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Sisters take top two FFA awards

The supreme grand champion market beef animal at the San Diego County Fair's market livestock competition was raised by Delana Sehnert.

The 17-year-old Sehnert, who is affiliated with Fallbrook High School's Future Farmers of America chapter and completed her junior year at Fallbrook High School last month, named her animal Ralph. The Maine cross steer weighed 1,280 pounds on the fair scales and was 17 months old when brought to the fair, June 24.

"While I was raising him, I never really thought about winning it," Sehnert said. "I was trying to have fun this year and do the best that I could."

Each species of large animal is divided into weight classes. The 4-H Club or Grange grand champion, the 4-H Club or Grange reserve champion, the FFA grand champion, and the FFA reserve champion compete for supreme grand champion and supreme reserve champion.

Last year Sehnert showed a 1,235-pound steer who was the supreme reserve champion market beef animal as well as the FFA reserve grand champion and the FFA medium-weight champion.

"I kind of already had the champion title," she said.

Pursuit of the grand champion distinction was thus an objective but not the sole objective for Sehnert this year.

"Obviously you always want to win the grand champion. You're just so excited to get grand champion," she said.

Ralph was acquired from Stohlmann Show Cattle in Louisville, Nebraska, which is between Lincoln and Omaha. The Sehnert family visited Nebraska in November. Sehnert's father was born in Nebraska and Sehnert's older sister currently attends the University of Nebraska. They looked at cattle and picked out calves for purchase. The Sehnert family purchased Ralph in December and acquired him physically in mid-winter.

In the past, Sehnert's cattle have been in the lightweight or medium-weight division. This year Sehnert competed in the heavyweight class.

"We wanted something a little different," She said.

That change satisfied Sehnert's goal of an enjoyable experience.

"It was really fun," she said.

Ralph placed first among FFA heavyweight cattle.

"I'm a little surprised because he was in the lowest of the heavyweights," Sehnert said.

Although some of the heavyweight cattle had more bulk, weight isn't the primary factor in choosing a weight class champion.

"He was structurally sound," Sehnert said.

Fallbrook FFA members raised three of the four FFA weight class champions. Evan Brown acquired a Maine cross calf from Wiese Cattle, which is in the eastern Nebraska town of Lindsay, and named it Buford T. The 1,067-pound weight of the 15-month-old calf placed it in the lightweight division, and Brown and Buford T won that weight class.

Delana Sehnert is the middle of three sisters. The youngest sister, Mallory Sehnert, raised a Maine Cross she named Chewy. That steer was also acquired from Stohlmann, and when Mallory showed Chewy he was 17 months old and weighed 1,416 pounds. Chewy competed in the super heavyweight division and earned a weight champion ribbon for Mallory.

"I was a little surprised, but I knew that he would do well," Mallory said.

Chewy was acquired by the Sehnert family in October 2018 and spent eight months in Fallbrook.

The three Fallbrook FFA members advanced to the competition for FFA grand champion and FFA reserve champion.

"I was so nervous," Delana said. "I didn't know what was going to happen."

That pitted the Sehnert sisters against each other. Ralph and Delana received FFA grand champion designation. Chewy and Mallory left with FFA reserve champion honors.

"We're totally fine with it. We're just happy," Delana said.

She added that she would have been happy if she had been FFA reserve champion and her sister had taken the FFA grand champion award.

"I was very proud, actually," Mallory said. "I was just extremely proud of myself and my calf this year."

An incoming ninth-grader is able to show livestock at the San Diego County Fair as a Future Farmers of America member, and Delana utilized the opportunity in 2016. Both her pigs were FFA weight class champions in 2016; she raised both the medium-weight champion and the lightweight hog which weighed 222 pounds. The second-place lightweight pig that year was raised by Delana's older sister; Taryn graduated from Fallbrook High School in 2016 so that year was the first in which two Sehnert sisters were both in FFA competition at the fair.

Delana and Mallory competed against each other in the 2018 competition for supreme grand champion and supreme reserve champion. Last year Mallory raised the 4-H Club reserve champion steer, who weighed 1,298 pounds. This year Mallory, who is now 14, utilized the ability of incoming ninth-graders to show livestock as an FFA member.

"It was just really nice to be able to show together, to do it as a family," Delana said. "We go to shows throughout the year. It makes me so happy."

The results placed both Sehnert sisters into the final competition.

"I was just so happy at the end of the day," Delana said.

The sisters faced 4-H Club grand champion Ethan Rockwell of Valley Center 4-H Club and 4-H Club reserve champion Wesley Palcic of Valley Center Country 4-H Club.

Delana had been in the final ring three times as an FFA reserve champion but had never competed as an FFA or 4-H Club champion.

"You just don't know what to think," she said.

Delana and Ralph were given the supreme grand champion recognition.

"I was just so overwhelmed," Sehnert said.

The supreme grand champion honor was the first for a Sehnert sister in 11 years.

"It's kind of been a long time," Delana said. "I was just so excited and happy that night. All my hard work has paid off."

This year's auction took place June 29. Ralph sold for $6 per pound and was purchased by Southern Contracting Company. Chewy was purchased by Bello Lei Salon in Fallbrook for $4.50 per pound.

Delana also raised two pigs this year. Louis, a male who was acquired from Ottenwalter Show Pigs in Colusa, weighed 281 pounds and was the FFA super heavyweight reserve champion. Olivia, a female obtained from Nebraska breeder Carl Jacobson, weighed 257 pounds and was fifth in the mediumweight division.

Sehnert entered Ralph in the market beef showmanship and Louis in the swine showmanship. Ralph placed fourth and Louis placed sixth.

"I wouldn't be able to do any of this without my family and my friends. I'm just so grateful for them," Sehnert said.

Author Bio

Joe Naiman, Writer

Joe Naiman has been writing for the Village News since 2001

 

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