Platte Valley FFA chapter will host livestock and horse show

It started as a dare, 50 years ago, and continues to be the largest junior livestock show hosted by an FFA chapter in the state.

The 50th annual Little American Royal Livestock and Horse Show, hosted by the Platte Valley FFA Chapter at Kersey, will be Friday-Saturday at the school east of Greeley. It is expected to draw upwards of 250-300 exhibitors from around the state as well as from out-of-state, who will vie for prizes in market beef, lambs, swine and goats, breeding shows, horses, and showmanship contests.

Jack Heidenreich of Gill was an underclassman at Kersey High School when the late Rex Davis, the school's vocational agriculture teacher and FFA chapter adviser, agreed to host the initial Little American in 1958. Heidenreich said members of the chapter had been nagging Davis about starting a show, and he finally relented -- although he didn't think chapter members could meet his requirements.

"He told us we needed to have a sponsor, and we'd need $250 to start the show. So he gave some kids a half day off from school to raise the money," Heidenreich said. "Rex about fell over when they came back with the money, but he said 'Okay, let's go.'"

The rest, as the saying goes, is history.

And that history will continue this weekend.

John Stahley, an agriculture teacher and FFA chapter adviser at the school, said he expects FFA and 4-H members from throughout Colorado as well as Wyoming and Nebraska to come to this year's show which starts Friday afternoon and continues into Saturday evening. Entries in the show, he said, have typically run between 950 and 1,100 the past few years and also include shows for the pee-wees, those not old enough to be in FFA or 4-H. In all, 12 belt buckles and 96 trophies will be awarded in six species.

The various shows will be conducted at the school's field house, practice football field at the middle school and at the high school's football field. The show will conclude Saturday with an all around showmanship contest at 6 p.m., trophy presentation at 8 p.m., and the annual Platte Valley FFA Student Sale at 8:30 p.m.

Steve Herbst of Kersey, a 1968 Platte Valley graduate who is now a member of the Platte Valley FFA Foundation, said foundation members have been collecting old photographs and other memorabilia from the past 49 years. Those have been put on a CD, which will be available for viewing at this year's Little American.

Davis, who started the vo-ag program and FFA chapter at Kersey and was at the school from 1958-1989, died Aug. 8, 2003. His wife, Helen, passed away in March of this year.

Their daughters, Judy Jackson of Greeley, D'Anne VanGilder of Aurora, Nancy Vrooman of Kersey and Linda Krier of Fort Collins, have been invited to attend this year's show and will be honored, along with any of Davis' FFA alumni, Saturday evening.

Little American

More information on the 50th annual Little American Royal Livestock and Horse Show is available at www.plattevalley.k12.co.us and clicking on the LAR banner, or by calling the Platte Valley FFA at (970) 336-8740.