UC Davis Livestock Jackpot Show Is Resounding Success Yet Again

Two years ago some of us wondered if our undergraduate students were being both a bit cheeky and a bit optimistic when they organized the “First ANNUAL UC Davis Livestock Jackpot Show.”  On May 17, a new crop of students pulled off the “Third Annual UC Davis Livestock Jackpot Show.”

Bath time for a couple of steers

A jackpot show pits high-school-aged students and their cattle, sheep, pigs or goats against one another in the show ring.  Winners take home a hefty jackpot. This year the show was held at the Yolo County Fairgrounds in Woodland, with lambs and pigs shown in the morning and cattle and goat classes afterwards.

This year's show was again an enormous success.  This outreach activity was organized and run by an energetic group of departmental students, led by graduating senior Gillian Ferguson. 

Jessica Wuoltee and Anna Hoes put up the banner at Yolo County fairgrounds for the Jackpot Derby

A number of Animal Science staff and faculty spent their Saturday  attending and helping with the Jackpot Show:  Jan Carlson, Lisa Holmes, Alisha Nork, Kent Parker and Drs. Gary Anderson, Trish Berger, Ed DePeters, Tom Famula, Kirk Klasing, Jim Millam, Frank Mitloehner and Bob Sainz.

Dana VanLiew served as unofficial adviser to the student organizers; Fred Stewart helped with arrangements to use the Yolo County Fairgrounds; Dan Sehnert helped with preparation for the Show; and Dr. Robert Zinn donated t-shirts with proceeds from their sales going to support the Jackpot Show.

This year's successful event serves as a reminder that, even in these challenging time, working together accomplishes great things toward fulfilling our missions in teaching, research and outreach.

Showtime for a line of lambs