In the midst of school shut down in 2020, Van Richardson’s baseball games and others came to a halt and he had to look for an activity to occupy his time.
Growing up on a small farm, he had always enjoyed being out in the pasture working cattle but amid the pandemic he decided to try something new.
After some brainstorming, Van bought his first show heifer in May of 2020
With many local shows and fairs being affected by the pandemic, Van had an exciting first experience in the show ring as he walked into the show ring at the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) in Louisville, KY.
After showing on the memorable green shavings at NAILE, being one of the largest livestock shows in the country, Van was hooked.
With now 11 head of Red Angus heifers and cows, Van is continually growing his 4-H beef projected.
Van was just recently invited to and attended the 2023 Tennessee Livestock All Star banquet for his accomplishments at the 2023 State Beef Expo in Lebanon last summer. Van was named the Grand Champion Junior High Showman and Premiere Exhibitor.
The premiere exhibitor award is a point system that takes into consider the results of showmanship, skillathon, and induvial cattle class placing.
Showmanship is a competition where the judge evaluates the youth’s ability to show their livestock while induvial cattle classes are judged based on the animals breeding or market potential. Skillathon on the other hand tests the youth’s knowledge outside of the show ring.
Skillathon tests the youth’s knowledge of breeds, nutrition, reproduction, anatomy, and equipment used in raising and managing cattle.
Alongside the knowledge gained through his beef project, Van has had the opportunity to travel and meet other exhibitors from across the country.
Building his network one show at a time, Van has aspirations of going back to the livestock industry after furthering his education.
Through his involvement in the beef project and his livestock background, Van has aspiration of attending the University of Tennessee at Knoxville to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science.
Phil and Jama Richardson, Van’s parents, have enjoyed seeing Van grow in and outside of the show ring.
“Van has become more responsible, managed his time better, learned how to win with humility and accept defeat with grace,” Jama stated.
From local shows to junior nationals and NAILE, Van has seen great success in the showring and looks forward to seeing how his project grows.
One of his proudest moments, was being able to show one of his bred and owned heifers.
“The most important lesson I learned from my livestock this year is it’s more gratifying to show and compete with a heifer I raised than with one I bought from someone else,” Van stated.
For more information on how to become involved in the beef project or other livestock projects, community members can contact the Union County UT Extension Office at 865-992-8038.