SAN BENITO — Jeorgina Rivas’s face shined with satisfaction as she led her market lamb away from the arena.
“We worked really hard, and he showed really good,” said Jeorgina, 16, whose lamb had just won its category at the Sonny Brazil Classic 2023.
“He has really good pose, and the judge said his head needed to be higher,” said Jeorgina, a junior at Rio Grande City High School, who was also showing two goats.
The event Saturday at the Sonny Brazil Agricultural Science Complex attracted FFA and ag students from throughout the Valley who came to show their heifers, lambs, and goats.
The air was alive with the smell of wood shavings and animal sweat and the sounds of bleating and bellowing and blow driers and cattle struggling against metal rails.
Marco Rivera, 16, was blow drying his goat.
“I am excited and a little bit nervous – this is my first year,” said Marco, a sophomore at Sharyland Pioneer High School in Mission.
Marco gave a shout-out to his best friend Dante Rodriguez who had encouraged him to participate in livestock show.
“He inspired me with his love and passion for the animals,” Marco said.
Dante has spent years building that love and passion.
“I have been doing this since I was four years old,” said Dante, 16, who is also a sophomore at Sharyland Pioneer High School.
“My end game is to help other kids find their own inspiration for showing,” Dante said. Then, gesturing toward Marco, added, “He’s doing pretty good. He’s new but he knows how to walk into the ring.”
Dante was also showing a goat and a lamb.
“My lamb, I put some spray on her, and I am going to blow dry her so her hair pops out,” he said.
Everywhere throughout the pavilion something new took place, around every corner, in every stall – in every place. Two young girls chatted in the bleachers, a young man strolled with purpose toward a gate, a girl gripped the halter of her heifer.
“Watch it, watch it, good girl, good girl,” said a woman to Ian Garza as he coaxed his Charolais heifer away from the rails.
Ian, 13, had spent the past few months working with his heifer “Milkshake” to prepare her not only for Sonny Brazil but the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show and Rodeo in March. The Resaca Middle School seventh grader from Los Fresnos had already presented Milkshake in previous shows recently.
“The judge told me to work on her feet,” Ian said. “She didn’t like it when the show stick touched her feet.”
So he began working with her about 45 minutes each day just tapping Milkshake’s feet with the show stick with a patience that would challenge anyone, certainly commendable for a seventh grader.
And it worked. Now she stood calmly for every maneuver and touch with the show stick, obviously ready for a fine presentation.
Analeigh Carrillo, 13, had become discouraged three years earlier when she was “dragged” by her show goat. Not a pleasant experience for a youngster, but Saturday she was excited about showing her red Brangus heifer.
“I have been walking her, feeding her a lot,” said Analeigh, an eighth grader at Rio Hondo Middle School.
“Things have been going really good,” she said. “I feed her three times a day and now she weighs 1,145 pounds.”
To see more, view Brownsville Herald photojournalist Denise Cathey’s full photo gallery here:
