the boys basketball team.
As to whether looking after basketball players or animals is easier Hill said, “basketball is pretty easy, I like it.”
Hill is the daughter of Kristen and Rusty Hill.