Heart O’ Texas Fair and Rodeo 2016

Methodist Children’s Home (MCH) was well represented in this year’s Heart O’ Texas Fair and Rodeo livestock show. The FFA chapter from the MCH charter school, operated in partnership with University of Texas – University Charter School on the Waco campus, had students showing four steers, seven swine, two hair sheep, three goats and six market lambs.

The livestock show ran from Oct. 1-16 at the Extraco Show Pavilion at the Extraco Events Center in Waco. The FFA students worked with their animals for eight weeks, spending two-and-a-half hours a week with them during class time. Steve Kruse, Ag teacher at the charter school, was proud of the efforts of his students competing in a large show with minimal experience with their animals. He said out of 22 students, only eight had previously showed the same type of animal.

Here are the results:

Steers:  Nick - 5^th, Kel - 5^th, Galen - 6^th, Laura - 6^th

Swine:  Julio - 2^nd, Brandon - 3^rd, Danny - 5^th, Chris - 6^th; also participating - Kyra, Noah, Yacci

Goats:  participating - Selena, Edwina, Tamika

Lambs:  Iona - 9^th, Marisa - 10^th, Rainn - 7^th, Akia - 11^th; participating - Jaelyne, Iyahnna, Kiayani, Gail

“I want our students to place well and win like everyone else that shows, but I feel like we did win in so many other ways,” Kruse said. “Each and every student had to train the animal, pass all classes, learn how to show, and get out of bed very early to go and exhibit. As far as teaching life skills, we had many champions this week.”

Click here to visit our photo gallery of the event.