Sehnert raises reserve grand champion market heifer in state fair debut

In her first trip to the California State Fair, 14-year-old Mallory Sehnert received the award for the reserve grand champion market heifer.

Sehnert, who showed the heifer as a member of Fallbrook High School's National FFA Organization chapter, raised a Maine cross heifer she named Brittany Lynn. The Sehnert family acquired Brittany Lynn from Wiese Cattle in Lindsay, Nebraska, in October 2018, and she weighed 1,130 pounds on the fair scales.

Not only had Sehnert not previously shown at the state fair, but she had not even visited the state fair in Sacramento so this year's state fair was her first.

"It was very hot, but it was organized. It was really clean. It was a nice, easy show. It flowed very good," she said.

The state fair was also thorough in provision of the rules. One of those rules is that assistance from other people was only permissible in unloading and setting up.

"I had to do everything," Sehnert said.

During the San Diego County Fair market livestock show Sehnert is usually assisted by her father and her sisters, who could not provide assistance during the state fair's market heifer competition, July 12-14.

Her weight placed Brittany Lynn in the lightweight class. She placed second in that weight class. "We already knew that she was a really good calf," Sehnert said.

A 1,205-pound heifer raised by Sydney Weaver of Maine Prairie 4-H Club in Dixon won first in the weight class.

The San Diego County Fair has separate FFA and 4-H Club weight classes with the weight class champions and reserve champions competing for FFA grand champion and 4-H Club grand champion and those grand and reserve champions competing for supreme grand champion and supreme reserve champion. The state fair weight class winners competed directly for grand champion and reserve champion.

"I moved up from there," Sehnert said.

Weaver and the Solano County heifer took grand champion honors. Brittany Lynn and Sehnert were given the reserve grand champion recognition.

"I kind of sized up the competition and I was happy to be awarded that and proud of myself, too," Sehnert said.

The state fair had an auction for steers but not for market heifers, so Sehnert retained Brittany Lynn. Sehnert and Brittany Lynn also competed in the showmanship competition at the state fair but did not place high enough to advance to the finals.

An incoming ninth-grader is able to show livestock as an FFA member, and Sehnert utilized that opportunity before beginning her Fallbrook High School career in August. Sehnert had previously been a member of Fallbrook 4-H Club.

"It was a really good experience," Sehnert said of the state fair. "It's definitely something that you should experience for yourself and not get told by other people."