At that event there were mini-Herefords, and I knew from the moment I laid eyes on them I wanted to own my own. That following spring I was able to convince my parents to let me buy a Hereford and that's where this all started and now, I have 4 heifers and 1 bull calf.”

Ryleigh Breuch, Junior Ambassador

On July 12-16 the Northern Wisconsin State Fair celebrated 125 years and was host to many fun, family-friendly events and exhibits including, concerts, animals, and delicious food. This year two students from Stanley-Boyd School, James Mahr and Ryleigh Breuch, represented the City of Stanley being chosen as Northern Wisconsin State Fair Junior Fair Ambassadors. Being a Junior Fair Ambassador was a special opportunity for young exhibitors to share knowledge about their exhibits and gain writing, public speaking, and presentation skills while educating others.

James Mahr, son of Jeremy and Andrea Mahr, applied to be a Junior Ambassador hoping to learn how to share his knowledge of beef and dairy animals with fair goers and inform the public about the dairy industry. Growing up next to Mahr Bros. Dairy Farm, James has seen his fair share of cows and has learned a lot as he takes care of his cattle every day when he gets off the bus to go home from school. James participated in beef and dairy projects with the Edson Hilltop 4-H Club and beginning in August, raised a Charolais Cross steer, working with it to prepare it for the fair where he won top blue in his class and was able to participate in the Champ Drive and win 4^th overall steer of the show. He then sold the steer in auction to Lemke Milk Hauling and Seehafer Refrigeration.  But that’s not all! James trained and clipped four head for the fair, including his 4 year old cow, Lorde, his winter yearling, Opal, spring yearling, Lime, and spring calf, Lux. As a caring friend, James also helped other members of the 4-H Club learn to lead and take care of dairy animals.

Being chosen as Junior Fair Ambassador brought with it many responsibilities for James, including, greeting bidders at the Meat Animal Project Auction, and performing dairy milk presentations during the fair as he mentioned in his applications that he feels more people need to know about the beef and dairy industry. His favorite part of being a Junior Ambassador was the public speaking opportunities and helping with the operational aspects of the fair that the public isn’t normally a part of. Being a Junior Fair Ambassador was definitely hard work, but James also had some perks that came with the job. He had the opportunity to participate in the Northern Wisconsin State Fair podcast, be in a feature video, and throw the first pitch at an Eau Claire Express Game! The proudest accomplishment for James was being named Top Beef Showman and Top Dairy Showman of the beginner showmanship classes. 

For Ryleigh Breuch, an 8^th grade student at Stanley-Boyd, her love for cattle started a few years ago when her mom took her to a Kids & Cows event that is sponsored by the Northern Wisconsin Beef Association in Rice Lake, where she was able learn how to show calves and work on showmanship. She describes when her love for showing cattle began, “At that event there were mini-Herefords, and I knew from the moment I laid eyes on them I wanted to own my own. That following spring I was able to convince my parents to let me buy a Hereford and that's where this all started and now, I have 4 heifers and 1 bull calf.”

 Ryleigh was then chosen as a Northern Wisconsin State Fair Junior Fair Ambassador after writing an essay describing her project featuring her Simmental heifer, Shakira, which she purchased from Kelsey Kuehni, her mentor this past year. Ryleigh enjoyed her time as Junior Ambassador and was able to participate in a podcast, attend an Eau Claire Express game, and be on Facebook live a few different times during the Fair week. Ryleigh enjoyed teaching others at the fair about her animal and even allowing some to walk and pet her. 

Ryleigh, a Stanley Boyd FFA and 4H member, also participated in the MAP program, which is the Meat Animal Program, this is where she raised, showed, and sold a steer at the auction. She worked with that animal for a little over a year and in that time frame has had to halter break it, teach it to stand in the proper form, wash it, and care for its daily feeding needs. Along with working this steer, she also had two heifers she was getting ready for the fair. Ryleigh has been a part of 4H for almost six years, even becoming President this past year, a role that she hopes to continue as she has big goals she wants to accomplish. Ryleigh enjoys all of the 4H activities and feel that it isn’t only for kids with cattle but there are many aspects to be involved with including, archery, camps, judging teams, clover college, and craft projects to enter at the Fair. She feels that 4H teaches respect and helps you gain friendship that will last a lifetime. With open enrollment right around the corner, Ryleigh encourages anyone interested to check out a Edson Hilltop meeting.