The Dickinson FFA is on a fast pace this winter and heading into the spring. They have just completed their first show of the year at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo and next week they will be heading to San Antonio for the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. That show is followed by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in March, throw in the Dickinson FFA Winter Showdown after that, and then the Galveston County Fair and Rodeo.

"It's definitely our busy season," Dickinson FFA sponsor Clay Menotti said.  "These kids have been working with their animals since the end of last year, but right after the first of the year, we get really busy and it's pretty non-stop until the end of April."

Three students showed in Fort Worth. Chance Cummings showed a Limousine Heifer and placed tenth. Ashley Ferrell showed a Chianina Heifer and Thazerein Smalley placed sixth with his Brangus Heifer.

"I am very proud of how our students did," Menotti said. "At Fort Worth, we like to call it a hair show. Basically you can take the hair of your animal and do what you want with it to make it look good. Some fluff it and make it stand up, some make it shiny, and some put different kinds of sprays on it to make it look silky smooth. This is not allowed in most shows but Fort Worth is one of the older shows where they still allow that."

Menotti said Dickinson High School will be taking eight heifers and a calf to San Antonio. One of the heifers is about to have a calf any day and that calf will come along with mamma to the show.

"We will take the three that showed last week and add five more," Menotti said. "Also going on this trip will be Colten Cooper with a Beef Master Heifer and Triston Amason with a Simbrah. They both caught these heifers in the calf scramble last year at the Houston Rodeo. When they catch a calf, they get a voucher to go buy an animal to raise for the show next year."

Also showing next week will be Shellbie Elledge with a Limousine Heifer and a Shorthorn Heifer, along with Katie Palmer who will be showing a Lim-Flex Heifer.

According to Menotti, the students usually acquire their animals in the spring or summer after the Galveston County show for the following year. That is when they start raising them. The heifers must have the proper papers to prove they are what they say they are and that involves a nose print, hair samples for testing and sometimes blood samples. Once they get to the shows in the winter, all the paperwork must be provided and up to date.

The Dickinson FFA's Winter Showdown is scheduled for February 14 at the Galveston County Fairgrounds in Hitchcock. For more information about Dickinson FFA or the Winter Showdown please visit www.dickinson.ffanow.org.