Family affair: Sanders siblings win showmanship awards

CROWNPOINT – The Eastern Navajo Fair 4-H Round Robin Showmanship came down to three siblings.

Tyann Layton, Kellen Stanley, and Penelope Begay qualified to compete in the Round Robin by winning their respective showmanship classes in the market beef, market lamb, market goat, and market swine divisions on Friday afternoon at the Larry Lantana 4-H Pavilion.

Stanley, 12, earned two qualifications with his beloved steer, Baby Thunder, and his polished lamb named Scar.

Layton, 15, made the final cut with her adorable swine named Kelly while Begay, 11, earned her spot with her cute goat Dyno.

Of the three, Stanley stood tall among her siblings as she was awarded the best showmanship at this year’s ENF, which was judge Taylee Velasquez, a former 4-Her and a recent Texas Tech Agriculture graduate.

“I feel like winning the Round Robin hits home for me,” Stanley said. “I did win the showmanship with my swine, and he was the Grand Champion but to come in and win the Round Robin is just the cherry on top.

“I’m so happy to win this but I feel like we all won this,” she added. “I feel like my family, my supporters, and my coaches are all deserving of this award. We all won this because it just wasn’t me. It makes my heart glow a little bit more.”

The three siblings live in Sanders, Arizona, and they compete with the Heritage Stocks and Roots 4-H Club. At the ENF, they competed under the Land Apple 4-H, which is run by Kathy Landers, an Extension Agent of the New Mexico State University.

“I’ve ventured into all four species, so I show everything,” Layton said. “I honestly have to say that hogs have my heart but I’m venturing off to cattle this year and I’m a lot happy doing it.

“I still have my struggles here and there in the ring by not having an open knowledge about them, but I’m learning along the way,” she added. “I’m just thankful for my family. My cousin, Kellen, has been showing cattle since he was like six years old. Just to have him beside me and having him as a role model makes me feel happy.”

Layton purchased her hog from San Simon, Arizona, and Kelly is a Hampshire Cross pig.

“I’m very lucky to have her,” the soon-to-be St. Johns sophomore said. “She came down with strep for three days and she couldn’t walk. I’m thankful that she’s here today and I want to thank God for her giving us a speedy recovery process.”

With Kelly, the Layton family treated the prized hog with penicillin, ampicillin, and dexamethasone under a veterinarian’s care to ease her back into competition.

“I was really worried about her, but it took only three days for her to get back to normal,” she added. “She listens to me and she’s one of the best showmanship gilt that I’ve ever had.”

Stanley shows only lambs and steers. At the ENF his steer was named the Grand Champion while his lamb was the Champion Showman.

“I really look up to my older sister Tyann,” Stanley said. “She’s the first one that started to show. My mom (Savannah Stanley) and my aunts (Kimberly Yazzie and Shevelle Begay) and Tyann started our group and from there it started to grow with Penelope showing. Now it’s going down to my little sister, Luay, and my little brother, Ryker (Begay).”

Stanley has had Baby Thunder for about a year. The family purchased him from Texas when the Baby Thunder was weaning off his mother.

“We went to a ranch and looked at some cattle,” Stanley said of his Club Calf bovine. “When we found him, he was in the pasture still with his mom.”

A Club Calf differs from normal cattle as they are a specific type of cattle that are bred for youth livestock shows.

“They have longer hair,” Stanley said. “We mainly use Purina grain on with orchard hay or oat hay to get them fatten up. We give them unlimited fresh, clean water, too.”

Stanley prepped his steer with a standard wash, followed by blow-drying Baby Thunder for the 4-H show in Crownpoint.

“Usually, that is what we start off with, but we have a lot of different sprays to make them puffy and shiny,” he said. “You can also use clips or a comb, so it’s really your choice.”

Stanley expects to exhibit his steer at a few more shows with his last one scheduled for the Arizona State Fair in October.

“I gotta say he’s a really nice steer to work with,” Stanley said.

As for Scar, the incoming seventh grader at St. Johns Middle School says his lamb is his second, third best.

“I left my best lamb at home to rest,” Stanley said. “I took him to so many shows with my little sisters.”

Begay says her beloved goat comes from Idaho from a private rancher.

“He’s just so cute,” Begay said of Dyno. “When I first got him, my mom was like, ‘He’s too big for you,’ but I think he’s just the right size.”

The Sanders youngster didn’t expect to win the Champion Goat Showman award since she was competing against three others who are a little older than her.

“It was challenging because they were more experienced than me,” Begay said. “He’s just a nice goat and he has a nice structure. We just need to get more meat and muscle on him.”

Begay expects to show Dyno for the last time at the Arizona National Livestock Show that is scheduled for Dec. 27-29 in Phoenix.

“I’m looking forward to that,” Begay said.

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